Thread: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP.

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  1. #1 I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
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    My local shop guy diagnosed a horrible vibration under load as needing new lower motor mounts.
    BS things he told me:
    -There are seven mounts total.
    -The "side mounts" are the ones that are really bad.
    -The torque strut mounts are fine, but the parts I need would cost $290.
    -Labor would be around $600, because it's such a difficult job.

    I said "No."
    I came here and did research.
    -There's 1 lower motor mount, 1 lower transmission mount, the 2 torque struts, and the 2 torque strut brackets.
    -I paid under $50 total for the lower motor mount and transmission mount. (I bought DEA brand. I understand there's better, but for how easy they were to replace, I'll just re-do them whenever they need it.
    -I paid $16 for a set of metric offset wrenches at Harbor Freight.
    -My 11-year-old son and I had them changed out in about 2 hours. In terms of difficulty, honestly, the hardest part was jacking up the car. (Which as anyone knows, is not hard.) Jacking up the engine & transmission with a big board under the pans was simple in comparison.

    So. . . $66 and two hours. Almost all of the vibration is completely gone.
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  2. #2 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    Perma-Banned! JK LOL Explicit_Spade's Avatar
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    WOO!
    Quote Originally Posted by W-Body Store
    Remember, GM engineers didn't take into account your need for speed.
    Daily Driver: 06 Grand Prix GT / 9.4:1 CR / IS3 Heads / Ported Gen V / ZZP Headers / HPT Pro / Pulleys: 4.25, 3.8, 3.5, 3.4, 3.2, 3.0, 2.9, 2.7
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  3. #3 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    GTX Level Member QUICKSILVER462's Avatar
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    At least you now know what shop not to go to.
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  4. #4 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    SE Level Member therealtoddster's Avatar
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    Thanks for sharing this experience. This will no doubt help others wondering if they can take on changing the mounts!

    Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk
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  5. #5 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    GrandPrix Junkie spazzz's Avatar
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    Win
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  6. #6 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    The Blue One blueguy's Avatar
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    Flip the uppers.

    It's free.
    Sold WBody's: '03 Blue GTP/'98 Green GTP/'98 Silver GT/'05 GXP
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  7. #7 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    GrandPrix Junkie SgtMarshal's Avatar
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    this might be the worst case of shady mechanics I've heard of. I would go on that dudes page and give him a horrible rating.
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  8. #8 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    Perma-Banned! JK LOL Explicit_Spade's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SgtMarshal View Post
    this might be the worst case of shady mechanics I've heard of. I would go on that dudes page and give him a horrible rating.
    I disagree with this. How many hours of labor is it quoted at and what is their parts cost?

    Remember that shops have certain parts stores they deal with and a certain markup on those parts. If their price for parts was $120, and it's quoted as a 9 hour job at $80/hour that's $840 total.

    Shops don't charge actual labor time, they charge quoted labor time, so even if it takes them an hour, and the time on the books is 10 hours, you will pay for the 10 hours. That's just how it works.
    Quote Originally Posted by W-Body Store
    Remember, GM engineers didn't take into account your need for speed.
    Daily Driver: 06 Grand Prix GT / 9.4:1 CR / IS3 Heads / Ported Gen V / ZZP Headers / HPT Pro / Pulleys: 4.25, 3.8, 3.5, 3.4, 3.2, 3.0, 2.9, 2.7
    Projects: 86 Monte Carlo SS / 98 Sonoma / 74 Honda CB750
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  9. #9 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    GrandPrix Junkie SgtMarshal's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Explicit_Spade View Post
    I disagree with this. How many hours of labor is it quoted at and what is their parts cost?

    Remember that shops have certain parts stores they deal with and a certain markup on those parts. If their price for parts was $120, and it's quoted as a 9 hour job at $80/hour that's $840 total.

    Shops don't charge actual labor time, they charge quoted labor time, so even if it takes them an hour, and the time on the books is 10 hours, you will pay for the 10 hours. That's just how it works.
    I understand that, and I would have to look up the time allowed to change a motor and transmission mount, but there is no way it should take 10 hours to do that job, and the parts store would have to mark up the cost of the item a big amount to come to that amount for the mounts. Another thing is that there isn't 7 mounts on the car.
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  10. #10 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    Perma-Banned! JK LOL Explicit_Spade's Avatar
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    I just renewed my alldata. It lists 2.7 for the motor 1.1 for the trans 0.3 (x2) for the uppers so... 4.4 hours. It also lists the engine mount as $129.76.
    Quote Originally Posted by W-Body Store
    Remember, GM engineers didn't take into account your need for speed.
    Daily Driver: 06 Grand Prix GT / 9.4:1 CR / IS3 Heads / Ported Gen V / ZZP Headers / HPT Pro / Pulleys: 4.25, 3.8, 3.5, 3.4, 3.2, 3.0, 2.9, 2.7
    Projects: 86 Monte Carlo SS / 98 Sonoma / 74 Honda CB750
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  11. #11 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    GrandPrix Junkie SgtMarshal's Avatar
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    so that's 613 dollars, but the transmission mount and upper mounts would have to be bought as well, but upper mounts were fine. and that's at the typical dealership rate of 110 bucks an hour.
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  12. #12 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    Perma-Banned! JK LOL Explicit_Spade's Avatar
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    If you're taking your car to a shop, you're gonna spend a lot more than doing it yourself in any situation.

    Parts are less if you buy them yourself and you don't pay labor. And OP got to bond with his son.

    Doing it yourself always beats taking it somewhere.
    Quote Originally Posted by W-Body Store
    Remember, GM engineers didn't take into account your need for speed.
    Daily Driver: 06 Grand Prix GT / 9.4:1 CR / IS3 Heads / Ported Gen V / ZZP Headers / HPT Pro / Pulleys: 4.25, 3.8, 3.5, 3.4, 3.2, 3.0, 2.9, 2.7
    Projects: 86 Monte Carlo SS / 98 Sonoma / 74 Honda CB750
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  13. #13 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    I break things. WarStryker13's Avatar
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    The only times I have ever let anyone else work on any car I have ever owned, is warranty or recall.

    I'm not paying for someone else to do what I have the tools and skills myself to accomplish.

    Plus, you know nobody else will take more care when working on your car than you will.

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  14. #14 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
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    Yeah, I live in one of the most expensive urban areas on the country in the California east bay, and they charge $120/hour for labor (which is also what my stealership charges). Honestly the job is stupid simple. You put the front of the car on jackstands with the front wheels off, undo the torque struts and rotate them out of the way, undo four nuts on the motor mount, jack up the engine/tranny, pull out the old mount, slip in the new mount, lower the engine/tranny, put the 4 nuts back on and tighten them down. Same deal on the trans mount, plus you remove a splash shied with three plastic fasteners first and put it back when you're done. $66 total plus bonding time with my son, and didn't spend $900. WIN.
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  15. #15 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    Donating Users Bronco Boy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bugsi View Post
    -There are seven mounts total.
    Go back and ask him to show you all 7. LOL
    Chris B
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  16. #16 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bronco Boy View Post
    Go back and ask him to show you all 7. LOL
    I did. He couldn't. (obviously.)
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  17. #17 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
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    You sure he wasn't talking about the cradle bushings?
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  18. #18 Re: I got quoted ~$900 to replace the lower motor & trans mount for my GP. 
    GrandPrix Junkie CrazyGuy03's Avatar
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    I could see maybe 6. The dog bone mounts. The clamshells. Motor and trans but the 7th ... dunno ?
    2003 Buick Regal GSX lots of mods - click here to see latest build - http://www.grandprixforums.net/threa...ld-for-the-gsx

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