[V8] V8 Timing belt time/cost.

[cobram at juno.com]

Forgetting about the parts, doing it right and replacing all rollers, WP,
etc. you'd have to figure an "average" tech will take about 8 hours,  add
maybe an hour or two in there for broken/stripped hardware (here in the
rust belt) and the occasional "gotcha".  Good shops around here (Boston
area) average about $90 an hour.  Your region may vary, but getting it
done right will be a conservative $800 in labor ALONE around here.    

BUT, there's always a but, you can also be penny wise and dollar foolish
and have just the belt replaced for straight or book time.  A friend of
mine who has a 4N shop will replace just the belt if the customer insists
(on any car), but he always puts it down on the slip, in big letters,
that customer requests that only this work be done and there is no
warranty.  He has some customers who, oh, lets say are very frugal when
it comes to maintenance, so he's always in CYA mode with them.  "Just get
it running, I'm going to sell it, I only need the car for another few
weeks, it's getting old, blah blah blah."  These are the same people that
if they get a flat tire a week after he changes the thermostat will come
back and blame the shop...."my tires were fine before you touched the
car."

BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/

DasWolfen at aol.com writes:
>  If you're only being charged $1000 for a timing belt there's only 
> two 
> explainations.....either everything that needs changed isn't being 
> changed or 
> someone is doing charity work. The parts alone add up to around 
> $800....and thats 
> not dealer list price...which would be around $2500
>