Brakes Service

[Sugar Spun Sisters]

Can any of you DIY folks or indeed mechanics let me know how long it would take to service the brakes?...hypothetical scenario...Problem with squealing at the front. No parts needed as has recent front pads and all brake pipes ok...just brakes taken apart, cleaned, greased and lubed with copper stuff and whatever else and a brake fluid change. Many thanks in anticipation of your arithmetic skills

[toomanytoys]

Who is doing it and what level of mech ability??

Fluid change could present extra issues.. BUT.. it is a good move to change fluid..
Want to be checking/cleaning/adjusting rears too...

[Sugar Spun Sisters]

Yes, all that. Mechanic is VW specialist. How long do you think it would all take in terms of hours?

[toomanytoys]

Why? whats he quoted?

[CovKid]

Trouble with brakes is its 'how long is a piece of string'. In theory it should be a mornings work or less but I've had times when its rumbled on for a day when nipples snap or things rust solid. Thats essentially why I still do my own. The cost can be too open-ended otherwise and much as I dislike the job more and more as I get older, I just can't bring myself to pay someone else to do it.

[Sugar Spun Sisters]

Well, it's been done and he got 5 hours labour out of me...which I thought was a bit steep since he said there was no problems with the van, it's very well maintained etc etc. I'm just trying to gauge whether I've been stung really. General consensus tells me I have, especially as the job didn't need any parts, but thought I'd take it to the forum and ask the T25ers what you thought.

[ttcharlie]

If he took 5 hours and did it well, I'd say its money well spent compared to 3 hrs and a rush job.

Brakes need to be done properly, the first time.....

[Red Westie]

Vw pad replacement was 0.7 hours ( one hour split into 10 units so one unit equals 6 minutes) so 42 minutes to replace front brake pads.
Rear shoes replacement...forgive me it's been 25 years but I'm pretty sure it was 1.10 hours with 0.3 extra each side for wheel cylinder replacement and 0.5 for full brake bleed/replacement.

I know what people are going to say.....these vans are 20-30 years old blardy bla...seized components etc..but as you say, this is a strip/clean/re-grease and re-assemble so I'll put my neck on the line and say:
An hour for the fronts (remove pads/clean callipers and re-grease)
An hour for the rears (remove drums, clean out dust, grease the back plates, refit and adjust)
And a half hour for the brake fluid change as long as there were no reported nipples seized.

So..yes you are right...5 hours was far too long.
As for rushing....well they have ramps and air tools and this should have been done leasurely in under 3 hours with a tea break chucked in for good measure.

Can I ask? did they report problems? seized calliper pistons? seized pads? nipples? if they said it was straight forward then 5 hours was too much.

Martin

[Sugar Spun Sisters]

Thanks Martin, that's just what I needed to know and think I had 3 hours as a maximum. Mechanic said i had a 'mint' van, very well maintained. He did not report any problems/difficulties from my line of questioning but at times seemed a bit vague...probably because he didn't want to have to account for his time. The only problem i had was with the front brakes squealing pretty badly and I wanted that sorted as well as a brake fluid change. I knew the front pads were recent as in past year. So all he did was, like you say, removal, clean up, re-grease, fluid change and bleed. How difficult can that be for a 'specialist' who knows what they are doing and has very good garage facilities? Thanks everyone for all your time in responding