My Engine Project From Hell.......

Vettefan87 · 09-04-04, 09:00 PM

Ok guys I have decided to start a new thread over the whole entire engine project I have been having.

In late May I blew the head gasket which scored two of the bearings, which meant that I had to get the motor pulled, and rebuilt. So I got the engine pulled out of the car and over to the *highly* recommended engine builders of my area. All was well, they replaced everything pistons rods all of it, but the cam shaft, which they said was “in perfect condition and could be used over again.” So the rebuilding went without a hitch, they dropped the motor back in and the O2 sensor went bad when we first fired it up, they replaced that and the car ran fine. Then when I changed the oil at 1500 miles I ran Mobil 1 10w30 synthetic in it, and when I started it back up the lower end noise returned.

They tried blaming this on me as in beating the car. Then blaming the shop that put the motor back in for doing something wrong. They thought it could have been an injector problem. They told me that they were going to ship the injectors off, because one had a different darker color then the others. Some how something fell through the cracks and this never happened and they were put back on the car. The car however ran great, and I had no codes. The only weird thing about this is that all the bearings were toast in the motor. I did however have an oil pressure issue after the engine was rebuilt. They rebuilt it again, they couldn’t find what went wrong but they fixed everything that went bad.

This time I have put about 550 miles on the motor and I was out one night, sitting at a light and my oil pressure dropped to 17 pounds. I babied it home called the rebuilders in the morning and they said as long as it fluctuates with engine rpm’s bring it to there shop to look at it. A few hours later I was informed that there were metal shavings in the oil filter and that there was gas in the oil, which had 150 miles on it. They sent the oil out for an analysis and it came back 4.7. 3-5 being dangerous and 5 on up being critical, when I changed the oil at 450 miles there was no gas odor or anything in the oil. Now the rebuilders want 900 dollars plus misc. to rebuild the motor since it is supposedly not their fault that it went out. If we try to sue them they will counter sue us for rebuilding it the second time which was a gas related problem again……..supposedly.

What I don’t really understand, is that they said the bearings are shot. I got the car back home with a roll off and there was a terrible gas smell off the dip stick and through the valve cover. The thing that really puzzles me is that the oil looked clean, like it had been run through the car 15-20 minutes tops. Here is the real kicker, when I changed the oil and put it back into the 5quart jug there was only five quarts. Now this doesn’t make sense to me. Gas was in the oil, so why wouldn’t there be more then five quarts in the crank when I drained it? The oil did not look like it was Castrol 10w40 which was what I had been running in it.

So here we are. I have the car at a highly reputable shop. They are doing an oil pressure test on the car. Also I am having them pull the injectors so I can have them sent to a place that will test them and verify there function. As I see it the only way gas can get into the engine is through the injectors. If they check out okay then what. I have to have a shop do all this for me so there is accurate documentation. Once this is checked the shop is going to drop the oil pan and check if there is any bearing damage. If there is not they will install a higher pressure oil pump, because 17 psi at idle is way to low for my liking. As of right now the engine has no bearing noise, and I have been told that metal shavings in the oil during the first 500 or so miles is normal. If everything checks out I am going to drive the car, and we are going to sue the engine builders for there cost and all the other costs involved. I bet I have spent over 200 dollars just in oil through this whole process.

Please if anything is still unclear about this whole nightmare let me know. I will clear anything up the best of my ability. My bro will also be helping me with this process as well, so time to time he may chime in as well.

Thanks for all the concerns.

corvette66 · 09-05-04, 12:56 AM

sorry bout your luck, I know how you feel. I was gunna sue the last mechanic I went to. (the last mechanic I will EVER go to) Had a nissan that needed a new timing chain. Took the car in, 2 weeks later I get it back. 2 weeks!!! I was flipp'n out. $400 for new chain and random extras. 3 months later chain snaps, and smashes all my valves. I decide to put on a new chain and head myself. In the process I find that the mangled chain in my car was stock. Had never been changed.

Marshall Woodly in PA. never go to him!!!!!!!!!

I also have an oil pressure problem with my 86. Mine goes in spurts. One day it's 0, then next it's 15, maybe a week later it's 40. ??? I think that digital dash cluster maybe play'n games with me.

Good luck to you sir

Vettefan87 · 09-05-04, 02:28 AM

It is most likely the sending unit, that is what would most likely cause the problems you are describing.

corvette66 · 09-05-04, 12:37 PM

oh yeah, i thought they just went bad and quit working. One day I will have to change that to i guess. Along with many other broken things. I should just buy a new motor already.

Edmond · 09-05-04, 12:55 PM

It's very difficult to find a reputable shop that can do work for you. I've been looking into various places for months when I rebuild mine over the winter. I'm going to pull the motor myself and let the shop assemble the short block. Everything else is up to me. I don't trust a business enough to let them do anything more.

I hate to say it, but you're just a number to them. Who you are and what your car and money is to you doesn't matter. Their goal is to simply work on the most cars as possible while expending the least amount of their resources, simple as that.

I may use my neighbors machinist, who is located out in Joliet. If my neighbor has used him for so many years and has trusted him, I'll look into him.

Vettefan87 · 09-05-04, 05:33 PM

Yea most shops are like that I will agree. This shop is somewhat different. He told me to drive it down to their shop so he could hear it run and they could test the oil pressure for free. Although he is expensive he does great work.

Justin

grapeknutz · 09-05-04, 06:32 PM

I could be that the fuel pressure regulator has a torn diaphram and sucking in gas thru the intake ( remember the rings have not seated so gas will get into the crank case via the rings).

Vettefan87 · 09-05-04, 09:24 PM

Not after 500 miles I doubt that. I have been told that the rings set in very early if done right, but they probably werent so at this point im not ruling anything out.

Justin

Vettefan87 · 09-08-04, 04:57 PM

Well they pulled the pan today and some of the bearings were scored. So it looks like its out for round number 3. the shop had an reputable guy, by his standards but he wants to stay nuetral so that leaves me second guessing him. He said it looks like it could have been bad gas. Now I am getting the injectors taken off and tested, and it rebuilt and I guess I will just go from there. Hopefully it can be done right, because frankly im getting tired of this whole thing.

Justin

Edmond · 09-08-04, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vettefan87

Well they pulled the pan today and some of the bearings were scored. So it looks like its out for round number 3. the shop had an reputable guy, by his standards but he wants to stay nuetral so that leaves me second guessing him. He said it looks like it could have been bad gas. Now I am getting the injectors taken off and tested, and it rebuilt and I guess I will just go from there. Hopefully it can be done right, because frankly im getting tired of this whole thing.

Justin

Good luck, Justin. I know you're really sick of spending the time and money doing this all the while missing driving your baby.

Vettefan87 · 09-08-04, 05:04 PM

Yea if things dont change soon, I might have to find a new baby

.

Edmond · 09-08-04, 05:07 PM

Are you keeping the heads stock or are you going to do some work to them?

Kiwi Bloke · 09-08-04, 09:18 PM

I'm going to type while I think. I wonder where I'll ramble to....

If it has scored bearings more than once (and I'm assuming you're referring to big end bearings on the crank) maybe there's something weird with the crankshaft or the way that the oil is getting (or not getting) to the bearings.

But combining two things you said - low indicated oil pressure and scored bearings - implies to me that the oil pressure IS low, and it's not a spurious reading on the gauge.

What can cause low oil pressure? Worn bearings (chicken and egg situation here - which came first), faulty oil pump, faulty oil pickup system, severely diluted oil.....

I think that if you'd got an injector running wild, the engine would set a code, or the cylinder would hydraulic.

What if the rings or bores were done seriously badly, and there's a fair amount of gas getting past? It would burn oil too, so the reduction in volume of oil could be made up by the volume of gas. Get a compression test done?

And as mentioned earlier, the diaphram in the pressure regulator. Could it be leaking, or is there anywhere else that fuel and vacuum could be meeting.

All a bit rambling, but you never know - there could be something useful here.

Adrian

Edmond · 09-08-04, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwi Bloke

I think that if you'd got an injector running wild, the engine would set a code, or the cylinder would hydraulic.

That's what I thought too. I would've thought that a leaky injector would cause the engine to run rich and there would be a code 45 (I think it's a 45).

PS. What's a bloke? Hey, I'm a Yank!

Kiwi Bloke · 09-08-04, 09:33 PM

<big grin>
"Bloke" in the UK, NZ and Aussie, translates to "guy".

"Who is that bloke in the stupid syrup?"

Becomes

"Who is that guy in the stupid wig?"

(Cockney Rhyming Slang - Syrup of Figs [a laxative]: Wigs)

Adrian