Auto mechanics?

Is there any auto mechanics on here not shade tree someone that does it for a living? I’m looking for how much it would be to replace a starter and a flywheel on a 2011 Ford F-150. Just got mine back from the shop and couldn’t believe the price it cost.

Ford dealership or mechanic shop?
Most dealership owners have spent time in prison for rape.

Was a personal shop I’ve used this guy for 30 years . He should be Spending time for rape after today.

It's a good gig. I graduated Tech School in 1975 and was working in a Ford dealership doing warranty work for 2.25 an hour. Times have changed.

Prices listed online run from $900-$1600 - just for the Flywheel R&R

However , 4wd costs more (if applicable)

HD components cost more if vehicle equipped with heavier transmission and a stronger clutch.

Did the clutch pack get replaced at the same time ? If the clutch is even a bit worn and not like brand new , I'd replace it if was my vehicle.

R&R the starter is extra to prices I seen online.

my guess 1,250 to 1500.... before you criticize find out if he had to lift the cab to get at the top bell housing bolts to split the tranny and transfer case from engine... some of them can be doozies!!

Gotta pull the motor out to replace the flywheel?

Tommy,

Tough question.
Too many variables.

You need to look at your bill. The Parts cost (Flywheel, starter motor, fluids)
Labor Time involved. Dealer or private garage. Shop labor cost times how many hours involved.

The starter motor should have just cost for the part only. No Labor installation remove/replace cost, Since it had to be removed and reinstalled with the flywheel replacement anyway.

It should have been approximately 5.5 to 6 hours times the Labor the chop charges per hour.

Did you have the clutch, pressure plate, and throwout bearing replaced also?

Google automotive mechanic charge rate manuals to get a better time table of the hourly charge rate.

You nailed it.
Good post.

possible but most likely drop the trannyand transfer case but has to be split the flex plat or flywheel bolts direct to crankshaft...

Just like trapping, working on vehicles requires lots of tools, someof which are very specialized (expensive) and lots of training. I wonder how many people gawk at the price they're quoted for a nuisance trapping job. Yet some on here are quick to liken the mechanic to a rapist. Jeez.

If you don't like the price, you can shop around, but don't expect free diagnostics, and not every shop will take you for your word on what needs to be done.

Or if you don't like it, do it yourself. But why would the guy who's been doing your work suddenly decide to gouge you on this job?

I guess I wasn’t expecting it to be that much labor involved in it had 10 hours at 89.99 per hour it doesn’t take long to add up . Total price was almost $1400.00 .

Started out talkin about a starter and flywheel, now we're talking about tranny's. This place HAS changed!

You're lucky it wasn't $90 dollars per hour!

It doesn't sound out of the ballpark at all. Like already posted, it depends what they had to do to replace the flywheel. I would assume on a Ford they had to drop the transmission. My question would be why did they have to replace the flywheel? I'm 52yo and have probably owned 20 vehicles in my life, worked on hundreds if not thousands of others, my father ran and owned garages I worked at and through all of that, I never replaced a flywheel.

/
Now you and Coonman have a lot in common, be wary of repair shops!

Shoot, I paid $700 to have an anti-freeze leak fixed.

Some of these new vechiles are like $400 to change the headlight.

OP stated that the flywheel and the starter needed both to be replaced. I'm guessing , but sounds a bit like the teeth are shot on both. Had to replace a few on customers cars for that reason.

The flywheel had some teeth broke on it .

Odd

All it takes is the starter to not be properly aligned to the flywheel. Some starters even have shims to get a good exact 90° engagement. If one shim falls out , flywheel and starter will get uneven wear. Over time this can lead to tooth loss. This can also happen if starter is loose.

89.99 isn't too bad 100 an hour is going rate at independent shop here.

Ford has been really bad about not thinking about the repair only about the initial assembly and GM hasn't been any better really.

I did my own intake manifold this spring on a 2000 Expedition ford could have easily made the coolant cross over that the gasket fails on a 20 minute job instead it is around 8 hours. it took me more like 10 over 2 weekends.

it would have taken a very small change to make the bolts from the top and not the bottom the cross over needs to be removed from the bottom of the intake manifold which means getting entire manifold off

when you have that much in labor replacing the entire manifold for 200-300 in parts is an investment in not doing it again.

I have been wondering if there isn't enough ford trucks running around with a lot of life left in them that if you could bring the truck in pull the engine and transition at around 200K and for about 4 grand basically rebuild , do the water pump, manifold , plugs injectors , coils service the transmission before it fails if you had a truck ready to go another 100k miles for lest than years worth of payments in places where they don't rust out it would be worth it

I don't know about your Ford but you used to be able to just change the ring gear and not get a whole flywheel.

Its an easy change requiring beating off the old ring gear and then heating the new one in an over and putting the flywheel in the freezer.
The gear is usually just a light tap or two and its on.

Independent shops around here get $129 per hour

I have a Ford 3.0L V6 in my vehicle. To replace the spark plugs on the back bank next to the firewall , you have to remove the intake manifold.

That makes for a very expensive tune-up.

LOL.