Just had both exhaust manifolds replaced at a local shop. Parts and labor came to about $400. Did i get ripped off?

 

sounds about right and maybe a good deal. Just stud replacement costs that much

 

Whoa! Where did you get it done at? I need to get my exhaust manifolds replaced too...That ticking is getting louder. Listen to what a Nissan dealer here quoted me to replace them...Parts and Labor:
$1200!!
Ha! Fat ****ing chance. I tried my hardest not to laugh at him over the phone...But when he recommended that my coolant system be flushed too, and said it would be $80. I just about fell on the floor I was laughing so hard. Both of those were so ridiculous they were WAY past offending me. But it makes me mad they are tying to rip people off like that.

 

I got ripped off by a nissan dealership (now defunct) Bethlehem PA..Key Pontiac NIssan..now just Pontiac. THey charged me $140 to "extract, tap and drill the cam cover bolts..you know, the ones on the end on the head..so easy to get to, AND, I know for a fact that those two little bolts could be removed by hand..I tried myself before I brought it in for another unrelated prob, and figured I might as well have them do that too..what could it cost? $30. HA!
If people only knew HOW EASY A COOLING FLUSH IS. IF they are actually using the machine that flushes the whole system and not just draining and filling, it takes MAYBE 10 min to hookup, let it run for 10 min, then 10 min of disconnect and cleanup. We used to love cooling flushes, cause we could hook that up, leave it for a while, do a bunch of other work at the same time and make $$$. Trans flushes are even easier. Great for commission.

 

Great for commission, that's for sure. I work at a quick lube place in milwaukee and and it's easy to sell coolant flushes in winter.

 

The price for the exhaust manifolds is a good price. Do the coolant yourself not too hard.

 

It is hard if you don't have the machine. When you drain at the radiator, that's about all you get. You still have all that coolant in the block and other passages. The only way to DIY is to drain rad, fill fresh, dive until nice and hot, drain rad, fill fresh, drive, drain, fill. Three times should get most of it, but each time you fill, you are mixing it with the old stuff in the block, so it will never be a near 100% replacement that those flush machines get.

 

You can flush it youself easier than that..

Just open your radiator bleeder hole (collect the colant that's gonna leak to properly dispose), open the radiator cap start the car and put a gardening hose to the radiator nozzle. After the engine warms up, it'll start circulating the coolant. This is when you put the gardening hose to the radiator nozzle and keep a steady flow of water into the radiator. As you pour water it and the engine is circulating it and flushing it out the bleeder hole..a couple mins of this, shut off the engine, let the radiator empty out and add coolant.

people like to used distilled water to avoid corrosion..so if you wanna flush out the tap water thats left in the system, you can go ahead and do that, then add distilled water and coolant.

 

NICE! I should have known that..actually heard of that method before, duh! Besides, I like to do everything the hard way, so what fun would that be!

 

My dad has some sort of device that he clips into one of the main hoses, and it has a little fitting for the hose to go in. Don't know where he got it, but it installs in like five minutes, hook up the hose, and flush away. You'd be surprised what kind of crap is in your rad!

-Seth

 

This not a bad deal. I got mine done about 2 years ago for $360. And it still runs strong.

 

Only problem is that as soon as the cold water hits the thermostat, it shuts off the water flow into the engine and doesn't get everything. I know on the VGs that the thermostat is a PIA to get to, but many other cars i've worked on are easy.. just remove the thermostat and hoses on both ends of the engine, then turn the water hose to "fire hose" mode. blast the crap out, then do the radiator the same way.

Also be sure to get your heater core. it's the same situation and tends to collect all kinds of garbage in its tubing.