Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
#1
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Car: 86 Iroc-Z
Engine: 305 (TPI)
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: i dunno lolz
Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
Hello!
My car is approaching 120,000KM (about, 80,000ish miles?) and the timing belt has never been changed. A local mechanic is asking for $350 for the job. Is this a good price?
Thanks!
edit: wait...I just read that thirdgens don't even have timing belts...they have timing chains? oh gawd i'm so confused.
My car is approaching 120,000KM (about, 80,000ish miles?) and the timing belt has never been changed. A local mechanic is asking for $350 for the job. Is this a good price?
Thanks!
edit: wait...I just read that thirdgens don't even have timing belts...they have timing chains? oh gawd i'm so confused.
Last edited by Skyset; 01-16-2010 at 02:56 PM.
#2
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Car: 1992 RS
Engine: Carbed 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 posi
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
yep - no belt - uses a timing chain. The chain itself is about $30 stock, $50 for an upgraded double-roller. Job takes about 3 hours in the driveway on a bad day, so...
assuming an $80 per hour shop rate, means $160 labor and $60 parts (always mark parts up over parts store price, plus any shop should do it in 2 hours) - so I'd say that is $100 too much.
BUT - remember that shops go by a "book" of listed times per project, and the "book may list this as a 3 hour job regardless of how long it actually takes, so they will charge for a 3 hour job plus parts, plus shop fees, rag fees, disposal fees, and all the other BS that they tag on - so $350 might be a decent average estimate.
I just know I would never pay it, I'd buy the parts, buy a book, buy the tools, do it myself, and save $250!
assuming an $80 per hour shop rate, means $160 labor and $60 parts (always mark parts up over parts store price, plus any shop should do it in 2 hours) - so I'd say that is $100 too much.
BUT - remember that shops go by a "book" of listed times per project, and the "book may list this as a 3 hour job regardless of how long it actually takes, so they will charge for a 3 hour job plus parts, plus shop fees, rag fees, disposal fees, and all the other BS that they tag on - so $350 might be a decent average estimate.
I just know I would never pay it, I'd buy the parts, buy a book, buy the tools, do it myself, and save $250!
#3
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Car: '86 Bird, 96 ImpalaSS, 98 C1500XCab
Engine: LG4, LT1, L31
Transmission: 700R4, 4L60E, 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Tors, 4.88 spool, 3.73 Eaton
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
You don't need to worry about your timing chain at 80k miles. They last about 3 times that long in a stockish engine.
#4
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Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
80K miles? That's nothing. They last much longer than that before absolutely requiring replacement. Obviously, they will stretch & wear some, the higher the mileage, but I wouldn't replace one in a stock engine "just becuase." Had one that went 240,000 miles before I sold the car (still running like a top). Yes, the timing chain was loose and sloppy, but still basically doing it's job. Ignition timing floated very little until about the 180,000 mile mark, then it picked up some noticable variance in timing when revving up and down.
Which reminds me.... a simple ignition timing check can tell you a lot about a timing chain. As with my example, above, if the ignition timing is nice and solid as you rev up and down (using correct factory base timing adjustment procedure) the chain is OK and doing it's intended job. When it gets to the point it's floating about 2* or more, it's definitely time to replace.
Which reminds me.... a simple ignition timing check can tell you a lot about a timing chain. As with my example, above, if the ignition timing is nice and solid as you rev up and down (using correct factory base timing adjustment procedure) the chain is OK and doing it's intended job. When it gets to the point it's floating about 2* or more, it's definitely time to replace.
#6
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Car: 85' Trans Am !best car ever!
Engine: 305tpi 215hp LB9 two bolt,
Transmission: th-700r4
Axle/Gears: stock (3.27)
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
I had my dizzy shaft ride up and down. spark scatter. i shimmed it no more jumping. 120k.. that dude is charging you that much cause you called it a timing belt. i bet the mechanic kept calling it a timing belt the whole quote. thats dirty.
#7
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Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
My engine had 70,000 on it when I did my Head/Cam/Intake swap. The stock timing chain was kind of sloppy. I don't think it was ready to give or anything though.
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#8
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Car: 1992 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: T5
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
My car has almost 200,000 miles on it. Still running the same factory stock engine. Unless you have problems with it keeping the timing I would not change it.
#9
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Car: 86 Iroc-Z
Engine: 305 (TPI)
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: i dunno lolz
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
Thanks a lot brothers, I won't bother with the timing chain then unless I suspect there's a problem/it's going to blow up.
#10
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Car: '86 Bird, 96 ImpalaSS, 98 C1500XCab
Engine: LG4, LT1, L31
Transmission: 700R4, 4L60E, 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Tors, 4.88 spool, 3.73 Eaton
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
Good point, Fast. I wasnt thinking of those. Do you know if GM used them in 3rd Gens? I know they, as well as Ford, used them in some trucks and vans in late 70's-early 80's, but I've never come across one. If I knew I had one of those in my engine, it would be a great excuse to try a different cam just to get it out of there!
#11
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Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
All the 3rd gen engines I've been inside have used a link-belt style chain, but with steel teeth on the upper gear, not nylon teeth.
#12
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Car: 88 GTA "Cocaine"
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
if you did it on your own ok
300+ wait till it needs it
300+ wait till it needs it
#13
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Car: Still a 3rd Gen
Engine: 450HP 355
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Axle/Gears: 9" with 4.11's
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
It's a 60v6, not a SBC. The chain is longer and they do have a habit of stretching. Start worrying at about 100K miles, it's very easy to replace. Some will last way longer and some will fail sooner.
$350 is way too much, if you can't do it then find a shadetree mechanic to do it for a case of beer and parts cost.
$350 is way too much, if you can't do it then find a shadetree mechanic to do it for a case of beer and parts cost.
#14
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Car: 1983 G20 Chevy
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 14 bolt with 3.07 gears
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
Good point, Fast. I wasnt thinking of those. Do you know if GM used them in 3rd Gens? I know they, as well as Ford, used them in some trucks and vans in late 70's-early 80's, but I've never come across one. If I knew I had one of those in my engine, it would be a great excuse to try a different cam just to get it out of there!
It's a 60v6, not a SBC. The chain is longer and they do have a habit of stretching. Start worrying at about 100K miles, it's very easy to replace. Some will last way longer and some will fail sooner.
$350 is way too much, if you can't do it then find a shadetree mechanic to do it for a case of beer and parts cost.
$350 is way too much, if you can't do it then find a shadetree mechanic to do it for a case of beer and parts cost.
#15
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Car: 1988 GTA
Engine: 305 tpi (LB9)
Transmission: WC T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.45 posi
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
Sounds like your mechanic is a honda/toyota guy. Timing belt (chain in your case) replacement is much more crucial on japanese cars because they have very low valve clearances and very long valve stems; hence they bend easisly. They have also opted for a cheap rubber belt instead of a $30 chain. If the belts on these engies break it will bend every valve in the engine 9 out of 10 times. Some honda models also use the timing belt to drive the water pump so if your water pump goes bad, guess what, bent valves! Sorry about the rampage but congratulations, you're driving American!
#16
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Car: '86 Bird, 96 ImpalaSS, 98 C1500XCab
Engine: LG4, LT1, L31
Transmission: 700R4, 4L60E, 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Tors, 4.88 spool, 3.73 Eaton
Re: Reasonable price for timing belt replacement?
That would have been a great idea, except the cam that came in mine was pretty decent from the factory for a factory cam....It wasn't the little "817" peanut cam that came in your garden variety 305s. If I had one of those cams in a 305, I would have hated it.... 179/194@ .050, .350/.385" just would not make enough power to pull a heavy van around, so good thing it wasn't in there.
I think several of us just assumed V8. But I have seen a few 3rd gens with the LG4 that had the composite gears as well.
I think several of us just assumed V8. But I have seen a few 3rd gens with the LG4 that had the composite gears as well.
I wonder if it has the composite cam gear? It has 130k. I'm not going to worry about it. If anything goes with that engine, there's a stock L31 sitting in my garage ready to drop in.
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