I knew, when I bought the truck, that it wasn't right. PO had swapped trannies, and didn't do it properly.

Anyway, I've gone through 3 starters in 2 years due to the plate between the engine and tranny where the starter mounts is broken, vibrates, and breaks the starters off. The clutch pedal hasn't been feeling right since day one, etc...but I didn't have the time nor the cash to fix it.

It handled the 2200 miles, while towing a Lincoln MK VII, from UT to PA, and got worse.

Yesterday, the clutch took a crap, and the starter died again. It also started leaking oild from the rear main during the tow.

Anyway, it sits at the dealer (only charges $55 an hour...small town) for a rear main seal, clutch, starter, and whatever else isn't right with it. The seal and clutch job has been quoted to me at $900 at the dealer, plus another $150 to turn the flywheel. I'm budgeted to drop $1500 total for this trip to the mechanic.

All of this happened the same day I got my Lincoln back from the dealer after Pep Boys destroyed my air suspension by NOT turning the system off before putting it on the lift.

I'll update this thread with info from the truck doc...

 

Ouch....I hate to see a string of misfortune like that.

 

$150 to 'turn' the flywheel!?!
$30 is more like it.
You can buy one new for under $100...
R&R is already in the price of the Rear Main Seal.

Thieves.

 

He said it could be up to $150...but he thought it wouldn't need it.

I called them this morning, they got the parts yesterday and should have the truck done by tomorrow evening. This should take care of the starters breaking at the mounting ears...The PO broke the spacer between the engine and tranny when he replaced the tranny right before I bought it, so the starters have been braking due to the high amount of vibrations. I've gone through 4 of them in the last year.

All of this work should take care of most of the worries I've had about the truck. I usually do my own work, but with my tools in storage, and me living in the company owned house 'til the end of the month, I haven't had the place nor tools, much less the time (65 hours per week) to touch it since moving here to PA.

Next thing to take care of is replacing the rims. I have one that is warped, and I couldn't locate a good set of steel rims in Utah, since they were all bent by the time the junk yards got them. Those and new tires will set me back a few bucks. Then I'll get a set of Bushwhacker Cut-outs to deal with the wheel well rust on the bed, and get it to pass state safety inspection...then time for paint.

The engine, other than the seepage at the rear main seal, has been flawless, and the truck only has minor surface rust on the frame, and peeling blue paint on the body...but no rust other than the bed wheel arches.

I'm nearing completion of this one fellas...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

My wife, who I bought the truck for, can hardly wait. She told me she wants it lifted at least another 3-4 inches before I get the rims/tires. Since it's going to see 99% of on road use, I'm probably going to do a body lift, instead of a suspension lift...she already sit high and proud as it is.

I love being married to a redneck woman!!

After her truck gets done, I'll source another F series for me of the same era for my fun. My Dodge has seen better days, and the tranny is slipping more and more each day...I think I'll retire it to the great boneyard in the sky and let her be picked apart for others to enjoy.

 

Update...they are still on track to have the truck done by tomorrow afternoon. One thing that they found, which I knew about, is the bracket that hold the brake and clutch pedal. Due to the nylon bushings being so bad, the holes in the frame that support the rod is now egg shaped. No big deal, for another $200, they are replacing that, as well as installing a different steering column I sourced.

Looks like the final price is going to be right at $1250. I can handle it, again, because the truck is so solid and the engine runs so well.

I'll still have, counting purchase price and cost of my rebuilding the front end of the truck after buying it, and this cost, less than $2500 invested into it total.

How many other 22 year old F-250s are out there with less than 80,000 miles, good strong engine, rebuilt transmission, and nothing major wrong with it that are selling for my total investment of $2500?

 

Jon, you are getting ripped off at the dealer. $900 for a clutch PLUS $150 to resurface the flywheel is outrageous.

OUTRAGEOUS!

I would never pay that. BTW a flywheel should be resurfaced every time you replace the clutch. It's not an "if".

 

More than just a clutch is being done...and we decided to have the flywheel ringed due to missing teeth.

It's getting a new rear main seal, clutch, re-ring for the fly wheel, transmission/engine spacer, intake manifold gasket, and clutch/brake pedal bracket. They are also letting me source another starter, since this one was new, now broke, and was MUCH cheaper than the almost $175 they wanted.

I know I'm paying more than if I did it myself, but I haven't been here long enough to locate an indy that I trust, and taking it to a dealer made more sense than letting it sit til spring.

We talked about it about an hour ago, and added the intake manifold gasket to the list of things to do, since I already knew that there was an oil leak there, and it would be a few months before I could get to it...and the possibility of that oil messing up the new clutch.

So, to re-cap, it's a clutch, turning and re-ringing of flywheel, replacement of missing bolts, intake manifold gasket, engine/tranny spacer, installation of starter, rear main seal, and a safety/emission test all to the tune of about $1700.

Still not bad considering I only paid $600 for it. BTW...the service manager said that the engine, other than the intake mani gasket, is in GREAT shape, as is the tranny. He said that he would like the first option to purchase it if we sell it.

I'm ok with the cost of this, as I am unable to get out there to work on it myself due to the hours I work, my tools being 300 miles away, and not having a garage to work on it in.

BTE...the dealer here is only charging $55 per hour on the labor, and allowing me to source some of the parts, just like he did with my Lincoln.

 

i dont think you're really getting ripped off. i had to get a new clutch, slave cylinder, flywheel and it cost around $1200.

 

Sounds like a good time to find a good local mechanic.

That's about double what you could be paying.

You got ripped off too. A clutch, slave, and flywheel should be about $600. I had mine done at a shop when I lived in an apartment (no place to do it myself) and it cost about that. Of course, I didn't take it to a dealership.

 

NEW, Advance Auto Parts: Clutch Flywheel by Dorman - Help - Part 04627
And this is retail, I get -35%, that's my cost.

If you are happy, that's all that really counts but I hate seeing you taken advantage of.

 

Pep Boys should paying to repair that fiasco.