Truck 95 pathy xe 4x4 vg30e
I took advantage of the dealers 100 point courtesy checkup and this is what they found.
1. Broken exhaust manifold studs on the drivers side. Price $950.00
2. Missing boots on the CV joints, both sides need replacing. Price $730.00
Now is there any DIY threads on here or places I can look to get the procedure on how to fix the CV joints. As far as the exhaust goes, what do you think a regular mechanic would charge to fix it? I just don't have the patience to work in that small of an area.
Do I have any other options?
Thanks
Tim Frame
what they really mean is they sucker ya in to look at your truck for free and find little things that you can easily fix yourself and then courtesly tell you they can fix it as good as new and charge you a shitload all while being courteous... at least if your lucky they are courteous.. my experience has been less than courteous with the dealers unless i have big money.
as far a replacing a cv boot id say if you could do a brake job you could probabaly put a boot on. some boots can go on without dissasembling the joint... the exhaust studs can be purchased from about any shop that carries automotive grade bolts... i know napa has some not sure what thread type.... i know they are metric thrdz.. the main thing about replacing the studs is be carefull not to strip the threds on the head cuz if its aluminum you wont have fun retapping them.... id say if your exhaust aint leakin leave it alone untill it starts to leak... ( usually a ticking sound that gets louder under load) if you take the manifold off completly ( which is usually the case if your stud is broken below the bolt holes on the mani..) make sure to replace the gasket or use a good high temp permatex at least otherwise it will leak even worse than before.... its not rocket science... not even close. although they charge you like its brain surgery and you dont have insurance or a copay... heh heh.
thanks frankenssan
My CV joints are supposedly bad, so they need to be replaced. Is it still as easy to replace the whole assembly?
And the exhaust manifold is leaking pretty bad. Ticking started about 6 months ago, so it needs to be fixed. how big of a PITA is it to do?
thanks again
also, i wouldnt rule out the possibility of the dealer either damaging the vehicle and then hitting you up for the cash to repair it, or quoting things that aren't really bad. as i worked at a jiffy lube for a few months, i saw crap like this all the time.
my dad's friend had a little trouble w/ a harley dealership doing the same thing. he dropped his bike off for routine maintenance, and they called and said he had some sort of leak, and that they would have to pull the motor to repair it, and $xxx was the bill (lotsa money, don't know exactly). He just called the general manager of the dealership and told him that somebody needed to get fired, because he knew his bike didn't have an oil leak (it would not be that hard to tell - if it was parked in your garage every night and suddenly there was a puddle under it at the dealership...?), and it turned out the service manager was pushing the technicians to make fraudulent estimates about problems that weren't really there. just a heads-up!
and if the problems really are there, why not fix them yourself? the exhaust manifold bolts might be a pain - i broke off 2 studs in my cylinder head and was lucky enough to get them out with vice grips, but they might have to use an ez-out or drill/tap/helicoil ..or you could leave it alone - it ran fine before, right? i don't have a 4x4, but cv shafts don't sound too tough to take care of. let us know what you figure out
If you don't want to do the work yourself, shop around for more quotes. There are a few shops in my area, which specialize in CV joints, they are usually cheap. Surely, less than the dealer.
from my subaru experience alone, it's generally accepted that if a CV boot went and you didn't know about it soon enough that there was still grease all over the joint, just outright replace the entire exle with a remanufactured one or it will fail and need to be replaced anyhow. because the labour involved in replacing the boot alone is the same as replacing the axle, it's not worth risking.
as far as the exhaust manifold goes, i wuld let a shop do something like that but NOT the dealership, take it to a performance exhaust shop... just becuase likely the flange is warped with 2 bolts being broken and they have to machine it(not something i'd want to do unless i had whatever the hell tool they'd use to do that professionally)
I am debating on doing both jobs myself, along with my younger brother. I do not know however, where I should purchase the parts from. Is there any place on the web to get cv joints from? and as far as the exhaust goes, I am looking for the manifold studs and gaskets. Does ARP make the proper mani studs for our trucks? If so where should I get them from?
THanks fellas
Lastly who sells the appropriate extractor kit for my needs?
if you cv joints are going... you'll hear a clicking when your turning. if not, get the boot kits(should come with,boot,grease,bands) if they are, try a driveline shop for rebuilt axles (exchange) you can get the manifold studs at the dealer (there cheap & the right size) just be sure the manifold didnt warp on you before you put it all back together! oh yeah you may need some ez-outs to get the broken studs out
the cvs aren't clicking as far as I can tell but there is an apparent whurring sound, if that makes sense. It sounds like wet rubber making contact with metal. It is actually really hard to describe. As far as the studs and ez outs are concerned, when I go to the dealer what studs do I want to ask for ? the pathy of 300zx? I really want to fix it and forget about it. And where can I buy ez outs?
thanks guys
are your cv boots torn? is there any grease left inside? cv joints are pretty tuff, but if you run them dry and or get dirt in them... well their going to cry. if your boots are torn(this maybe where your sound is coming from), but there is still grease in there and no dirt, I would just change out the boots and add new grease. if your not sure, you could replace the whole axle, call a driveline shop and price them. you might even try a wrecking yard. all depends on $$$. As for the manifold studs, here are some part numbers to make things easier...
studs 14065-V5004 (manifold to head) $2.19ea
washers 14037-V5005 $1.08ea
nuts 14039-W1500 $.25ea
gasket 14037-V4000 (manifold to head) $13.63ea
gasket 20691-30P00 (manifold to exhaust pipe) $1.90ea
oh here, outer boot kits $23.65ea (boots,bands,grease)
the inners are $29.04ea
(the above are Nissan part numbers) I cant think of anything else right now.... anyway I hope this helps you a little
Hey Stolen VR6, a friend tipped me off to this one. The dealers overquote repair prices in an intent to sell you a new car. The average American is quite unlikely to have 1500-2000 bucks laying around. Even most with a lot laying around would likely not spend it on an older vehicle.
Therefore.... You are at the dealership. You can drive away in a new car for a low low price each month. They give you a little trade in to cover your sentimental feelings. Not too much, though... They take your good condition trade in(minus the amount to make it sellable) and post one helluva profit. Happens all the time. Target cars are 3-7 years old. Prior to 3, warranties are still valid. After 7, you cannot get an auto loan on it (normally). Though SUV's and trucks carry more value after 7...
__________________
Aaron Ford
95 2WD Nissan PU E
2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue GX
"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch" Scott Glenn in The Hunt for Red October
Going to a dealership to have repairs done is in my opinion, not a very good idea(unless it's under warrenty). A friend of mine worked at a dealership and the mechanics there even told him never to get anything fixed at a dealer(even the one he worked at) because the prices are absolutley ridiculous. The best thing you could do is go to a local garage.
I bought a '93 pathfinder at the begining of October that had a cv boot ripped and the other cracked and ready to go(I knew this when i bought it...i haggled the guy down a bit) and I had it fixed a week ago by my dads friend who does a lot of work out of his back yard. The boots cost $12 (on his discount, reg $17) and he charged me $120 for labour...for BOTH boots. My friends dad said he could do it for $300 for the pair. Canadian tire wanted $400 PER TIRE. Chances are you can find someone to do it cheaper
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