about 10 years ago i needed a clutch in an old idi diesel f350. somehow I ran into this kid and he was going to do it for me. he wanted $75 to get the flywheel spun by his buddy. The truck sat there a week........I went back to get it and nothing was done. he told me he took everything out removed the flywheel, took it to his friend to turn it, but it could not be turned. he then said he put it all back together again..........He ended up being a crackhead......I took the truck, lost the $75 and learned a lesson.....................I am not saying this guy is a crackhead but for an experienced mechanic I don't think it is a huge job to swap the gears.......and if he did not have the time he should just tell you.......

 

I'm all for honesty. Whatever the reason is just be upfront about it. I'd rather that than to have me spinning my wheels about it. I could have brought it some where else and had it back already.

 

Got my truck back this weekend. So far it seems good. Should I change out the diff fluid soon just in case of metal shavings in there from the new parts?

 

I am glad you got it fixed!!! I don't know the answer to your fluid question. I know the vss at the top of the diff is a magnet. You could alwasy pull that after a while and see if there are shavings on it.

After 33 posts I think we deserve a better concluding post then that. What was the final issue. what part did you use? how much was the part, How much was the labor for the part? Was it the spider gear? did the mechanic say how many hours it took? Did he have to pull the axles? if he pulled the axles did he replace the sels and bearings? etc,

Posting a detailed conclusion will help members in the future

 

If it was just a differential spider gear they could have been replaced without removing
the ring and pinion. Side gears and spiders along with thrust washers about a 2 to 3 hour job. kotzy

 

Powersmoked, that's a good idea to pull the vss to check for shavings. I'll do that it's easy enough.
The mechanic said it was the spider gear. I didn't have the opportunity to get into details that went into the fix as I wanted to (I was in a hurry when I went to pick it up). In my opinion it took him a week to fix (that's how long I was without the truck) lol, but I believe it took him about 2-3 hours. He called me when he got the part and called me about 4 hours later to let me know it was finished. It cost me $550. How is that price? I thought that was a bit steep but I'm cheap and I think everything is too expensive lol. I wish I had a more detailed account of the fix and all that went into it, pictures, etc for everyone. Indeed it is well deserved for all the members. I appreciate everyone's help not only on this post but all the contributors on this board. The information I have found and gotten here is invaluable. I hope to be as good a contributor as all of you. Thank you again very much for all your help. I might see this guy over the weekend, if I do I'll try to pick his brain about it. I will ask him if he still has the damaged part. If he does I'll take some pics and post them. Have a great day.

 

If you paid him Iwouldn't get into a shooting match about it, however it does seem high for a guy working on the side to charge. Seems they see the shop they work for charge 85 bucks an hour and think they can. The skills and talents of a real good mechanic are worth his hire but everyone has gotten out of control. My 2 cents Kotzy