Another Spark Plug Story - 8 Broken Plugs
02-20-2014, 08:29 AM
#1
Black & Chrome
Thread Starter
Another Spark Plug Story - 8 Broken Plugs
Some background info:
A while back I was talking to a friend about my passenger side exhaust manifold leak. I told him about everything I had read here about it and that it seemed like most people were running $600-800 bills when having a shop fix that issue. Well, his son also has an F-150 that had the same problem and he knew a guy, who happened to be a local Ford dealership mechanic. He said that he swapped out his sons exhaust manifold for $300 (parts/labor) and he told me he would ask him about replacing mine.
Well, 2 weeks ago, I had the mechanic stop by my house to check out the manifold and he said he would do it for $200 + parts. At that time, I told him about needing plugs soon, as I was at 97k on the odometer. He told me that he could do them, no problems, for $100 + parts.
Last night, I met the mechanic at a buddy's garage and we tore into the plugs first. I was telling him some of the horror stories about how people on here had been raped by dealerships and shops on plug changes, and getting quotes up front for the plug change, and then adding an additional hour of labor for each broken plug. He just laughed at that, and kept on working.
Two and a half hours later, we fired my truck back up. All eight plugs broke and were removed and replaced. He also said that when he's at his shop, they will typically just take an air ratchet to the plugs for removal and if they break, they break, and if not, they're out quickly.
After watching him change my plugs, given the fact that all 8 broke and he manged to changed them all, eat dinner, and have a few cold ones along the way in 2.5 hours make you sick when you think about all the huge estimates shops give you. I know they have to make their money but it seems a little ridiculous to me at how a lot of them work their pricing. An extra hour of labor for every plug that breaks? He did 4 of them in the first hour. You just wonder about who these shops have changing them and if they really know what they're doing, because I don't think I would want the other mechanics at his shop changing mine seeing as how they have each broken multiple Lisle tools.
We will be back at it tonight to change out the passenger exhaust manifold and get rid of this annoying tick that I have had for the last few 8 months.
A while back I was talking to a friend about my passenger side exhaust manifold leak. I told him about everything I had read here about it and that it seemed like most people were running $600-800 bills when having a shop fix that issue. Well, his son also has an F-150 that had the same problem and he knew a guy, who happened to be a local Ford dealership mechanic. He said that he swapped out his sons exhaust manifold for $300 (parts/labor) and he told me he would ask him about replacing mine.
Well, 2 weeks ago, I had the mechanic stop by my house to check out the manifold and he said he would do it for $200 + parts. At that time, I told him about needing plugs soon, as I was at 97k on the odometer. He told me that he could do them, no problems, for $100 + parts.
Last night, I met the mechanic at a buddy's garage and we tore into the plugs first. I was telling him some of the horror stories about how people on here had been raped by dealerships and shops on plug changes, and getting quotes up front for the plug change, and then adding an additional hour of labor for each broken plug. He just laughed at that, and kept on working.
Two and a half hours later, we fired my truck back up. All eight plugs broke and were removed and replaced. He also said that when he's at his shop, they will typically just take an air ratchet to the plugs for removal and if they break, they break, and if not, they're out quickly.
After watching him change my plugs, given the fact that all 8 broke and he manged to changed them all, eat dinner, and have a few cold ones along the way in 2.5 hours make you sick when you think about all the huge estimates shops give you. I know they have to make their money but it seems a little ridiculous to me at how a lot of them work their pricing. An extra hour of labor for every plug that breaks? He did 4 of them in the first hour. You just wonder about who these shops have changing them and if they really know what they're doing, because I don't think I would want the other mechanics at his shop changing mine seeing as how they have each broken multiple Lisle tools.
We will be back at it tonight to change out the passenger exhaust manifold and get rid of this annoying tick that I have had for the last few 8 months.
02-20-2014, 09:46 AM
#4
2.5 hours to change out 8 broken plugs? That's awesome! I went the impact route and didn't break any. That took me three hours to do, but I had never changed out plugs on anything other than a lawnmower before, haha! Now, I just need to find someone to change out my exhaust manifold like you and I'll be set!
02-20-2014, 10:06 AM
#5
Black & Chrome
Thread Starter
Yeah, I'm glad I stumbled across this guy because he seems like he really knows his stuff and is willing to do side projects whenever needed. I'd much rather put some coin in someone's pocket that knows what they're doing and I don't have to worry about screwing something up than have to try and deal with a shop that's just out to make a buck. It's a win/win for both of us. He makes some extra tax free money and I save some of mine. I was shocked how fast he did the plugs after all the stories I read about them. He made it look like it's no big deal, which it wasn't IF you know what you're doing and have the right tools on hand. I was dreading the day I was going to have to get a shop to fix both of these issues, but hopefully I'll be back on the road tonight for right at $500.
02-20-2014, 10:07 AM
#6
02-20-2014, 03:42 PM
#7
Goombah Stomper
Jeeze, after I took mine to what used to be a trusted Ford dealership mechanic, breaking 6, messing up the timing chain, busting a seal on an injector, messing up the actuator, and blowing out both cats due to misfiring, I was a little weary about taking it to people again. LOL that cost me about $3800. You definitely found a good guy to give you some help. Props to you, bro
