Multiple misfire after fill up - coincidence?

[Matticus]

But you cash to get a used engine for 900-1300 and have it installed for 700-1500. That about covers the spread from private guys to garages.

The cheapest I've seen used engines is around $2200. That's with around 100k miles. Below 100k and they get into $2700 range before shipping. Given the luck I've had with used components, I'm not messing around with them anymore. The parts labor is "meh" and the labor warranty on them is lousy. ~$800 more for a much better warranty on a 0 mile engine is worth it to me.

As far as installation, I wish I could find a guy that would do it for 700-1500. That's an incredibly low hourly rate. I don't know of a competent mechanic around me that would do it for anywhere near that.

I would have had to just replace that head. I don't think I will ever put a new or reman engine in anything. I'm just one of those take my chances with a good running used one kind of guys. I don't do repairs that expensive. But it will be nice when you finally get it back on the road for you.

If I had the luxury of time to mess around with it, maybe I would do that. But I just can't deal with the potential problems that could bring up. Those kinds of things never go smoothly in my experience. It's never as simple as "just swapping the head" as my "just swap the spring" experience has shown. As far as the cost to do the repair, I'm about breaking even if I compare it to buying a replacement Expedition. A good lower mileage Expedition of around the same years is going to cost me at least $10,000+ in my area. I'd be surprised if I could get more than 3k for it as is. So, 3k+8k = 11k. The difference is, I know this vehicle

 

[TobyU]

What area do you live in? As I mentioned before I have lots of people call me for repairs and for advice. I just received three quotes yesterday for the labor on swapping an engine on one of those Lexus SUVs. The highest was a shop at $1,550 and the lowest was a private guy at 700.
The number one place I have found to locate use engines is car-part.com.
The rest of what you find online for engines I'm fairly skeptical about. This place is just a database that junk yards put their listings in and you have to call a lot of them were the details on exactly listed. A friend of mine just picked one up about nine miles from his house in Florida for $505 for a 99 town car that had 76,000 miles on it. He had it installed locally for ride around $700. He's out $1,300 total on the whole deal and he says his car runs better than it ever has since he held it. He says there must have been something wrong with his old one for a long time as it had very little power and always pinging excessively even on premium fuel.

 

[TobyU]

You and I would do that, but like I said shops won't mess with used motors. It's all about getting the job done with a warranty to cover their butt. In shops I worked, we never installed used anything. The only exception would be an old vehicle that was a special circumstance, like a friend of the managers. Even then, we'd have the customer sign a no warranty on the receipt. It's just how repair is done. Sadly theirs no Wally's garage like in Andy Griffith show. Those days are long gone. Blame it on the lawyers!

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Must be a regional thing because there's quite a few shops around here that will do it. Just had a quote yesterday from a shop for $1,550 for swapping out an engine on a Lexus. He also gave a price for an engine that he found two that he could provide.
That was the highest quote we had as it is a private commercial shop. Most people do it for 750 to 900 that are private guys. We also have several salvage yards that have started installing engines themselves also. One place has been doing it for over 10 years now and do a lot of engines. If they don't have one there locally for you they just get one shipped in. We one got a Honda HR 22 VTEC shipped in from Atlanta for 1150 which was the best price we could find for a decent mile engine. There's also another shop around that has a great reputation of quality custom rebuilds engines and they will also install a used engine that you provide them.
Plenty of options around here. Even more when you start using word-of-mouth referrals. It might be because of the area because tons of people keep a lot of old traps on the road here for 20 plus years. Some areas everybody drives newer cars so there's not a demand for people swapping engines all the time.

 

[Matticus]

Holy crap! Total coincidence, but I was just talking to my neighbor about what's going on. He's a gear head and I always see him fixing up cars to flip. When I told him what was going on, he said "Holy crap...let me make some phone calls". Sure enough, he knows a few different guys that do little one or two man operations that can do the swap for me for between $1000 and $2000!! Every "reputable" shop I called around to were all in the 4k-6k range. Man...how have I not been plugged into this glorious seedy underbelly of the auto repair world sooner?! This has made my YEAR!

 

[JExpedition07]

It could depend where you are, but $6,000 labor for an engine swap is hefty.

 

[Matticus]

It could depend where you are, but $6,000 labor for an engine swap is hefty.

Labor quote was actually $4100 - $4700. But yeah...hefty.
The guy just got back to me - $1000 for labor. He even said he's got a freshly rebuilt 5.4 that he'll sell me for $3500 with a 1 year warranty. He does the rebuilds himself...apparently these 5.4's are "his thing". That includes the install! This just keeps getting better and better

 

[Plati]

The labor thing … its like a friend of mine who does "home repair". Usually nothing huge like an addition but he can do anything. He likes working alone, doing a great job (almost a bit of a perfectionist), likes everyone to be happy, and charges less than anybody else on purpose. If anyone ever even complained he'd give them there money back (but they never would). No shop, phone, or accounting expenses that a typical business would have - work out of home. So low overhead. Not trying to get rich just likes to do an honest job at a fair price. I help him occasionally and I don't want any money I just like to work with him and learn how to do things (right). He always forces money on me and we don't argue about it

 

[1955moose]

Auto repair labor and part markup is like buying jewelry, you gotta know the product and the markup. Back when I did car/truck work, it was out of my garage, or mobile for easier repairs. My overhead was next to nothing, so I could charge cheaper rates. I would do a motor R&R for about $400-500. Depending on how much I had to transfer. Labor wise I never really made a killing, but I was making around $30.00-$40.00 per hour. Most jobs only paid around $10-14 dollars an hour, and I never liked punching a clock. Besides no boss would let you drink a beer and have your friends over while wrenching. Ah the good times.

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[bobmbx]

Holy crap! Total coincidence, but I was just talking to my neighbor about what's going on. He's a gear head and I always see him fixing up cars to flip. When I told him what was going on, he said "Holy crap...let me make some phone calls". Sure enough, he knows a few different guys that do little one or two man operations that can do the swap for me for between $1000 and $2000!! Every "reputable" shop I called around to were all in the 4k-6k range. Man...how have I not been plugged into this glorious seedy underbelly of the auto repair world sooner?! This has made my YEAR!

Start buying crappy cars...you'll eventually end up on Used Car Skid Row.

"psst...hey man...I need a starter for a '83 Citation...can you hook me up?"

 

[TobyU]

Auto repair labor and part markup is like buying jewelry, you gotta know the product and the markup. Back when I did car/truck work, it was out of my garage, or mobile for easier repairs. My overhead was next to nothing, so I could charge cheaper rates. I would do a motor R&R for about $400-500. Depending on how much I had to transfer. Labor wise I never really made a killing, but I was making around $30.00-$40.00 per hour. Most jobs only paid around $10-14 dollars an hour, and I never liked punching a clock. Besides no boss would let you drink a beer and have your friends over while wrenching. Ah the good times.

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You were back in the day before the shops were 110.00+ per hour for labor...back before the owners were BANKING on repairs!!

It is a rip off today! I won't be part of it.