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Re: Quote for repairs, a rip?

To: Andrew Mace <amace@unix2.nysed.gov>
Subject: Re: Quote for repairs, a rip?
From: "Michael D. Porter" <mdporter@rt66.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 12:44:08 -0700
Cc: Jack Levy <jack@cocoinc.com>, Triumph List <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Organization: Barely enough
References: <Pine.SOL.3.91.990323120435.3486B-100000@unix2.nysed.gov>


Andrew Mace wrote:
> 

> You might well be correct about that one. According to a 1961 Triumph
> Herald flat-rate manual: "Clutch Slave Cylinder. Renew, adjust rod [yes,
> earlier Heralds had some adjustment built into the clutch hydraulics] and
> bleed" is assigned a maximum time of 1 hour. I say maximum in that the
> book notes that the times quoted were the maximum allowed for warranty
> work compensation. FWIW. Note that the time quoted to overhaul a clutch
> M/C (no mention of overhaul of a slave cyl.) is 30 minutes.
> 
> So, 2.5-3 hours might be a bit long for the more accessible GT slave
> cylinder, but I still wonder if the estimate might not present a "worst
> case scenario"?

For what it's worth, from working in dealerships on flat-rate, the
factory warranty rate is usually the absolute minimum time required. In
fact, to set warranty repair rates, one maker held competitions among
local trade school students and their factory apprentices. They were
briefed on the repair beforehand, the manuals were open to the pages
required, and the necessary hand and special tools were laid out next to
the car. The fastest times would win a prize, such as a set of tools,
etc., and those times became the warranty rate.

Some manufacturers just plain guess at a suitably low time. I once did a
warranty main harness replacement on a Corolla which had burned. The
time paid for replacement of the starter harness was 0.3 hr, and could
be done in ten minutes. The replacement of the main harness (with 182
connectors on it) took ten hours, since the whole of the dash had to be
disassembled to route the harness correctly, and paid 3.0 hours. 

Independently produced flat-rate guides usually are closer to the real
time required to do the job in the average shop, and, in general,
specify times about 30-50% higher than factory warranty rates, although
there is occasionally some agreement between the two. It's also rare to
find an independent shop using the factory labor time guide for repairs.
Some dealerships will use the factory rate for all repairs, warranty and
non-warranty, but not always. 

The other thing to consider is that flat-rate hours can and should be
combined when some steps are identical in different jobs with separate
rates. For example, GT6 rear bearing replacement may take, say, eight
hours. Rotoflex replacement, three or four hours. Since the rear
suspension has to be removed from the car, and the axle shaft has to be
removed, anyway, to replace the bearings, the total flat rate for both
jobs should less than the eleven or twelve hours figured separately, and
most good flat-rate manuals will list times for combined jobs. If you
know the procedures for the work to be estimated, some haggling on the
labor time can be done on that basis.

Cheers.

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