No way it takes 8+ hours just to change the valve cover gaskets and upper secondary tensioners. The only hard part is getting the valve covers off. Taking the Cam shaft bolts out to change the tensioner are not that hard either I just worry about torquing the bolts back at the end.
I don't even know the condition of them and the car does not have a crazy amount of miles on it and I am only changing them cause the ones that come with a LS around that time are not metal. Motor runs fine on that car. No strange sounds or anything just doing it as a preventive measure.
Excuse me for asking a question on a discussion Forum. If it is that big of a problem then remove my account. I am a disabled veteran and am on fixed income so your insulting comments are not necessary. Sorry for trying to ask a question in a forum. And also God Forbid anyone has a different opinion here.... I have many health issues that prevent me on working on this the way I want. I have a feeding tube in me for starters. I would love to do the work myself as I would prefer to do it, but I have health issues that prevent me from doing the work. I am glad that you are able to do all your own work but some people can't and they can't afford the shop when then need it. I am not complaining about that aspect of it but next time you want to spout a list off all the wonderful things you can do have a little consideration for the person asking the question.If it's that easy, then do it yourself!
Toquing the bolts? Seriously? A HF torque wrench is plenty accurate enough and, what, $20?
Taking out the end bolts releases the cam gear from the cam, at which point you've lost all control of the cam timing. That's not a good way to do it if you're also removing the cam bearings.
Book time is conservative. The official process to replace the tensioners - even just the upper - is much more involved than the various shortcut methods. No real mechanic (ie with an actual shop and an actual business - and actual liability) would do a swap of timing components the way we talk about doing it.
But, what do I know? I've only done the actual complete timing R&R (upper and lower, all new chains, slides, etc etc), oil pump, developed the Gen1->2 fan controller, and done a complete suspension R&R, and all the normal extended maintenance junk that comes with old cars. Oh, all of that was done by me, not hired out.
Anyway, quick asking the internet. Go get quotes.
