So I have been working on this 6.0. I have done a few stand pipe and dummy plug, stc fitting jobs. This is more in depth than any of those. I am still in process so Idk how many hours for sure I am going to have in this one but I am doing stand pipes and dummy plugs, top o-rings in injectors, nipple cup seals, stc, oil cooler replacement, and low pressure oil pump. I am also installing new alternator which is just swap out and adding wiring for the alternator and battery crossover. I am just curious if anybody knows what would be a fair labor price for all of this. Parts aside just labor.

 

I would imagine that shop time for a Certified Diesel Tech is around $175 an hour these days, maybe even more.

That said, a Certified Tech can usually get a LOT done in an hour. Possibly even twice as much can get done by a good tech when compared to a mechanic that doesn't know diesels (specialized tools help), or doesn't know the specific 6.0L platform. Then you have to consider the fact that some jobs have significant "synergy". By this I mean that they require the same things to be removed in order to do the specific job desired. It isn't right to charge twice for this "pre-work".

Then you have to consider that SOME of what you are paying for (when you pay for a Certified Tech), is a warranty. If something is identified down the road as not having been done correctly, then it should be expected to be rectified at no charge.

Also worth considering is that it isn't worth paying a Certified Tech to change the oil, drain and re-fill fluids, install an alternator, or even a wiring upgrade. At best those are worth $50 an hour. Even if you are a Master Tech doing these jobs yourself, it is my opinion that you can not charge the customer anything more than what it would cost to have a tech-in-training do these jobs.

If you are trying to build up a personal business practice, then you certainly need to look at things based on your time spent, but you shouldn't be charging what a Certified Diesel Tech would, at least not until you have established a reputation and a high level of expertise. You also have to consider consumables (rags, lubricant and cleaning sprays, etc) as a part of every job, and then add in the waste disposal cost (if any)!

Just my perspective on a question that really is impossible to answer correctly, and while you probably know all of the junk I rambled on about - I HOPE that it helps!

After all that, maybe somebody can quote "book time" on a few of the jobs you listed (sorry, but I can't). That is probably closer to what you are asking for.

And even with book time, you are going to probably run into problems to solve that may not be part of the book time estimate.