PACKERSz28Camaro

iTrader: (43)

That's why certified mechanics change more per hour then the normal joe! This is not that hard of a concept to understand.

For example:

Certified mechanic A charges $50/hour, says he can do it in 12 hours $600.

Un-certified mechanic B charges $25/hour, says he can do it in 24 hours $500.

If a mechanic is good at his craft, he is going to charge more than a guy that isn't as good.

67-95Pilot

Umm....guys, I'm certified and AllData shows 12.7 for "Removal and Replacement" of the engine WITHOUT transfer of parts. Being you're not replacing it into anything I'd split the time. They show the trans. to be 4.8 for a T56, but thats replacing into the vehicle so again, split it. An auto. shows 4.7, once again SPLIT IT. As for the fuel tank, the labor for a pump is 4.6 and YES you do have to drop the rear end (unless you cut the floor under the hatch, which SCREWS the structural integrity if the rear of the body.) As for the driveshaft you cant charge jack for it, that's what we call "overlap" because your removing it to take the trans out anyway. So all together if you were doing it by book time he would be looking at around 11.0 flat. At our typical labor rate in my area ($80+ per hr.), he'd be looking at $880. When I work on vehicles not of customers of my dealership I usually half what a dealer would charge the customer. But thats just me, so I'd shoot for $440-$500. OH...and I meant ASE certified, as well as Chrysler (BUT I ONLY DRIVE GM'S!!!)

67-95Pilot

Bottom line is if your not nor have ever been a tech., or WERE a tech TWENTY years ago, it compares NADA to how things are now. You have to have advanced electronics knowledge, more computer skills than basic mechanic skills, and the economy has damn near bottomed out in the automotive industry in a lot of the country. Sure I can make a good check in a week and get plenty of hours BUT most people dont take into consideration you might have been there 55 hours that week and only make 46 because your taking into possibility their vehicle may have unforseen issues such as seized bolts, other damaged parts internally, or a variety of other issues, or your just being a good tech. and checking everything over and doing A GOOD JOB! Most shops are concerned about QUANTITY OF HOURS NOT QUALITY OF WORK!!!! So if your taking your time making the repair better with NO comebacks some shops will call you a "bad tech", on the other hand when some jack *** throws something together in a day the service manager loves him but leaves the customer in the dust with a half *** car. I would rather take my time and know bolt for damn bolt its near perfect and not see it come back, than get it done in a day and have lost a customer when poor quality work bites you in the ***. So whether or not your certified or not, just do a thorough, and complete job. Even if it is "side work", I'm sure he has friends that he could refer you too also man.

blkm6formula

iTrader: (2)

67095 pilot waht you also forgot is that alldata show the engine coming out the bottom, so the trans is overlap time also.

If it were me (not a certified tech, but went to school for automotive, and work at a shop as a technician) I would charge 8 hours labor for all of it. If it is a plactic tank you do NOT have to drop the rear end, and if it is a metal one, you can pull it without dropping the rear end, but you will bend the tube a little.

8x15 (no real proven experience 15 is More than fair) =120 + time, travel, tools, clean up, etc. I would charge around 250 total

FWIW most local shops that deal with r&r work and would actually do this for you (most big strictly auto shops like firestone, dobbs, and aamco etc won't do this.) charge between 700-1200 for a complete engine r&r plus fluids. I wouldnt give someone 650 to swap engines for me if they didn't have proven experience, much less just pull it out. However if he bites at 650 jump on it.

flintwrench69

iTrader: (11)

Yep, $12.50 is way out of line certified or not. Me personally, I have better things to do when I get done working for the day than work for that.

fasteddie94

iTrader: (2)

Certs mean dick. Every auto school out there uses it to lure in students and shop owners sell it to the public. I'm not a mechanic but rather a body tech, I do a fair amount of mechanical as well but I'm not certified in that. I'm a certified painter and haven't ever touched a paintgun inside the shop.

Our shop labor rate on mech is about $65. Personally if I am doing side work I do it at my hourly rate. It saves money and still makes it worth my while. $650 is not out of line to go to his house dragging your tools(cherrypicker, jack, stands, compressor) and not really knowing what kind of shape it's in. Depending on where it's hit it may be a son of a bitch to even get to everything. Food for thought, around here a shop pulling the motor is going to be in the ballpark of $700 anyway.

Side work is supposed to help both parties. Those who can't afford the full labor rate and someone that just wants to stick a little money in his pocket. But by no means should someone give away their off hours because they are not a certified tech. The customer is paying for what you can do that they "feel" they cannot. He must have some sort of mechanical reputation to even get a phone call asking.

samson_420

iTrader: (1)

****. . . . the guys who said 200-300 Bucks. . . ****, what are you using a sawsall?


I would say 350 Min. if you have a full shop at hand and if not, 500 Bucks sounds square.



A f Body drive train pull is not like pulling appart a 4 banger.

Phynix

iTrader: (3)

I got my motor, trans, and rear dropped, labor cost me around 1300$, they put a new 12 bolt in, bmr panhard, lcas, and extreme ta and bmr boxed sfcs, the trans twin disc, the motor, and a mcleod a master slave, they were weld in sfcs and the mounts for the ta needed to be welded in also, 650$ is crazy , I would say $400-$500. although certified doesn't really mean a whole lot, the difference between taking your car to a shop or someone that you kinda know is, if you take your car to a shop you have a labor quote that shows the shop took possession if something does wrong. Being you have to take all your stuff there I would lean toward $500, but if you can get $650 from him then its all good for you.