Okay, I'll bite, HOW MUCH?:corn:Paniolo said:
Joe
Heads and cam installed today!
Well Jimmie from Harley House Call's came over today and installed my AMS heads and Andrews 26-G gear drive cams.
He started at 9:00am and finished at 4:00pm. I took some pics along the way, but had to leave the install for a commitment at my kids school. He said everything went well, no problems or unexpected findings.
It was interesting to compare the AMS heads to the OEM ones. Jimmy looked the AMS heads over and said they looked great. I pointed out the heat coated exhaust port, something he had never seen before. I said that treatment is an AMS specialty. Jimmie pointed out the exhaust valve on the stock head, it was ashen white from the high temps. No excess carbon build up. The piston tops looked good too. There was some coating, but nothing concerning.
When I stopped by again, he had the heads on, and the cam cover off. The guts were pulled out, and he was installing the cams and gears. Everything was going well he said.
When I got home at 3:30, he had the exhaust back on, and the cams installed. I put on the gas tank, and filled it, and hooked up the battery. He kept the sparkplugs out, and cranked the engine awhile letting the top end and cams lube up. Then he put the plugs in.
As I ALWAYS do, when I have major work done on either of my vehicles, I made a sign of the cross by waving a wrench over the bike. Jimmie hit the starter and the bike fired right up. It was clacky at first, then settled down. Although the idle was high, I could hear the faint whirring of the cam gears. We let the bike run till it was warmed up and shut it down. Since it had just finished raining, Jimmie did not take it for a test ride. He told me that with the heads and new cams, I would have to get it retuned on a dyno anyway. The bike sounded good.
About half an hour after he left, the weather cleared up. I took the bike for a quick spin around the block. It ran like another bike. I COULD FEEL the difference. I look forward to another dyno tune.
And now the big question.....
How much do you think this cost?
A factory trained mechanic came to my house and swapped heads and installed gear drive cams. He was there from 9am to 4pm.
He started at 9:00am and finished at 4:00pm. I took some pics along the way, but had to leave the install for a commitment at my kids school. He said everything went well, no problems or unexpected findings.
It was interesting to compare the AMS heads to the OEM ones. Jimmy looked the AMS heads over and said they looked great. I pointed out the heat coated exhaust port, something he had never seen before. I said that treatment is an AMS specialty. Jimmie pointed out the exhaust valve on the stock head, it was ashen white from the high temps. No excess carbon build up. The piston tops looked good too. There was some coating, but nothing concerning.
When I stopped by again, he had the heads on, and the cam cover off. The guts were pulled out, and he was installing the cams and gears. Everything was going well he said.
When I got home at 3:30, he had the exhaust back on, and the cams installed. I put on the gas tank, and filled it, and hooked up the battery. He kept the sparkplugs out, and cranked the engine awhile letting the top end and cams lube up. Then he put the plugs in.
As I ALWAYS do, when I have major work done on either of my vehicles, I made a sign of the cross by waving a wrench over the bike. Jimmie hit the starter and the bike fired right up. It was clacky at first, then settled down. Although the idle was high, I could hear the faint whirring of the cam gears. We let the bike run till it was warmed up and shut it down. Since it had just finished raining, Jimmie did not take it for a test ride. He told me that with the heads and new cams, I would have to get it retuned on a dyno anyway. The bike sounded good.
About half an hour after he left, the weather cleared up. I took the bike for a quick spin around the block. It ran like another bike. I COULD FEEL the difference. I look forward to another dyno tune.
And now the big question.....
How much do you think this cost?
A factory trained mechanic came to my house and swapped heads and installed gear drive cams. He was there from 9am to 4pm.
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
Joe
It was $572.88
My local dealer wanted $660.00.
The one in Glendale wanted $800.00
The shop that did my dyno tune wanted $1,200.00
I feel I got an excellent job done for a very reasonable price!
My local dealer wanted $660.00.
The one in Glendale wanted $800.00
The shop that did my dyno tune wanted $1,200.00
I feel I got an excellent job done for a very reasonable price!
And that is the important part :beer:Paniolo said:I feel I got an excellent job done for a very reasonable price!
Hey Joe,
As the Governor would sayd where in Kaleeforneeya do you live?
Mark
As the Governor would sayd where in Kaleeforneeya do you live?
Mark
I'm up north in Vacaville. I haven't heard of anyone in this area doing housecall repairs. Too bad cause it sounds like you got a great price for work your really happy with. That's rare even if you take it to a shop.
Joe
Joe
Paniolo.. do you think your guy will make another hosue call? I've been thinking of getting rid of the chain cams. What city are you guys in?
Was the $572.88 for labor only or did this include parts?
Either way it sounds like a good deal for you!
If that price is labor only he had a pretty good day. I wouldn't mind making $81.84 an hour on my day off!
Have A Great Day!
Either way it sounds like a good deal for you!
If that price is labor only he had a pretty good day. I wouldn't mind making $81.84 an hour on my day off!
Have A Great Day!
DR_DEUCE said:Paniolo.. do you think your guy will make another hosue call? I've been thinking of getting rid of the chain cams. What city are you guys in?
I'm in Westchester near LAX.
He works out of the San Fernando Valley, so Camarillo is right next door. Here is a link to his web site.
http://harleyhousecalls.com/
(818) 335-9662
[email protected]
Mark
The $572.88 was for labor. Which is not bad considering he came to me, and I didn't have to figure out how to drop it off the night before. The convienence that I didn't have to take the bike somewhere to be left over night to be cold for the mechanic to start on the next day. I didn't have to figure out how to get to the shop and back, drop off and pick up. I also liked seeing him work on it. Knowing the work gets done. I like being able to ask questions about what he is taking apart. Learning all along. Kinda like the Discovery Channel in my own garage.harleyboy63401 said:Was the $572.88 for labor only or did this include parts?
Either way it sounds like a good deal for you!
If that price is labor only he had a pretty good day. I wouldn't mind making $81.84 an hour on my day off!
Have A Great Day!
The AMS heads were $578.00 exchange.
The Andrews 26 cams were $269.00
The gear drive set was $329.00
The install kit was $31.99
The cometics were $36.50
Chrome hardware from the local dealer was $59.95
Mark
Its just like calling a plumber. He brings his shop to you. I would consider it a FAIR labor rate. Not cheap, but not expensive either.harleyboy63401 said:Was the $572.88 for labor only or did this include parts?
Either way it sounds like a good deal for you!
If that price is labor only he had a pretty good day. I wouldn't mind making $81.84 an hour on my day off!
Have A Great Day!
YB
It sounds like the tech made a killing in the grand scheme of things. He made 82 bucks an hour tax free. Sure you saved a few bucks and some hassle, but he made out like a bandit, IMO.
xxxflhrci said:It sounds like the tech made a killing in the grand scheme of things. He made 82 bucks an hour tax free. Sure you saved a few bucks and some hassle, but he made out like a bandit, IMO.
Its better then payin the stiffs at the dealer:yes:
I don't know about the tax free part. It's his business, like a plumber, or electrician. He comes over, works, writes up an invoice on company stationary, and gets paid.xxxflhrci said:It sounds like the tech made a killing in the grand scheme of things. He made 82 bucks an hour tax free. Sure you saved a few bucks and some hassle, but he made out like a bandit, IMO.
I don't mind paying a man a good wage for a good job done. Something I was never sure I ever got at a local dealership. Professional work gets professional rates from me.
I'll be calling him again when I do my 6 speed install.
Mark
I agree. It's better than paying the dealer.deuce04 said:Its better then payin the stiffs at the dealer:yes:
@gree:Paniolo said:I don't mind paying a man a good wage for a good job done. Something I was never sure I ever got at a local dealership. Professional work gets professional rates from me.
People never fail to amaze me. I work as an autobody tech, and people constantly want a top quality job done at the prices that MAACO charges. Well, it ain't gonna happen. In your case, and in many others, remember, you get what you pay for. Which is not to say that you can't get ripped off, i.e. most dealerships. As long as you got a good job done and are comfortable with the price, it was worth it.
Teu
Thanks for the info.. I'm going to give them a call.
As a mechanic I agree that you get what you pay for. As a Master ASE truck and auto tech with a tech degree from Nashville Auto Diesel College, I charge 45.00 per hour to work on bikes for folks inside and outside our chapter. Thats 25.00 per hour LESS than the local dealers. They know I'm an ambulance mechanic. But they trust me and know that I love to work on bikes in my spare time. It's a great hobby to have and get paid for it too! And it seems like I'm getting busier and busier all the time. Especially with alot of the screwups that have been occuring lately at some of the local dealers. They know I take my time and that I don't rush anything. Any they don't rush me. If they drop off their bike I take them home. Most times they can get a ride back to pick it up. If not, I pick them up too.
The bottom line is:
*Love what you do
*Charge a fair price
*Act like you care
*Treat everyones bike like it was your own
*And most of all, treat EVERYONE like you would want to be treated
The bottom line is:
*Love what you do
*Charge a fair price
*Act like you care
*Treat everyones bike like it was your own
*And most of all, treat EVERYONE like you would want to be treated
timbo
I thought about your post this afternoon and I'd like too share some thoughts.
I'm sure you understand why you can do this work so much cheaper than the dealership. They pay employees, managers, benifits and a ton of other things.
Here's the one that concerns me. Being a true beliver in the american dream and a business owner I support your decission to work at home but,
Everyone makes mistakes,
1st hypothetical case; You get distracted and forget to fill the engine with oil and lock the engine up. You could probably come up with the money to fix this situtation for your customer.
2nd case; Removing tank and spill fuel. Fire starts, you save your house or shop or where ever you work, but the bikes a total loss. Considering replacement Harleys can easily be 20 to 30 grand, what now. Home owners insurance would most likely not cover this due to being a business situtation.
3rd case; You do something wrong, rider looses control and is hurt or killed.
BIG problem! Do you have garage keepers insurance for at least 1 million coverage? If not the law suit will clean you out.
I didn't mention I own an auto repair. The 1st case has happened to me. 2nd case was a light car fire, we got it right out, very little damage, customer never new. 3rd case had a wheel fall off at 70 mph, no one was hurt and I paid the damages. All were different ASE certified techs. People make mistakes.
Some things you might want to look into; go into business, get incorporated, buy insurance for you and your customer peace of mind (but most customers don't even think about this until they need to file a claim and can't because you are not covered).
Best of luck,
Chris
I thought about your post this afternoon and I'd like too share some thoughts.
I'm sure you understand why you can do this work so much cheaper than the dealership. They pay employees, managers, benifits and a ton of other things.
Here's the one that concerns me. Being a true beliver in the american dream and a business owner I support your decission to work at home but,
Everyone makes mistakes,
1st hypothetical case; You get distracted and forget to fill the engine with oil and lock the engine up. You could probably come up with the money to fix this situtation for your customer.
2nd case; Removing tank and spill fuel. Fire starts, you save your house or shop or where ever you work, but the bikes a total loss. Considering replacement Harleys can easily be 20 to 30 grand, what now. Home owners insurance would most likely not cover this due to being a business situtation.
3rd case; You do something wrong, rider looses control and is hurt or killed.
BIG problem! Do you have garage keepers insurance for at least 1 million coverage? If not the law suit will clean you out.
I didn't mention I own an auto repair. The 1st case has happened to me. 2nd case was a light car fire, we got it right out, very little damage, customer never new. 3rd case had a wheel fall off at 70 mph, no one was hurt and I paid the damages. All were different ASE certified techs. People make mistakes.
Some things you might want to look into; go into business, get incorporated, buy insurance for you and your customer peace of mind (but most customers don't even think about this until they need to file a claim and can't because you are not covered).
Best of luck,
Chris
no truer words spoken
am in the same business...9 bay shop..garage keepers insurance a must
former employee..basically trained at my expence..now works on cars at his house
no garage keepers insurance
no workmans comp
no priveledge license fees
keeps all of it..no with holding
nuttin
what if he screws up..and does something that kills you or you loved ones
forget compensation...he will prolly just file bankrupcy..and run and hide
am in the same business...9 bay shop..garage keepers insurance a must
former employee..basically trained at my expence..now works on cars at his house
no garage keepers insurance
no workmans comp
no priveledge license fees
keeps all of it..no with holding
nuttin
what if he screws up..and does something that kills you or you loved ones
forget compensation...he will prolly just file bankrupcy..and run and hide
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
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