1) Motor fired up, runs great, according to the mechanic.

2) Got his final bill - $850 for the labor and parts he had to buy.

3) Still need to replace the exhaust, and redo the exhaust. Oh, well. All that I can do myself.

RwP

 

Glad to hear its back together...... Reading through your post again, man, that is a lot of work for $850.00!!!

 

Mechanic's was $850; machine shop was $1050.

Plus the parts I bought.

Still - 10 hours at $85/hour, which isn't too outrageous for a good mechanic.

And he's already warned me it'll have 100 of the first 500 miles on it due to him running it around verifying there's no leaks or other problems. Which, at 385,000 miles, is ... less than .28%

At 500 miles I do an oil and filter change, run it about 2,000, then oil and filter, and then start on the rest-of-its-life change intervals.

So, so far so good.

I had him bypass the heater core; I can now pull the HVAC box, replumb the broken vacuum lines, and put it back together while driving it if I have to.

Now to get the seat done, and wire in my new subwoofer, and ... and ... and ... Boy, it never ends, does it?

RwP

 

Still, from reading over your post, 10hrs is not a lot for that much labor, I assume it was for R&R of the engine, New rear spring bushings, cab mounts,brake drums, seat belts, etc. Let me just say, my mechanic is not so kind!!!

 

Oh, well ... no, we left off the rear spring bushings, the cab mounts were always to be done by me, and since I didn't pull the rear axle (ran out of dosh!), I'm not doing the rear brakes (the "all new" was because, well, all new. Why would I put old brakes back on a freshly rebuilt axle?) And the seat belts I'll be doing.

But yes, the R&R and transport to/from the machine shop is what the $850 is for.

RwP

 

Still sounds good to me!! Labor in my area is high!

 

It is for everything but what !I! do for a living; contingent IT work.

I get W/Os for a whopping $12 to $15/hour, pre tax, pre SSI, pre health insurance, pre just about everything.

RwP

 

BTW - I don't TAKE those WOs; that's not enough for a W2, much less a 1099 worker!

But - Got the Dakota back today!

She runs smooth, that's for sure.

Mechanic set to stock 10* timing; being an LA motor, I'm going to kick it to 14* to 16* BTDC to get a bit more oomph out of her.

And of course, I'm driving with no A/C on our first 102F day this year ... Yerk.

(If you smell bacon frying to the south of you, it's possibly not bacon, but my fat rendering in the heat.)

RwP

 

Good for you Ralph. I hope it runs forever.

 

Just looked at the forecast - 106F temps, heat index of 114F today.

Yah, that A/C gets fixed This Weekend.

Even if I have to buy lights and work on it at midnight!

RwP