Labor to Change Power Steering Hose

Hi,

I posted earlier about the power steering pinhole leak, in the 85 Chevy Caprice.. After giving the thing a look, and finding about 4 big reasons why doing it myself would be a huge pain the a**, I got an estimate from a gas station, to put in a new power steering hose. They looked it up in the computer and said it was a 57 minute job, and they would do it for $57, if I brought them a quart of power steering fluid, and the new hose.

In reality, I think it will take them 15 minutes max. There's no need to move anything, except maybe moving the clamp on the low pressure hose near the pump.

Actually, it''s worth it to me to pay $57 to get this problem off my mind. But isn't $57 a bit much for 15 minutes of work ???

I haven't had time to get other estimates yet. You think they'll all charge book rate, which is 57 minutes?

I was hoping for about $30 labor.

Yeah, yeah, if I want it done cheap, do it myself, ok, ok. But isn't $30 more like it???

Thanks

Reply to
Caprice85
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57 minutes makes no sense. Labor time is typically quoted in hours and tenths of an hour. The other thing that doesn't make sense is that they don't have their own power steering fluid in stock. Sounds more like a soda and snack place to me...

What you -think- is irrelevant.

My Mitchell estimator quotes .8 hr (48 minutes), on a 24 year old car, I'd likely bump that up to a full hour.

Yes, I think they'll all charge book rate, but I don't agree with the 57 minutes as being book rate based on the fact that it just plain doesn't make sense.

Sorry, it's not 1978 anymore.

No. It's more like charity. Suggest you look for a shop with a big red cross over the doors.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

I wonder if we could get i-ATN to put in a "goofy shit I saw on usenet" forum?

Reply to
aarcuda69062

They already have time spent with you just doing this.

They are cutting you a huge break allowing you to bring you own parts and fluid. Most professional shops will have nothing to do with customer supplied parts and liquids.

If its so damn easy why aren't you doing it yourself?

Then pay them for their time AND THEIR EXPERTISE AND TOOLS IF THEY CAN DO IT QUICKLY. I suspect if it took them two hours you would complain about waiting that long for it.

And, pray tell, Mr. Automotive Expert, who can't or won't do this "15 minute" job himself, how did you arrive at that time figure? Are you aware that it can take more than 15 minutes just to bleed the air out of a power steering system after repairs so the shop that performs service doesn't have to listen to you whine about your PS whining?

In other words waste a lot of other shops' time.

Book time is between .6 and .8 hours by my labor guide depending on engine options -- which information I did not see. If 57 minutes = $57 you are blessed with a low labor rate in your area.

Then find some homeless dude who says he used to be a mechanic and buy him a bottle of wine. Or maybe find some really grungy shop that takes cash only, has no liability insurance, doesn't charge sales tax, has no computer to log in all your contact and vehicle information, gives you a vague hand-written receipt on a piece of notebook paper, etc., etc.

I won't write a ticket, log your car into the system and open your hood for $30 -- I have a $64.50 minimum. I never allow customer supplied parts because parts profit is essential to making the numbers work, I don't want my shop tied up over a customer supplied part that is defective or does not fit the application and I offer a full warranty on all repairs. The great bulk of competent, professional shops have similar policies and stay busy adhering to them.

If you live in a severely depressed area you may be able to find a legitimate or semi-legitimate shop desperate enough to put up with your unrealistic expectations.

Don

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Reply to
Don

Looking back at your original post I see that there is a severe rust problem on the car.

I also see that while you feel you are knowledgeable enough to evaluate the job as taking 15 minutes, you actually considered stopping the high pressure power steering hose leak with "metal flakes" intended to seal a radiator.

The great bulk of my housewife customers with no pretensions whatsoever of automotive knowledge would know better than that.

Don

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Reply to
Don

We all get phone shoppers like this guy. I can general smell them and run them off before I waste much time. If they choose to understand the rules and parameters of a realistic business transaction at my shop they are welcome, of course.

I too wondered about "57 minutes" but figured it was probably "$57" based on a labor rate and book time. Alldata calls for .6, .7, or .8 hours depending on engine options. He already told us he has a rust bucket so it should be more. The odd "57 minute" figure is the least of the issues with this dude, however.

Don

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Reply to
Don

Why must you always 'splain so I understand it?

Reply to
cavedweller

Well, around here that is a half hour labour cost at any $tealership so it isn't too bad in my mind.

The job can be a serious pain in the butt with rotted parts and trying to get all the air out of an old system.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > Hi,
Reply to
Mike Romain

Here, both dealerships and independents charge $60, for the most part. On parts, a dealership will normally hang it to you.

But the facts are, if a person cant do it himself or herself, then he or she would have to pay the toll, or deal with a badly performing and perhaps dangerous ride.

In most cases, it doesnt take a lot of smarts nor tools to change out a power steering hose.

Reply to
HLS

Man, they are over $100/hr, up to $120.00 even!

I have a fresh young still 'honest' mechanic for big stuff and he is only $65.00 which is a great price. He says it and does have very low overhead at the shop as the reason.

Isn't the PS fitting the oddball 18 mm that can be hard to find. Then it is a rustbucket which does great things for fittings fitting wrenches...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build Photos:
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Reply to
Mike Romain

Mike,

Thanks for the informative response. Yes, the top fitting is 18 mm and the bottom one is 16 mm, neither of which I have. I have plenty of metric wrenches, just not those, and I have no line wrenches at all. Two (more) reasons to take it to a professional.

Yep. Plenty of rust to slow things down, too. Also, I did not know you had to bleed air out of the system. Maybe $57 isn't so bad. Well, that's why I posted my question.

Thanks again.

Reply to
Caprice85

Changing a PS hose on a damn near 30 year old car is a "Can Of Worms". I live and work on Michigan cars. At 23 years old, an '85 Caprice is not gonna come apart easy or quickly here.m It's gonna probably require a heat wrench and a bit of swearing,

If the OP is so damn sure about this being a "15 minute job", he should just do it himself and be happy if it turns out to be a 4hr job and he is not bleeding from several places in the end.

I have done more than a few full size Chevy power steering hoses (Pickup Trucks too).

I can say with authority that the job in question is gonna take at least an hour and depending of the level of corrosion, maybe more.

Al

Reply to
anumber1

16 mm is so close to 5/8" that a 5/8" would work.

Now you are starting to make sense.

Don

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Reply to
Don

What I would do is get a couple of flare nut wrenches (I own two sets of flare nut wrenches) and put them on there and see if I can budge those fittings loose.Then if I didn't already have a new hose, I would go buy one and put it on there.It would probally help to spray some penetrating fluid on the old fittings first and knock around on them with whatever is handy to help get the fluid down to the threads. Heck, you never know unless you try it yourself. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

Go and get a cheap flare nut wrench set from your local discount store. You'll need them sooner or later anyway. Don't forget the PB Blaster.

Frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to do that job these days, but aside from the corrosion issues it shouldn't be so bad. I suggest you do it yourself. It'll take a couple hours, and something will go wrong because it always does, but you'll be happy.

I guarantee if you take it to a mechanic that it will cost more than $57 because something WILL go wrong. Cars with... deferred maintenance... are just like that.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

You can't get an oil change for much less than $30 these days! Get real.

Reply to
Steve

Sounds like you be happier if they charged you $3.80 per minute for a

15 minute repair than $1.00 per minute for a 57 minute repair.

Hine: focus on the important stuff - like the total cost.

Don't just hope for a better price - look elsewhere. And hope at that price you will get someone who really understands car repair.

So do it yourself. In the morning drive to the parts shop, and buy the parts then drive home. Spend two hours getting the car ready for repair and starting the job. Return to the parts store to buy a part you forgot and return home. Finsh the repair job, clean up the spilled AT fluid just in time for dinner.

Reply to
John S.

I put a new PS hose on my '66 Dodge a few weeks ago, and that took me about 20 minutes. But then its a) a Dodge and not a Chevy, b) a 60s car with extra room to work instead of an 80s car with emissions hoses occupying every available nook, and c) never seen the rust belt ;-)

Reply to
Steve

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man of machines

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man of machines

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