Yes, your timing belt realy does cost that much.

For those of you who want to geek out with me for a second, let me show you what pisses off a mechanic.  This is why I was up till 8pm instead of going home at 5.  It is a bracket for the engine mount on the front of a Kia Sedona engine.  At first, I was impressed that this low budget mom wagon had such a nice engine in it.  Then i discovered one of the most truly stupid designs that unfortunately I frequently see as a mechanic.
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The blue circles show the very adequate mounting holes for this part.  The yellow circle is around a strange slot for the lower alternator bolt, and the red circle, the cake taker, is for a bracket holding the A/C compressor.  neither one of which mechanically or even aesthetically do any good to the bracket.  However, I guess someone wanted a timing belt job to take 5 hours instead of 3, so they decided to incorporate the necessity of removing the alternator from its cramped quarters to get to this bolt, and make the bolts so long, they hit he body before they come out. I can only imagine the headache if the hole for the alternator bolt was not “modified” with a slot.  Asinine is too weak a word. maybe Asiten.
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