what should i expect to pay to have someone adjust the valves on a 22re? if i was compelled to have someone else do it.

 

you'd likely be in for about 200 for a valve adjustment
you can do it yourself for about 50 for the gaskets and about an hour of your time.
if the valve cover gaskets have been replaced within the last 50000 miles, you likely won't have to buy new gaskets either.

 

That seems rather high to me (but I'm always surprised how much mechanics cost as I've never paid one to do anything). It takes about 15 minutes to adjust the valves x an hourly rate of $100/hr (?) = $50. If a mechanic charges $200, then I've just wasted my money on a university education.

 

the 200 I mentioned was including the cost of new valve cover gasket, new half-moon seals and new grommets on the cover which to the dealer would cost about 100, give or take... leaving about 100 for the cost of the mech to lounge around as they warm the engine up... the cost of spending time removing the VSV mounts... and finally rotating the engine a few turns and adjusting the valves... and putting it back together.... etc.

I agree, the cost is high, but when you look at it from the point of the mechanic who gets his salary, the overhead charged by the shop, all the BS... 200 is about right.

 

I'll take your word for it. I've only once paid a mechanic. That was to reset the backlash and carrier bearing pre-load for my rear diff before I knew how. Cost me $80 under that table. When I did it myself, took me about half an hour the first time, now maybe 15 minutes.

Do those little half moons really ever need replacing? They get slathered in RTV sealant. I don't quite remember, but I think I paid $250 (could be way off though) for a master gasket set- intake, exhaust, HG, water pump, oil pump o-ring, tappet cover rubber gasket, half moon, and about 10 other minor gaskets from our Canadian equivalent to Autozone.

So, you could pay a mechanic $200, or you could buy a feeler gauge ($5) and do it yourself. Borrow a torque wrench if you don't feel confident in approximating 12ft-lbs for tightening down the adjuster-locking nut.

 

$200 is about right if you take it in to have it done...

I did it once about 10 years ago on my truck and I think that's what I paid. Now that I know better and do the work myself, I don't pay anything at all when I check them. The gaskets are reusable, and the entire job only takes about 30 minutes.

 

Hate to sound like a prick, but your going to go broke paying those prices for simple maintance. Seems you got three choices: get some wrenchs and a FSM copy, wrench it yourself; get a high paying job to pay high price of "professional wrench" of an old truck; or get rid of the old truck now before the a major problem happens.

With any old truck sooner or later repairs are going to be necessary even Toyotas.

 

to all these bashing mechaincs cuz they overcharge, its usually not them who overcharge, its usually the shop they work at, and out of that 100 or so an hour labor, the mechanics only get like 28-32% of it. id say learn to wrench it yourself. im still learnin, but i grew up in san diego, so im lazy, which is why i am going to take my truck to my mechanic for a tranny rebuild.. lol

 

Point taken. I hereby redirect my cynicism to the shops. I don't think the shops make a killing, but for an old truck, that a lot of money when its easy to do yourself.

 

I realize this thread is several months old... I have a good friend here in California that has owned his own shop for years. In this state, Workman's Comp is a killer for small business owners. There is a tremendous amount of overhead involved. The health insurance costs are extremely high too. He sets the hourly rates as low as he can and still draw a paycheck himself. He's not getting rich by any means. Just wanted to add my 2cents. Thanks

 

Maybe it's different in California, but around here I don't even have a good shop left in business that I'd consider taking my truck to if I had to take it somewhere. There was one good shop that the owner finally sold off last year and even though they're still using his name for the shop word is traveling fast about the kind of work they do. The only option here is to take it to the dealer and I swear they just try to find out what the limit is that people will pay.

It's not the mechanics, it's the shops. They're all crooked and thieves. Maybe your friend is the only good one left...

 

but if that mechanic finishes in 30 minutes he still gets his 28-32 dollars.
which is 56-64/hr. not bad really. if they are a good mechanic they usually beat the time in the books.
but the shop does make a chunk on that one too. i hate shops
the trick is to find a mechanic that realizes he can do work from his garage on the side and get paid more. then you both win.

 

Do it yourself. On that engine it's really simple, AND you get some new tools out of the deal, as well as a bit of new knowledge.