Tuner blew up my engine on the dyno.. now what?

[little-razcal]

Man I feel for you, but I have to say you need to learn how to work on your car yourself. It will save you thousands of dollars and you know it will be done correctly. I've built my entire car from top to bottom, inside and out with a manual, Google, and these forums. I couldn't imagine my hardworking money go up in smoke by some dumb ### beating my car to death, cause after sitting there a whole year, I can bet you that's what happened. I'm just trying to be real here. Most people don't see the value of time and $ invested into something unless it is thier own.

We are here for you and will help you get that thing up and running with your own hands! Get some jackstands, a 10,12,14,17,19,24,32mm sockets, a jack, a few beers, and have at it!

 

[And_44]

So you brought in a used transmission for them to install, it leaked fluid and somehow it is their fault, . That was 100 percent your fault. The seal can't be easily replaced without taking the transmission completely apart. I am sure that they are not going to tare the transmission down that you brought them assuming that it was in good condition.

Not their fault it leaked but their fault for not doing standard shop practice and inspecting the part before installing. Them not following standard practice ruined their product.

Every shop wants their work to be good. If you brought in 4 used tires into Les Schwab and asked them to install them they would, but they'd inspect them to make sure there is no detectable defaults in the tire, if they found something they'd inform you. They wouldn't just say "OK" slap them on and call it good. If something is found they'd inform you and give you options or tell you no.

For me the transmission was covered under warrenty from where I bought it from BUT they would only accept it under defect if a qualified mechanic deemed it damaged. The qualifing mechanic being the shop that didn't perform the neccesary inspection. So the shop was at fault, if they inspected the tranny found it leaking I could of gotten a replacement before the whole ruined clutch.

 

[GSTurbo1]

file a lawsuit, sue them for every penny nickel and dime... They tried to crank it too far and blow something in the block man. did you acknowledge and ask about it smoking... I would have raised hell man.

 

[bryanwheat]

Not their fault it leaked but their fault for not doing standard shop practice and inspecting the part before installing. Them not following standard practice ruined their product.

Every shop wants their work to be good. If you brought in 4 used tires into Les Schwab and asked them to install them they would, but they'd inspect them to make sure there is no detectable defaults in the tire, if they found something they'd inform you. They wouldn't just say "OK" slap them on and call it good. If something is found they'd inform you and give you options or tell you no.

For me the transmission was covered under warrenty from where I bought it from BUT they would only accept it under defect if a qualified mechanic deemed it damaged. The qualifing mechanic being the shop that didn't perform the neccesary inspection. So the shop was at fault, if they inspected the tranny found it leaking I could of gotten a replacement before the whole ruined clutch.

I don't think you understand how shops work. There isn't some list of rules up on the wall for standard practices. Every shop is going to do things differently, and every tech is going to do things differently. There is NO way to inspect the seal without taking the transmission completely apart which would of voided the warranty for the transmission right off the bat. All they will normally do is look and see if the seal is leaking, if not than they will install it and send you on your way. They don't just get a used transmission and rebuild it as standard procedure. Used parts are just that USED PARTS. You brought in the used part, it is your fault and no one but yourself.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Well whats done is done chalk it up to one of those things that if can go wrong it will, its a car things break, well now he has to try to figure out whats next, we can give him advice, and say this and that but it wont help is broke engine now.

 

[And_44]

I don't think you understand how shops work. There isn't some list of rules up on the wall for standard practices. Every shop is going to do things differently, and every tech is going to do things differently. There is NO way to inspect the seal without taking the transmission completely apart which would of voided the warranty for the transmission right off the bat. All they will normally do is look and see if the seal is leaking, if not than they will install it and send you on your way. They don't just get a used transmission and rebuild it as standard procedure. Used parts are just that USED PARTS. You brought in the used part, it is your fault and no one but yourself.

I may not know how the shops work. That's why you find out how similar shops work in the area. If it's common practice in your area by many legal reasons it standard practice.

That is the thing they didn't even check to see if the seal was leaking. Where as the other shops I contacted it was their common practice to do such a thing.

But my opinion to the OP is if it's a huge investment do the work in calling around finding out what went wrong.

In the end it will pay off either it's a bust or something will get done. It was either avoidable or unavoidable.

 

[chadillac2820]

What Bryan is saying about the seal is true on our transmissions. Most input shaft seals are on the outside of the case in the bellhousing but our unfortunately are not so they couldn't possibly have inspected it without full disassembly. Back to the op, I would speak with the manager of the shop and see if you guys can work something out as its probably a little of oversight on both your parts. My .02

 

[bryanwheat]

\ If it's common practice in your area by many legal reasons it standard practice.

There is no legal or illegal standard practice to installing a transmission anywhere in the country. You have no idea how shops operate.

 

[And_44]

Ehhh, w/e bryanwheat.

My advice to OP is be persistant. It works.

There are 2 rules to customer service-

#1 rule of customer service is: The customer is always right.

#2 rule of customer service is: If in doubt refer to rule #1.

If you feel your right and their in the wrong they need to make it right.

 

[Jon91TSi]

Ehhh, w/e bryanwheat.

My advice to OP is be persistant. It works.

There are 2 rules to customer service-

#1 rule of customer service is: The customer is always right.

#2 rule of customer service is: If in doubt refer to rule #1.

If you feel your right and their in the wrong they need to make it right.

This isn't 1946 either. I do agree with your statement, but sadly this isn't the way things work anymore, by and large.

 

[nickk90]

It sounds like the shop screwed you from the start. You do not have to pull the head to change valve stem seals. I'd let them know you are contacting a lawyer and see what happens.
For them to keep pushing a engine that was having problems somewhere was just asking for something to let go.

It sounds like they are the only ones to run the thing from what the OP is saying.

 

[Jon91TSi]

It sounds like the shop screwed you from the start. You do not have to pull the head to change valve stem seals. I'd let them know you are contacting a lawyer and see what happens.
For them to keep pushing a engine that was having problems somewhere was just asking for something to let go.

It sounds like they are the only ones to run the thing from what the OP is saying.

This is the wrong way to go about things. It seems the younger generation loves to throw the "L" word and the "S" word around, instead of simply talking to someone first. Throwing those words around puts the opposite party in to a very reactive and confrontational position where nothing will get accomplished. I sugguest having a reasonable conversation with the shop, on their ground, all ego's aside and see what you can accomplish. Speak in facts, no hypotheticals, no finger pointing, etc. I bet you'll get further doing that than you will in a courtroom. Just my .02, but what do I know.

 

[nickk90]

This is the wrong way to go about things. It seems the younger generation loves to throw the "L" word and the "S" word around, instead of simply talking to someone first. Throwing those words around puts the opposite party in to a very reactive and confrontational position where nothing will get accomplished. I sugguest having a reasonable conversation with the shop, on their ground, all ego's aside and see what you can accomplish. Speak in facts, no hypotheticals, no finger pointing, etc. I bet you'll get further doing that than you will in a courtroom. Just my .02, but what do I know.

I highly doubt the shop will say " Oh it was our fault sorry about that we will pick up all expenses to fix this situation" You can ask if they are going to rebuild the engine on their dime but they are probably going to laugh in your face.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Well iim curious to find out what your going to do, about this with the shop?

 

[Jon91TSi]

I highly doubt the shop will say " Oh it was our fault sorry about that we will pick up all expenses to fix this situation" You can ask if they are going to rebuild the engine on their dime but they are probably going to laugh in your face.

Last I checked, I don't believe I said that the OP would be fully reimbursed for all damages. What I did say, and I'll repeat myself, is that if he went to the shop and had a civil conversation with the owners he's far more likely to get more than if he said "I'm hiring a lawyer, and I'm going to sue you". I highly doubt anyone will laugh in anyone elses face, these shops do have a reputation to uphold as well...

 

[jkimes]

Man I feel for you, but I have to say you need to learn how to work on your car yourself. It will save you thousands of dollars and you know it will be done correctly. I've built my entire car from top to bottom, inside and out with a manual, Google, and these forums. I couldn't imagine my hardworking money go up in smoke by some dumb ### beating my car to death, cause after sitting there a whole year, I can bet you that's what happened. I'm just trying to be real here. Most people don't see the value of time and $ invested into something unless it is thier own.

We are here for you and will help you get that thing up and running with your own hands! Get some jackstands, a 10,12,14,17,19,24,32mm sockets, a jack, a few beers, and have at it!

I appreciate the support and kind words but I have jack stands and lots of tools and I know how to work on this car by myself. For me one of the most rewarding things about owning my DSM for all of these years has been the fact that these cars practically force you to become an amateur mechanic. The first 5 or 6 years that I owned my GSX I spent countless hours researching and installing almost everything by myself. I pulled the original 2.0 7bolt by myself after the stock internals gave up the ghost from the extra power output of the scm61 kit I bolted on (I also tuned it myself the first time with dsmlink). I tore down the old 2.0 7 bolt but it didn't seem worth rebuilding so I decided to have a rock-solid 2.4l built (apparently it wasn't rock-solid after-all). I had the engine assembled by a reputable machinist with a meticulous list of well researched parts (see profile) and I re-installed the built motor and the scm61 turbo kit in my garage (with the help of a few friends and a lot of beer). I also spent many hours researching and installing most of the other bolt-on parts on this car as well. The thing is, I have owned this car for 9 years now and sadly I don't have a lot of interest in working on it anymore. I finally came to the realization that the whole reason I bought this car and started modifying it in the first place is because I love fast cars and spirited driving but unfortunately my DSM ownership experience has become a lot less about owning and driving a fun fast car and more about fixing broken sh*t all the time. Even the few times I've had it back up and running in the last few years I couldn't really have fun driving it because I always start thinking about all of the things that might get torn up every time I put my foot on the gas. Unfortunately, since I already have so much time and money invested in this car, my pride wouldn't let me just part it out or sell it until I reached my horsepower goal. So, I wound up taking it to MKC because I heard they were supposed to know what they're doing. Maybe they do and I was just unlucky with this short block build...or maybe not. Regardless, my expensive race motor is junk now and I have no proof of exactly what happened or why.
...
I went back to the shop and talked to the tuner (after I had some time to cool off from my initial incredible hulk rage moment) and the guy running the shop apologized. His only excuse is that he "didn't build the bottom end" but he did say he would "try and help me out" to get it fixed. He didn't specify exactly what he meant by that though. He also said he would drop the oil pan and try and tell me what failed. In the mean time, I've gotta figure out a game plan to negotiate with this shop to get my car back in running condition without spending another fortune or waiting another six months on their slow asses to get something done. I'm guessing the motor is going to have to be pulled for repair no matter what. Shouldn't I be able to at least get them to cover a big chunk of the labor for removal and reinstallation? Should I risk having another machine shop try and repair this engine or just bite the bullet and get a pre-assembled short-block from a reputable shop?

 

[allrice4g63]

Honestly if i was you bro i would just rebuild the motor your self... as long as you plastigauge everything and check ring gaps and check everything 3 times you shouldnt have any problems. I also built a 2.4 twice and never had luck getting them to stay together. Dont ask me why if its because some sort of 2.4 gods that just dont let that bore and stroke make power or what it is but then i built a standard 2.3 stroker and made 466 awhp. All i can think of is the 2.4 puts out so much torque at a lower rpm that it stresses everything so much. If you really want you can come to wisconsin i have a fresh 6 bolt with custom made pistons from venolia acl race bearings eagle rods polished crank and the block is oringed. i ran the motor for 600 miles just to seat the rings. I plastigauged everything 3 times and checked ring gap 3 times it sounds amazing and runs amazing. With the oil pan off when you turn the motor over bye hand you can just hear the compression. Iv built alot of 4g63s but on this one i used chrome moly electroplated piston rings and i am just amazed on how perfect compression this thing has and how nicely the rings seat. But anyways id sell it to you for a very very very decent price ### i have a baby on the way. The pistons alone cost 1000 to have made etc.... id let it all go for 1500 bucks. After all that said i know exactly how you feel right now ### i have had 2 cars that shops have blown up on the dyno. You really just need to do everything yourself because the people tunning your car dont care because its not there car at all and in the long run all they care about is money. TRUST NOBODY BUT YOURSELF> If you trust in yourself you will see 700 whp dyno pulls time and time again.

 

[liquidsilver]

The best thing you can do is keep in constant communication with the shop. Try to work with them and not against them. You have to either consider what is fair to you and ask...or wait and see what they think is fair and then you respond to their offer.

The only time to ever get a lawyer is if other reasonable resolutions fail. Sorry about the stress that comes along with having to trust someone else with your car. Not too many OGs around anymore.

 

[rimmbrme]

Sorry to hear that op. Its hard having a 700hp project without anything breaking. Its a never ending battle.

 

[icehole69]

Sorry to hear about your luck, I think personaly that if you are confident enough to rebuild your own engine, the best garage is the one in your own back yard. Plasti-gauge, check and re-check everything, torque everything and double check it again. That way if anything lets go you know it's either a bad tune or something that you over looked. I was just wondering how many times the oil was changed while at the shop in the past year? Proper changes say every 3000-5000 or every 3 months (which ever comes first). If the oil wasnt changed, just think of all the debris and crap clogging the poor oil filter and starving the top and bottom end! not to mention the lubricating factors of broken down oil even if it was full synthetic. Good luck with the new rebuild

 

[1SLOW93TURBO]

I know who's shop you are referring to and I will assure you that if he made a mistake he would take care of you and I also know even if it wasn't his fault he would more than likely go out of his way for you. Sorry for your luck but you simply need to discuss your options with him if you haven't already and I'm sure he will work with you.

Best of luck

 

[jkimes]

I know who's shop you are referring to and I will assure you that if he made a mistake he would take care of you and I also know even if it wasn't his fault he would more than likely go out of his way for you. Sorry for your luck but you simply need to discuss your options with him if you haven't already and I'm sure he will work with you.

Best of luck

So far he's been very cooperative. They're pulling the short block and sending it to the machine shop this week. Once the machine shop tears it apart and checks everything out, I'll probably just buy the parts I need and re-assemble the engine myself.

 

[Technoklipz]

Good to see that you are getting things worked out. Best of luck!

 

[kchaazz]

So far he's been very cooperative. They're pulling the short block and sending it to the machine shop this week. Once the machine shop tears it apart and checks everything out, I'll probably just buy the parts I need and re-assemble the engine myself.

I dont mean to stir the pot here, and I realize you live far from there, but If I were you, Id want to be present when the bottom end is disassembled and take pics to get honest opinions as to what failed, and what caused the part to fail. Obviously, youve got some torched rings and failed bearings, but was it oil starvation? Improper ring gap? Pre det? Lean condition, leading to pre det? Just a suggestion, so that the problem can be corrected. Congrats on keeping it together and having a civil conversation with the shop, I myself have learned people will be far more inclined to be helpful in any situation by going about it this way.

 

[rrussell]

Vinny Ten... A must watch video.

Note: I'm not saying that your dealing with a fake shop also. This video answers a lot of questions when it comes to building and tuning and the owners part.


Vinny Ten Calls Out Fake Shops, F****d Up Cars & Frustrated Tuners!