Well, Ed's reply could be considered a bit caustic, although I could see
the message and bits of humor that he was conveying. Although he felt that
your MG guru could have done the whole thing in house, it is very possible
that the amount of machine work involved would have been more costly and
time consuming than just replacing the whole thing (not counting the downtime).
But he was also questioning the cost of installing the rocker arm
installation. Your message implied that there was no downtime (actually
meaning minimal downtime to repair it) and that "In a short time while I
hung out, he installed the new assembly properly....". Well on that note, I
thought that sure, $100 sounds like a lot of money. I mean, what does this
guy charge for shop labor per hour? On the other hand, quick service should
be worth a little extra.
If I read this correctly, you may have paid a little extra but you were
just in and out of the shop and on the road for $230. If you wanted to, you
could have saved some bucks, maybe even half of that, but your car could
have been down for days waiting for machine work. And if you did the
removal and replacement, maybe it might not have been quite right. So, what
the hell - what you did was a bargain for what you needed. So - enjoy.
I try to do all my work myself. But recently my 71BGT has transmission
problems. I opted to have a professional rebuild it because my
unfamiliarity and wanting it to be done right. Plus lack of time to do it.
Well, it cost me $500 in labor (10 hours) plus about $300 in parts. I'm
still not sure how good or bad that deal was, but everything works now - no
looseness, OD engages, speedometer works. Which is good because I did the
actual removal and installation of the transmission which was a pain in the
but, to say the least. As a consolation, I think I could sell the tranny
for what I put in it to fix it (I hope).
David
67 BGT
71 BGT
At 09:33 PM 4/21/00 -0400, Pointparty@aol.com wrote:
>Ed: Thanks for your very prompt but thouroughly misinformed reply to my post.
>
>Let me make myself clear. My MG (also Triumph) repair shop owner diagnosed
>the clicking ticking noise problem as a best guess. We brainstormed the
>various solutions. He supplied the brain. He looked at the cost for him to
>replace or resurface the rockerarm shaft, resurface the rocker arm bottoms,
>supply and install new bushings, etc. Then we looked at the catalogs and he
>suggested I order the complete assembly for him to install.
>
>We phoned Proper MG were very specific about the expectations for the
>assembly. They delivered a perfect product in perfect shape sent directly to
>the shop.
>
>Since you have gone out of your way to attempt to reconfigure the meaning and
>the message of my post, let me assure you that the sounds now eminating from
>under the bonnet (or hood) come together as a symphony of perfection. The
>valve adjustment is not too tight, not too loose, it is just right!
>
>Over the years, I have owned and worked on my own Sunbeams, TR3, midget and
>B's. I can read a manual and follow diagrams and instructions. I don't
>have a shop enviornment or all the tools I may need. I am not confident of
>my abilities. I am convinced more MGs are off the road because tinkering
>owners screwed them up and abandoned them than for any other reason.
>
>I don't know who you are or what kinds of frustrations or toxic anxieties
>you are experiencing or what manner of evil demons inhabit your soul, but it
>is clear at the very least you need more fiber in your diet!
>
>I do enjoy reading your posts here from time to time and your contributions,
>while occasionaly mean spirited and egocentric, seem to be a valuable
>addition. Maybe, if you have an attitude adjustment, and I was in IL, I
>would let you change the plugs in my car.
>
>Again, have a wonderful weekend......regards...Mel
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