Hey all,

I'm new to volvo 240 Dls and spent about a 1.5 years hunting for one. I just got one, 1989 in great shape with 77,000 miles. It was a good deal. Problem, was driving and brake petal hit the floor. I thought maybe they just needed to be bled but I took it to a volvo specialist and was told it needed a new master cylinder and junction box. They originally quoted me at over 800 for parts and labor for both. I called around and realized that that was overpriced. I called back and was, in fact, misquoted and offered a new quote. But now I am wary of them. They're probably legit but just want to check. So, I thought I might get y'all's feedback. Here is the run down of what the quoted:

Master cylinder: $189
Labor for master cylinder: $160 (2 hours @ 80/hour)
Junction Box: $160
Labor for junction box: $120 (1.5 hours @ 80/hour)
Total: $629.

Actually, they called me back to clarify and said the quote would be around 690, which is higher than what I provide with these figures. But 629 or 690, does this sound too high?

Thanks for your sage advice!

 

Too high. Then again, shops have costs and exist to make profit. If you do it yourself with JY parts, you are at less than $50 for that work. Even as shop rates go, you can probably do better elsewhere.

 

You can do better on the parts prices. Here is an example:

Volvo OE 1273052 | Brake Junction Box | MTC 1273052 | Free Shipping

Volvo Brake Master Cylinder With Reservoir (without ABS) | FTE H1585502 | Free Shipping

For the master cylinder, I purchased a rebuild kit from Rock Auto for even cheaper and it worked out just fine. It all depends on the condition of the inside of your current unit. If there is rust or pitting in there (there wasn't in my case), then the rebuild will work.

I can't say that their labor quotes are out of line or not. I have read that replacing the junction box is a real pain and takes a bit of time. But to do it yourself with new parts would be a lot cheaper. Just needs some patience and persistence.

Good luck

 

My local auto parts store has the master cylinder new for 35 bucks so you may be able to find it even cheaper.