Need some Help Car shipper ruined my engine

[GSX97AWD]

I bought swordfishes car and had it shipped from Arkansas to Philly pa by an Disclosed autoshipper due to vendor bashing. Some how on the way hear they ended up blowing my engine somehow. I attached the pictures but my question is how did this happen and what happened, i though the starter went but my friend popped the oil cap was like yo.. theres no oil, i looked in and there was a missing rocker, upon removing the valve cover i found 4 rockers off the HLA and valve. there are a few valves that are all different sizes in the same cinder i know other cinders would be differnet due to where the cam is, there is also on valve that so high up it touches thee cam lobe. If anyone has any ideas on what they could of done let me know, i am not going to take the head off until this bull with the insurance i paid on the vehicle comes back. Thanks a lot guys.
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[boostedgst2984]

Hey man. Was the timing belt broke when u recieved that. That head looks completly history. Your pistons could be heavly damaged as well. Looks like the pistons jamed some of the valves in the head. possilby the timing belt could of slipped some teeth and that caused the problem. Cuz of the looks of the valves, they were heavily jamed in the head to do that kind of damage

 

[GSX97AWD]

Timing belt is till fully in tacked. I don't know if it has slipped or if the adjustable cam gears are off.

 

[olmytsi]

Did you find the rockers in the head? My guess is that they saw that the car had some work and they decided to take it for a spin and beat on it. You should have had swordfish turn the boost way down or unhook the wastegate or something else to prevent soembody from going fast with it. Good luck

 

[1993eclipseGS]

How exactly do you know it was the people who shipped your car? Do you know the seller personally? Enough to trust that it didn't get shipped like that? Just trying to think of some other ways it could have happened. If it was the shippers, Get on the phone ASAP and speak with the owner of the company. Also get a lawyer.

 

[Defiant]

Classic example of jumped timing. Only way I can think of the "shipper" doing it would be to turn the engine over backward by either rolling it backward in a forward gear, or forward in reverse.
I don't know what to make of the "no oil" comment. I don't know if shippers require everything be shipped empty (fuel and oil) or not, or if that might be some FTC or ICC or someone's regulation.
Whatever the outcome, that head's coming off.

 

[GSX97AWD]

Did you find the rockers in the head? My guess is that they saw that the car had some work and they decided to take it for a spin and beat on it. You should have had swordfish turn the boost way down or unhook the wastegate or something else to prevent soembody from going fast with it. Good luck

Yes i found rockers in the head, four of them when i removed the valve cover. I did not think of doing anything of the nature because this is not something you expect to happen.

How exactly do you know it was the people who shipped your car? Do you know the seller personally? Enough to trust that it didn't get shipped like that? Just trying to think of some other ways it could have happened. If it was the shippers, Get on the phone ASAP and speak with the owner of the company. Also get a lawyer.

I know exactly beacause the companey that picked up the car does not pick up in-operational vehicals, i would of also been charged an extra fee to have the vehical transported due to circomstances of a in-operational vehicle. I called the "Shipper" First they tryed to denie i paid for the extra insurance coverage on the car, after i faxed them my paperwork, and the e-mail they sent me, they now said "oh we dont really cover mechanical issues, only body work". So they want me to send them pictures of the valve damage and a estimate.

Classic example of jumped timing. Only way I can think of the "shipper" doing it would be to turn the engine over backward by either rolling it backward in a forward gear, or forward in reverse.
I don't know what to make of the "no oil" comment. I don't know if shippers require everything be shipped empty (fuel and oil) or not, or if that might be some FTC or ICC or someone's regulation.
Whatever the outcome, that head's coming off.

Hey Defiant, first thing is i think thats a high possibility on what happend, They also will not explain when i receive the vehicle 18 days a head of schedule, and why there was 3 miles on the car, should not of taken it that much to transfer to trucks. As for the "no oil" comment the kid knew nothing about cars, he just looked in there and when i placed the cap back on i noticed the missing rocker. also the vehicle was not required to be shipped out without fluids, they are all in place including 1/2 a tank of 101 octant gas

 

[Defiant]

I fear this is going to get really shitty. Call your lawyer immediately.

 

[ddavisaf]

Every conversation with this company record. Every scrap of paper relating to the problem keep and record. Make copies of everything

 

[GSTinCO]

Every conversation with this company record. Every scrap of paper relating to the problem keep and record. Make copies of everything

Exactly, don't let these guys screw you. It sucks but plan on spending a good amount of time with this to get it resolved. I would also go talk with a lawyer immediately. Good Luck.

 

[GSX97AWD]

OKAY got some update news. First i pulled the head... lets say this custom 2.4 litter high compression baby is DESTROYED, no hope of salvaging this baby.
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I am getting a estimate, and sending this to them and see what they say but i think is going to go the lawyer route... Anyone a lawyer

Thanks a lot guys for you input

 

[olmytsi]

Damn, they ####ed your shit up. Good luck getting evrything sorted.

 

[Defiant]

Holy shit. That thing was not only seriously exploded, but it was done a long time ago. Look at the corrosion. That damage is at least six months old, and I'd bet it's more like two years. There's no way that was done by the shipper, from what I see. Some dangerous fraud is going on here.

 

[ninjai_ruken]

I agree with Defiant on this one, that damage look pretty old, I would be one pissed off person if I were you

 

[GSTinCO]

It does kinda look like the damage is old but like he said in a earlier post he would of paid more to ship for a non-running car. This is kind of wierd but how could they of driven that thing on a trailer? Good luck and hope you find out some information soon.

edit I just looked at Swordfish's profile and the car mods. He is a wiseman and owner of a shop so I hope he didn't rip you off or what is this world coming to. Hopefully it was the shippers fault.

 

[1993eclipseGS]

Have you talked to the seller about this problem, If so.. What did he have to say? The damage to the motor looks like it has been done awhile before you recieved the car.

 

[IMMORTALSPYDER]

Have you talked to the seller about this problem, If so.. What did he have to say? The damage to the motor looks like it has been done awhile before you recieved the car.

Ya find out what the seller has to say about this. If it is the shipper's fault you can always dispute the charge on your creditcard if you paid with one.

 

[GSX97AWD]

Damn, they ####ed your shit up. Good luck getting evrything sorted.

Thanks i was hopeing to bring it to the goods vibes meet but that did'nt work out.

Holy shit. That thing was not only seriously exploded, but it was done a long time ago. Look at the corrosion. That damage is at least six months old, and I'd bet it's more like two years. There's no way that was done by the shipper, from what I see. Some dangerous fraud is going on here.

well i know its corroded and everything but what i contradicts it being done before is, first the seller is a wiseman on this board, 2 the company that picked it up and filled out the initial paper work have the millage written down which is three miles different than the current millage, also they do no have in-operative check off on the sheet. I would of been charged extra for a in-op vehicle to be transported. I dont know anything about corrosion but the headgasket looks destroyed and its been sitting now for about 3 weeks, when i pulled the head tons of water came out since i did'nt drain the water because i knew the engine was toasted anyway. I just really want to get it straightened out. at this point i don't think i am ever buying another dsm, unless its a brand new evo

Have you talked to the seller about this problem, If so.. What did he have to say? The damage to the motor looks like it has been done awhile before you recieved the car.

I have talked to the seller in almost every day about the process of the claim and whatnot. He and everyone in his shop will back up, the guy drove the car out of the shop and on to a flatbed, also the towing company that towed it to the terminal down there, i also contacted and the guy that picked it up and his boss will back up it ran, even if it comes down to court they said. So i really have no clue what happened, i know the repair is going to be more than i payed for the car though.

 

[CyberEye]

That is some seriously horrible damage you've got there. The towing company will probably shit themselves when they see the estimate to have it all rebuilt/repaired. Keep us updated on what goes on.

 

[boostedgst2984]

yea thats nutz that that happen. And when my timing belt busted on me it sat for like 2 weeks before i could fix it and it looked a little croaded in there as well. But mine wasnt that bad i just bent the valves didnt break them. I would say ur looking at atleast 5K to fix it at the minium. I would also check out the turbo as well. Maybe some garbae got threw an tore up ur turbine wheel as well.

And dont give up on dsm just because u had a bad expierence. I was about to give up on dsm's to but i just fix it when it happens via new head a clutch needed to be done too.

 

[Nt-Eclipse-Dail]

Holy shit. That thing was not only seriously exploded, but it was done a long time ago. Look at the corrosion. That damage is at least six months old, and I'd bet it's more like two years. There's no way that was done by the shipper, from what I see. Some dangerous fraud is going on here.

I was wondering about that as well. It looked nasty in there. Isn't a properly built engine supposed to handle a little 'beating on it' once in a while? IMO, If all of that damage happened in just three miles of 'beating on it' then the engine was probably about to 'go' anyway...
Hint: If you are buying a USED car and the deal sounds too good to be true, Then it probably is... JMHO

 

[sYnOnYx]

if it was driven onto the trailer, i.e. it was given to the company running , then it should arrive to you running , no questions asked, even if it was abused before, it still ran when it was put in their posession.

bottom line.

 

[CyberEye]

if it was driven onto the trailer, i.e. it was given to the company running , then it should arrive to you running , no questions asked, even if it was abused before, it still ran when it was put in their posession.

bottom line.

Exactly. If the company says (especially in writing) that it was in good running condition when they loaded it onto the trailer, they basically screwed themselves. Since it's very obviously NOT in running condition now.
Though this is something that you should have looked into and started things rolling with a lawyer a few days after you got the car back. Since it's been a little while since you got it back, the trucking company will probably try to claim that it was in perfect shape when you took delivery, you broke it since then, and are now trying to blame it on them.

 

[CyberEye]

Either way, I'd find yourself a good Civil Litigation Lawyer

 

[1993eclipseGS]

If the car was broken when it was put on the trailor, Or even taken off... That bad of condition.. Then how the hell did you get it home, Or even start it up? Didn't you try to start it as soon as they brought you the car?