Looking to defend the 12 hours and I'm coming up short of reason. As was already mentioned, it would make sense if it was book time.

Is the shop replacing all upper, top end gaskets? Still tho....

I'm sure the by the book quote includes removing the battery. Inspect this, inspect that, etc....

 

All he is doing is swapping out the cam and cam bearing and do a rebuild on the carby. Obviously, a quick tune to get things running smoothly is apart of that. None the less, I have had people tell me, qualified people, that doing a cam swap and carb rebuild should take no longer than 4 hours if you know what your doing and all goes according to plan.

Flat Rate/book time, if that is what this guy is doing, is a rip off in my opinion and because of that - he'll not be getting a cent out of me. In short - his greed has cost him money, end of story!

 

However... the Top (rockers) should be removed... by a legitimate Shop...
I hate Adjustable Pushrods... No Reason for them...
Also... I Know Nothing of this "quick tune" you speak of...
Not defending tho... As this kind of stuff takes me however long it takes me... No Place to go, and All Day to get there....

 

What I mean by a quick tune is the normal every day tune a real mech would do to a car for example - points, timing, idle etc NOT these over priced Dyno Tune things that every one seems to want to get done for little more than boasting rights ...........

 

Change the cam still need to tune/rejet the carb. Maybe a little, maybe a lot. But usually not just a drop in and go.

 

In your imagination each one of these jobs only takes minutes, but reality is much different.

Drain tank and remove.
Remove seat, disconnect battery.
Remove carburetor and manifold, disassemble carb and soak body in cleaner.
Replace manifold gaskets, reinstall manifold.
Remove rocker boxes and pushrods.
Remove pushrod tube covers.
Remove timing case cover, cam, inner cam bearing.
Clean all the crap off the gasket surfaces.
Replace inner cam bearing.
Replace breather gear, set end play.
Transfer old gear to new cam.
Install cam, set end play.
Install pushrod tubes.
Install Rocker boxes.
Reassemble carburetor.
Install carburetor.
Connect battery.
Install seat.
Install tank.

Lifters?

 

Trumpet - not suggesting it is just a quick "drop in" job, but when 90% of people are telling you that to do what needs to be done is no more than 4 or 5 hours job - I regard 12 hours as an over kill and rip off.

Dan - all of what you said sounds right EXCEPT the rocker covers coming off. No need for that for a competent mech installing adjustable push rods unless your looking to make money. As said above, when people have told me they have done exactly what I am wanting done in 4 or 5 hours - VERY successfully, the 12 hours (flat rate or not) is nothing more than a rip off.

 

How much actual cost difference is there between removing and reinstalling the rocker boxes, and the cost of adjustable pushrods?

There are plenty of competent mechanics who will not use adjustable pushrods, it is not just about trying to make more money.

But, if you think your mechanic is out to rip you off, find another mechanic, and don`t ask him how many hours it will take, just ask how much it will cost.

 

Sorry - but I don't need to do the job myself ...... it appears as though it is just this one particular mech who is grossly over quoting and therefore charging. Earlier I spoke with a real mech who did the Air Cleaner and Exhaust and he quoted me 6 hours tops - so yeah, this other guy is overt speculating and so far as I am concerned is out to rip people off.

As for the cost difference between taking the rocker covers off and using adjustable push rods - that's probably negligible I don't know, but if it is then that merely compounds this guys 12 hours to do the work.

 

No Adjustable pushrods for me... Not going Backwards... I Have personally removed adjustables on Evo's... put back stockers..