Fair quote or day light robbery?

[sasquire]

Usual story, one puts his car in for a standard service (few niggly things annoying me) and turns out something major is going down.
I've been told by my mechanic that the following needs doing... fast (yes, there was a small oil leak I wanted fixing... ).

Sump Gasket
Rear Main Oil Seal
Rear Welch Plug

The quote is around $2000.

From my understanding, the rear oil seal here is the cost as he stated one needs to pull out the engine AND transmission. But from googling, only one or the other needs pulling out and people have had it done for $460. But I don't know cars enough to make a judgement on the situation. I trust the mechanic but I don't trust anyone when it comes to $2000

And while he's at it, I might as well service the transmission (even though there's nothing wrong with it). But as he's pulling it out anyway... another $130.

Is this worth it? Should I hunt for more quotes?
And because of the price, I now have to cancel my liquid injection order

[Pimpn1]

i would go look elsewhere seens to expensive, and i believe only gearbox has to come out

[excalibur]

hunt for more quotes that does sound expensive

[Full Spectrum]

Friend was quoted $300 for welsh plug, I was quoted $700 for rear main seal in a VB.

For $2000 you could almost toss in a near new motor.

[chargedvx6]

Rear seal is right at $400ish but any more than that is a rip off. I've never heard of a leaking sump on a car that hasn't had work done beforehand (rebuild etc). Did the mechanic wash the engine down first to really see where the leak is coming from?

[sasquire]

In fact, no he didn't. He said it would need to be done first to make sure, but from what he could tell, it was definitely the rear oil seal.
I really appreciate the advice guys, it will most likely save me over a thousand. Will hunt for quotes for sure.

[GMBanisher]

Rear mains seal and welch plugs, why do they always say the motor has to come out, isn't it a hell of a lot less stuffin around just to take the auto out?

[blake0182]

i paid i think 50 for a full vt rear main kit includuing the alloy plate and a sump gasket off ebay while ago still havnt got around to doing it and mechanic quoted me onli 300 if i supply all parts and another quoted me 180 but i dont think that last quote would be a quality job prolly woulnt be lined up properly and leaking in a week lol

[BOGANV8]

I would say its very steep the rear main only requires the G/Box to come out and the rear main seal replaced..

The very first thing i would do is put it up on ramps and get some degreaser from supercheap or repco and give it a good clean down with high pressure if you can and then drive round for a week and then go back and see him and say right were is it coming from now just to confirm that it is the rear main or sump or valve cover gaskets......

Otherwise its a lot of coin even at 400-500 to do the job only to findout it was the vavle cover gaskets which would be cheaper..

[Cursed CX8]

my question is...
How does he know its the rear main and plugs? I replaced mine in the vs about 2 months ago, i had no idea that this was the problem till i had replaced everything else and was still having issues. I pulled the engine out and did it all, it was easier than doing to box then working under the car.

My tip is to remove the inspection plate on the trans, of its oily and watery then he might be right. If its clean and dry then tell your mechanic he is fired. Im not joking either, the amount of mechanics that have tried to pull things over my eyes is rediculous

[sasquire]

I went to the mechanic next door (like 20 steps away) and she quoted me $950 (Sump Gasket, Rear main oil seal and rear welch plug). Still expensive but from $2000, I'm alot happier. And this was a quote, they haven't seen the car yet so they're going to make sure. I'll mention to this new mechanic about the inspection plates and valve cover gasket. Perhaps sounding a bit more knowledgable, I might get it cheaper again. Or at least get all the other stuff I want done cheaper.

Still, just going for another quote has saved me $1050 already. Again, I really appreciate this guys. Love this site.

[njnathan]

How handy are you, Are you a Mechanic??

To do this Job, for a Sump Gasket, Rear Main seal, and welsh plugs, it is still a pain in the but job. Rear main seal not to bad just drop the box change it, 20 min job once box is out. Welsh plug same deal, time taken in popping out old one and the tapping in the new one with sealant, may as well do them all its that easy.
The sump gasket however, involves lifting the motor in the engine bay and removing the entire sump, cleaning the bead, install new gasket, and rebolt sump.

If you are a mechanic this would cost you prehaps $150 in parts tops,but what cost you money is the fact that the Motor and Gearbox have to be removed from the car. No mechanic will remove a motor/gearbox for under $400, to many accessories and plugs and junk to unplug, unhook, or unbolt. Then they charge about $400 to put it back in again.lol

$2000 is expensive but thats the way it is to get somebody else to do the work for you. If you can do the work your self and have the equipment you will save your self 1500+.

What burns me is that they charge you $2000 and then you find out the apprentice did the work and they paid him less than $8 per hour for the job.

Shop around you may get a better qoute, I would do it through my shop for around 1200-1500 depending on what else popped up, eg. throw out bearings, clutch plates, torque convertors....etc...

But just doing the job you qouted is the expensive part of getting some serious work done the the motor, and the seals , gaskets and welsh plugs get replaced as part of the major overhall.
Price a bottom end rebuild through the same bloke, you may find that it is not that much more. $2800 for a fully rebuilt bottom end would be reasonable if installed fitted and left shop running and tuned. Just means your Heads and Injection system dont get touched besides new gaskets and cleanup.but everything below including bearings, seals, rings, everything is respeced and renewed.

[TheyDontWantMusic]

does that $2000 include a shift kit and stall converter? cos thats about how much I paid to have that done, and the rear main seal replaced at the same time.

[commsirac]

How handy are you, Are you a Mechanic??.

Did you read the whole thread? Does Sashquire sound like he is a mechanic or indeed someone that has all the equipment that one would need to get a gearbox or engine out?

[Branch]

tell him he's dreamin

[TheyDontWantMusic]

ok, I got the transmission removed and replaced...

a shift kit, and stall convertor supplied and fitted...

new transmission fluid (of course)

and a rear main engine seal supplied and fitted for the grand total price of...

$1326.

so, $2000 for what you need done is totally ludicrous.