Going West... Timing belt planning! I-10/I-20/I-40 in here!

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:54 pm

LATEST updated list:
Houston, Texas 28th of March
Austin, Texas: 29th of March - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
Austin, Texas: 30th of March - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
Scottsdale, Az: April 2nd - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
LA #1: April 4th or 5th - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
LA #2: 4th or 5th - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.

My conference in Vegas from the 7th to the 10th - This is locked.

Albuquerque, Nm: April 12th - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
Wichita, Ks: 13th - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
Omaha, Ne: 14th, to possibly include Sioux Falls, SD - DEPOSIT AND CONFIRMED.
Chicago / Detroit or somewhere between: 15th? (Check your messages!)
Chattanooga, Tn: 18th - Moving up to the 15th/16th pending Chicago.

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I figured I would start the planning early for this one, give people plenty of time to consider and let me know.

I have a conference in Las Vegas that I usually attend. It is the first week of April, from the 7th to the 10th. I usually fly out to this, BUT if there is sufficient interest in having the timing belts done, I could leave earlier and drive. My route is entirely UP TO YOU! The start and end points are the easy parts: Savannah and Las Vegas.

From what I remember, there are several possible people interested, hailing from cities like Austin, San Diego, Chattanooga (That one is a little out of the way) and possibly one member that owns THREE in Vegas itself.

Head studs or rockers are an optional job if you are interested, but glow plugs will NOT be an option unless the valve cover is coming off for something else. Sorry, but the risk is just too high otherwise. For reference and consideration: I have now done more than 15 different CRDs worth of timing jobs, and I can guarantee that you won't find any mechanic that has touched more CRD engines... Except possibly Sir Sam. These timing belts are now OVER 8 years old for the 2005 models, and that is a loooooong time to be in service for anything made of rubber. Mileage is not a consideration anymore.

The belts I have seen have ALL shown age related cracking and stiffness, and they don't warn you when they are "about to" fail... They just DO. Don't have this happen to you, if you live anywhere in the Southern / Southwestern USA!

Let me know, April is coming! :pepper:

Tree Catcher · **Posted:** Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:08 am

Wish I had known a few months ago.. But sadly I will not be needing you to come out to Riverside. I did the job myself and thanks to Sir Sam, I now believe that if you have seen it on youtube, you can do it yourself... But I wish I had someone to guide me in case I screwed up or stopped me before I goofed it up..

SFHLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Wed Jan 08, 2014 9:58 pm

Jim, count me in! :SOMBRERO:

I'm putting it in my calendar now. I have a few questions. Here is my original thread with work I might want done in addition to timing belt: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=77750

Please PM me and let me know what you would like to do. And give me an idea of cost, what parts I should order, etc. Looking forward to having this set up so I can sleep a little easier until its done.

Hexus · **Posted:** Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:02 pm

If you're seriously going to Chattanooga, let me know what day and I'll come help/sit/etc. with you guys!

JieselDeep · **Posted:** Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:21 pm

Let me know if you're coming to Hawaii in the near future! I'm ordering the parts this weekend and spending the next week studying the how-to's for the job...probably will buy the big diesel mechanics who repair our heavy equipment a couple cases of beer and/or just pay them straight up to help with the replacement. That way we can just do it on a Saturday and throw it up on the lift at work too!

Good luck with your belt run!

Jr_Explorer · **Joined:** Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:29 am **Posts:** 16

PM sent. We're in the greater L.A. area.

SFHLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:29 pm

^ That's two TBs in LA area. Me and Jr_Explorer

geordi · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:11 am

I'd love a vacation to Hawaii... But I don't think you'd be happy paying my airfare!

FYI: You do NOT need a lift or to remove anything on the front end to do the timing belt. The radiators / grille / AC all remain exactly where they are. Getting the fan and shroud out is a bit of a pain in the arse, but that is much less annoying than having to remove the front of the car for no good reason.

So it seems like there are 2 in the LA area, (I saw your PM David, I'll get back to you both tomorrow)... Now we just need to find the ones that are further East to join up!

geordi · **Posted:** Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:10 pm

So I did some thinking and planning for this, and this is the price structure I have typically given people:

I ask $600 for the timing belt and water pump service. Complete, you don't even need any antifreeze unless you want to change it.
The rockers (if they need to be replaced) is a $1000 service, and includes the timing belt job.
ARP studs can be done for $200 extra above the rocker service, OR I can just re-torque the existing bolts for free. - No guarantees that either will cure a gasket leak if you have one.
Doing the glow plugs will ONLY be done with the rockers or anything deeper that removes the valve cover, and is another $200.
Head gasket service is a real mother, so that is $1800... BUT that is basically all-inclusive of everything else since it all has to come apart anyway. That is also a solid 2-day job.

Edit: These numbers may be too low, based on what the stealers charge to do the job wrong! Take advantage of this now, because next time, I may not be so insane!

Anything else you need done, ask me about, but this is the main stuff that requires the special skills and tools.

I book a full day (and a night of hotel) for each timing job... So an extra $125 adds to each individual that signs up.

For every one that signs up, that travel cost gets evenly split. Here is how it would break down as currently estimated:
$375 each (now we are getting better!)

Travel costs will be firmed up once I know where everyone is, and I can plan the exact route. These numbers are just an estimate, but are in the ballpark.

I can accept credit cards if that helps you out, but I do have to pass on the fee - 4%.
Don't let this opportunity pass you by!

wifes05crd · **Joined:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:28 am **Posts:** 22

Have you ever given any consideration to a SW Michigan / Northern Indiana trip? Maybe even the Chicago or Detroit area. I'm about half way in between the two. I have no idea how many other CRD owners are in the area.

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Jan 12, 2014 6:00 pm

I'm open to the idea, it really just depends on how many and how the travel costs would spread out. I'm not taking any profits on the travel - FYI, I estimated my last big trip (the one that took me all the way to Boston) before I left, and I was within $50 of that number. I consider myself decently accurate at estimating the trip costs.

Just as a quick napkin-figuring, a trip to Chigagoland would roughly run: 2000 miles, 60 gallons diesel, 2 nights hotel for the drive... $500 for the trip and another $125 for each additional timing belt on board.
So if 2 people signed on for that trip, it would be $315 in travel costs each, or less as more added on.

CPL · **Joined:** Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:25 pm **Posts:** 8

I am in Sioux Falls, SD and would be interested if your route takes you this way.

Dan

ibedonc · **Joined:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:40 pm **Posts:** 236

PM waiting..

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Jan 13, 2014 12:23 am

OK... Austin Texas just checked in, so now we have three potentials!

If Chattanooga comes on, then there IS a possible route that doesn't suck too badly - 75 to Atlanta and Chattanooga, 24 to Nashville. Then 40 to 30 to Dallas, 35 to Austin and back, and some BFE road in Texas to Amarillo.

Why am I hearing Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" in my head now? :-)r

AZ CRD · **Posted:** Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:35 am

Excellent timing (pun intended)!

Count me in. A little north of I-10, a little south of I-40 in Scottsdale.

Hexus · **Posted:** Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:13 am

I'm serious about Chattanooga, if you're going to be there I'll come help. If you stop in Nashville talk to me about stopping for Lunch.

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:48 pm

Up to four! I'm sorry to say that I don't think Sioux Falls is on the route, that is WAY north. Maybe on another trip in July or August, when the snow has receded to only 3 feet deep? :mrgreen:

Who's next? Plenty of time for scheduling, ordering parts now and saving up for the labor later. Don't let this go for long!

CPL · **Joined:** Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:25 pm **Posts:** 8

C'mon man! You have a Jeep; 3 feet of snow is where the fun begins!

geordi · **Posted:** Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:36 pm

CPL wrote:

C'mon man! You have a Jeep; 3 feet of snow is where the fun begins!

Uhm... Not quite. My Jeep CRD is sitting in pieces with its new owner, in West Virginia. My Italian girlfriend cost me enough money after she blew the side out of engine #2, with a blown bottom end. I still have no idea why the bottom end on two different engines failed, but that was enough for me. I have a VW Jetta TDI now (again - was my ride before the Jeep too) and this TDI is about to hit 300k miles. That is something that I had hoped the CRD would have done... And it wasn't capable of even 1/2 that mileage.

Jr_Explorer · **Joined:** Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:29 am **Posts:** 16

I'm going to chime and and cheer... If a couple more folks sign-up we'll all benefit from getting this necessary work performed by someone who knows what is going on for a pretty good price. Step up folks. These rubber belts are getting old!

Going West... Timing belt planning! I-10/I-20/I-40 in here!

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