How bad is $1,632.65 to replace timing cover gasket?

I did my '02 in an afternoon with a spare set of hands and the Haynes manual+ University of Youtube. I believe in you!

Serpentine belt can be changed while you run the coffee pot in the AM.

 

Wow, I just had almost the exact same experience Sat. I took my 2007 2wd 4cyl in for frame inspection and they came back at me with a $2065. price to fix a leak on my cover. But I believe I’ll go the school of google and YouTube and do it myself.

 

I'm thinking they found some very coarse sand to mix in the Vaseline... Put extra sand in and liberally applied the sand to a 2 litre bottle...

 

This guy loves to complain.. his multi-page rant a few days ago about some 200 dollar shocks was entertaining.

 

I'll quote a price on my system in the morning, but honestly looks pretty fair for a customer pay job. We charge 8% of labor as shop supplies at a max of 50.00.

The front cover isn't a replaceable gasket it's FIPG which is Toyota's RTV

 

Thanks for the positive encouragement, but I'm not sure it is the same procedure on the 2nd gens.

To be fair, I have looked at a Toyota FSM online, and it does seem oddly labor intensive to replace the gasket. I couldn't find a TSM procedure for the timing cover gasket in specific, so I just looked at the one to replace the timing chain. WHEW! It jumps from "remove power steering vane" to "and remove flywheel" in just 2 steps. The step in-between was "remove transmission."
K....

I believe some people would call this the chicken cutlet.

I'm happy to finally hear the 'other side of the aisle's perspective on this. I've never paid a dealership to do anything, and I've only hired a shop once ever I believe, so I'm not familiar with the additional fee structure. $200 in "shop fees" seems pretty steep, but I don't know what it really covers or is supposed to cover. Either way, charging the 6% tax on labor is blatantly wrong. Seems like a pretty dangerous error to make for a large business.


At this point, I really wish I had the dealership do the timing cover gasket while they were replacing my frame, but they didn't offer a reduced labor rate due to the engine being out of the truck, and I didn't press the issue since I had no idea it was a PITA
Oh well

 

Our shop labor manual shows 14 hours on the job, which would be 1660 with shop supplies.
parts shows 168.75 so would be 1828

 

Agreed. OP is all about saying he is getting ripped off yet has ZERO clue how much work goes into changing the gasket.

Its a touch on the high side, but to all those saying the dealership is ripping him off are wrong.

 

looks like a fairly major project to do it right considering it is bolted to the block, the valve cover and the oil pan. in theory, you are suppose to pull the motor to do it

 

I've been reading this thread with interest and especially the link to the thread of the project by someone else.

My two cents - First I don't know how the dealer expects to replace the frame and not do a line up. This should IMO be included in the frame swap.

Second the timing cover gasket/rtv is obviously one big PITA. Since the vehicle is so old (13 yrs?) it would really have to leaking an awful lot for me to want to do something to fix it. If so, my first thought would be to trade it in with the new frame and put the money into another vehicle.

Third - the serpentine belt change price is outrageous! This is an Easy DIY.

I salute the OP for tacking the job especially with the cold !

 

i stopped at serpentine belt...granted I have the 4.0.. i's a $30 dollar part you can change in about a half hour... buy an extra one to have as a back up.... ... Either way I suggest buying it yourself and changing it... it is a good one to know how replace so you don't look like a helpless fool when you are stranded on the side of the road.

4 wheel alignment is a generic term.... your truck will get only a 2 wheel alignment since it is a solid rear axle.

 

My alignment shop will do a 4 wheel alignment. They loosen the ubolts and that gives them a little room to shift things around. They got the thrust angle basically perfect on mine. I can really feel the difference on the highway.

I don't think this is being done at any dealer, those guys are handcuffed to factory specs and procedures