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View Full Version : Just spent $5,000 fixing GU



Timbo
8th February 2011, 09:50 AM
Hi all,

Just thought I'd share my recent experience getting my 4WD fixed.

Had a noisy gearbox/clutch problem. Got told it sounded like bearings in the gearbox and not to go too far out of civilisation in case they fail and end up putting metal through my gearbox. Awesome!

I drove it around for months with this massive whine coming from the gearbox for months. Finally got around to booking it in with my local mechanic who I've used for quite a while now.

Just called me up with the price and some more bad news.

Gearbox ended up being around $2600 - bearing AND input shaft was shagged. I don't know anything about gearboxes to be honest, but all the parts are there waiting for me to look at.

Clutch cost $1250 - He converted the Dual Mass unit to a solid clutch so I ended up paying for a solid flywheel and clutch. He said he gets a good deal from the guy and it worked out a bit cheaper. Bonus is a clutch will be cheaper if I ever need one again.

Rear Main seal needed replacing. I think it was about $60-$70.

Then labour was only about $300

Brings me up around $4,000 which is a bit more than I thought It'd be. I was expecting about $3,500.

Then, mechanic tells me the gearbox noise was drowning out another noise which happens to be the bearing in the rear diff. To get them replaced is about $600. So I had to say yes.. would be silly of me to say no wile the 4WD is there.

I also needed a steering alignment and my tacho fixed. Don't think I'll worry about the tacho but definitely need the steering straightened out. Probably $150 there with labour.

So all up looks like I'll be parting with around $5,000. Been an expensive trip to the mechanics this time. Hopefully this is an interesting look at rough costs for anyone else who needs similar things done to their 4WD.

Cheers.

Bob
8th February 2011, 10:03 AM
Bloody hell it almost the cost of buying a 2nd hand Unit.

DX grunt
8th February 2011, 10:06 AM
Well done, Timbo. At the end of the day, you have one mean truck that you can now have lotsa fun with.'

Take care out there.

Ross
DX grunt

Bigrig
8th February 2011, 10:18 AM
Sorry to hear mate, but sounds like you did the right thing and had it all sorted properly rather than any band aid measures.

Sir Roofy
8th February 2011, 11:09 AM
Ouch how long have you had this vehicle for

Boagie
8th February 2011, 11:58 AM
hey mate,i just dropped five and ahalf grand on my old girl.i still have to do brakes,wheel bearings and put a canopy ,spotties /exhaust/etc etc----it's just the way it goes.if ya want to play with the big boys toys--ya gotta put ya hand in ya pocket quite regularly.---what else do ya want to spend ya money on?--or ya could just go drop 55k on a new 1!!!!!!

Timbo
8th February 2011, 03:07 PM
lol err.. no, I couldn't drop 55k on a new one. haha. I'll probably spend 55k on this 4wd in total.

There's plenty of things I want to spend money on. I'd love to spend money on my other car as well! But I'm probably better off selling it now.

I've had very bad luck with this 4WD (my first). When I bought it from the car yard, the glow plus were shagged and the tacho stopped working. (tacho still dead after 2.5 years)
Got glow plugs fixed then couple weeks later, car wouldn't start. Turns out I have 17 cracks in the head and had water in 1st and 6th pots.

Needed a reco. Fought with car yard guy for weeks trying to get it fixed through warranty I paid extra for. He said they don't cover that type of damaged. I made some threats and they coughed up $2500 out of the $7000 it cost for the engine reco. So there's $4500.

Then I ended up rolling it which ended up costing about $3500 because I did all the work myself with the hand of a panel beater after hours and bought second hand doors, bonnet, roof etc. Also cost me a full year of nearly every weekend/weeknight though.

And now this $5000 I have to pay out.

So there's $13000 in about 2.5 years and that's not including the services I've had done which probably tally in the vacinity of $4,000 and then another $1000 on new 33" coopers (got a bargain!).

All up I estimate I've spent about $20,000 in about 2.5+ years. WOW.. it's bad when you work it out like that. Never taken notice.

I bought the 4wd for about 19k.. that's ridiculous.

bradmanda
8th February 2011, 03:10 PM
Ouch! Thats what im concerned about when buying a 4WD! We are looking at the moment!

Clunk
8th February 2011, 03:24 PM
oh but just think of how many years of happy 4wd'n you'll have (hopfully) now that you've got a sorted machine

Sir Roofy
8th February 2011, 03:56 PM
thanks timbo very well explained

GUte
8th February 2011, 04:32 PM
Hope things start looking up for you now timbo, its made me realise I have taken the reliability of my ute for granted since owning it, may start to take a bit more care of it from now on

big_fletch
8th February 2011, 11:11 PM
Bad news to hear about the cost mate, glad to hear it will be fixed and good as gold very soon.. be good to see your rig in action at meetup after missing out at last one

Boagie
10th February 2011, 10:23 AM
ouch i feel for ya mate---look for a 4.2 next time----unbreakable them things!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rkinsey
10th February 2011, 03:37 PM
OUCH!!! Timbo thats a little on the harsh side. Its the shonky car dealers that put us consumers behind the 8 ball and the reason why I spent more than eight months looking for my 4WD (I started looking for a clasic XB\XC or HZ to do up originally) and did a lot of research into the different problems that each series and models of 4WD vehicles have and after speaking with quite a few forum members both here and on other sites finally narrowed down my search.

It was just a matter of finding one in reasonable condidtion and in the end I found one that had a stuffed head. Bought the trol for 6k and then spent 4k getting it back on the road and thats just a top end rebuild. I also have a bit more work to do with gearbox, transfer case, diff and suspension overhaul still on the cards. I still have a resonable peice of gear.

Yours should also be in the same boat now that you have done all the major stuff and you wont have to worry about the drive train (other than maintenance) for quite some time.

Timbo
10th February 2011, 08:27 PM
I feel for ya Timbo, but as others have said it's now rippin' and rarin' to go and will give you great bang for your buck from now on. Just keep it on it's wheels!

lolol to true mate.

Picked the old girl up this arvo after scrambling $3500 together. Gotta pay the mechanic the rest tomorrow.
The Patrol feels so bloody smooth! omg the difference. I can actually hear the tyres on the road now. It's so quiet, it's beautiful. It's like driving my old VS statesman minus the power lol!
Because I've been driving the VL commo around for a week, the Patrol feels so big and lazy.. then I remembered.. I'm big and lazy! Woot! It's like perfect match. haha.

szaf
13th February 2011, 11:47 PM
My 2nd day on nissan forum have had the car for about a week - and as timbo said feels better than my VL commo big and lazy?? but with the costs going around about owning a patrol I should have done more research - will have to give the patrol to my wife

Clunk
14th February 2011, 12:57 AM
My 2nd day on nissan forum have had the car for about a week - and as timbo said feels better than my VL commo big and lazy?? but with the costs going around about owning a patrol I should have done more research - will have to give the patrol to my wife

It'll end up costing a damn site more in repairs if you give it to the missus hahahahahahahahaha

gec
14th February 2011, 01:29 AM
Mate of mine just bought a brand new gearbox from Nissan for his GQ for 3 grand so no way I would be rebuilding one if I did mine

Ruby
3rd April 2011, 01:18 AM
I had the same issue with my GQ nearly 20 years ago. As soon as it was in the shop for a gear box noise, it was there for nearly a month and they kept finding something new that was wrong. I went in there for a vibration issue at 110km (which they determined was the gear box) and they showed me a bunch of gears that had damage, but who is to say they were even from my car. They end up replacing the diff, axles and drive shaft and still didn't end up fixing the issue. Can you believe to fix the issue was a simple spacer to lift the height of the rear coils ( but this mechanic didn't find it). I was only a kid back then and didn't stand up to them. I get worried when I hear people tell me that their mechanics (generally not ones they have used before) tell them that they have gear box issues. Looks like some are willing to see how much money they can syphon out of you before you say enough is enough. This is not to say all mechanics are crooks, just the old proverbial of a few rotten apples. Once bitten twice shy.

Nobby
14th April 2011, 07:36 PM
Thanks Timbo, I had a clutch replaced and it cost around $1,000 for a heavey duty clutch. Hoping to get few K's out of it. But I have a reliable vehicle that was well maintained before I bought it. Very fortunate!!!!!!!