911 Machine Work Question
 

Hi Guys,
I'm new to the board, or at least posting. Some background, I bought an 81sc in September, 2 head studs broken so a winter of disassembly. Everything's gone fine so far, but I have a question, I sent my heads out to a firm in Ontario to be re-worked. I received the bill, and am wondering what the going rate is for parts? For 6 AE exhaust valves for instance, it's come out to 630$, they are low 20 buck parts. Is this the normal markup seen by machine shops? If so, then I guess that's ok, but my gosh. Don't forget to multiply 30% to Cdn$ plus shipping and 8% duty. Thank you.

Did you get a quote or estimate prior to sending out your parts?

Unfortunately not, I was told by a reference that he was a straight shooter, I guess I'm just old school. Before sending the heads I asked if I could send any parts directly to the shop, he told me he'd look after it, to me this was his opportunity to tell me about surcharges. You wouldn't believe the cost to do this, I was ok with the labor price as that was agreed to, but the prices for the springs, valves really surprised me.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1580741060.png

well shops make margin on labor and parts. the price for the parts seems high. did you talk to them about it?

in the US and specifically CA there are some firm rules on quotes and price adjustments for auto work, although bait and switch tactics are common...

The labor price seems very fair.

Yeah, not the end of the world, labor hopefully is of high quality. I have left a message and asked about the valve prices, haven't heard back. Honestly, almost any answer would do if no price adjustment was in the future. These things aren't cheap as everyone knows but it's a lot of money for an SC parts.

That is absurdly high. Very sorry you had to deal with such a place.

yes, indeed it would seem so. It seems they are TRW exhaust valves, not AE as I remembered, in that case they are 34$ each, I'll check to see which when I get them back if possible. I would have sent stateside knowing now that duty is only 8%, would have saved at least 600$ maybe even after shipping and duty. I would send to cgarr if repeating.

Cgarr on here did mine and many others... cost about 1/5 of that. Reused the valves though. Think 1 was replaced.

Bo

I wish Bo.
Before sending to the shop in this province, I did contact several other shops in the US, cgarr being one. No parts quoted, but surfacing the heads, clean, guides,3angle plus parts, exchange, shipping, taxes, import duty. No markup on the prices puts it at 1541$ as compared to above 2700$. Once you markup the parts, then obviously more like a 1k$ difference, but definitely not 1/5. 1800/2700(Cdn Dollars), around 2/3 the cost. ( ~ 1300/1900 in US$)
Phil

Anchor Atlantic.........
 

The same work shown in your receipt cost me $1500 from Anchor Atlantic. One of the best cylinder head service you could find in the country. Your biggest mistake was not having a quote or estimate before sending your cylinder heads to the shop. It is too late now to complain. You have been over charged more than $1K based on the current cost of rebuilt cylinder heads.

Tony

I'm having trouble coming around to pay the bill, it's a psychological holdup at the moment, I'll gladly pay good work and reasonable markup, ughh have to get around to it.

Don't pay until you have an answer from them,get them to tell you what brand valves they supplied,if genuine you payed less per valve than the going rate or if you have aftermarket you have paid too much...simply as that.
Also consider that they may not fit the cheaper valves for warranty purposes,good luck

FWIW, I used TRW exhaust valves when I replaced mine a while back. They are OE AND the ones I got even had the Porsche triangle stamped on them. $34 each.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/93010541951M80.htm?pn=930-105-419-51-M80&bt=Y&fs=0&SVSVSI=796

I spoke to the machinist, TRW, no Porsche genuine parts. Said that ordering in, brokerage fees for Canada/us border, duty put it at 70$. For all I know they are ordering from some pre-arranged supplier and getting ripped off at the source. Too late now, I've already paid it, I've seen some guys do a full twin plug etc.. at the best houses for less, probably could have increased the port size as well. My mistake, I didn't realize the cost of not supplying or implicitly stating not to proceed with ordering any parts without first quoting a price. Just checked the first website that showed up for TRW and the 911 sc, the same website I use to order m3 parts, for six valves 189$us delivered taxes and duty included, or 240$can all in. Compared to 630$*1.15=725$ all in from the machinist. The postal code is included on the invoice, so if others in Ontario want somewhere to go, you know what to ask and how to avoid wasting money. Don't even want to talk about the springs, just a slightly lesser waste of money.
Thanks All.

Well, better to pay too much and have a high quality result then paying too little and having a low quality result. Definitely dont want to have to take it apart again any time soon.

LIve and Learn,
Chris

Chris, absolutely, that's typically the right attitude. I'll have a close look at the work, I think it will be excellent.

Sorry to hear of your experience. I don't think it unreasonable for you to post the name of the shop that did the work. That way other people can go in with their eyes open.

Shame to see this sort of thing going on considering our host lists these @ just under $34 each...oh well at least they have used good parts.

I’m sorry, but if you go on pelican parts today feb 14/2020, a genuine Porsche exhaust valve is 222 usd x .37 Canadian exchange rate, no duty, it came from a us store.

That’s 304 Canadian.

That bill looks great to me. Nothing looks inflated much at all. Expect a 25% mark up so I would guess the price you paid wasn’t for Porsche valves, maybe just German oem but there’s nothing wrong with that.

Exhaust valves cost almost twice that of intake valves because of the cooling in the stem.

I’d be smiling all day if that was my bill in Canadian dollars.

My advice, keep believing he’s a straight shooter, from my perspective it seems so. Give him another opportunity and if he bites you again then you know he’s crooked. And then you call me direct and chew my ass out.