car repairs suck!!

[WhiteSE]

Well, I was expecting to pay 400 bucks for the guys to change my oil pan and seal in my Bronco, but there are leaks coming from 3 different gaskets,,,so basically the engine has to come off...1,000 bucks for a bloody gas guzzler...

After this grand, I am driving it into the ground and no mo repairs...i mean, its working awesome besides all the oil leaks. :thmbsp:

But its tough to decide when to pull the plug.

[OvenMaster]

Stupid question, but can I ask what year, how many miles, and what sort of condition this beast is in? That may help decide whether to shoot the old girl or not.

Tom

[WhiteSE]

Well, it runs really well...strong compression, tranny doesnt skip a beat, no rattles/squeaks, etc...the interior is a bit in need of refurb though...Its a 1989 Ford Bronco 5.7 L with Dana rear. Its got 195,000 miles. You can put the truck in 2nd gear, get out and walk right next to it,,on flats or uphill....not that many left with this kind of offroad packaging...lol...although I rarely go offroad, although some roads here in the GA boonies are essentially offroads.

[MarkAnderson]

YES!! Repairs suck! The electric fuel pump went out yesterday on my Chevy P/U. Full tank off gas so dropping the tank would have been a big PITA. Wound up taking the whole bed off to access the pump. Four hours and $75 later it was done. Sure didn't like being stranded at work 60 miles from home, though. Got home last night around 11:30 :thumbsdn: . - Mark

[WhiteSE]

Thank goodness I have the Bronco Chilton book in the glove compartment...lol

[Chad Hauris]

Make sure the PCV system is working right...change the valve and make sure the line to the carburetor/throttle body is clear. If the PCV system is messed up you will get crankcase pressure buildup from gasses slipping by the piston rings and this can cause big time oil leakage past all the gaskets.

When it comes down to paying huge labor costs for engine work that's when I think it's time to do it yourself. The Chilton manual has the instructions for engine removal and re-installation. If I was you I would invest in a new "back-up" vehicle and take the Bronco out of commision for a while and repair it yourself on your own schedule.
If you are going to drive older vehicles that require more maintenance/repairs a second one is very important at least from what I have found, that way you are not stranded when one of them needs some work.

[SolderIron]

>Make sure the PCV system is working right...change the valve and make sure the line to the carburetor/throttle body is clear. If the PCV system is messed up you will get crankcase pressure buildup from gasses slipping by the piston rings and this can cause big time oil leakage past all the gaskets.

Maybe too much blow by for the pcv system to bleed off? Possible at 190k miles.

[sandoz]

Ah, WhiteSE I did all my own labor on swapping the engine in my Vanagon Westy and I still didn't have any money left over for the Mcintosh cabinet I PM'd you about. I'm still going through fixing stuff on my old girl! However odd it may seem it is very calming to get down and dirty and fix my auto. If I only had the time to fully enjoy audio, kayaking and VW repair!!! I still love my tunes, but while it is still warm I am enjoying the latter. Now if I lived in Georgia......................

[dewickt]

You would stay inside and enjoy the AC all summer !!

[hakka26]

Once the warranty expires it's time to start getting familiar with the auto. My primary driver is an '86 Honda CRX-Si. IMHO one of the best cars made. 222,000+miles and the worst decision I ever made was to let a shop replace the clutch (180,000) because "they could do it quicker." Had to go back in and replace the clutch and seals they screwed up. Regular oil changes and a timing belt and it's good to go another 60K. Took a vacation trip and was doing better than 45mpg with a rear full of luggage and a bicycle. It's time to replace an auto when the cost of repairs exceeds the standard cost per mile or, if you need to, financing.

[WhiteSE]

well, after this I may just buy some good tools, some grease remover and learn the hard way.

[OvenMaster]

Well, it runs really well...strong compression, tranny doesnt skip a beat, no rattles/squeaks, etc...the interior is a bit in need of refurb though...Its a 1989 Ford Bronco 5.7 L with Dana rear. Its got 195,000 miles.
Okay. IMHO, if this vehicle has not yet had a major engine and transmission overhaul, then I'd say 1.) it's a miracle, and 2.) it's on the horizon. Thing is, you can always get engine parts. It's body parts that get harder to fix and find. I keep hearing Click and Clack say it's always cheaper to keep fixing a car than to buy one, but after a while I really gotta wonder.

Chad's right, you gotta have a daily runner that's reliable. Otherwise you'll end up like Mark: stranded. My two centavos are that even though it runs, you've just shelled out a kilobuck. On a vehicle with nearly 200k miles. Two, three more kilobucks could make a nice down payment on something newer and less in need of repairs that are indeed coming your way.

Tom

[WhiteSE]

I agree on all counts...I had debated that,,but in the end, we still need a hauler in our hands. So getting a new smaller car is in the works in the near/mid future....and I just love the big lug,,,I wanted to keep it,,kind of like a mcIntosh of SUV's ( in a weird way)..:-)

[VinylHanger]

The problem with buying new is the price. I have several contractor buddies that bought new or nearly new work trucks. 35 grand for a new Dodge, without any frills and 29 grand for a 1 year old Dodge. $650 and $720 payments respectively. Both are crew cabs, but that's what they needed. At that price I can buy 10 decent trucks like the one I just picked up. It would take a lot of repairs to bring it even close to what I would pay for a newer rig. Only reason I didn't put more money into the old truck this go around was the body needs some major body work and it was looking a bit too tired to show up at customers' houses in.