Is this guy trying to rip me off?

So i went to a speed shop today at which point i was planning on just having them do my timing maybe carb adjustments etc.
when i got there the guy started looking around at the engine and pulled out a propane tank and start testing around the manifold.
he confirmed that there were vacuum leaks and said that the intake needs to be taken off and the gaskets replaced. (it still has a valley pan).
That I agree with him with, you can literally hear the car sucking air.

The part im not too sure i should be agreeing with is the price he gave me.
to take off the intake, replace the gasket and put it back on and check compression etc. he wants $60 for parts and $300 for labor.

$360 for labor and parts for this job.
Is it just me who thinks this is too much? Or is this a reasonable price to do this for?
Can I do it myself? Not that I want to but if you guys honestly think that someone with not too much experience can do it...then im all for it.

Any suggestions would really help.

 

I think the labor price is to much but if he charges by the hour it may be inline. If it was me and I didn't know how to do it I would be asking for some help from other Buick guys in your area on this site. The worse part of a intake manifold R&R is the time required to clean up everything before you put it back on. That might infact be the reason he wants $300.00 for labor.

 

Spend $50 on a Chassis Manual, then do it yourself. It's not hard, just takes time (and dirty fingernails).

 

What he said :TU:

 

i agree with james. im not a seasoned mechanic by any stretch of the imagination and i could knock it out in an hour or two. maybe swap the gaskets yourself and bring it back to the mech. for tuning o No:

 

thanks to all for the suggestions.
i think im gonna try to knock it out myself.
any special tools needed?
where do i get the chassis manual...anywhere local?
any special things to look out for?
im gonna do it tomorrow. hopefully a one day ordeal...


and another thing...it doesnt really matter who puts it in just as long as it gets put in right...its not like im tuning it or anything right?

 

replace it with gaskets or a valley pan gasket?

 

FYI, steel intake manifolds are HEAVY!
Anybody weigh theirs??

While you are at it, have your friendly machine shop clean it up for you.
They do a better job, and you can repaint it BUICK red or have it powder coated silver or whatever.
Your mechanic wouldn't do that I bet! :TU:
His price isn't too outa whack in my opinion, but I suggest you do it yourself.

ElectraJim

 

Use whatever Fel-Pro gasket(s) is called for your application.
It will likely be a valley pan gasket.

ElectraJim

 

Are you sure that part of the $300 labor isn't going to be used to repair the hernia he is going to get from lifting that "half ton" cast iron intake manifold off of the engine? Might be a good Idea to get an engine hoist and use it to lift the intake out of there, unless you are the kind of guy who can benchpress 250 pounds on a regular basis. Have fun!

 

You have to use a valley pan of some type on a Buick or your PVC will suck out all your oil. So I would say use a valley pan intake gasket and you should be fine.

You will need to drain your radiator, and pull the lower hose to make sure you engine drains.

Use some RTV around the front and rear water jacket on each head.

Good luck, you can do it.

I'm still not convinced that the intake manifold gaskets would be your problem. Have you checked all of your vacuum hoses? Especially your PCV. Is it idling rough or what are your indications?

 

iv always use the metal vally pan gaskets and a bit of rtv sealent. never had any issues.

a few tips though, label everything you disconnect (vacuum lines and such). also, try to empty out as much coolant as possible before you pull the manifold to avoid spilling any down the lifter valley. you may want to change the oil as well, in case any derby gets down in there.

 

the guy did this test with a propane tank with a vaccum line...he turned it on the when he put it near the sides of the intake manifold the engine would rev up.

 

oh and i dont have a torque wrench...what should i do?

 

I think they're 74 lbs. Which admittedly is a LOT when you're leaning over a fender. I recommend either climbing in there and sitting on a valve cover, or getting a friend on the other end of a 2X4, with some small chain / wire / rope tied to the intake. Then you both can easily lift it off and out.

OH, and there's no substitute for a torque wrench. I like the beam-type better than the clicking ones.

 

You can never learn anything unless you do it yourself.

My first car, I took it apart and then bought a manual and put it back together. It took a while but thats what got me hooked on the dirty fingernails!!!!

 

Or just ask yours or sombody else's wife to do it for you....

Sheesh...it ain't that heavy.... :bla:

 

It is NOT that dang heavy! If you can change a full sized tire you can do it.