Rant about Wasted Money and Bad Workmanship!!!

Mustangbelle306 · 01-22-2002, 08:59 AM

I am soooo pissed!!!!!!!

I don't know if most of you are aware of how long and how much money it has teken me to build my 306...but after all the problems with money, and finally get her finished, the damn thing is burning oil almost as much as before with my bad rings and seals!

I keep taking the stupid car back to the machine shop, and they keep feeding me BS. They are nice people, but quite frankly I think they have no idea what is going on with it. First time they told me it was because I was running a chrome breather on my Motorsport valve cover

so they CHARGED me for a stock oil cap, and SURPRISE! still spillage and burning. Sooooo...back in she goes, and this time the suspected culprit is the PCV valve...replaced twice, still burning and spillng oil.

Now I might not know much about the engine, but after trying to inspect what's giong on myself, due to the oil covering the back if the intake, I'm thinking its either STILL the PCV, or maybe the new idiot mechanic installed the intake gasket incorrectly, and its leaking from there. I know it isn't something major, because the car is NOT down on power AT ALL, and I haven't even been able to really get on it due to my current suspension issues. I'm just so annoyed that after all this drama and waiting, I'm still looking ghetto with smoke flowing out my pipes and smelling like burnt oil...

On a side note, when my fiance's Beretta was surging, he requested that they take a quick look at the engine before he had to drive back the 400+ miles to NJ. So what do they do? Start pulling wires off the distributorless 3100 engine WHILE its running, and annouce that he needs new valves....the real problem? A wire arcing against the header....

Kinda reduces your confidence a bit eh??

She's currently parked in Jersey, but once I get her back down here and back to the shop....if they don't fix it this time...their 12 month warranty agreement is going to be shown to my lawyer...and I wlll make them foot the bill to someone else to figure out what's wrong with the engine THEY built. Grrr....

PKRWUD · 01-22-2002, 09:48 AM

Might want to make sure they installed the baffle in the intake, and have a clean filter screen below the PCV valve.

Take care,
-Chris

Dark Knight · 01-22-2002, 10:46 AM

back intake gasket might have slipped out too... you'd smell the burning oil when it drips down on the exhaust...easy to look for that though

Dark_5.0 · 01-22-2002, 11:22 AM

Sounds like a problem I was having with my car.............On mine it was the valve seals

took a lot of work before I figured it out.

Good Luck

jonnyk · 01-22-2002, 12:07 PM

Valve seals are a bit easier to diagnose. Oil pouring out the back on hot starts, or after idling for a while and then hitting the gas you get a big plume of smoke.

Mustangbelle306 · 01-22-2002, 12:27 PM

well the temporary heads ARE used, but I paid the bastards to check them out and do a valve job, so I would HOPE they would have caught that ya know...

!@#$%&

whiterod · 01-22-2002, 04:32 PM

i tell you what belle, some mechanics will try to get away with what they can, and if they don't know what the problem is they will not admit not knowing. Don't get me wrong there are some real good and honest mechanics out there, its just the few that give them a bad name

if you said it is coming from the pipes it is definately internal, not a gasket problem, i would guess the seals also. I wish you luck on your dealings with these "mechanics"

but if it is leaking get rid of the cork gaskets on the intake and just use black rtv, it works much better!!

Unit 5302 · 01-22-2002, 09:12 PM

Belle, any mechanic who will assemble a .550 lift cam on stock used rockers and springs doesn't have a clue about the 5.0. I hope it winds up working out for you.

Mustangbelle306 · 01-22-2002, 09:41 PM

Unit, usually I'd agree with you, but I have to say that I'm not too worried about it, since we discussed this combo for almost a year, and the fact that I'm running these heads was a LAST MINUTE decision that was purely financial. The cam we selected was meant to be run with either TFS or AFR heads and 1.6 rockers....at the very least World Product irons...

That was more of a boo boo on my part...I should have waited until I could pick up the heads, but I insisted they just fiinish the engine, and I would make sure I didn't overrev it for now. I have known these people for 2 years, so trust really isn't the issue..its more of them stalling bc they aren't sure what's wrong.

1BAD89 · 01-23-2002, 12:36 PM

Same exact thing happend to me. Had an engine built and the engine builder put in brand new valve seals, and new valves,springs, etc...it still had AOLT of power, it just smoked really bad. So put new valve seals in the Trick flows, and it doesn't use any oil, and it doesn't smoke at all. You might want to check the valve seals out, as the ones on my heads were brand spanking new. I am not sure to why they slipped down the valve, but a different brand cured the problem.

Mustangbelle306 · 01-23-2002, 01:41 PM

I think what you guys are saying is correct...it would seem to be something not TOO major (since not sluggish) but something more internal than a gasket (since its coming out the pipes). I'm going to go ahead and take her back in once I get her back down, and if it is the seals, I'm going to park her until I get the heads, then push them to do the head install for free...I really think this is something they should have caught...I paid for a thorough check, etc etc.

Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'll let you know what happens!

01-22-2002, 08:59 AM	#1
Mustangbelle306 Yay for Chickys Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,532	Rant about Wasted Money and Bad Workmanship!!! I am soooo pissed!!!!!!! I don't know if most of you are aware of how long and how much money it has teken me to build my 306...but after all the problems with money, and finally get her finished, the damn thing is burning oil almost as much as before with my bad rings and seals! I keep taking the stupid car back to the machine shop, and they keep feeding me BS. They are nice people, but quite frankly I think they have no idea what is going on with it. First time they told me it was because I was running a chrome breather on my Motorsport valve cover so they CHARGED me for a stock oil cap, and SURPRISE! still spillage and burning. Sooooo...back in she goes, and this time the suspected culprit is the PCV valve...replaced twice, still burning and spillng oil. Now I might not know much about the engine, but after trying to inspect what's giong on myself, due to the oil covering the back if the intake, I'm thinking its either STILL the PCV, or maybe the new idiot mechanic installed the intake gasket incorrectly, and its leaking from there. I know it isn't something major, because the car is NOT down on power AT ALL, and I haven't even been able to really get on it due to my current suspension issues. I'm just so annoyed that after all this drama and waiting, I'm still looking ghetto with smoke flowing out my pipes and smelling like burnt oil... On a side note, when my fiance's Beretta was surging, he requested that they take a quick look at the engine before he had to drive back the 400+ miles to NJ. So what do they do? Start pulling wires off the distributorless 3100 engine WHILE its running, and annouce that he needs new valves....the real problem? A wire arcing against the header.... Kinda reduces your confidence a bit eh?? She's currently parked in Jersey, but once I get her back down here and back to the shop....if they don't fix it this time...their 12 month warranty agreement is going to be shown to my lawyer...and I wlll make them foot the bill to someone else to figure out what's wrong with the engine THEY built. Grrr....

01-22-2002, 09:48 AM	#2
PKRWUD Junior Member Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: Ventura, California Posts: 8,981	Might want to make sure they installed the baffle in the intake, and have a clean filter screen below the PCV valve. Take care, -Chris __________________ Webmaster: Rice Haters Club Jim Porter Racing Peckerwoods Pit Stop Support Your Local RED & WHITE!

01-22-2002, 10:46 AM	#3
Dark Knight Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1998 Location: Az Posts: 854	back intake gasket might have slipped out too... you'd smell the burning oil when it drips down on the exhaust...easy to look for that though __________________ 84 convt,roller 302,AFR's, performer 3.55's, underdrives BBK shorties stock cam, 1.7's 13.58@102.84 and a '68 stang .. project 8 sec street car... 557 big block + N20 :-) http://members.cox.net/darkknight302/68nwrear.jpg

01-22-2002, 11:22 AM	#4
Dark_5.0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Staging lane Posts: 4,337	Sounds like a problem I was having with my car.............On mine it was the valve seals took a lot of work before I figured it out. Good Luck __________________ 92' LX-Big brakes, Lots and lots of suspension, GT40X heads, Ported cobra intake, stock cam, Vortech SC trim. 00' Lightning-Stock 88'CRX-13 second ego killer

01-22-2002, 12:07 PM	#5
jonnyk Being stroked is great Join Date: Oct 1998 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 772	Valve seals are a bit easier to diagnose. Oil pouring out the back on hot starts, or after idling for a while and then hitting the gas you get a big plume of smoke. __________________ Novi 2000 now spinning off the snout of the 331... Mods Pics

01-22-2002, 12:27 PM	#6
Mustangbelle306 Yay for Chickys Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,532	well the temporary heads ARE used, but I paid the bastards to check them out and do a valve job, so I would HOPE they would have caught that ya know... !@#$%&

01-22-2002, 04:32 PM	#7
whiterod Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: zachary, la Posts: 73	i tell you what belle, some mechanics will try to get away with what they can, and if they don't know what the problem is they will not admit not knowing. Don't get me wrong there are some real good and honest mechanics out there, its just the few that give them a bad name if you said it is coming from the pipes it is definately internal, not a gasket problem, i would guess the seals also. I wish you luck on your dealings with these "mechanics" but if it is leaking get rid of the cork gaskets on the intake and just use black rtv, it works much better!! __________________ GT-40X(58cc)heads, cobra upper&lower, FMS 65mm TB, 75mm Bullet, 24# injectors, 190 lph fuel pump, moroso cold air intake, BBK 1 5/8 equal length headers, flowmaster cat back, 1.7 cobra rockers, crane 2031, T5Z gear box, centerforce dual friction, mcleod bullet proof bellhousing, 3.55 gears, hurst billet shifter with over 193,000 miles. thanks to all who contributed

01-22-2002, 09:12 PM	#8
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	Belle, any mechanic who will assemble a .550 lift cam on stock used rockers and springs doesn't have a clue about the 5.0. I hope it winds up working out for you.

01-22-2002, 09:41 PM	#9
Mustangbelle306 Yay for Chickys Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,532	Unit, usually I'd agree with you, but I have to say that I'm not too worried about it, since we discussed this combo for almost a year, and the fact that I'm running these heads was a LAST MINUTE decision that was purely financial. The cam we selected was meant to be run with either TFS or AFR heads and 1.6 rockers....at the very least World Product irons... That was more of a boo boo on my part...I should have waited until I could pick up the heads, but I insisted they just fiinish the engine, and I would make sure I didn't overrev it for now. I have known these people for 2 years, so trust really isn't the issue..its more of them stalling bc they aren't sure what's wrong.

01-23-2002, 12:36 PM	#10
1BAD89 Tubbed and Juiced Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Posts: 1,861	Same exact thing happend to me. Had an engine built and the engine builder put in brand new valve seals, and new valves,springs, etc...it still had AOLT of power, it just smoked really bad. So put new valve seals in the Trick flows, and it doesn't use any oil, and it doesn't smoke at all. You might want to check the valve seals out, as the ones on my heads were brand spanking new. I am not sure to why they slipped down the valve, but a different brand cured the problem.

01-23-2002, 01:41 PM	#11
Mustangbelle306 Yay for Chickys Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,532	I think what you guys are saying is correct...it would seem to be something not TOO major (since not sluggish) but something more internal than a gasket (since its coming out the pipes). I'm going to go ahead and take her back in once I get her back down, and if it is the seals, I'm going to park her until I get the heads, then push them to do the head install for free...I really think this is something they should have caught...I paid for a thorough check, etc etc. Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'll let you know what happens!