My mechanic is my brother in law. He has been working on my car ever since I first got my license. A mechanic that lets you clean the undercarriage while he works on your car is the one you can trust.
I do not know how long it takes the average mechanic to do the clutch; but mine did it in 4.5 hours. (clutch, rear main, some fluids, transmission service etc.)
5 hours on the timing belt cam seals, injectors, updated belt cover, front main seal, some hoses, tensioner, etc...
It was like he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly what bolt to take off and how to orgnize the thousand bolts, he knew exactly where his tools were and did not waste time hunting for them.
(He changed the clutch on my civic in less than two hours)
I pulled into the shop he worked at on Saturday at 1pm and left by Sunday at 3pm (few hours for BSing, catching up, lunch, dinner and a drive to sears as his socket to remove the crank pulley split at the tip. Snap on truck was no where to be found and sears did not have the tool either. He had to jerry rig some tools with chains for leverage). Note I had ALL of my parts ready and needed nothing.
Also, he was extremely appreciative that the engine bay was spotless and no need to work around greasy parts. A major part of any job is to clean the area of service on the engine.
Dealers quotes may be subjective and apply to an average mechanic; but if it is done right, the labor hours are significantly less as mechanic are paid at flat rate and they want to complete it as quickly as possible.
I love my car and would not trust the dealer to work on it; but if I had to, and if my brother in law knows what he is doing, then a competent mechanic should parallel the skills and hours of my mechanic.
Also, I have my old parts to show potential buyers.
Furthermore, dealers may not complete the work they claim to have done either. How would you know. My old timing belt look brand new and no different then the one I was putting in.
In the end, I am 100% sure of the work completed and how much it should cost.
I do not know how long it takes the average mechanic to do the clutch; but mine did it in 4.5 hours. (clutch, rear main, some fluids, transmission service etc.)
5 hours on the timing belt cam seals, injectors, updated belt cover, front main seal, some hoses, tensioner, etc...
It was like he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly what bolt to take off and how to orgnize the thousand bolts, he knew exactly where his tools were and did not waste time hunting for them.
(He changed the clutch on my civic in less than two hours)
I pulled into the shop he worked at on Saturday at 1pm and left by Sunday at 3pm (few hours for BSing, catching up, lunch, dinner and a drive to sears as his socket to remove the crank pulley split at the tip. Snap on truck was no where to be found and sears did not have the tool either. He had to jerry rig some tools with chains for leverage). Note I had ALL of my parts ready and needed nothing.
Also, he was extremely appreciative that the engine bay was spotless and no need to work around greasy parts. A major part of any job is to clean the area of service on the engine.
Dealers quotes may be subjective and apply to an average mechanic; but if it is done right, the labor hours are significantly less as mechanic are paid at flat rate and they want to complete it as quickly as possible.
I love my car and would not trust the dealer to work on it; but if I had to, and if my brother in law knows what he is doing, then a competent mechanic should parallel the skills and hours of my mechanic.
Also, I have my old parts to show potential buyers.
Furthermore, dealers may not complete the work they claim to have done either. How would you know. My old timing belt look brand new and no different then the one I was putting in.
In the end, I am 100% sure of the work completed and how much it should cost.
They won't be cheap. A lot of mechanics say 'yes, we can' but only 1 or 2 percent of them will do a perfect job if they do it the first time. So you get what you pay for. :wink:
