Others' Estimates of Repair Time on Forums

[BBuncky2]

Has anyone ever noticed that whenever you're trying to get an idea of what kind of repair job you're diving into on this site or others like it, the quoted repair times are commonly OUTRAGEOUSLY low?

You'll hear someone come out of left field and just say something like...

"oh man, that job [insert repair job here] is so EASY! I did it in like 15 minutes! Dude, it's gunna be no problam!"

Sometimes, I just wanna smack that person in the face! It's like....what the hell are you talking about?! 15 minutes?!?! Get realistic, break down the job into parts and you'll realize that it took more than 15 minutes to get the job done! I think that when you're working on a car, it's very easy to lose track of time and think you finished it in 15 minutes.

Also, yes there's the whole deal with doing things the first time versus time x and the exponential decrease in time it takes to get done. But to that objection, Objector X, I must ask you: why would I be asking if I've done it a million times and it really DOES take me 15 minutes?

What's the purpose of this post, you're wondering? I just needed to blow off some steam. It just bothers me when I see guys replying to a post with nothing more constructive to say than "dude, that's easy you'll be done in 15!"

[GreenMadness]

i dont know, its about experiance. seriously for me an axel change is at max 45mins per side.

I know the sizes before i start i grab all the pry bars, wrenches and sockets i need sit down with the new axel next to me and go, normally i never have to get back up off the ground.

but i am gonna come at you with something you didn't think about. how bout if it told you it took 2 hours of sitting on the ground with some scratching your head and saying how the F**K did they do this on CB7 tuner... would you still try it?

Once you start an "easy 15 min job" you cant normally turn back, and those expereiances of taking 3 hours on a 15 min online job are what has truly matured me working on cars.

the truth is, tools make the diffrence, trying to use a screwdriver where the poster mentioned pry bar could be a 15min mistake. ect. ect. not having a press and trying to use a vice or something like that....these are all common of internet repair blunders, you read how easy it is, dont have the tools and try anyways.

the way i look at it is, everything on that car was assembled...so it comes apart, the body is its own mess, and that really is skill. but for suspension, brakes, the shit just unbolts, its all about how good you as a mechanic are.


i would rather people post the information and get it out there, than never post anything because they fear someone may not share the same mechanical know-how or tools they do. thats your own responsability to determine if you can handle the repair, or if you need to go get tools to do it.

[texasvtak]

Its low because most of the people that tell you how long itll take have done it a billion times. First time I replaced an axle, bout an hour, maybe a lot more. Now I can do it in about 15 minutes..actual 15, not felt like 15.

[wed3k]

i can probably do one in 15 minutes if i busted ass like nascar pit crew.

(that's on a lift and not using torque specs)

[texasvtak]

Changing 4 in a week did it.

[wed3k]

Changing 4 in a week did it.

autozone lifetime warranty?

i changed mine out whenever the boot ripped

your sig is teh el-oh-el. i milled my f22 head .030 so i need to check that shit :x

[deevergote]

I take forever with anything I do. An oil change takes me 45 minutes. Mainly because I'm careful, I take my time, and I don't rush. I also inspect everything as I go.

My clutch hydraulics are still in process... it's been about 6 months.

[d112crzy]

I can remove the engine from my car in less than 45 minutes. True story.

[texasvtak]

autozone lifetime warranty?

i changed mine out whenever the boot ripped

Yes sir lifetime warranty. I had that weird 5spd conversion problem where the inside joint kept popping out when turning. Three times in ONE day.