Overhaul at GA motors

[shiraz]

for all the parts that u changed, i think it might come up to that price. anyway, nice number ah $800 flat... very lucky or they round up the labour to make it $800 i don't know..

 

on changing all that parts even i no need to change.... did u go there are ask them to 'overhaul' ? if yes, they they would change all those (actually there's more to be done) BUT if u went there complaining of a sound or something else, then it's very unlikely that they would change all of that... UNLESS your cam bearing shatters and splinters go flying abt in your engine..

 

anyway, now u know that your bike has a 70% new engine!

[darkgates83]

update: i think i'd better start from the top, lest some parts of the whole fiasco get lost or mixed up.

 

I would normally go to alexandria motors for my bike repairs. The old man there was the first to mention the need for an overhaul. The price tag he gave was $700 and it would need 3 days. I thought that was pretty steep.

 

His shop happened to be closed on a certain day, so i went to funmasters, where i bumped into ah huat. He also mentioned an overhaul, but for $400 and would need 3 days. He also mentioned the noise coming from the engine, and it was "like a time bomb" that could be set off anytime on the highway.

 

I went to Ubi where I met Clifford from k and t. He mentioned something about top and bottom overhaul (what the...). Initially he thought a top overhaul was needed, but after a longer assessment, he switched and believed that it had something to do with the bottom. He quoted $600, 3 days.

 

The last stop was at GA motors at the suggestion of an old gentleman friend of mine. This is where the rest of the story comes in.

 

The cam was worn off alright; I have no idea how much the thing cost. Materials engineering might warrant a high price, but surely not to the extent of putting my head on the chopping board...

 

The parts were all original, except the gaskets which variations were widely available.

 

70% new engine? that is a comforting thought....but hope it holds out for at least a year or so....might be switching to something that is easier to manage.

 

 

 

[yenyenpark]

Originally posted by darkgates83@April 30, 2007 10:56 pm

update: i think i'd better start from the top, lest some parts of the whole fiasco get lost or mixed up.

 

I would normally go to alexandria motors for my bike repairs. The old man there was the first to mention the need for an overhaul. The price tag he gave was $700 and it would need 3 days. I thought that was pretty steep.

 

His shop happened to be closed on a certain day, so i went to funmasters, where i bumped into ah huat. He also mentioned an overhaul, but for $400 and would need 3 days. He also mentioned the noise coming from the engine, and it was "like a time bomb" that could be set off anytime on the highway.

 

I went to Ubi where I met Clifford from k and t. He mentioned something about top and bottom overhaul (what the...). Initially he thought a top overhaul was needed, but after a longer assessment, he switched and believed that it had something to do with the bottom. He quoted $600, 3 days.

 

The last stop was at GA motors at the suggestion of an old gentleman friend of mine. This is where the rest of the story comes in.

 

The cam was worn off alright; I have no idea how much the thing cost. Materials engineering might warrant a high price, but surely not to the extent of putting my head on the chopping board...

 

The parts were all original, except the gaskets which variations were widely available.

 

70% new engine? that is a comforting thought....but hope it holds out for at least a year or so....might be switching to something that is easier to manage.

 

 

 

original parts normally r more expensive.. anyway, if they used original one, save u hassle to give probelm again.. some quote u cheaper but they used old parts or chiong part oso jialat..

 

from ur story.. may b ur bike really in bad condition tat need some kind of overhaul.. opening top is easier.. and i assume will be cheaper.. but urs might include bottom engine..

 

mind u, i changed my SP block nia.. cost me $400 liao lei...

 

if they really do a good job helping u check and clean those parts and only request u to change as necessary that I NOW believe the price is okay..

 

from those previous shops, they never open quote so high liao like 700, if open liao see more thing need to change or service how??

 

overhaul is very general term.. got top overhaul and full overhaul.. and some parts if still okay, no need to change.. unless u got plenty of $$.. mec in bikeshop sure said they r better than other shop and blah blah blah.. and to change parts for ur good.... but how true???

[darkgates83]

an interesting follow up be we, always get sliced either at the "labour fee" bits or the "extra parts that need to be changed too" bits.

 

i went to do my fork today and the guy was pretty disappoined that i did not let him do the overhaul instead. this was the guy that quoted me 400 bucks. off hand, he said changing the piston and cam would do and that the rest was all " a show"

 

i told him that the parts were all original and some of the parts were ovbiously worn out to me (cam, rods). The rest of the parts i have no idea. stuff like the chain, the piston, spark plug,...

 

looks like there's no upfront or honest motor diam. Ever. Looks like the other way is the coffee money way....

[Refugee]

i would say being honest and upfront about bike repair isnt a piece of cake.

 

human eyes really cant see through engines and most diagnostic stuffs are tru experience... sometimes i find it hard to believe that he can diagnose which part is 'wearing out' or 'going to spoilt' soon by just starting the engine or just slightly dismantling the engine...

 

engine repair manual always have a complete set of instructions on how to check each part for serviceablity... but i haven really seen a mech really split and engine up and use all the mentioned gauges to measure and test the individual components.... that would probably take 2 days... that is probably the correct way of maintaining engines... changing only whats required after they're past their lifespan...

 

but singaporean very kiasu.. always do preventive maintainence... change something either as a set or before half of its std lifespan...

 

but still, 800 bucks have been spent... 70% new engine... feel good about it somehow i guess...

 

 

oh well... i typed alot of rubbish.. darn it.

[Pplater]

Hmm... The thread title caught my attention cause its the mech i always go to and trust, so wanted to hear what others said about them. I have always gonw to these guys for more than a year, and i'll say their service is good. So far I've no complains about them, and the works they've done on my bike are problem free, and they say that they only change parts which need changing and not anyhow change parts which dun need repairs/changing for me. So far, thats been the case. However they did say some residue in the engine oil change suggested possible engine problem. Upon asking more than ten of m riding khakis over time, they all unimously said the residue is normal and told me not to get chopped. When i asked the mechs how the residue in the old engine oil indicated problems and how soon will problems surface they said "this one hard to say". Its the most typical line i hear from them. The one time i buang and had to change parts i left the bike overnight and told them to call me before changing any parts that costs extra money. They kept to their word.

 

So I'll say, seek second opinions, build a rapport with a mech, always request the mechs to call you before changing any parts outside quotation. Consumers have the right to know what they are paying for before the service/change of parts is carried out. I;ve mostly positive comments on GA motors, friendly guys.

[Pplater]

Well, i happened to go to GA today evening and just came back as i had to service my rear brake pumps and change front bearing. They verified your case, and laid out all the items from your bike which they changed, as per your list.

 

It seems you were sitting at the shop the whole day watching them do the overhaul and change the parts. Perhaps you could have asked them the prices piece by piece and they stripped the engine down to reccomend changing the parts? I saw your gasket and rods, if it was really yours, it was really time for a change. Deep cuts into what was once smooth metallic surface.

 

Their prices is of course higher than some other shops like say LAB. But if frequent LAB then i have nothing to say. Cheap things come at a price.

 

My problem with my bike was that when i brake hard the front steering feels heavy like tyre puncture like that. A mech who wanted to chop me could easily say its suspension spoil. But GA quoted me 20+ for new cone bearing and said no problems with suspension. So... Maybe your case could be money well spent? They solved my bike problems again today and as always, i never have to go back for jobs not done properly.

 

As it is with the possible engine wear from residue in engine oil, they are not entirely wrong in saying it could be a problem. Engine wear over time is normal in old bikes. But riders will tell you its normal as well and dun anyhow suka suka overhaul when its not needed. So we all have to make our choices and live with it.

[darkgates83]

LAB? oh god no...pls.....minor stuff is fine, but something as major as an overhaul, no way sia.....LAB is good for economical accessories though...

 

It's true i spent the whole day mulling around at the shop watching the whole process. Yes, the cam was filed and the rods were worn.

 

Equally interestingly, I got a earful from another mechanic whose shop is nearby, on why I did not get him to do the overhaul instead. He said that he would have changed the piston and the cam only. Damn, this guy was rated as really good in this forum and my old man patronizes him. He's the guy that said that he could do the job in 3 days for 400 bucks. (ahem ahem....sin ming auto care....3rd floor)

 

Whilst he was nagging at me, I wondered, if he opened up the engine, like what GA did that day and found that more stuff had to be changed, then what now? Change his tale?

 

But if he was right and 400 bucks could have resolved the problem, then his allegation that GA "was putting on a show" would hold true.

 

There's something else even more frightening: the labour cost. Both cited labour costs. GA did not give the exact breakdown, but this mechanic has this horrible tendancy to quote you the price (which is actially the cost of the parts) and later on jack up the price to incorporate his labour fee. He quoted 400 bucks. God knows how much is he gonna add as labour charges...

 

I've gotta keep repeating to myself, "70% new engine.....70% new engine..."argh

[Pplater]

Ahaha... i think i may need to do an overhaul in the future also, depending on the condition of the bike i buy next. After hearing your experience... i think major thing like overhaul i may not go GA... Depends... I'll see how it goes.. Most important thing, i guess.. as with motorshops is to go in with eyes big big