The first time I ever took apart a driveshaft, transmission, etc... it took me 2 hours under my car in my garage with my dinosaur tools.
...and I flushed the tranny fluid out from the cooler lines too.

If I was to do it now, it would take me probably not more that 1 hour.

Yah, this is typical shop abuse, or just simple complete incompetence.
But that's the price you pay to have other poeple do work for you.

Greg Mustang
Montreal - Ottawa
Canada

it is called FLAT RATE TIME! the book says 4 hours, he does it in 90 min and gets paid for 4 hours. there are guys out there pulling 60-80 FRT hours a week while only putting in 40 or less. I know for a fact he didn't 'scrape' the gasket off, there are angle grinder wheels that sort of 'brush' off the gasket in a matter of about 30 seconds and do not even damage the aluminum.

The fact of the matter comes down to, how much are you willing to pay someone else with the proper tools, time and technical knowledge to get dirty and possibly bend their body in ways you only thought of in yoga class? There are mechanics out there that make seven figures every year.


Chuck
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'88 244 174K, '87 BMW 325e 180K (used to feed a '84 245, '84 244, '85 744)

Too bad they didn't own the special tool apparently for removing the bushing without pulling the tailshaft housing.
This tool was sold by IPD, though I don't think they have it anymore- it's a two piece sliding puller with a screw, custom made for these bushings. It has a bunch of thin fingers in the end that slide over the tailshaft, then a thin ring-on-a-stick that you push down inside once it's in place. Hard to describe without seeing it. The ring expands the fingers outward so you can grip the inside edge of the bushing, then pull it out with the screw. Works so well you'd ask yourself why didn't I think of that? Makes this a 1/2 hour job, really nice.
SOme places that sell the bushings and seals used to sell these along with an order of bushings. Definitely paid for themselves in the first use.
I bet the dealer would have charged even more, at $70+ per hour....
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 234K, '82 245T/M46-182K, '89 244DL/AW70- 212K Not too distant past: 86 244DL 215K, 87 244DL 239K, 88 744GLE 233K, 88 244GL 147K, 91 244 183K

hi phil. being a non mechanic too stubborn to think i cant do something someone else can do. this job is about as fun as getting about 9 sticthes in your face. 200.00$ seem a little steep. with air tools the job is a lot more fun. if the tailshaft housing comes off with gasket intact just put some rtv on there and save alot of time like i didnt. regards

You brought the parts, they made up the profit shortfall in labour. Common trick.
The trans mount is hardly worth charging for, when doing the bushing. I have never replaced the gasket - they seem to weld onto the case. Pinion shaft seal is easy, as the driveshaft is already out, or at least mostly. I think about 2 and 1/2 hours is tops. If it took them longer, then they should sell their tools......

Seeing as it took me a smashed thumbnail, several six packs, and an entire weekend to replace the pinion seal on the differential, I'd say this was fair and reasonable.

It does sound a bit long for anyone who's done it once before. Perhaps there were problems I didn't encounter. I think I may have spent 2 unnecessary hours scraping that gasket, being careful not to get anything in the guts. Won't do that again if it comes off of the housing clean like it did.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore