Please Help......

[vetteboy86]

My brother(vettefan87) is involved with a nightmare. He had his engine rebuilt because of a bad head gasket. The engine was rebuilt to stock specs. We followed the engine rebuilders instructions very closely. From the day of the first rebuild the lifters made noise. AFter 1500 miles of driving the oil pressure was very low and the bottom end of the motor started making noise. We took the car back and they said all the bearings were scored. They accused my brother of beating the car. We told him no way did that happen. Well then he said the possibility of a bad injector. WE had the motor rebuilt again by the same company. The lifters made noise again from day one. We put 600 miles on the car again, and took the engine back because the oil pressure went low once again. They said again the bearings were out. They blamed it on a bad injector, and said the oil was contaminated with gas.

We do not buy this story. The car ran perfect. The plugs look fine. We need answers because of the serious circumstances. If anyone has input on the situation, please let us know. If you need any more info just ask.


Thanks to everyone

Craig

 

[Erik S. Klein]

It sounds to me like you need an independent third party who knows engines well to look at the work that was done and the current state of the motor to determine what might have happened.

Completely rebuilding an engine because of a bad head gasket sounds a bit fishy in the first place. . .

Is the car still in the shop or is it back in your hands?

 

[JonM]

My first inclination was a bottomed out oil pick up…seems like its not getting oil. This even happened to Boyd Coddington, on one of his 200 thousand dollar cars. They even removed the motor and dismantled it looking for a problem before it dawned on them to look at the starving motor. They bent the oil pick up upward a couple degrees and all was well.

 

[vetteboy86]

Erik S. Kein

The head gasket went bad, and coolant mixed with the oil. The motor spun a bearing, and that is why it was rebuilt the first time. Yes I agree we need to get a third party involved. The took the oil filter off the car at their shop and cut it open and found copper shavings in it, just like after the first time it was rebuilt. They immediately drained the oil and sent it off to be checked for contaminants. However how do we know the filter they supposedly cut open, and the oil they sent out to be checked came from our car. The oil and filter only had 100 miles on them. We need to get a third party involved, however I am afraid we are going to have a battle in court. There is over 3000 dollars in this engine, and it still is not fixed. My brother has been without a car all summer long. We had the car delivered to my grandparents house, because it probably wont be running for a while, as we all know court battles can be long.




JonM

We thought the first time the motor was rebuilt that there was a possibility of oil starvation. From the first time the motor was fired it had lifter noise. They tried to adjust them, however they remained noisy. The oil pressure the first time the motor was rebuilt was very low. At idle from day one it would only get mid 20's when the oil was cold. It was then they accused my brother of driving the car hard because every bearing was scored. They also tried to blame the corvette shop that put the motor in. They said the oil cooler was not cleaned out properly. A quick call from the corvette shop cleared that up. I believe there was a lack of lubrication, or one of the cleaning solvents used to clean the block was not totally flushed. The second time around the oil pressure was better, however not nearly as much as mine. The lifters again were noisy, only not a tick, but a chatter. The oil pressure fell of sunday night. At idle it fell to 17 psi. We knew then there was something wrong. The car was scheduled to return to the shop to have the lifters looked at, however when we told them about the oil pressure they examined the motor. They informed us the bottom end was out on the motor again.

There is something bieng done, or not bieng done. I do not believe the car has a bad inector. I changed the oil on it after the first 500 miles, and smelled NO gas. Besides how much gas would have to get into the oil to throw the bearings out in 500 miles. We are at a loss. I am trying to talk to everyone I know that knows things about the motor. I just want to get the car back on the road, and for everything to get fixed.

How many times can a motor be rebuilt? This motor will have been rebuilt three times, it that is all that it takes.

Thanks for all the replies

Craig

 

[bossvette]

there should be much more then 20 lbs on a fresh engine, either as JonM stated the pickup is bottomed/clogged; a restriction in the oil passages; bad pump/pressure relief spring.
my tired old 76 never goes below 40 with 60,000 hard miles on the engine

 

[vetteboy86]

Bossvette,

I know my 86 has more miles than your 76. At idle when the oil is hot I still have 48 to 52 psi. My car has really good oil pressure. I know the oil pressure was not what it should've been.

thanks

Craig

 

[Vettefan87]

This is the thread I had out previously about my oil pressure dropping to 17 pounds, and I was asking for suggestions maybe I should have started a new thread? http://corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54416


Justin

 

[vetteboy86]

Ok guys the towing company delivered the car back to us. I went down to check on it and discovered there was a different filter on it. We were told that they cut the filter open and found shavings. We were never shown them, therefor how do we know they came from our car. Also even if they did show them to us those shavings could have been duplicated.


I then checked the oil. I pulled the dipstick out and right away smelled gas. There was no doubt gas was on the dipstick. However the oil was so clean I could hardly see the level. When we took the car there the oil had 200 miles on it. The oil in the car doesn't look like it had even been through the engine, so I am guessin they just filled it up.

They told us they sent oil out to have an anyalysis done. HOW MUCH OIL WOULD HAVE TO BE TESTED. Apparently they drained it all. I am positive they refilled the crank and contaminated it with gasoline. When I changed the oil after the initail 500 miles there was no gas. I even saved the filter, and it contains oil in it. There is no comparison. Please anybody chime it and help. We are unsure how to pursue this leagally. That is what has to happen.

Thanks for any responses.

Craig

 

[JonM]

I am assuming the guy that rebuilt it will not stand behind his work….am I correct? There is such a thing as implied warrantees for licensed repair shops . The first thing you need to do is have a reputable mechanic rip the motor out and dismantle it. If you are going to take this up the ladder legally, you need substantiated and documented evidence. You may also want to complain to the Better Business Bureau, perhaps the Department of consumer protection, then Small claims court. In my state, the DMV takes care of all complaints about car and truck repairs so you may want to look into that. If you become a thorn in the guy’s backside, he may give in and give you your money back. But if you start to lawyer up, it will cost you a good buck and take years. But the documented evidence is crucial. In the mean time maybe you should look into a create motor for it.

 

[Vettefan87]

Running out of options

We contacted Shaker racing, and they said and I quote "It would be hard for us to determine what happened." All they would be able to tell us is whats wrong, not what caused this problem, and they also want like 2700 bucks to rebuild the motor. At this point I might just save up and drop one in built. Ever person I talk to said it would be unlikely if we took them to court if we would win. They all keep sayings its a lose lose situation, so now I am really stumped. I lack the know how, the time, and the garage space to do the rebuild myself, and I can't expect my brother to do it for me. So now I have a 3500 pound paper weight sitting at my grandmas house with no means of getting fixed in the near future, which here in a few months won't matter due to winter and snow, but when spring hits I will be in the same boat.

Also who knows of a good place of checking injectors the shop said they were going to do it and it never happened so I want to get it done, so when the results come back saying that they were all good, I can rub it in there face so to speak. Thanks for any input.


Justin

 

[Vettefan87]

Removing Injectors

How is this done, and what do I need to do to remove them. I know that the plenum ,runners, and the fuel rails have to come off. Also do the fuel lines have to be pinched off at the tank? Any insights from people who have done this would be appreiciated, since I am running low on funds. Thanks


Justin

 

[JonM]

How is this done, and what do I need to do to remove them. I know that the plenum ,runners, and the fuel rails have to come off. Also do the fuel lines have to be pinched off at the tank? Any insights from people who have done this would be appreiciated, since I am running low on funds. Thanks


Justin

The search tool is your friend...

http://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/injectorswap.shtml


http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48197&highlight=Removing+Injectors

A little injector help...
http://www.corvettemagazine.com/1999/nov99/injection/fuelp1.asp