Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

[AutoVation]

Ok, I need to get some things on the Sy taken care of ASAP. Unfortunately, holding a full time job and having to landscape the house for the last 2 months (and the foreseeable future...) has put a dent in my free time. So, I dropped the Sy off to get some work done. I'm waiting for the estimate to come back and I thought I would work up my own estimate... and then thought most of the guys here would be able to give me a better estimate than I could come up with.

I have 16 items listed and my estimations. I would appreciate any feedback so I could negotiate with the shop if necessary. They are pretty reputable but are not familiar with the Syclone. All parts are already purchased as I had planned to DIY. My estimate came to $755. Am I in the ballpark?

1. Front Brake Rotors / Pads (provided) - $125

2. Oil Change (Filter & Mobil 1 Oil provided) - $15

3. Flush and change coolant (50/50 mix of coolant to distilled water) & intercooler coolant (56/44 of coolant to distilled water) - $50

4. Change front & rear differential fluid (SAE 80W-90 gear lubricant) - 2.6 Pints or 1.3 quarts - $25

5. Change transmission and transfer case fluid (Dexron III) - $25

6. Lubricate all prop shaft slip joints, universal joints and Front Prop Rear Joint Centering Ball, steering linkage - $40

7. Check rear/front axle fluid level and add as needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals for leaking. - $25

8. FRONT END LUBRICATION - Lubricate all 11 front end grease zerks - $25

9. TUNE UP - Spark plugs (Gap all plugs @ .035") , cap & rotor, spark plug wires - $200

10. A/C CHECK - Possible R134A update - Free

11. HOSE REPLACEMENT - Replace stock rubber hoses with silcone hose kit (provided) - $150

12. PCV SYSTEM INSPECTION – Check that PCV system works properly. - Free

13. EGR ELECTRONIC VACUUM REGULATOR SOLENOID VALVE INSPECTION - Inspect filter for excessive contamination or plugging. - Free

14. ENGINE TIMING CHECK – Adjust timing to under hood label specifications - $25

15. THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED ENGINE COOLING FAN – With engine off and below normal operating temperature, check to see that the fan can be rotated by hand on fluid coupling drive. - Free

16. FUEL FILTER - Check if it has recently been replaced. If so, do not replace. If it is original, please replace (Part provided). - $50 if needed

 

[Loeryder]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

You have pretty big kahunas to let a shop thats not familiar with SyTy to tackle some of those things.
plugs, timing and vac lines especially.

I would say price quote wise you are close, maybe under on the fluids and stuff.
I would guess just for the inconvenience of you bringing your own parts they will be around $1000 in labor.

 

[QWERTYphoon]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

Bring the truck to NATS and I will do it all for free! Just have some of the fluid changed so you can make it there. It seems you will have a mechanic for a day. Does that mean you should pay him $755. No Save your money for the stuff you can't do. just my .02

 

[warmpancakes]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

why is he charging you to change the diff fluids the charging you to check them? Also theres a member here who owns/works at a shop in SC id take the truck to him.

 

['JustDreamin']

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

That's not the mechanic's estimate.

It's the owner's estimate of what the mechanic's quote will be....

I think most of those numbers are close. The free stuff probably won't be free, though....


'JustDreamin'

 

[BigBadSmoosh]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

it is all "normal" stuff for a s-series truck, nothing on that list is syty specific.. but i'd still bring it to someone who has worked on them before, it tends to cut down on the joy rides during the testing phase of the work.

 

[mattw]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

4. Change front & rear differential fluid (SAE 80W-90 gear lubricant) - 2.6 Pints or 1.3 quarts - $25

There is no drain on the front diff.. As far as I know there is no easy way to drain the fluid so that it can be changed.


-Matt

 

[George Blake]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

There is no drain on the front diff.. As far as I know there is no easy way to drain the fluid so that it can be changed.


-Matt

Yep. I use a vac made for suctioning a patient's airway when they vomit with french catheter hooked up to it. Works good.

 

[FxsX24]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

it is all "normal" stuff for a s-series truck, nothing on that list is syty specific.. but i'd still bring it to someone who has worked on them before, it tends to cut down on the joy rides during the testing phase of the work.

since when does my stock s10 have a intercooler


i would do the IC myself, you really think there gonna use that exact ratio?

did you ask them about useing your own parts? most shops wont due to warranty purposes

 

[SY2932]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

You have pretty big kahunas to let a shop thats not familiar with SyTy to tackle some of those things.
plugs, timing and vac lines especially.

I would say price quote wise you are close, maybe under on the fluids and stuff.
I would guess just for the inconvenience of you bringing your own parts they will be around $1000 in labor.

No doubt on the fluids, especially the Mobil 1 oil. Heck between 5 quarts of 10W 30 and a M1-201 oil filter, I have over $40 everytime I change my oil

. The Mobil 1 oil filter is $12 by itself. .. I'm pretty sure that you won't get one of those in the "deal".

I would say that if you don't have the time to do the routine maintenance on the truck, park it until you do. Chances are if you don't have the time to mess with it now, you won't have time to mess with it if you are one of the unlucky ones and it runs like crap when you get it back. That sets up the "hey guys help me figure out what's wrong with my truck so that I can tell the garage that did the work what to check". Good luck if you come to that bridge.

 

[AUSyTyIN]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

This is why I do all my own work.

"6. Lubricate all prop shaft slip joints, universal joints and Front Prop Rear Joint Centering Ball, steering linkage - $40"

HA! That is less than 5 minutes of work

"8. FRONT END LUBRICATION - Lubricate all 11 front end grease zerks - $25"

Same as above

"16. FUEL FILTER - Check if it has recently been replaced. If so, do not replace. If it is original, please replace (Part provided). - $50 if needed"

How exactly does one go about checking if it has been recently replaced? Just go by how much crap is accumulated on the outside? :bs: I'm sure he will say you need this.

 

[SY2455]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

Depending on where you live, Most repair shops,

(Will not install parts if you bring them for the following reasons)

1. They make alot of money on parts they get from a supplier, here locally the mark up is 3 times what the repair shop paids for the same parts.

2. They often say that "we don't use that brand"

3. Part warranty problems,

American Heritage Dictionary "A guarantee given to the purchaser by a company stating that a product is reliable and free from known defects and that the seller will, without charge, repair or replace defective parts within a given time limit and under certain conditions."

4. Most repair shops look at labor at a flat rate of $75.00 - $100.00 per hour.

 

[syclomatic]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

Bring the truck to NATS and I will do it all for free! Just have some of the fluid changed so you can make it there. It seems you will have a mechanic for a day. Does that mean you should pay him $755. No Save your money for the stuff you can't do. just my .02

lol, since your being nice, can you help me with my vac lines, pcv at nats?

 

[AutoVation]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

Bring the truck to NATS and I will do it all for free! Just have some of the fluid changed so you can make it there. It seems you will have a mechanic for a day. Does that mean you should pay him $755. No Save your money for the stuff you can't do. just my .02

I WISH I could go!!! If it weren't for those 1103 miles in between. Are the nationals always in Kansas City?

Guys, I really appreciate the responses and the support. Especially you QWERTYphoon, I would not let that work go unrewarded! :friends: :cheers:

The total quote came in at just over $1400, I'm getting a breakdown shortly. At this point, the truck will sit until I can get to it. For a little more than that price I can get a lift installed in the garage and do this work much easier.

 

[AutoVation]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

Depending on where you live, Most repair shops,

(Will not install parts if you bring them for the following reasons)

1. They make alot of money on parts they get from a supplier, here locally the mark up is 3 times what the repair shop paids for the same parts.

2. They often say that "we don't use that brand"

3. Part warranty problems,

4. Most repair shops look at labor at a flat rate of $75.00 - $100.00 per hour.

I usually don't have a problem with the local shops to use my own parts. They aren't trying to rip me off, they typically mark their parts up 20% to cover their cost to order and process them. Of course the parts aren't warrantied from the installer but that's ok. Now if I go to a dealership, you can pretty much forget using your own stuff!

 

[AutoVation]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

"16. FUEL FILTER - Check if it has recently been replaced. If so, do not replace. If it is original, please replace (Part provided). - $50 if needed"

How exactly does one go about checking if it has been recently replaced? Just go by how much crap is accumulated on the outside? :bs: I'm sure he will say you need this.

It was supposedly replaced right before I bought the truck so it should be brand new. I never got around to checking it (it would not have influenced my decision either way). Where is it located and I can check myself? I need to order that CD with the manuals on it!

 

[Loeryder]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

fuel filter sits inside the drivers side frame rail.
It is a metal can with a fuel line coming out of each end.

Spray liberally with Liquid Wrench before tackling.

 

[AutoVation]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

Yep. I use a vac made for suctioning a patient's airway when they vomit with french catheter hooked up to it. Works good.

LOL, I hope you don't take that back to the patient!

I think something like this from Griots will work.

 

[AutoVation]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

The Mobil 1 oil filter

I will never use a Mobil 1 oil filter. Their filters have been shown to have a lot of metallic contamination & particles in them that would get flushed into your engine.

I would say that if you don't have the time to do the routine maintenance on the truck, park it until you do. Chances are if you don't have the time to mess with it now, you won't have time to mess with it if you are one of the unlucky ones and it runs like crap when you get it back. That sets up the "hey guys help me figure out what's wrong with my truck so that I can tell the garage that did the work what to check". Good luck if you come to that bridge.

LOL, I heard that. I'm very experienced with engines (I design auto parts as a day job & have done turbo upgrades, multiple timing belt changes and basic engine work) but am lacking the platform specific SyTy knowledge. I'm sure the shop is just giving me a conservative estimate because they do not know what is involved also. It's always that last stripped bolt that you just can't reach that takes 90% of the time... :doh:

For me right now, it will take longer to get the truck lifted at the house than it probably will to do the fluid changes.

 

[AutoVation]

Re: Guess my mechanics bill for a Syclone Tune Up?

fuel filter sits inside the drivers side frame rail.
It is a metal can with a fuel line coming out of each end.

Spray liberally with Liquid Wrench before tackling.

And make sure the fuel pump is off! That and no smoking!