Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 18:44:16 -0400
Reply-To: Greg Potts <Greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Greg Potts <Greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: Mechanic had to pull transmission again, what would you do?
In-Reply-To: <11dcddf80607051446w7a2bfa53m12a8c817a8cd701@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Hi Chris,
If you've found a mechanic who will forgo his own revenue from parts
markup; who will work for $55/hr AND is competent with vanagons you
should count yourself very lucky. Larry & Avery Johnson told me at
BusFusion that it takes them about 20 hours of labour to "re-and-re"
a vanagon engine in their synchro, so I don't think your mechanic is
hosing you in the least.
I think that scoring on the bearing could have been caused by the
slave failure. I toasted a release bearing on the return trip from
BusFusion this year... the smoked clutch disk expanded to the point
where it was engaging the pressure plate and flywheel even with the
clutch fully depressed. After about 200 miles of this abuse the
springs let go and I completed the last 1.5 miles of my journey
without a clutch. So it ould very well be your fault since you are
the one who supplied the slave cylinder.
I have first-hand experience of the PITA that a wasserboxer engine
pull from a parts van represents. If you can get a competent shop to
do that for $55/hr you're very much ahead of the game. Annoy this guy
too much and it'll simply encourage him to retire early and then
you're going to have to schedule maintenance around YOUR own free
time. Pay him a fair rate for his effort and he'll remember it next
time you show up, and he'll be that much more attentive to your needs.
BTW, would you mind letting me know who you're dealing with? Sounds
like a good shop to work on my Dad's fleet of 1985 vanagons.
Happy trails,
Greg Potts
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1973/74/79 Westfakia Conversion **Bob the Tomato** LY3H
http://www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia
http://www.busesofthecorn.com
On 5-Jul-06, at 5:46 PM, Christopher Gronski wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> If you have not been following my story, I recently had the
> following work done:
>
> Labor 22 hours @ $55 / hr = $1210
> - Engine and transmission removed from parts van
> - Transmission only removed from good van
> - Starter replaced (supplied by me)
> - Brake master replaced (supplied by me)
> - Clutch masetr and slave replaced (supplied by me)
> - Clutch, flywheel (from parts van) and pilot bearing replaced (new
> part)
> - Hydraulic system bled
> - Transmission installed in good van
>
> New Parts $71.85
> - Pilot Bearing
> - Felt Seal
> - Cranckshaft Seal & O-Ring
> - Transmission Oil Seal
>
> Total Bill $1,281.85 Canadian (or a bit over $1000 US) Yes this
> already seems high.
>
> I drove the van for the weekend and the clutch pedal jammed (that is,
> I had only been driving two days on the new job). I had to drive 400km
> back to my mechanic by starting in gear and shifting without the
> clutch. He had to pull the transmission again to troubleshoot the
> problem which turned out to be that the release bearing had let go. He
> swears up and down that he inspected the part before reusing it and it
> was fine. It is scored on one side (kind of half moon like).
>
> When I picked up the van today my mechanic (who does have a very low
> labor rate, and is a kindly old, seeming honest, german fellow who
> works on his own) sheepishly said something to the effect of he could
> not warantee the entire job, and said that now or somewhere down the
> line a couple hundred bucks would be nice. I said that I had already
> paid a huge amount, but that I'd think about it and we could talk when
> he got back from holidays in three weeks.
>
> Here is my dilema: Good vanagon guys are hard to find, and despite
> what I think may have been HIS screw up, I'd like to continue going to
> him. Besides, he could very easily bury $200 in any future big job
> without me knowing it. So should I just pay up and help maintain the
> relationship?
>
> BTW - could the scoring on the bearing have been caused by my 400km of
> no clutch driving?
>
> Opinions welcome...
>
> Chris
>
>
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