OMG - Estimate for Repairs
- Thread starter dmauldin
- Start date
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
The ones that hit my parking garage didn't use any power tools, just hand tools. They took several cats that were just bolted on from other high clearance trucks but left mine alone because it was welded. It does help, although not bullet proof.
Diezel
New member
In California, that could end up costing them big time. To condemn a cat, you're supposed to complete at least 2 of those tests and document the results. According to the BAR here anyways. Shotgunning oarts for amog, is highly looked at here.
Quick update:
Replaced both cats with Walker cats myself. Nearly 1,000 miles and no codes...yeah!
Performed Tundra brake upgrade yesterday. 1st side took about 3 hrs, 2nd side 45mins...yeah!
Total saved off the original estimate so far = $3,800...YEAH!
Pretty sure I'm going to do VCG & Timing Belt job myself...
Question: can timing belt job (with accompanying goodies) & VCG, cam seals, etc. be done as separate jobs without repeating a bunch of disassembly work, or should I plan to do all of it while I have things apart? Not sure if I can get it all done in one day in this heat.
Replaced both cats with Walker cats myself. Nearly 1,000 miles and no codes...yeah!
Performed Tundra brake upgrade yesterday. 1st side took about 3 hrs, 2nd side 45mins...yeah!
Total saved off the original estimate so far = $3,800...YEAH!
Pretty sure I'm going to do VCG & Timing Belt job myself...
Question: can timing belt job (with accompanying goodies) & VCG, cam seals, etc. be done as separate jobs without repeating a bunch of disassembly work, or should I plan to do all of it while I have things apart? Not sure if I can get it all done in one day in this heat.
jeremyc74
Banned
There's not a whole lot of overlap between the timing belt and VCGs but if you're going to do the cam seals you want to do them with the belt. Personally if they're not leaking (cam seals) I wouldn't mess with them, but that's a matter of opinion.
psraff
New member
You need to take these results back to the Dealership and tell them "Thanks". Because of their BS, you learned tons, gained pride on solving issues on your own and saved a ton of $$$. Make sure you tell them there's a forum they need to join so they can expand their own knowledge on the vehicles they work on.
Latest Update:
Decided to tackle the VCG job yesterday on my own. Total time = 13hrs. The only snafu was dropping a 10mm socket into the engine and down an oil pathway...oops. I trip to the auto parts store got me a magnetic retriever that was way to stiff and big to go down the channel I needed. Head scratch time... OK, got it. Used 10 of my son's neodymium magnets inside a drinking straw, seal end with electrical tape, tape two more drinking straws to add length. Massage straw to make more flexible. Fish down oil pathway, grin when you feel magnets grab the socket!!!
No other snafus, just lots of time labeling, cleaning parts, etc.
Did VCG, cam seals, half moons, spark plug grommets (not on original estimate), PCV valve and gasket (not on original estimate). Used all OEM parts ordered from Camelback Toyota.
I have now done:
Catalytic Converters
TBU
Valve Cover Gasket and other bits (more than the dealer would have done).
Total $ savings by not allowing the Toyota dealership do this work = $4,500.
I have learned a great deal from the write-ups on this forum, responses to my questions, etc. I know so much more now, and I'm not afraid to tackle these jobs.
Thanks everyone. Let's keep saving all that money together!!!
Decided to tackle the VCG job yesterday on my own. Total time = 13hrs. The only snafu was dropping a 10mm socket into the engine and down an oil pathway...oops. I trip to the auto parts store got me a magnetic retriever that was way to stiff and big to go down the channel I needed. Head scratch time... OK, got it. Used 10 of my son's neodymium magnets inside a drinking straw, seal end with electrical tape, tape two more drinking straws to add length. Massage straw to make more flexible. Fish down oil pathway, grin when you feel magnets grab the socket!!!
No other snafus, just lots of time labeling, cleaning parts, etc.
Did VCG, cam seals, half moons, spark plug grommets (not on original estimate), PCV valve and gasket (not on original estimate). Used all OEM parts ordered from Camelback Toyota.
I have now done:
Catalytic Converters
TBU
Valve Cover Gasket and other bits (more than the dealer would have done).
Total $ savings by not allowing the Toyota dealership do this work = $4,500.
I have learned a great deal from the write-ups on this forum, responses to my questions, etc. I know so much more now, and I'm not afraid to tackle these jobs.
Thanks everyone. Let's keep saving all that money together!!!
Last edited:
JeepKiller
New member
You could've just moved away from Commufornia..
Cree
New member
JeepKiller
New member
Where the heck did I read California....... I must be going insane
MtnT4R
New member
Nice work! I think this thread is awesome because you started off totally overwhelmed after the stealership told you they were going to kick you in the nuts, and you came out the other side willing and able to perform pretty much any required maintenance on your 4Runner.
That's the (not so secret?) secret that dealerships and auto shops don't want most people to know; with basic tools and a little elbow grease you are perfectly capable of maintaining your truck without having to deal with them, even without formal training or experience.
Not only that, when its YOUR vehicle you are guaranteed to pay more attention than the hourly grease monkey at your local shop who is finally getting around to working on a truck he couldn't care less about after smokin a j in the parking lot after lunch. Not giving mechs a bad rap, there are a lot of great ones, especially on this site, but lets just say I've had a few less-than-stellar experiences and its good to double check their work if you can.
:hatsoff:
Last edited:
Ol'Blue
New member
Hey now- were not all crooked ass hats. I just gave away a 3000 job pretty much just by doing a Helie Coil. How many would pass on almost 20 hours of labor when the customer said just fix it. I know its going to be about 3500 bucks.
Blue
MtnT4R
New member
haha sorry man I just finished editing my post. I didnt mean to generalize that all shops or all mechs are a waste of time. There are just quite a few bad ones and its worth the time to build a relationship with a good shop and/or pick and choose wisely.
I'll give the OP a good example: the local Big O is one of the only places to buy tires around where I live(they pushed a couple good independent shops out of business). The staff is friendly and talk a nice game, but fortunately I used to know one of the guys who finally admitted to me that the sales staff work on commission- which means that they nearly always talk people into repairs or work that isn't really necessary. He told me this after went in to get my tires balanced with brand new Bilsteins installed a couple weeks before, and another sales guy I hadn't met before tried to convince me that they put my truck up on the lift and saw I needed new shocks. Its just the game a lot of them play, and unfortunately most people are so ignorant of their cars that they just go along with it.
Last edited:
Buckaroo
Member
OP - this is such a great story. When these trucks reach their current age, you either have to figure out how to work on them or get rid of them.....you cannot afford to pay people to fix them. I see many posts from people that recently purchased their third gen T4R and are shocked at how much money they are putting in to them. Good parts aren't cheap but the labor costs just put it over the top....Good Job!
Buckaroo
Buckaroo
Well said.
SpidermanGeek
New member
And frankly, I don't trust anyone else to do any work on my rig since every job at this point is potentially a can of worms.
I don't want to get an estimate for a job, bring the vehicle in and get a call a few hours later that they snapped a bolt and had to charge me an extra 2 hours of labor.
Truth be told, I've never taken any of my vehicles to a shop. I've had knowledge friends help me out or do the job for cash, but unless it's warranty work at a Dealership, I try to do it myself. Oil changes, tire rotations, brake jobs and basic maintenance have always been part of my "home duties".
There's so much knowledge and descriptive "how-to's" that can be found on here and the rest of the internet that most T4R owners should be able to handle a big portion of mechanical repairs on their own with some basic tools and a space to work.
I don't want to get an estimate for a job, bring the vehicle in and get a call a few hours later that they snapped a bolt and had to charge me an extra 2 hours of labor.
Truth be told, I've never taken any of my vehicles to a shop. I've had knowledge friends help me out or do the job for cash, but unless it's warranty work at a Dealership, I try to do it myself. Oil changes, tire rotations, brake jobs and basic maintenance have always been part of my "home duties".
There's so much knowledge and descriptive "how-to's" that can be found on here and the rest of the internet that most T4R owners should be able to handle a big portion of mechanical repairs on their own with some basic tools and a space to work.
