So we broke the first stud we tired to take out of the exhaust manifold. I trundled it off to the nearest machine shop, late in the day. Owner had left for the day, gal on the counter said, "Shouldn't cost too much." Came back this morning...$345!! I just about died. I see someone on this forum is selling a brand new mani for $150 obo. Got a long winded explanation about why it cost so much...but geez, $345.

Did I get hosed?

Yeah. you got hosed. Should have just drilled it out with a hand drill. Start the hole with a machinist hole starter bit and then drill in from there.

I'd be freaking! On them!

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I'm concerned with all the rampant sex and nudity on TV but all I can do is sit at home shaking my fist.

Four per hour, $50 an hour???? Maybe maximum and even that's a stretch for any self-respecting machinist.

I did the #6 Exhaust Stud on ianz's L28ET with a chain drill operation and keensert repair in less than an hour, and I had to use his crappy drill bits---two of which broke in the hole and not to mention the big drill he snapped off IN the stud which precipitated my chain-drill operation---I had that to contend with as well!

I don't see bolt extraction for four studs in that price range. Not flat rate, not any rate.

Now, if you have some sort of milspec precision casting and they were EDM removing titanium fasteners maybe. Did you tell them to EDM it out and that it was a precision aerospace casting, at an aerospace shop?

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

I had a custom oversized valve job done for that much!!!

When you signed the work order when you dropped it off, how much did it say on it? Blank?

Our rate is 25.00 a bolt/stud. I would suggest NOT doing it with a hand drill if at all possible. When a guy brings me a broken bolt/stud that they have already screwed with, and has broken taps, eZ outs, or crooked holes, I charge 50-75.00 per location. If you are gonna take it to a actual machine shop, DONT screw with it prior.

They probably had to repeatedly heat and cool each bolt, and possibly do machine work to remove them. Still sounds a bit high. They should have called you and asked if you wanted to just replace the unit - or YOU should have mentioned that if it would cost more than a replacement, stop and call you. Perhaps a lesson learned.

When dealing with service based business be sure to put a "not to exceed" amount on the order request. When you drop off the part, write that number down on a tag attached to the part and also make sure the person receiving the part notes it on the work order.

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John Coffey
[www.betamotorsports.com]

What were you wearing a dress when you dropped it off? Geez. That kind of dishonesty is usualy reserved for chicks. Too bad. Tell them to keep the manifold and buy a good used one.

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77 Tubonated coupe. Let's raise taxes, That'll fix the economy.
[www.cardomain.com]

wow what was the hourly rate, At the dealership where I work in Calgary, it is 130hr. I have had to drill/extract a few broken studs in my carrier so far. and never have I heard anything like that be for.

madolive3 Wrote:
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> What were you wearing a dress when you dropped it
> off? Geez. ....

ROFL.. oh wow. . . still laughing.

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Middle TN Z Club sponsored by Crawford Z Car Service

John Coffey Wrote:
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> When dealing with service based business be sure
> to put a "not to exceed" amount on the order
> request. When you drop off the part, write that
> number down on a tag attached to the part and also
> make sure the person receiving the part notes it
> on the work order.

John hit the nail on the head. Normally I'm very cautious and make sure I've agreed on a price with the business. This time, I didn't. I was in a hurry and panicking because we keep running into stupid little delays and I need to have the car running and ready for a trip by next Wednesday. Believe me, if I had been more specific in my instructions to the counter girl, I would have made a big stink about it. As it was, I really didn't have a leg to stand on.

And no, I didn't have a dress on....just a very nice pair of cargo shorts that showed my legs to great advantage...maybe that was the problem.....LOL

Learned yet ANOTHER lesson the hard way.

I've seen your legs. That wasn't it.



You didn't tell the girl at the counter about being in a hurry and in a panic, did you? If so, she may be directly related to your getting hosed.

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I'm concerned with all the rampant sex and nudity on TV but all I can do is sit at home shaking my fist.

Easyguy71 Wrote:
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> I've seen your legs. That wasn't it.
> You didn't tell the girl at the counter about
> being in a hurry and in a panic, did you? If so,
> she may be directly related to your getting hosed.

I can't remember exactly what I said. I take responsibility for not being more clear about my expectations. Mea culpa. I got hosed this time, I'll be more careful next time...and BTW, the lady next door told me a couple of weekends ago that I had "very muscular legs," so maybe that was it. hahaha

When you coming this way? You said toward the end of the month, but what day? I'm off starting Friday night at seven for a week.

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I'm concerned with all the rampant sex and nudity on TV but all I can do is sit at home shaking my fist.

Easyguy71 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you coming this way? You said toward the end
> of the month, but what day? I'm off starting
> Friday night at seven for a week.

I'm hoping for Tuesday or Wednesday. Depends on the car. We just keep running into these minor set backs...should have the head on today, running by the weekend. But then the shop supposedly has this welder who's going to weld up the IC piping...when will that get done? I'm missing great driving weather, dang it!

" If you are gonna take it to a actual machine shop, DONT screw with it prior."

That goes for if you want my help in removing it as well!

(see above post about #6 Exhaust Stud)

LOL

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

Markham, I got a PM at HybridZ YESTERDAY about two hours after you posted this:

"Tony, do you know anybody who would want to buy my new Turbo manifold for $100?"

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

And by 'new' I mean, I've seen this firsthand, and so has Frank 280ZX...
This manifold is still painted Nissan Black, with a freaking PART TAG still on it!
Never been on the car.
I'm thinking about buying it myself now...

Muahahahahahaha...

Too late for to do you any good. Pipeline cutting-off bastard! LOL

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

"They probably had to repeatedly heat and cool each bolt, and possibly do machine work to remove them. "

It's one or the other, not both. People at home that don't do this all the time will fight and fight and fight with something.

People in a shop with machine tools won't waste that time. They will shock it once and see if it comes out, takes 5 minutes. After that, cut it, centerpunch it, drill and tap. You are done in 15 minutes per stud, charge labor rate 1/2 hour per stud (which coincides with Bryan's post above given $25 per hole)

Shops and professionals work differently than people at their homes trying to learn and muddle through it.

If a shop spent that much time trying to extract that stud, it meant I took it to the wrong shop in the first place! I would be seriously skeptical on their overall competence if they struggled with something this basic.

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]

You could have (should have) called me when they presented you with the bill.
I could have told you I had a decent manifold sitting in the container, and could have sold it to you for like $75, prepaid the shipping on a Fedex Overnight Box, and STILL had a cost less than half what you paid.

Then, you could have looked her straight in the eye, and said "F-Yourself with that rusty manifold B*tch! I'll buy a new one for that much"

And walked off...

Later, when they threw it out onto the 'scrap pile' you could have sent in Jim to enquire about it, and pick it up for what they had into the machine work: $25...

Personally, I don't see the justification on the pricing other than some MBA "What the market will bear" mentality. If they throw moral limits on themselves out the window, then you have every right to tell them to stick it and walk off. Not quite cricket, but they started it.

Emergency charges stated up-front are one thing. Raping a guy with sand poured down his crack while in the act is another altogether...

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People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
You simply can't call someone a F**ktard here, no matter how truthful it is.
[www.ozdat.com]