Ive just taken my car into a local Corvette repair shop to take a look at my engine. Ever since I replaced the distributor I've had a problem getting the idle as low as it should be, and I'm getting a little continual chugging when I turn off the car. I could never seem to get this 100 percent correct so I thought a different set of eyes might help out a bit. I also bought the car in because there was a slight banging coming from the rear when I shifted. I thought it may have been a bad differential tongue bracket bolt. It was. anyway, I have been told by the service shop that they are charging me $500 for the tune up of the engine but that it still doesn't idle as low as it should and still chugges a while when you turn it off. Am I crazy or am I wrong? is $500 for a tuneup that doesn't fix the problem a little crazy of a price to pay? Also, theyre asking around 300 dollars labor to replace the tongue bracket. I have done this before years ago myself and if my memory serves me correctly I believe it took me less than a half hour, only three bolts involved and it is a very accessable part. 300 dollars labor for a half hour job? Also they say I could use new differential yolks. This ive never done. So im asking, is 1600 dollars to do this job reasonable? I have told then not to do any more work since the tuneup. I await your opinions.

 

Pay them what you owe them and don't go back.

 

If you want something done right. do it yourself.

 

Amen. Just though a different set of eyes may help with the issues I couldnt get quite right myself. Should have stayed with gordonm. He always helps me get things i cant do right on my car.

 

If anyone has done the yolk job or even the differential tongue bracket. Please give me and idea on how long it took you. How difficult. Thanks

 

If the car was returned to you with an incorrect idle speed and without the run-on problem fixed, did the garage explain why?

 

They are saying my cam is very high. Thats there reason. But I know this is incorrect. Ive had that cam for years. Engine has run perfectly for most of those years. Recently did a distributor and plug wire replacement. Also did a light carb. adjustment. Thats when it started. Before I went and blamed it on the distributor I figured id have someone take a look see if I did something a little off. It has to be in thrre somewhere. Not the cam size. Its just an edelbrock rpm cam and has been fine.

 

EDIT: thought you went to a dealer. oopps

 

So you have closed the throttle blades all the way and it still idles high? If that's the case you have a vacuum leak somewhere. Maybe in the carb itself (throttle shafts for instance), or something hooked to the intake. Try disconnecting and capping all vacuum hoses and see what happens.

And they are diff yokes, not yolks. We're not dealing with poultry here.

 

Yea oops. But thanks for the english lesson

 

Correct me if Im wrong here, but you took it in for the idle and chugging problem, they didnt identify the problem or fix they just threw parts at it and want you to pay $500? Sounds like to me they didnt keep the agreement you made with them to fix the problems. Id have a problem paying for a service they didnt complete.

 

the thread seems to be getting off of the issue of my original topic. I will pick up my car, pay them the 500 they want for the so called tune up and dive into the car further myself. My original post was more related to the prices they quoted me for the various jobs and the fact that the tune up was 500 dollars itself and did not fully fix the issues. I just wanted to get opinions on that to see if I was justified before realky giving my opinion on this particulsr shop.

 

Yes basically thsts correct. Although they claim its the cam. Its not the cam as I posted earlier.

 

You have been robbed. Congratulations. It has happened to us all at some point. We learn from our mistakes. Pay the guy for work done and run the other way as fast as you can.

Changing the front diff mount is a snap. It takes longer to get it on a lift or to jack it off the floor than to do the actual work. I think $50 plus parts is big money for that job. If you lived closer to me I'd help you do it in exchange for a good beer and conversation session.

If people can get that kind of money for that level of work then I need to start a Corvette repair shop. Gee...

Regarding the idle issue, either the timing is off (a little high), the carb is poorly adjusted (could be a bunch of things), or they knocked a vacuum hose loose somewhere. Hard to say from my location.

 

$500 tune-up: Hard to say without knowing what they did. What all was replaced? If they put new plugs, wires, distributor cap & rotor, fuel & air filters, oil & filter, etc etc, plus trouble shooting, then $500 is not out of line.

$300 for the front diff bushing sounds like they don't want to do it.

$1600 for the diff. Again can't say without knowing what they include in that price. Is it a full overhaul (bearings, seals, posi clutches, etc), or just slap new yokes in it and call it good?

 

OK, but you're going all over the place too.

$500 to fix a car that runs poorly and needs all sorts of parts and labour is not bad.

$500 to spend 5 minutes resetting the timing and idle is obscene.

You've made no mention of what parts were replaced or how many hours the garage spent trying to get things right, so how are we supposed to guess. If your car originally had an anti-dieseling solenoid and it's been removed/disabled during a carb downgrade, that would explain the run-on and idle speed right there.

We have no idea what year car you have, what engine, transmission, whether it's stock or modified. All of these factors affect the answer tremendously.

 

All they did was put a weight kit in the distributor and make some adjustments, they mentioned no other parts. As far as the diff bracket. They already had the car on the lift and had the part available. Its three bolts. As far as the yolks we didnt go into detail. He just said 1600 to replace them.

 

Instead of me going into a long detail about my car just go here to my restoration page and youll see what ive done. And keep in mind the engine was running perfect before i replaced the distributor. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...s-of-pics.html

 

Stopped by there yesterday to pick up some rear toe alignment shims. Saw your car sitting there outside. If you can wait a few days or so mine is not running at the moment and is sitting on the lift. We can do the diff and take a look at the yokes and whatever else they are saying is wrong with the car.

 

Yes im in no rush. Will be good to deal with someone who is reliable and I can trust. Thanks gordon. In the meantime I will get some of this stuff done myself.