And Chrysler quotes 4 hours for Cambelt job...at £120+ per hour...smaller garages £70/hr...

My Turkish mechanic did it just under 4 hours (including the serpentine belts) and charged €40,- per hour :)
I watched him working and the guy is very professional, he knew exactly what he was doing (experienced on Chrysler Voyagers).

Chrysler dealer here in my area charges €100,- per hour :rolleyes:
And "original" Mopar parts are apparently made of pure gold and platinum according to the prices the dealer charges.. Dashboard lights, €6,- each :eek:

So the £330 they quoted stacks up, even without the water pump.

Hi Alan

I did my own belt change see link below.

https://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/...-change-20832/

I think what might have happened is they were going to do the belt change without using the locking pins (crankshaft/camshafts) and you can do it this way. If I remember correctly to get the waterpump off you have to remove the timing chest backplate, which means you have to remove the camshaft pulleys (they are a taper fit not keyed to the shaft) and that means you then have to use the locking pins or you lose the camshaft timing.

So in short, they were going to do it the quick way and then discovered they couldn't and that they needed the timing pins.

Hope this helps.

Rodger

Hi Rodger, that probably explains their actions, thanks for your input. They finally phoned me this morning, Friday, to say the car was ready so I went to collect it. As I half expected, when the lady in the office presented me with the invoice it was for £367 so I had to explain, very politely, that the head mechanic had originally quoted £330 for the belt, water pump and vat so after a few words behind closed doors a new invoice was produced totalling £300.

I may give them the benefit of the doubt on this one (better the devil you know as they say) but in future I'll get all quotations itemised in writing.

Hi Alan

I think £300 for a cambelt an waterpump change is a very good price, it's not a particuarly easy job.

Rodger

Last year I was quoted £750 from Chrysler garage for kit, labour £500, kit £250. But got it for £480 odds from small garage.
So I think you've done them.

They didn't do the water pump Rodger. £300 was just the cambelt and vat.

Was that just the cambelt goggsy or did that price include the water pump?

They've made plenty out of me in the past :) and besides, it was them that quoted £330 including the water pump, I didn't twist their arm and I know that they don't need the work.

My quotes and job was for Kit: Belt with Wheels.