Am I getting ripped off??!!(cam swap)
03-14-2005, 12:31 AM
#23
You guy's have got to relieze that not everybody want's to work on there own car.Just the way it is.As said above the shop doesn't have a clue or he just want's as much $$ as he can get from you.My rate is ussually $500 for a Cam/Spring install to give you an idea and it is a 1 day turnaround.
03-14-2005, 02:02 AM
#26
!LS1 11 Second Club
Originally Posted by JBGRAYTA
Yeah, I know I should've just done it myself. I get a nice box of new tools this tuesday 
. Anyway, this guy quoted me exactly $310 for new head gaskets and bolts. He stated he'll save me some money by simply reusing the head bolts and using $70 for the gaskets. To my understanding, are the new bolts only something like $35? 
This is looking bad. I'll give it until this tuesday or wednesday, see what he says about the final labor price. If it is more than the original price, I'm going to dispute and things might get ugly. If in the end, everything is done correctly, and I end up paying what I originally signed, I'll take my business elsewhere from now on.
BTW, the closest sponsor to me is Norris in Orlando, but there are a couple of shops down here I wish I would've taken to instead, though one of them also stated that the heads must come off.
I've had a lot of bad experiences with various shops down here, it seems more of them are interested in scamming people than doing a decent job. My transmission guy f'd up my plumbing when he installed my cooler, hacked up the plastic underside, and poked a hole in my condensor.
I'm never going to make this mistake again. Jesus.
. Anyway, this guy quoted me exactly $310 for new head gaskets and bolts. He stated he'll save me some money by simply reusing the head bolts and using $70 for the gaskets. To my understanding, are the new bolts only something like $35? This is looking bad. I'll give it until this tuesday or wednesday, see what he says about the final labor price. If it is more than the original price, I'm going to dispute and things might get ugly. If in the end, everything is done correctly, and I end up paying what I originally signed, I'll take my business elsewhere from now on.
BTW, the closest sponsor to me is Norris in Orlando, but there are a couple of shops down here I wish I would've taken to instead, though one of them also stated that the heads must come off.
I've had a lot of bad experiences with various shops down here, it seems more of them are interested in scamming people than doing a decent job. My transmission guy f'd up my plumbing when he installed my cooler, hacked up the plastic underside, and poked a hole in my condensor.
I'm never going to make this mistake again. Jesus.
JB. Please, please, please have him use NEW HEAD BOLTS!!!!!!
Heads never had to come off to begin with. This guy pulled your cam and dropped a lifter. Now he's fishing it out.
After using just about every speed shop in dade and broward counties, I'd suggest using/driving up to RevExtreme in Tampa, as all the shops down here suck *** and are expensive.
Anyone want to open an LT1/LS1/LS2 based speed shop down here? C'mon down.
I've been doing my internal work and bolt on swaps since I paid out my *** for my first cam swap. I'm still getting ripped off for things I can't do at home.
03-14-2005, 02:20 AM
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Originally Posted by SouthFL.02.SS
NO!!!!!!
JB. Please, please, please have him use NEW HEAD BOLTS!!!!!!
Heads never had to come off to begin with. This guy pulled your cam and dropped a lifter. Now he's fishing it out.
I'm still getting ripped off for things I can't do at home.
JB. Please, please, please have him use NEW HEAD BOLTS!!!!!!
Heads never had to come off to begin with. This guy pulled your cam and dropped a lifter. Now he's fishing it out.
I'm still getting ripped off for things I can't do at home.
SUX2BU actually does GREAT work, he and I swapped 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick's 9in Moser rear and my stock 10 bolt straight up between cars in 3 hours w/o a problem for a VERY reasonable price. I'd suggest him to anyone in the area that wants a great deal, I'd trust him w/my car for a cam swap.
03-14-2005, 04:01 AM
#28
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I feel your pain. South Florida stinks when it comes to finding a good shop that charges reasonable prices to work on your car. They either don't know what they are doing, or they charge waaay too much. Believe it or not I had one shop quote me a price of $500.00-$550.00 JUST FOR LABOR to swap valve springs. Mike Norris is the only shop in Fla. that I would use to do internal engine mods on my car. From the horror stories I have heard in So. Fla. it is worth the 200 mile trip to Orlando to let Mike Norris do the work on your car.
Last edited by C5 Purple Haze; 03-14-2005 at 05:23 AM.
03-14-2005, 04:34 AM
#29
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Originally Posted by SUX2BU
I wish you guys lived in Dallas i do cam and spring installs all day long for $175.
And as for experience... i've done about 70.
And as for experience... i've done about 70.
The trex in my camaro was one of em
03-14-2005, 07:30 AM
#30
When it comes to pricing you will find it is all over the place. Always do research first and then make an educated decision from there. When dealing with a "normal" repair shop, they will always go by book time and GM type service manual install procedures which can be in the $1200 area. As long as they can verify the labor hours in a guide book as well as the procedure, it is legal and really proper.
On the other hand, shops like mine know how to get around pulling the cylinder heads as we do several of them monthly and charge accordingly. There are also a lot of "shade tree" or at home mechanics doing the installs VERY cheap. Some are very good, some are bad. The "good deal" is brought to the surface if an issue such as a dropped lifter arises. Not bashing any at home installers as there are some good ones as I mentioned before.
When it comes to shops like ours here, the prices can range from $450-800 for a cam & spring swap. We have rent, insurance and employees to think about and charge accordingly. Our fees for a cam & spring swap is $695 plus parts. For full chassis dyno tune after is $450.
Hope this info helps and if you want to bring that car up here to finish, we can do it for sure. To be honest with you, even if you pay too much for the install, as long as it is done right at least there are no headaches there. Paying that much does not mean no headaches either, just trying to see a potential bright side to it. We get more then our share of cars from south FL as well as Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa and Ft Myers, so you will be in good company. Hope it works out for you.
Mike Norris
On the other hand, shops like mine know how to get around pulling the cylinder heads as we do several of them monthly and charge accordingly. There are also a lot of "shade tree" or at home mechanics doing the installs VERY cheap. Some are very good, some are bad. The "good deal" is brought to the surface if an issue such as a dropped lifter arises. Not bashing any at home installers as there are some good ones as I mentioned before.
When it comes to shops like ours here, the prices can range from $450-800 for a cam & spring swap. We have rent, insurance and employees to think about and charge accordingly. Our fees for a cam & spring swap is $695 plus parts. For full chassis dyno tune after is $450.
Hope this info helps and if you want to bring that car up here to finish, we can do it for sure. To be honest with you, even if you pay too much for the install, as long as it is done right at least there are no headaches there. Paying that much does not mean no headaches either, just trying to see a potential bright side to it. We get more then our share of cars from south FL as well as Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa and Ft Myers, so you will be in good company. Hope it works out for you.
Mike Norris
03-15-2005, 03:56 AM
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Originally Posted by SouthFL.02.SS
NO!!!!!!
JB. Please, please, please have him use NEW HEAD BOLTS!!!!!!
Heads never had to come off to begin with. This guy pulled your cam and dropped a lifter. Now he's fishing it out.
After using just about every speed shop in dade and broward counties, I'd suggest using/driving up to RevExtreme in Tampa, as all the shops down here suck *** and are expensive.
Anyone want to open an LT1/LS1/LS2 based speed shop down here? C'mon down.
I've been doing my internal work and bolt on swaps since I paid out my *** for my first cam swap. I'm still getting ripped off for things I can't do at home.
JB. Please, please, please have him use NEW HEAD BOLTS!!!!!!
Heads never had to come off to begin with. This guy pulled your cam and dropped a lifter. Now he's fishing it out.
After using just about every speed shop in dade and broward counties, I'd suggest using/driving up to RevExtreme in Tampa, as all the shops down here suck *** and are expensive.
Anyone want to open an LT1/LS1/LS2 based speed shop down here? C'mon down.
I've been doing my internal work and bolt on swaps since I paid out my *** for my first cam swap. I'm still getting ripped off for things I can't do at home.
Actually I am considering that area for a shop, skirting Miami, but not for another year or so, have to get retirement from Uncle Sam first.
$1200 for cam and springs install isnt bad if that includes price of cam and springs and gaskets etc. Typical cam $400, $350 for springs and Ti Ret., that leaves about 450 +/- for labor not bad if they knew WTF time it was! Sorry your getting jacked bro. I would get my car out of there, and have the charges reversed as well as seek compensation for time. Horrible what some ppl will do for a buck.
Charlie
03-15-2005, 07:50 AM
#33
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Originally Posted by CAT3
Actually I am considering that area for a shop, skirting Miami, but not for another year or so, have to get retirement from Uncle Sam first.
$1200 for cam and springs install isnt bad if that includes price of cam and springs and gaskets etc. Typical cam $400, $350 for springs and Ti Ret., that leaves about 450 +/- for labor not bad if they knew WTF time it was! Sorry your getting jacked bro. I would get my car out of there, and have the charges reversed as well as seek compensation for time. Horrible what some ppl will do for a buck.
Charlie
$1200 for cam and springs install isnt bad if that includes price of cam and springs and gaskets etc. Typical cam $400, $350 for springs and Ti Ret., that leaves about 450 +/- for labor not bad if they knew WTF time it was! Sorry your getting jacked bro. I would get my car out of there, and have the charges reversed as well as seek compensation for time. Horrible what some ppl will do for a buck.
Charlie
03-15-2005, 08:11 AM
#34
what your first message told me in a nutshell:
while this guy is used to conventional pushrod V8s, hes not aware that the LS1 cam can be pulled without taking the lifters out.
therefore he removed the intake in a attempt to get to the lifters.. finding that the lifters are under the heads, hes pulling the heads off.
hes not stupid, but hes not fimilar with the un-usual design of the LS1.
hes probly also not used to working in the narrow engine confines of a modern engine bay.... thinking he has to drop the motor to get enough room for the cam to come out.
really, he just has to remove the radiator, and move the AC to the side.
in a nutshell, hes doing 4 times the work that he needs to do...
while this guy is used to conventional pushrod V8s, hes not aware that the LS1 cam can be pulled without taking the lifters out.
therefore he removed the intake in a attempt to get to the lifters.. finding that the lifters are under the heads, hes pulling the heads off.
hes not stupid, but hes not fimilar with the un-usual design of the LS1.
hes probly also not used to working in the narrow engine confines of a modern engine bay.... thinking he has to drop the motor to get enough room for the cam to come out.
really, he just has to remove the radiator, and move the AC to the side.
in a nutshell, hes doing 4 times the work that he needs to do...
03-15-2005, 08:22 AM
#35
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You know its not TOO terriable hard to do it yourself. Maybe you got a friend or two thats handy with a wrench?
Check this out....Its worth a look
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
Check this out....Its worth a look
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
03-15-2005, 08:26 AM
#36
!LS1 11 Second Club
Originally Posted by 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick
You know its not TOO terriable hard to do it yourself. Maybe you got a friend or two thats handy with a wrench?
Check this out....Its worth a look
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
Check this out....Its worth a look
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
Also, the reason why head bolts can't be reused is because they're Torque To Yield. One use and that's it for them, unless you like playing Russian Roulette like this guy:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-internal-engine/289140-just-thought-i-d-let-everyone-know.html
03-15-2005, 09:23 AM
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omg please tell me he didnt remove the heads yet, if he didnt stop him immediately. if he did i would at least print the directions on ls1howto.com for head/cam swap so this moron can at least do the swap right for now on. i could do the swap in a day easy, swapped just a cam in about 3 hours. he shoulda used the magnets like he said.
03-15-2005, 09:26 AM
#38
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Originally Posted by hourang
omg please tell me he didnt remove the heads yet, if he didnt stop him immediately. if he did i would at least print the directions on ls1howto.com for head/cam swap so this moron can at least do the swap right for now on. i could do the swap in a day easy, swapped just a cam in about 3 hours. he shoulda used the magnets like he said.
03-15-2005, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by CAT3
Actually I am considering that area for a shop, skirting Miami, but not for another year or so, have to get retirement from Uncle Sam first.
$1200 for cam and springs install isnt bad if that includes price of cam and springs and gaskets etc. Typical cam $400, $350 for springs and Ti Ret., that leaves about 450 +/- for labor not bad if they knew WTF time it was! Sorry your getting jacked bro. I would get my car out of there, and have the charges reversed as well as seek compensation for time. Horrible what some ppl will do for a buck.
Charlie
$1200 for cam and springs install isnt bad if that includes price of cam and springs and gaskets etc. Typical cam $400, $350 for springs and Ti Ret., that leaves about 450 +/- for labor not bad if they knew WTF time it was! Sorry your getting jacked bro. I would get my car out of there, and have the charges reversed as well as seek compensation for time. Horrible what some ppl will do for a buck.
Charlie
03-15-2005, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by JBGRAYTA
Anyway, this guy quoted me exactly $310 for new head gaskets and bolts. He stated he'll save me some money by simply reusing the head bolts and using $70 for the gaskets. To my understanding, are the new bolts only something like $35?
This guy is crazy! I too suggest getting your car outa there and guarantee he will not know the correct sequence especially after stating he could use the stock head bolts.