Tag Archives: water pump

Timing Belt Boot Camp

Posted on January 5, 2011 by tomdwyer

If we don’t have any record of a timing belt being replaced and your vehicle is nearing or has passed the recommended interval, we’ll want to talk about it with you. The only thing worse than having one of our … Continue reading →

Posted in Car Information, Uncategorized | Tagged cam seals, crank seal, estimates, external belts, free-running engine, gasket, idler bearings, interference engine, tensioner, timing belt, water pump | Comments Off

How Much Is THAT Gonna Cost? Understanding estimates

Posted on July 21, 2010 by tomdwyer

Understanding estimates is key to wise spending
By Tom Dwyer

Giving estimates for the cost of a job is one of the hardest things to do in any business. A client, understandably, wants to have at least SOME idea what they can expect to pay, but the service provider is being asked to predict an uncertain future and then stand by that prediction. One Portland automotive icon, Harold Dick, would banish clients who asked for an estimate. His feeling was that you were asking him to care for your car, so you should trust him to charge appropriately and be prepared to pay whatever it took to do it. Most businesses are a little more accommodating, though, and will give some estimate of what their work will cost. Estimates can be deceptive, either through intent or by accident. I hate to lose work to an incomplete or deceptive estimate provided by another business. Continue reading →