VEHICLES, CAMPERS, and BOATS > General Vehicle Related Discussion

The "Labor" part of the charge

(1/2) > >>

Flyin6:
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...

moto123:
Sounds like a standard oil change.   :popcorn:

KensAuto:

--- Quote from: Flyin6 on March 21, 2018, 01:25:42 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


--- End quote ---

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

Bigdave_185:
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

Farmer Jon:
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.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page