Lol at my math.

 

$95/hr is definitely not fair.. and 14 hours.

I saw a 50k mile MT for $500 a month back.

 

 

What would you consider a fair labor rate?

How many hours do you think the average transmission shop should bill for removing, rebuilding and reinstalling the 6MT?

Where did you see a 6MT for $500? I searched the completed listings on eBay, and in all the listings for a 6MT, there is only one that sold for $1200, and it had 78k miles on it.

 

$500 for a remove an install, $1-1500 for the actual rebuild?

 

Including parts?

 

there are not that many parts that need to be replaced when you rebuild a manual unless you tore something up. $2K to about $2500 should be about right

 

Are you just making generalizations about manual transmissions, or are you referring to the one in the TL?

The dog teeth on multiple gears have worn down necessitating their replacement. Other than the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts giving me occasional problems (2-3 only before I added the GM fluid - the 3rd gear issue), I noticed no grinding whatsoever in any of the other gears, yet some of them are damaged.

Anyway, add the cost of a few gears to that figure, and you have the amount I'm being charged.

I'm searching the threads, and it's like no one's had this done before but everyone's an expert when it comes to how much one should pay. Whether or not one can find a shop willing to do it at that price, a shop they'd trust with their 6MT....6MT!....now that's another story. There are plenty of stories where dealers mess up the 6MT though.

We might want to continue this back over in my thread. This one's hijacked enough =)

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/any-idea-whats-wrong-my-manual-transmission-06mt-898561/

 

My transmission guy charges $65/hr and he doesn't bullshit the hours, if the book says 14 and he does it in 10, he charges 10. Independent shop means low overhead. If the shop has 10 mechanics, 4 ladies to greet you at the front and get you coffee, 30,000 sq ft facility, plus a loaner car, then it's fair. If we're talking no frills, as most indie shops are, $95 is a bit steep imo.

Most service shops charge anywhere from $90 - 150/hr because of the overhead. Many master techs that work for a dealership only get paid $20-40/hr. Sometimes it's billable hours, but many shops it's not. Make friends with a local tech and inquire about some after hours work.

I know a handful of transmissions that are a PITA, but ours isn't in the list. Regarding parts, replace critical components while you're in there but you don't have to go overboard. Main gear sets and synchros are less than $1k.

Also, fleabay Check craigslist and local scrapyards.

 

If a mechanic is able to spend less time doing the same job, I don't think it's fair that he or she is paid less. In fact, the job may be worth more because he or she is more experienced. Other factors that may have reduced the actual time could include additional/specialized training and better/special tools. All that costs money. That is why I have no problem with the "book" prices.

Let me offer another example for consideration. Let's say I can shoot a wedding and have the photos edited in very little time because I have a lot of experience. Should I then be paid less because I took less time to edit the pictures? Certainly not. In fact, because I am so experienced, I do a far better job than someone else that is new to the field. As I gain experience, my rates would go up.

Back to the topic. I would be surprised to find labor rates that low around where I live. I don't even know if gas station mechanics charge labor rates that low. If someone here charges $65/hour, I wouldn't trust them to open my 6MT. 6MTs are very rare around here, and even more rare are 6MTs that need to be opened up.

People also need to make a living, so I have no problem paying them a fair price, and what's in the book are fair prices. What's not fair to me are the prices that Acura is charging for their gears, and since there are no 3rd party options, I have no choice. Why do you say that the gears are less than $1k? Did you look them up? When I called my dealer, the prices added up to way over $1000.

What happens if I buy a used transmission and find gear damage? I would end up paying more. I don't know if I'm willing to take that risk. You say that the 6MT isn't "on the list" but there was nothing that indicated gear damage in the upper gears of my 6MT. The shifting was perfect and there were absolutely no unusual noises.