6-7 hours book time is my guess including evac and recharge. Yes they do have evap core problems. This can also be made worse by parking under trees and having the evap case fill with leaf debris. $1750 sounds about right (expensive none the less) and yes, for all practical purposes the dash will be removed... Layed back in the seat to gain access to the case for R&R
Curt
Actual working time is irrelevant for the labor charge on standard labor operations.