Hello Guest

Author Topic: The "Labor" part of the charge  (Read 1427 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Flyin6

  • Head cook and bottle washer
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 34018
    • View Profile
The "Labor" part of the charge
« on: March 21, 2018, 01:25:42 PM »
One of the purposes of this website is to show "how-to" and therefore make projects personal and more affordable.

I am finding labor prices pretty much eclipising $100 an hour everywhere. That's great for a guy like me who is considering taking on smallish land clearing jobs. I'd come in at around $100-$150 an hour with a minimum 5 hour charge to do something.

But focusing more on the automotive labor market, and using my recent experiences as a measure, people aren't getting a lot anymore for their hard earned dime.

Recognizing that great businesses like Ken's fight an uphill battle of labor costs, hidden costs, taxes, insurance, environmental surcharges and so forth, guys like him blend all that and still try to stay above the water.

I was looking at the nearly $2,000, actually $2300 I spent getting the SquareD worked on.
For all that, I got:

1. The engine timed
2. The brakes bled
3. The Hydraulic-brake system blown apart (twice) and
4. Discovered the fact that the torque converter does not fully engage into the flywheel/crank hub.
 So, actually I only got two real things done, but I now have to purchase another brake booster and PS pump, so actually, I am still, what $500 from even that or now in terms of real costs some $2800ish in the hole for that expensive experiment.

While I was down there, the guys, who I believe to be really good mechanics, informed me that the CP4.2 pump in my Duramax is a ticking time bomb. They offered to replace it for $5,000

That got me thinking. First, the Duramax is my primary vehicle I use for everything. I really can't afford for it to cave in with no notice. So I was pricing CP3 pump conversions. Industrial injection has a kit with pump around $2,000, and a good Whirli unit for a bit more.

A very basic pure stock CP3 unit can be had for as little as $1600, and I'll bet I wasn't going to get much more than that for the $5K.

Then knowing these guys would have to pull the body off the frame to get the job done, I watched a couple films of a guy at Industrial injection actually do the complete conversion. Well, he did it with the body on. Removed the turbo and about everything, but just worked overhead like everyone else.

You know, for $2K I could do that and still be able to add another turbo for the $5K the mechanics wanted...

Yea, I'm thinking again...
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 01:26:24 PM by Flyin6 »
Site owner    Isaiah 6:8, Psalm 91 
NSDQ      Author of the books: Distant Thunder and Thoren

Offline moto123

  • Registered
  • **
  • Posts: 327
    • View Profile
Re: The "Labor" part of the charge
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2018, 01:31:08 PM »
Sounds like a standard oil change.   :popcorn:

Offline KensAuto

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 7684
  • My abuser is named Nate
    • View Profile
Re: The "Labor" part of the charge
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2018, 06:15:59 PM »
While I was down there, the guys, who I believe to be really good mechanics, informed me that the CP4.2 pump in my Duramax is a ticking time bomb. They offered to replace it for $5,000


Well, that was mighty nice of them, considering everyone that owns a computer already knows that. :rollseyes
Pull the cab, on a chebby? naw
Underpaid and misunderstood since 2014

Offline Bigdave_185

  • Raising Boys into Real Men!
  • Registered
  • **
  • Posts: 7686
    • View Profile
Re: The "Labor" part of the charge
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2018, 10:12:52 PM »
I think the pulling of the cab mention is a slight discredit.  Isn’t your pump in the valley op end of your charger?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline Farmer Jon

  • Registered
  • **
  • Posts: 2346
    • View Profile
Re: The "Labor" part of the charge
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2018, 07:01:07 AM »
I don't know what year your duramax is but the dealer in Bowling Green Ky replaced mine for $3,000. I have an 07 lbz.
Father, husband, farmer, trucker, mechanic, equipment operator, ect

Offline Flyin6

  • Head cook and bottle washer
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 34018
    • View Profile
Re: The "Labor" part of the charge
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2018, 04:45:44 PM »
I think the pulling of the cab mention is a slight discredit.  Isn’t your pump in the valley op end of your charger?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes it is.
Someone made mention of removing the turbocharger and that engendered all manner of PTSD in me...I did one of the earliest LML EGR removals and documented it.

If you ever look at who's viewing, on just about any day, there is someone viewing the pages detailing how I removed all that business in the way back then. I suspect that link has been shared hundreds of times. I think Alligator Diesel or someone used it as a reference for customers for a few years on how to actually perform that task

I remember it as several very bad days.
Site owner    Isaiah 6:8, Psalm 91 
NSDQ      Author of the books: Distant Thunder and Thoren

 

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal