Anyone ever have a Suzuki dealer install a crank ?

[pearljam724]

I recently bought a second Buffalo that has a motor in need of crank seals. I try to avoid dealer's working on my bikes at all cost. But, I have a dealer right around the corner from me that has agreed to remove and install the motor. That's a huge surprise, in itself. Lol ! So, that I can give the motor over to someone else to remove and install a crank with new seals. Once that new crank is installed, I'll give that motor back to the dealer to install in the frame. All the while, the dealer charging me $80 an hour. I'm pondering on crossing out the middle man removing and installing the new crank and asking the dealer to that part as well. I'm pretty sure, I can get them to agree to this If I choose. The reason I may choose this route, it will make it a lot more convenient for me for a few reasons. I want to know if anyone has had a dealer within the last few years remove and install a new crank ? At $80 dollars an hour labor. I'm trying to guess what the final labor charge should be estimated out in dollars and hours. For example, if they remove the motor and crank. Install new crank and motor. I'm guessing the labor hours should be around 10 hours at the very most and that's being very lenient. If someone has done this recently, what did your dealer or mechanic of any kind charge you in total hours ? I realize, people are going to charge differently sometimes. I just would like some information to go off of. From someone that has been down this road in the last few years. I need as many replies as possible before tomorrow afternoon. I know what it takes to do both, but I'm afraid they'll gouge the hell out of me. Lol !

[captainpooby]

On a 40 year old bike I don't he'll charge book flat rate. If he charges you ten hours you're getting off easy.
It's been 20 years since I worked in the trade but I know that job is nothing but little problems, one after another. Every time you take something apart, it needs fixing. All the gaskets are probably stuck or or frozen on, the jugs are probably stuck on the studs.

I wouldn't just re and re the top end either, I'd have to check it to make sure it's ok before it goes back together. It's not just re and re the motor and re and re the crank. If he does that, and something he touched in the process breaks or fails after, you'll be screaming for him to fix it. It becomes a complete tear down and inspection and then replace all that need replacing. Anything less and I wouldn't warranty the work.

[tz375]

Wild, off the top of my head numbers here

R&R exhausts, tank, carbs etc 2 hrs
R&R motor 2 hrs including electrical connections
Strip motor 4 hrs if the studs are not too rusty and stuck
Clean and inspect 6 hrs
Install crank and rebuild bottom end 2 hrs
Bore barrels, machine top face $.....
Assemble top end 2hrs
Sub total 18hrs
Polish side covers $.....
Gaskets, seals, crank rebuild $400 inc freight
so about $2-3k all up.

[pearljam724]

Maybe, I should put this on hold and do it on my own ? I just have too much going on right now.

[GT750Battleship]

Hi,6 years ago it was $3,400 Aussie Dollars ! Once their apart you really find other stuff going wrong ! It's a bit like "how long is a piece of string" ?
Cheers.
Roger.

[Tripleking]

Cost me about $350 in labor to rebuild my T250 engine from the crank up. This included installing the rebuilt crank, boring and honing of the jugs and all reassembly. I removed and installed the engine myself. Rebuild done at a local engine/machine shop.

Wild, off the top of my head numbers here

R&R exhausts, tank, carbs etc 2 hrs
R&R motor 2 hrs including electrical connections
Strip motor 4 hrs if the studs are not too rusty and stuck
Clean and inspect 6 hrs
Install crank and rebuild bottom end 2 hrs
Bore barrels, machine top face $.....
Assemble top end 2hrs
Sub total 18hrs
Polish side covers $.....
Gaskets, seals, crank rebuild $400 inc freight
so about $2-3k all up.

[Coyote]

Today's shops no zero about these old strokers. And most motorcycle 'mechanics' are questionable at best. Most can't even tune one. You will actually be spending money for THEIR learning curve and in the end you won't know what you have -- right or wrong No way!

[tz375]

Cost me about $350 in labor to rebuild my T250 engine from the crank up. This included installing the rebuilt crank, boring and honing of the jugs and all reassembly. I removed and installed the engine myself. Rebuild done at a local engine/machine shop.

It costs that much just for the crank and seals on a 750 triple. What it does show is the incredible pricing from small engine shops versus a dealer that's spending your money to teach his mechanics.

[oldjapanesebikes]

It costs that much just for the crank and seals on a 750 triple.

And that depends on where you are also - cranks on this side of the border typically cost around $400 for labour plus the seal cost so call it $500 assuming no other parts are required. My typical bill is closer to $800 by the time you throw in a bearing or two and a con rod. And that's just the crank - then you still have to put the thing together, so there are all the other seals, gaskets etc.

[diamondj]

If you could find a dealer that would agree to a flat price for a specific job and you found that price acceptable, then it might be worth it. But I think what you will actually do is hemorrhage money while they figure out how to get the head off, figure out how to remove the water pump, figure out how to build or buy the fixtures to disassemble the crank and reassemble it, etc... I'd have to imagine most of the guys at the dealership that knew how to do that stuff retired years ago and they threw out or sold all their two stroke tools.

Plus you realize the first part they get to marked NLA in the parts database will shut the whole thing down right?

You could probably buy a better GT750 for what you will spend getting the one you own rebuilt.

Now if you happened to have a local shop that knows how to work on old motorcycles - particularly two strokes - you might find someone that would take on the job and do it well.

Jim