[V8] Old Content - T-belt Parts Rant!

[Tony and Lillie]

Wow, this subject sure got crazy. Yep, I was rolling my eyes. But, I've come 
to expect certain things from some of the listers over the years. The 
"engineer" types especially.

Anyone that shows up to my shop and wants to piece-meal any job, and not 
repair it right the first time, gets sent out the door. Here's my thought 
process:

"So, you want to save a couple of hunderd dolars on your (insert sticker 
price) Audi/VW, taking a chance at catastrophic failure in the future. Hmm, 
perhaps a mundane transportation module will suit you better. There are 
plenty of places you can purchase one, and in the meantime you can search 
Google for a "quality" mechanic that will gladly take your money."

Seriously, I just don't get it. And, if you are going to DIY and reuse the 
(generally good quality) OEM parts, at least take the time to remove the 
bearing seals and pack with additional/new grease. Otherwise, I've got 
stories aplenty, with pics for some, of catastrophic (wallet) failure. And 
for those thinking a mechanic is making a killing, keep dreaming. I've 
worked at just about every type (big indy, small indy, dealerships, my own) 
and none of them make anything more than a "good" living. And, experience is 
worth something, and you can't get it on the internet. You get it "in the 
trenches". Work as a mechanic for two months, as your only source of income, 
then come in here and tell me what you think. I'll respect that much more 
than a bunch of random banter ;-)

Oh, and if your time isn't worth anything (as in DIY, "so it's no big deal 
to do the job twice") I pity your family. My time is precious to me and my 
family as well. Even if I'm working on my own car, I have my family and the 
time they deserve merits consideration as well. Do it once, do it right.

All in all, a great laugh, and it's great to see Keith poke his head in as 
well.

Tony
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Justusson" <qshipq at aol.com>
To: <Bob.Korn at Fike.com>; <cobram at juno.com>; <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 7:44 PM
Subject: Re: [V8] Old Content - T-belt Parts Rant!


>
> I read 'over repair', and find CavalloGT post just a ramble...  And I 
> doubt he will find much agreement from this list, and certainly no shop 
> owner.  I'm sure Tony is rolling his eyes as much as me, more in disbelief 
> and amusement than any seriousness to the definition of 'over repair'.  15 
> years of shop ownership, and 50+ v8 timing belts in that time, there are 
> multiple arguments anyone can take on 'saving' money on a v8 timing belt 
> service.  In my opinion as an owner and a pro wrench for years, there just 
> isn't saving any real money beyond 'just' doing it yourself. First and 
> foremost, a DIY taking the risk that a bearing "is fine" sounds fine and 
> dandy to me, but it still makes no sense.  All time is money, and I can 
> only think of one thing worse than doing a v8 timing belt less than a year 
> later.  When I budget 10hours of my free time, I could care less what 
> those roller bearings cost if it keeps me away from that job for 60k.