Toyota Trucks: V C Gasket\Valve Adjust\Tune-Up Dealer Pricing in Michigan

Gulp - seems more like $250 worth of work to me. You don't have to be
trained or certified to adjust the valve or replace the valve cover gasket
and a few belts. I'd go with an honest corner mechanic for all but
electronics and transmission work. At $600 for that I can see the timing
chain costing $1600! They rarely go at only 99k miles - especially if you
have changed the oil at proper intervals. Whne he had the valve cover off
did he look and see a broken chain guide? The 22RE is a noisy engine to
begin with -- suspect you have another 30-40k before it needs to be
replaced. The stock exhaust is like 1 7/8" OD. I went with a Bosol on my 4
Rnr -- one piece for like $120 (Olympic Auto Parts) and guaranteed for life
(had it replaced once already after 3-4 years). On my PU I have a Walker
system - muffler only is guaranteed.-- I'm on second muffler, 2nd connecting
pipe and third tail pipe. Pain to get it not to leak due to all the
connections. If you want noise at least go with a flowmaster muffler.

"TravelByShipMICH" <com> wrote in message
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do 
had 
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belts was 
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Well! I almost barfed when I saw they charged you $600 for that work. But
then, they charged me $130 labor to troubleshoot and replace a starter in a
93. I only went for it because I didn't have time, couldn't figure out how
to get the top bolt back on (and I previously had a horror story with a
starter on a different truck). That $600 certainly exceeds all sense.
Anybody can adjust valves, replace belts, and replace valve cover gaskets.
You can. It just hurts when you burn your hands on the head adjusting the
valves. There are lots of people at
http://bbs.off-road.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=offroadtoytruck&page=0&vie w=collapsed&sb=5&o=
who say it can be done cold (I always suspected that -- cannot believe the
factory screws around adjusting them hot.

About timing chains. They stretch, get noisy. Then on the Toyotas the
stupid guides break and whamo, the chain cuts into the housing and the
coolant leaks into the oil. I had a dealer tell me at 120k that I needed a
timing chain job for $1000. I read the newsgroups about failures happening
anywhere from 80k to 200k. I got scared, took off the valve cover, looked
at the guides and chain -- they looked great. I measured the backlash --
I'd say < 8 degrees at the crankshaft. I put the cover back on and worried
about the chain for the next 2 years, checking it twice a year. I finally
gave up caring and the chain is still fine at 195k. I'm sure it has
stretched more, so what.

Finding a good mechanic is hard. Everyone screws up sometime. My best
mechanic is me, and I'm not that good.

When you go to a dealer you get knowledge and Toyo parts. You also get a
different mechanic every time. And maybe he finds some extra work your car
needs cause that day he is behind on the rent, or has a kid's birthday
coming up. Maybe you get the guy described to me by a friend who once
worked at a BMW dealer. This guy, an official BMW technician, had a novel
way of adjusting valves: he cleaned the valve cover off real good. Or
maybe he just isn't that good and the dealer hasn't figured it out yet.

I have had work done by 2 Toyota dealers. Each has made me real happy some
days, each has given me shoddy work on others.

Your best bet is to (FIX IT YOURSELF!) find a good mechanic that you can
expect to work personally on your car. One who has experience on your car.
One that uses good parts. One that has enough business that he doesn't need
to make work. One who doesn't mail out coupons. One who checks out the car
before telling you what is wrong. Don't expect a bargain, though. I've
found that many shops that have been around awhile aren't much cheaper than
the dealer. And then realize that he may make a mistake too. And don't be
like my sister: if says he doesn't kow how to fix your kind of car, find
someone who does.

Jim

P.S. Exhausts are one thing I think you should take to a good exhaust shop
unless you are going to just bite the bullet and replace everything you can
bolt on (i.e. cat to back or cat to front) - sometimes this is
cost-effective. Unless you have a torch and can weld. If you buy Toy parts
you probably will be bolting on as described. If you buy aftermarket the
parts almost never fit the old pipes.


"TravelByShipMICH" <com> wrote in message
news:aol.com... 
front/rear) 
lot 
advanced 
technician 
miles I 
mechanic 
half 
it to 
are 
been 
that 
do 
had 
price at 
belts was 
WARNED 
am not 
effects 
pollution. 
pipe is 
or 
behind 
it is 
occasionally