fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

Hey guys,

I was looking to get a bit of imput from the more experienced vet's on the forum. I am about to schedule shop time to have some work done on my FD. I was hoping you guys could help shed some light on what I can expect to pay (shop/work fee's only).

I am looking to get 3 things done:

> Port the wastegate
> Replace 5th Gear syncro
> Upgraded fuel pump/injectors

I think I will def try to get the parts before I go, I know the shop (regardless of which one) is probably going to charge royalties on parts..

I would really appreciate y'alls imput on this.

Thanks,
Levi

chinaman

I think you should contact the shop and ask them what their hourly charges are.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Some shops won't let you bring your own parts with you, or they won't warranty the work on installing customer-provided parts. You might want to check on that.

Lupercal_CATS

I took the manifold off the car and brought it in and the porting only cost about $40. He also did a couple other various things to do.

Montego

iTrader: (1)

Rich is right regarding bringing your own parts:

Port the wastegate: you don't need any parts.

> Replace 5th Gear syncro. The part costs like $5 bucks (if that) it's the labor that kills you. Might as well have them buy it. But ask how much first.

> Upgraded fuel pump/injectors this is the only one. But ask first how much they can get them from. Most mechanics dont make money off the parts they put in (unless they have some kind of affiliation) so most likely they would get them from the dsame place that you do.

IMO porting the wastegate and the pump/injector intalls you should leave it to a competent rotary mechanic (don't just go for the cheapest). The 5th gear syncro can be done by any transmission shop which may be cheaper that paying a rotary especialist. But it never hurts to ask.

VegasFD

You can expect to pay quite bit of labor charges for those jobs. Porting the wastegate requires removal of the turbos, and the fuel work will require a teardown of all the UIM, etc. The only easy thing you mentioned was the fuel pump. As far as the syncros go, I'm not too experienced with the tranny, but I can't imagine it'll be cheap.

spandy

iTrader: (1)

Regardless of how long it takes them, they will probably just charge you according the what the labor guide says they can, even if a 4 hour jobs only takes them 2 hours, they will probably still pop you for 4 hours of labor just because they can.

Monkman33

iTrader: (28)

This is a balancing act, cause some 2 hour jobs take 4.

fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

Roger, thanks for the heads up guys..

I got in touch with RP Performance up in Manassas, Va and was quoted at $1,400 for labor. Need to check in at price for parts now (going to see if I can't find an OEM MKIV TT fuel pump and some 850 primaries and convince the shop to use those..)

Yeah, I am a decent mechanic on my own and with help from friends, but digging into the tranny is *not* something I want to tackle quite yet (had a bad experience with a clutch replacement on my Prelude.. lol), and I am no way in hell experienced enough to jump into the rats nest on the sequencials yet.

I have other work going on aswell, but these three items are the ones I do *not* want to do myself and **** up.. lol

again, thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate it. Thinkin I will be learning first hand why these cars are reportedly money pits ^_^

spandy

iTrader: (1)

My father in law has an auto electric shop, he usually splits the difference with the customers, so if a 4 hour job only takes 2 hour, he bills them for 3. But if a 2 hour job takes 4 hours, he only bills them for 2, but that rarely happens. Probably one of very few mechanics who actually work this way. All the ones I know of go for the gold and charge as much as possible.

Zimbu

Yeah Yeah Yeah. Cheap ***. Why would you want to pay a mechanic who fixed your car faster less money? So if I find a way to do my job quicker, I deserve less pay? Barely any mechanics work that way because it isn't sound buisness practice and equates to shooting yourself in the foot. Either learn to do the work yourself or shut up and pay what you're quoted. You have the option of going for the cheap guys. Go ahead, see what happens.

spandy

iTrader: (1)

Dude, wtf is your problem? I shouldn't waste my time on a turd like you, but this is how he operates and has always. He is the most reputable shop in town, and stands behind his work and does is noted for being the best.

Sound business practice? How about I show you his books, the only "sound" I will hear then is you shitting your pants and wishing you made half of what he makes in a quarterly statement. He is also a VERY religious man, and this has alot to do why he operates this way....help your fellow man.

But hey, you seem to have it figured out. Good luck with that.

Zimbu

I have a feeling your father wouldn't appreciate you sharing his financial records with me. If this was your shop we were talking about your opinions would be more valid. And what does religion have to do with anything? I don't have to believe in god to be a nice guy. And I **** my pants very quietly thank you so I doubt you would ever hear it.

By chance do you work on cars for a living? Do you assist in the management and administration of your fathers shop?

There is a difference between "short cutting" the time and "beating" the time. If I beat your time I better get paid for the whole amount. If I cleverly short-cut it we can work something out. But it will still be advantageous to me for being clever. You have oversimplified automotive labor in your earlier hour quotes.

spandy

iTrader: (1)

I see your point, but you didn't have to outright attack his business practices, or it seemed you were. I operate my own shop and I don't do it the way he does, I spend 45 minutes on what some tinters spend 5 hours on, but I charge the same. That's me, I know how to short cut the process with the same result, the same he does with his auto electric. He isn't running ragged trying to "beat the time", he just knows how to get around most things, so I guess I could say he usually just works something out with the customer, hence splitting the difference with them. I personally wouldn't take it to the lengths he does, but thats how he does business and it works for him, and quite well.

He gets ripped on for the way he operates quite often, but it's just funny that the people doing so, are the ones raping everyone and their business is falling apart while his is constantly growing.

And I didn't mean to imply that only religious people are nice, but it's just in his beliefs that he believes it is better to operate this way. Someone else could have alternative motives, but these are his.


And I didn't need to know that you **** yourself, or that you do it quietly

fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

Spandy, Zimbu I appreciate that you have both contributed pertinant information to the original question in my thread..

However do you think you could keep the (apparently personal) squabbles to PM's, hmm?? I'm not trying to have my legit question thread turn into some flaming match..

Zimbu

Calm down, we're cool. We ended it on a laugh, I fail to see a problem. I think it is very important to point out, when the question of labor is brought up, that regardless of how slow or how quick the work is done, that is NOT how labor hours are factored. You will have to pay on the difficulty of the job. On any RX-7 the chances are they will find a few hundred dollars of other stuff that could really use attention (being 10+ years old). I also think it is important to point out that going the cheapest route on an RX-7 is usually inadvisable.

Is that information more pertinent? Can I have a cookie?

By the way if you get some estimates post those, then people will hash out how its a rip or reasonable.

fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

I shot the same question I asked in the OP to Bret at RP Performance (closest rotary specialist to me that I am aware of, who can also get me in the shop before next August) His response (in an e-mail) was:
So thats pretty much what I am looking at. Most of the mods in my sig are not in the car yet, I have access to a full shop on base and bolt-on's are easy money. The only things left are *tuning* the PFC (I am working with FDNewbie on getting people together for a session with Steve Kan) and the three parts I mentioned.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

How many miles are on your turbos? Unless they're low mileage, it might be worthwhile to just go the BNR route. Not saying $700 isn't fair to R&R turbos and port wg, but why spend all that money just to bolt back on stock twins.........

fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

I can only assume the turbo's have about 80k on them.. the engine was rebuilt just before I bought the car, but no mention was made to whether or not the turbo's were re-done or the tranny.. since the 5th gear is still shot to **** I can only assume the rebuild *only* covered the engine.

How much is a set of Sequential BNR's?? That is something that I would really like to do in the future, but wasn't too sure about the whole process..

Thing is I am hoping to get all this done by the 6th so Steve Kann can tune my car when he comes up..

Yeah, I would really like a pair of BNR's, but I dont have anything to send as a core (unfortunately) and time is of the essence for me right now..