$200 Gear Install ... should I just pay it?

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

I picked up the Ratech $80 install kit and a set of FRPP 3.55's for my 12K actual mile '89 Notch.

I've never done a swap myself due to a lack of instruments to check the work.

I've heard a few guys say that with the Ford made gear sets, its as easy as just reusing the factory shims ... just swapping the ring and pinion essentially.

If this is all the shop guy is gonna do, why should I pay them 200 bucks, when I can just do it myself. I could use that money for a girdle or something else ...

Have you done it yourself and what did it entail for you?
Are the Ford gear sets so good they are just a direct swap?

bubba-dough · Dec 12, 2005

No, pay to have it done. I have done it myself and I now pay to have it done. Of course my builder only charges $100 labor. There is much more than just changing ring and pinion reguardless of the brand, of course there are always exception and luck. And I wouldn't re-use anything reguardless of the miles on the components. If you do a rebuild with bearings, shims, seals, and a ring and pinion you will be time and headache ahead to pay. Although I don't know about $200 for labor that sounds high to me or I am just getting a hell of a deal.

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

I hear you.

For the money it's worth having someone else do the labor for sure ...
I think my biggest concern is my luck, lol ...
I'd end up getting "the bonehead guy" doing the work and not check it because, who cares, it's not his car type-a-thing.
.... or do it incorrectly and I hate watching over techs shoulders ...

I'd feel ripped off if it is just a swap or if he replaces very few pieces. Plus if they do it and it whines I have to go back in and wait and ahhhhh ! I hate other people working on my babies. crapola

I had the set in my SSP done and everything worked out right ... THAT TIME ... but damn what to do.

2002BLGT · Dec 12, 2005

I got all the tools from harbor freight for 70 bucks and done my own , I paid a guy 150 to do mine and he messed them up because he just stuck the stock stuff back in with an eaton differential , from my experience if you go with the stock diff then you should be able to put the stock shims back in it , if you are changing the differential or not using ford gears then definitely check it

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

2002BLGT said:
..... from my experience if you go with the stock diff then you should be able to put the stock shims back in it , if you are changing the differential or not using ford gears then definitely check it

I'll still use the trac-lok until it goes t.u. ....
See this is what I've heard. yes, no, yes, no, yes, no

2002BLGT · Dec 12, 2005

CoupedUp said:
I'll still use the trac-lok until it goes t.u. ....
See this is what I've heard. yes, no, yes, no, yes, no

I will tell ya a secret from everything I have seen , get a micrometer and take yours apart , measure the thickness of the pinion head and factory shim together , then measure the thickness of the pinion head with the factory shim on it and make sure its the same , if its different change pinion shims till you get it the same .....then put it together with the factory carrier shims ,make sure you keep the right and left sides right ....then it should be fine ....

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

2002BLGT said:
..... then measure the thickness of the pinion head with the factory shim on it and make sure its the same , if its different change pinion shims till you get it the same .........

Thanks
I have a micrometer to do that with.
I just hope the gear cut and pitch circle on both the ring and pinion will work this way without whining.

How many times have you honestly done the swap?
50/50 just isn't good enough odds or worth the headache .. do you think

tunedin302 · Dec 12, 2005

I'd check some other shops first. I have seen shops that only charge $100 to put in gears ... but don't pay over $150.

2002BLGT · Dec 12, 2005

CoupedUp said:
Thanks
I have a micrometer to do that with.
I just hope the gear cut and pitch circle on both the ring and pinion will work this way without whining.

How many times have you honestly done the swap?
50/50 just isn't good enough odds or worth the headache .. do you think

once I learned I had people coming out the woodwork wanting me to do theirs so I have done about 6 in last 6 months and now its easy as pie .....

timeless2 · Dec 12, 2005

I've done one before with assistance, but would probably just pay to have it done in the future. $200 for only the install seems a bit high, however.

88Stangboy · Dec 12, 2005

If you now how to do it, do it. If you don't, just pay for someone to do it, i wouldn't pay over $150 either. Also check out the shop, see if they do good work. I would definatly look around first.

Curse · Dec 12, 2005

If your good with working with small part and have all the right tool, then why not give it a go. I am not so I paid to have mine done.

sunil6784 · Dec 12, 2005

if the car has 12k actual miles,i wouldn't touch it...

sirr0bin · Dec 12, 2005

sunil6784 said:
if the car has 12k actual miles,i wouldn't touch it...

Agreed. If the car only has 12k miles, I'd leave it bone stock and enjoy it for what it is.

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

sirr0bin said:
Agreed. If the car only has 12k miles, I'd leave it bone stock and enjoy it for what it is.

Too late. I am very mechanically inclined. I'm not scared to do the work. I just don't wanted to try my "back-yard install" and then end up having to take it to someone anyways.

I bought the car bone stock so I could be the guy that molests it.
I wanted a clean base to start from not a 90K mile car that has been wherever it's been. I bought my SSP with 130K on it and ended up replacing everything.

2002BLGT · Dec 12, 2005

CoupedUp said:
Too late. I am very mechanically inclined. I'm not scared to do the work. I just don't wanted to try my "back-yard install" and then end up having to take it to someone anyways.

I bought the car bone stock so I could be the guy that molests it.
I wanted a clean base to start from not a 90K mile car that has been wherever it's been. I bought my SSP with 130K on it and ended up replacing everything.

3.55s good choice , local dodge dealer can get you a 23 tooth speedo gear to fix the speedo ......cost me 8 bucks for speedo gear part number is
J3167393

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

2002BLGT said:
3.55s good choice , local dodge dealer can get you a 23 tooth speedo gear to fix the speedo ......cost me 8 bucks for speedo gear part number is
J3167393

I have a 7-tooth drive T-5 ... it takes the 20-black driven gear ... already got one

RIO5.0 · Dec 12, 2005

You sound just like i did on swapping in your own gears...I consider myself a decent wrench and the thought of paying someone to do what i could do, just didn't sit right...and I'm the same, no one works on my car but me...

I have swapped 4 sets of FRPP over and yet to have a problem...I did my 355 with 52k on it...re-used everything as it looked like new....ran that til 68k and swapped in 373s re-using everything again..still looked fine...been 7k and not a noise...
Dont fear the swap...Most guys freak on it...My bud's a Ford tech and told me it was tit...he was right..

CoupedUp · Dec 12, 2005

RIO5.0 said:
You sound just like i did on swapping in your own gears...I consider myself a decent wrench and the thought of paying someone to do what i could do, just didn't sit right...and I'm the same, no one works on my car but me...

I have swapped 4 sets of FRPP over and yet to have a problem...I did my 355 with 52k on it...re-used everything as it looked like new....ran that til 68k and swapped in 373s re-using everything again..still looked fine...been 7k and not a noise...
Dont fear the swap...Most guys freak on it...My bud's a Ford tech and told me it was tit...he was right..

Thanks ... agree.

Saving the 200 bucks is nice ... but I think my biggest concern is how skilled is the stooge that would be working on my car ??????????
Does he REALLY know wtf he's doing ?????????

You know how some shop guys are.
They act like you're a damn idiot because you bring a car in to them.

I could do the swap myself ... I do not doubt that ...
But I don't want to be into the gd thing 4 or 5 times just to get it set up right. For 200 bucks they can do it, but then will I have to keep taking it in to get it right, or will Dickie get it right the first time

I wish I had all the time in the world to just wait around in repair shops. I've got enough crap on my plate to not be driving back and forth to the gear shop.

I need to go live on that planet where everything is perfect.

cevtv · Dec 12, 2005

CoupedUp said:
I need to go live on that planet where everything is perfect.

Maybe you should just find a shop that knows what they are doing.......

.

$200 Gear Install ... should I just pay it?

Should I swap 'em in myself?

Yes ... I've done it before.

No ... I've done it before.

Yes ... I've NOT done it before.

No ... I've NOT done it before.

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