I've never dealt with Bill Ditmire, but I've heard of him. I've never heard anything bad. You can probably find a cheaper shop, but there is value in knowing something will be done right.

I always buy lower end Specialized which come with KTC or other low end chain. I get a decent shimano chain and the difference is amazing. I only ride to work, mostly on sidewalk. Only off road for sections where there is no sidewalk. So my demands are low. I put a few thousand miles on the bikes and get rid of them. I just have REI replace the chain. I don't have a proper tool to install it and bike repairs aren't outrageous like car repairs.

Is charging tax on labor in auto repair a state-to-state thing?

Yes. In FL, you are charged only on the material (if the labor is broken out in the price).

my God I had a engine put in for $1300.

The price is a total bargain in coastal cities of California, and labor is never taxed here, but the taxing of labor is a state thing.

Martin

Most shops are not going to know every minute detail of exactly when a specific part is going to fail. If one set of rails is failing, they are going to replace all.

If they don't replace all and there is a failure down the road, who shall foot the bill?

Will the customer say, "I just had the upper rails replaced XX miles ago and now the lower rails need replaced but that's OK because the shop tried to save me $ on the first repair."

Or will they say, " I just had the rails replaced, and now the rails need replaced again, rip off shop that should have done the job right in the first place. "

Based on my many decades in and around the auto repair business,
Ninety precent of customers will state the latter.

Here is an analogy from another type of business. A home owner has a central air unit with a failed compressor. The system is 15 years old and still operates in heat mode. A HVAC shop is going to recommend that the entire system be replaced due to aged components that may fail at any time. This is done to reduce the chances of " I just ( 2 years ago ) spent $800 getting my whole system replaced ( compressor only ) and it quit again ( no heat ) , now they want to charge me again to fix it. "

A commercial customer ( apartment building ) is going to be more apt to taking a chance on a compressor only repair as they realize that other parts may fail but in the long run ( many units ) they will come out ahead.

no, i get it. that's why every car that has a water pump driven by a timing belt gets a kit, not just the belt. i understand. unless it's a 944 that gets a belt CHECK and/or r and r every 30k-which means i can SEE if the pump is leaking or the bearings are noisy, it gets a kit. no way am i going to let a volvo go with just a belt when the spec is 105k without doing a kit. my gut and some experience says no water pump will go 210k every time.

my experience with the lowest rails on the motor in question is twice, after approx 275k or so, a chain, upper rails, etc were done the usual way. and twice, the lowest rails were worn so bad the new chain still jumped. once, so far it bent the valves on the ds head. yes, the shop was on the hook both times.

but, every time i've done this job, usually at 110-120k and again at approx 220-230k, the usual job is sufficient-never a problem. and never would i with the mileage above 250k or so, suggest the usual job is ok. no-pull the cover and do it all. those 2 examples make me say never.

when the portable xray machines are as cheap as borescopes, then we can see everything. until then, experience has to guide us. your experience may vary. again, please eloborate. thanks, chuck.

My 1990 560SEL lower guides looked good when I changed them at 170,000. They look like a different material and age differently than the top ones. One of the uppers was broken and ready to fall into the sprocket.

Ditmire is about 90 miles south of NYC. Lower cost of living. Bought one car from Bill, would have bought more but the terms and availability would change. Believe the techs are good. They serviced my SDL for two earlier owners and wrote repair notes in the trans pan and on the climate control

Another shop is Nick, German Automotive, Tinton Falls, NJ. Excellent and easy to deal with