oh noes! advice needed

[RobHakari]

Well... i havent been aropund much the past year, because well school is killing me. but the Q has been running good. i emphasize the "has".

was driving around college station and hit one of the stupid dips in the intersections they have and bottomed out a tiny bit and thought nothing of it except for anger since it happens often. well to make story short, leaving walmart and i see a massive puddle of oil leaking out under my car! egad.

so i got the Q to a nissan dealership(nearest infiniti is in houston), and just got a call back that it was a cracked oil pan. and i was quoted $1200 and change. just under $400 for parts and almost $760ish for labor.

what to do? what to do. they said i could order the parts from outside source(i.e. joe) they just couldnt gaurantee the parts, only the work.

am i getting ripped off? is this something i can do cheaper by getting a flatbed and driving my car to dallas to work on it myself? and maybe get a few local guys to help me?

summary: crappy streets = cracked oil pan. $1200 quote. ripped off? advise me

[AZhitman]

Oil pan should be a DIY (experts will chime in here).

Order the pan from one of our sponsors, any local shop can do a pan swap. Don't pay $1200.

[SCOOTER240]

an oil pan is a little difficult for the weekend mechanic-the oil pan runs over the front crossmember on most models and is relatively difficult to get to-that price sounds reasonable for that type of job-using aftermarket or secondary market parts can be done-however the reliability and quality are not the same and in some cases can lead to doing a job twice and doubling the cost of parts-

[DAEDALUS]

Does the oil pan have a solid gasket on the '94s like the vave cover gasket? If so, then you may be able to DIY. If it's RTV then Scooter's right, it'll be a big job 'cause the crossmember has to come off. Then you're in for supporting the engine from above with a sling cause it's sitting on the crossmember. Great time to do your engine mounts! If the gasket's solid you may be able to get it off and on with the crossmember in place. Not sure if the pan will clear the pickup though.

[elwesso]

Its RTV, im nearly sure.... NO DIY because I was looking into doing this myself (getting it all cleaned out)... Unless you have an engine hoist, and thats a LOT of disassembly....!

I dont have the manual in front of me but someone with it will be able to chime in....

[AZhitman]

Sounds like an independent mechanic will be your best bet. Get the mounts done while you're at it.

[Q45tech]

An independent will take longer since they probably have never done one ..........we charge $1100 @ $70/hr in ATL.Nissan was giving you a good rate at $1200.

Common on lowered Q.Changing motor mounts is an excellant idea along with rack bushings and sway bar bushings........things that have to be removed to access the pan.

[maxnix]

I have used that dealership for an envirolution flush. Frank is the senior tech there, and I would trust him to do the job with Q45tech's additional recommendations.

[PalmerWMD]

So in summary, it sounds like it might be a lot but actually you have been offered a decent deal.With a little extra you could take care of some otehr stuff too.

And the car apparently hasnt cost you much lately.

Fred...

[PalmerWMD]

Do you have the ability to get it to Houston cheaply?

Silviawerks is building up some Q experience with their project vehicle.

Fred...

[RobHakari]

ok... ill call in a little bit to get the go ahead on this then. sounds like they are a fair deal.

how much would the engine mounts cost? and how much labor is required for that?

[RobHakari]

oh.. and im not sure if i could get it to houston cheaply or not. dont know how i could do that... rent a flat bed maybe?

[PalmerWMD]

your location says upper michigan but u are in college station tx ?

Fred..

[maxnix]

how much would the engine mounts cost? and how much labor is required for that?

As stated in Q45tech's post, lablor is about nil since all they have to do is be replaced once engine is lifted. Get the parts from Joe and have them on hand for installation.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

Discover the power of the button!

[nuQ]

on a lighter note rob,,,,thanks again for voluntarily passing on those 99 rims on ebay for my Q!!!! good to see you back, not the best circumstances i know, but at least you have great advice heading into the repair. good luck with it.jeff

[RobHakari]

well im in college station, tx because i go to college her anmd frankly havent had time to update my location.

ill get teh mounts done to. gonna call the dealer today and let 'em know.

your welcome on those rims. woulda liked 'em, but oh well. another day

[nuQ]

rob, the 99 rims do look real good on the first and second gen. Q's. classy yet sporty. get TONS of compliments on the wheel and tire selection!!!jeff

[PalmerWMD]

I concur, the 97 thru 99 rims are an excellent fit for the G50 Q's.Both in looks and funcionality.

Fred..

[nuQ]

in the last two days.......had the guy at STS question me about the year of my Q,,,,couldn't believe it was a 14 year old car...and today, had my local mechanic (who just did the inspection and immissions), take me aside, and say how great my Q was,,,,"so solid", and in such "great shape"!!!!,,,,,unbelievable for a 14 year old car!!!! NEVER GETS OLD!!!!!!!Jeff

[squeefoo]

Rob, Maybe some one who welds could look at it. Just a pass or two with a MIG would do it, unless its smashed up against the sump screen. I've done that before, my ex is still driving on a welded pan. Might save $1100 !!!!

[KnoxvilleQ45]

Well on my 92 i hit a curb racing and it cracke the oil pan. me and my dad jsut put some jb weld on it and it worked out great. that was like 1 year ago and it still hasnt had any probs. the only thing was that it was really close the the hole to drain the oil so nowhere will do an oil change b/c of that.-Brian

[Jesda]

Well that cant be good for resale, can it?