Date:         Wed, 17 Jul 2002 08:51:52 -0400
Reply-To:     80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Subject:      Re: '80 Westfalia: have to replace master brake cyl and brake
              shoes in back
Comments: To: jbrush@AROS.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

This guy is charging too much, but in part it could be
because he called VW for the part prices. I seem to recall VW
wants $250 Canadian for the master wheras most list vendors
will sell it for $50 US ($75 Canadian). Add similar markups
for replacing rear hardware an it hits $1000 pretty quick.
Get a parts list from him and price the stuff at
Vanagain.com, busdepot.com, bus-boys.com, volkscafe.com,
etc. But find a new mechanic if you're not comfortable doing
the work yourself. A good mechanic can save you money without
cutting corners on the job.

Also, particuarly if you cant do the work on your own, think
about doing your clutch master and slave as well as your
brake master all at the same time. A good chunk of the
mechanics time to do the master is to drain, refill, and
purge the brake fluid. Since all three share the same fluid
you only payt to do it once. The service lives are roughly
equal and the next component could be right behind it.

Thanks,
Chris

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 23:32:46 -0600
>From: John Brush <jbrush@AROS.NET>
>Subject: Re: '80 Westfalia: have to replace master brake cyl
and brake shoes in back
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>>The mechanic wants $1000 to do this.  I'm sure I can
>>do it cheaper myself.  Is this job doable?
>
>My mechanic did the Brake MC for $75 including the part.
That leaves him
>$925.00 to do your rear brakes :-)
>
>Run!!!!! Either he doesn't want to do it, or he is just a
thief.
>
>I wouldn't want to replace the MC myself. Others here say
its pretty easy,
>but I couldn't see a way to contort my hands to get at all
the fittings
>and the bolts, so I took the easy way out. Brake shoes are a
piece of
>cake.
>
>Good Luck,
>
>John