Fergie's in ICU

[hayden]

27 hours labor times $120-40/hr around here is $3240-$3780.
There's still $16000+ to account for.
Filter for the GT now is $30 and oil adds aboot another $50.
So $15,920 to account for.
I guess that's the nose in the air fee.

I'll bet the labor rate is $250/hr or more. And the filter and fluids probably a few thousand. But they are catering to people where the $$ just don't matter. It's a great business to be in, if you can find it.

 

[dodge man]

I’ve read that expensive oil change on the Venyron includes something crazy like pulling the engine and checking it out internally.

 

[kenmbz]

The Veyron also has active suspension, body panels and lots of tech under that low hood.
Lots of air dams and coverings underneath to direct airflow etc.
I am sure it takes many cautious hours to remove everything and put it back into working condition.
Someone also mentioned there are many drains and filters to work on.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

The video I saw of the service writer taking the order for the Veyron , said they had to get special insurance for the week it would be there ... Also mentioned multiple (like 9!) Drain plugs! And I thought it was $30K ... Can't find the video now ...

My Kubota has 2 engine drain plugs, and crush washers are $4-$5 each! Hydraulic and transmission has 3 plugs ...

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Here it is ... You don't need an X account to see/hear it ... 16 drain plugs!!!

Now some food for thought for you speed demons. I just had a change of heart.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1970603389080740132

@dnw64 when are you gonna get one?

 

[MossRoad]

My 2006 Ford GT takes about an hour and cost less than a $120 for a complete engine oil change.
When I hear about the ridiculous costs owners pay for their supercar maintenance you know they are being skinned.
The Veyron falls more into the hyper car class but it's still remove oil plug and filter. Replace and fill with appropriate oil. It's not like you have to go herd dinosaurs and press them for their bodily fluids.
But these are the people who will pay for expensive and exclusive to make themselves feel superior.

From the story... it has something like 12 or 16 drain plugs, and pretty much the entire underside of the car has to be removed. 27 hours of labor. Yikes.

 

[MossRoad]

Here it is ... You don't need an X account to see/hear it ... 16 drain plugs!!!



@dnw64 when are you gonna get one?

Yikes.

 

[bearthebruce]

I read a story yesterday about a service tech that was working on a used $1M 2008 Bugatti Veyron that a customer brought in. The oil change takes 27 hours of labor and cost over $20K.

All the super cars are like this now. Some require the entire engine to be pulled to do an oil change.

I wonder what the costs to service some of the really big Ag machines run. And, can anyone do those repairs themselves these days?

I like our 2005 MF1533... pretty simple to work on. Pretty simple to keep running.

 

[masseyrider]

Thank goodness for my GT.
Reliable to a fault and Ford cost to get parts of which other than filters it has not needed.

 

[dicktill]

Happy news: I have put 20 hours on Fergie since her return, and she is "purring like a kitten" (maybe one of @Shawn T. W.'s). Great to have all three cylinders working.

The first 10 hours I kept the revs at 2500, which is the bottom of the green zone on the tach. The next 10 hours I used the entire green zone which runs from 2500 to 2760 as needed, usually somewhere in the middle.

The service manual says that from 2760 to 2860 is "high idle", which seems like an odd term to me since it is the higher end of the "work zone"; that's the yellow zone on the tach.

Been using the back blade, the loader, and the backhoe. Great to "be back in the saddle again".

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Happy news: I have put 20 hours on Fergie since her return, and she is "purring like a kitten" (maybe one of @Shawn T. W.'s). Great to have all three cylinders working.

That's GREAT news!

Nothing like a Happy Content Kitty curled up in your lap with its little motor idling along!

I too have never understood the "high idle" terminology ... In semi-trucks our trucks "idle" 600-700 RPM ... We can bump up the "idle" via cruise control while parked to 850-950 RPM for "high idle" ... A little
better oil pressure, and heat build up, redline is about 2500, normal operation is 1100-1500 RPM ... Also bypasses the stupid 5 minute idle restriction that California has forced on the rest of the country ...

I rarely run mine into the yellow zone, but really it's the red zone they frown on, I'm not sure it will even go there, if the governor hasn't been fiddled with ... My understanding is to vary the RPM while in the "break-in" 1st 50 hours ... I don't remember the actual phraseology, but it's in the manual ... I'm not at home now to look.

While I waited until 49 hours for my 1st oil change, I was planning on doing it at 25 hours, just got too busy USING the handy little tractor! I figured any initial "wear" would be done by then, and I wanted to get it out of there ... I tend to change fluids "early"!

 

[dicktill]

Perhaps some not-so-happy-news: Prince Andrew, naughty brother of King Charles, has renounced his royal titles. So now his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson whom Fergie is named after and is my avatar, is no longer the Dutchess of York. Will my Fergie lose her luster now?????

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Nope, still a hard working redhead!

I'd not give up, treat her right and hopefully many happy years ahead ... Give her a wax job if you want "luster"!

Shiny enough for my working little Swiss Army Knife Tractor!

 

[Racer4]

Perhaps some not-so-happy-news: Prince Andrew, naughty brother of King Charles, has renounced his royal titles. So now his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson whom Fergie is named after and is my avatar, is no longer the Dutchess of York. Will my Fergie lose her luster now?????

Your fergie knew this was coming and protested by sending a royal rod through the castle wall!

 

[CliffordK]

Perhaps some not-so-happy-news: Prince Andrew, naughty brother of King Charles, has renounced his royal titles. So now his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson whom Fergie is named after and is my avatar, is no longer the Dutchess of York. Will my Fergie lose her luster now?????

I think "Mr. Andrew Albert Christian Edward" has not actually lost his titles, but has just given up using them.

Apparently Fergie divorced him in 1996. Does she still use the Duchess title? She may not have to change what she is using. Her children most likely will retain their royal titles... if they want.

 

[CliffordK]

Strange diagnosis? When I was at the dealership last week, I asked the mechanic if he had dropped the oil pan after pulling the engine. His reply seemed strange to me: "Didn't have to, the oil pan was full of antifreeze". I had not seen that on the dipstick after the engine blew.

The service order I got today said: "found antifreeze in oil because bad head gasket caused engine to detonate". I'll take that with a grain of salt. I more strongly suggest that the errant connecting rod cracked the water jacket.

I have to agree. If there is antifreeze in the oil, then one should look for the source. The couple of holes in the side of the block (and one shiny crankshaft rod journal) only show part of the picture of the internal damage.

However, I would ask what color the antifreeze was in the pan.

If all the oil in the pan was a white cream, then you've had water getting into the oil for quite some time.

On the other hand, if you have nice translucent yellow (or black) oil plus green antifreeze, that is an indication of a catastrophic event and rapid mixing of oil and coolant.

I have an old Ford Industrial engine to tear down. I'm pretty sure there is something bad that happened internally. After it stopped running, I realized that I had massive blowby and yellow oil... which now I know means the engine already had one foot in the grave, and I hadn't realized it at the time.

 

[RayIN]

I think, in the case of the Veyron, the car needs to be majorly disassembled to get at the engine -- hence the ridiculous cost involved (plus the usual "You want a Bugatti? You gotta pay the price!" markup....).

It's not only the high-dollar autos; remember the Chevy Vega fiasco? They put a V8 in them one year; the engine had to be pulled to change spark plugs.

 

[dodge man]

They never made a V8 Vega but it was a popular swap. The hottest Vega was a Cosworth powered from the factory.

 

[Dmacleo]

It's not only the high-dollar autos; remember the Chevy Vega fiasco? They put a V8 in them one year; the engine had to be pulled to change spark plugs.

They never made a V8 Vega but it was a popular swap. The hottest Vega was a Cosworth powered from the factory.

Monza was factory V8. 350cid.

 

[kenmbz]

Monza was factory V8. 350cid.

My father had one of these, it was a silly car, but fun.