Need tech/builders help. 3k miles spun rod

[oneloveGT86]

Hello guys i am in sticky situation.. So i recently got my frs back from a performance shop here in San diego, CA. I got my engine rebuilt with cp pistons 12:5 comp and king bearings and arp headstuds the rest is oem. 3k miles daily driven no track or drifting since i got it back and i threw a rod. I towed it to the shop and they told me i was out of oil i only had 1/2 qt at 3000 miles. This performance shop had broken it in and gave it to me after it was all "good and done". I called the shop back 2 weeks after i dropped it off because they were not giving me calls back to inform me what was going on. When i called the owner, he told me he added 4 qts of oil and 30 seconds later my engine seized up and welded itself together as in "hot shot" or aka "oil starvation" asked me if i changed my oil at 1000 miles and i told him no iwas planning to do my oil change at 3500. He said i needed to do a oil change at 1000 miles. He never told me that i needed to do an oil change, plus i shouldn't have to do an oil change after be broke it in and did another cycle of oil change. He said he would call me back and update after he opened up the block. 2 weeks have gone by and nothing again. I went in to the shop a d confronted the owner, what was going on with the frs! He told me he sent the block to some motorsports for checking and according to them his build had nothing to do why my car burned so much oil and threw a rod. So now he is throwing numbers how much is would be to get it running. (Note i am under his 6 month warranty) i asked him if his warranty would go in effect he said no because the work he did had nothing to do with the problem that it was ny fault for not changing the oil at 1ooo miles. I do not have another 7000$ to invest into the engine itself..i know this is not right. I need help, any input or direction to point me at would be appreciated. A fellow 86 owner is calling for help and advice. Thank you all in advance!

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[Trust86]

Whats the name of the shop so everyone else knows not to go there..
As far as your situation goes, read the warranty word for word. He has to have his "warranty" written down somewhere. Try to work with him and let him know your situation, if not be firm. If that doesn't work, bring up the idea of dealing with him legally and see what happens.

[strat61caster]

Happens all the time and one side of the story can easily paint one picture, the other side another picture and even when you get both stories the truth is still elusive to outsiders.

imo you've got two options, put the shop on blast deal with the ugliness of the fallout and hope that they make good either refunding or paying another shop to complete the build (if what you say is true and they have sold you a fualty product why would you have them sell you another?) OR you eat the cost as many many others do, get your engine back lesson learned that small shops can do lots of damage and pick someone more reputable.

Do not count out that the shop can show up and successfully make you the bad guy in this scenario, it's happened before and without evidence (written, recorded, photographed) you have zero defense.

A read that might interest you, good thing you're only out $7k and a replacement FA20 is in the $4k region iirc.

http://jalopnik.com/owner-says-18k-e...-tw-1029580432

[oneloveGT86]

According to the shop they sent my block out to some other subaru specialist and according to them it had nothing to do with the shops rebuilt. I am going to go to the shop to see the report. I do not think any of you would be happy to get your car back and 3000 miles later ot shuts off on you and you end up throwing a rod... If he broke it in he should have changed the oil before giving it back to me .. On the invoice clearly states that he used 2 oil filters stating he did change my oil. Something in his rebuilt went wrong, and he put it on me that i didnt change the oil at 1k miles. Also when i got the car back he gave it to me with a rough start. When i would turn it on it would idle up too 2.5k rpm and back down to 5oo rpm, sometimes even shut off, he did not know what was causing that. He told me if i had any more problems to take it back.when i took it to the shop they plugged in there snap On obd|| reader to check if i had flashed or ran a tune or e85 something but i came out good. When they took off the keys from the igniton the motor stayed on. Dash and cluster lights were off but motor stayed on.. Yes he even revved it up and it responded back. That had never happened to the car till he plugged in that reader. Now he is making numbers on how much its going to run me to get it up and running. He told me since his rebuilt had nothing to do with the problem that his warranty wouldnt cover anything due to it being " my fault " also when i went in he didnt know what he was talking about. He started mentioning that i was running a 91.5 cp piston i didnt even know that according to him before i got the work done it was the same piston just better quality. (86mm)

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[FirestormFRS]

Please don't be offended by the following statements:

1. Hire a lawyer

2. You don't seem like you know a lot about cars and therefore this guy is taking advantage of that. Hire a lawyer.

3. Let him know that you're hiring a lawyer. It will be cheaper for him to fix it and make it right than it will for him to pay a lawyer and then fix it.

4. His warranty has to stipulate the requirement of the oil change after 1k miles to void the coverage. Hire a lawyer.

5. May wanna contact an attorney. Sometimes a simple letter from your lawyer putting him on notice that you plan to pursue it in civil court is enough to make people at least negotiate.

6. Hope he's not registered as some LLC that can just lose a lawsuit then file bankruptcy.

7. Make sure to name and shame him on all the tuner frequented boards if he doesn't at least eat most of the cost.

[oneloveGT86]

@FirestormFRS sorry i am at work and had to write it quick bro

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[pantdino]

Read the warranty carefully, or post it here if you are not sure you can understand the legalize.


What he SAID to you means absolutely, precisely nothing. Only what is in writing matters.


If the engine had only 1/2 qt at 3000 mi and there is no apparent place for all the oil to have gone, then most likely the engine was underfilled at the last fill at their shop. (Or they are flat out lying to you that it was low, or all the oil blew out thru the hole in the block and they are lying to you about where it went.) Once upon a time there were old, worn out Jag engines that could burn a quart of oil every 500 miles, but that's not what you have.


As Firestorm said, unless the warranty stipulates the oil must be changed at 1K, it does not matter if he said that to you.


I think the only way he could not be liable would be if there were language similar to "high performance racing engine, no warranty expressed or implied" in the paperwork


But I would not recommend talking to a lawyer- your attorney fees will equal the cost of the engine and you won't be ahead.


In CA you can sue for up to 8-10K or so in Small Claims Court. I sued someone who T-boned my son's car in a parking lot then claimed that my son hit THEM. (Somehow made his car go sideways into the front of their car?)


IIRC it was $75 filing fee. This guy is full of shit and is trying to take advantage of your lack of knowledge of cars. A judge will see that and award you damages to fix your engine.


I think you should give us the name of the shop, just so people can be aware.

[oneloveGT86]

It sais the image is too big...

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[humfrz]

Yep, I agree with the above posters ...... you and the shop owner needs to go to court.

And, I just hate dealing with things in court. The only time I've been in court (personally) was when my ex wife, who ran off, came back and took ...... "the bigger half" .....


humfrz

[oneloveGT86]

But no where in the description of the warranty does it state anything about 1 k mile oil change... It sais the " a buyer of this product has the right to have this product serviced or repaired during the warranty period. The warranty period will be extendes for the number of whole days that the product has been out of the buyers hand" and so on

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[oneloveGT86]

@humfrz i also hate court and i also have to hate to take somebody to court but i cannot afford another 7000$..

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[steve99]

couple of things confuse me

you say in the title it spun a rod , should this be spun a rod bearing ?

then later you say it threw a rod, if it threw a rod generally their will be a big hole in block and oil will piss out everywhere.

when you itilially took it to shop what were symptoms ?

1. oil pissing out everywhere
2. just a loud knocking noise
3. was the oil light on dash ?

i find it hard to believe the engine would maintain oil pressure if it only had 1/2 a quart of oil, especially in corners acceleration or braking the oil pressure switch is only a few psi but hard to see it not getting air with that little oil in engine.

if the oil did not come out a hole in the block where did it go, using that much oil it should have been blowing smoke if it did not leak out.


get a detailed report of what the shop claims when wrong.

[oneloveGT86]

I was driving home from work when the car shut off on me i got towed to toyota and from there jump started it and it turned on with a knock ... Drove it home and then got it towed to there shop. No oil light and no CEL ...he told me i was only on a 1/2 qt of oil we turned it on so he can hear the knock and he said it was a ros bearing.. He plugged in his obd2 scanner and checked what was going on... After they were done checking his tech took out the key to turn the car off as soon as he took out the key the engine maintained on ..no cluster or dash lights .. As soon as he stepped on the gas the engine revved up... He said he didnt know what was going on.. and left it at the shop 2 weeks when i can to ask what was going on with the engine they told me they added 4 qts of oil and 30 seconds after they turned it on the engine seized up at there shop ... I am waiting on the call of the report they got sent from another motorsports that checked out the block... But as always i am going to have to go in because i dont expect a call from them...

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

[steve99]

Originally Posted by oneloveGT86

I was driving home from work when the car shut off on me i got towed to toyota and from there jump started it and it turned on with a knock ... Drove it home and then got it towed to there shop. No oil light and no CEL ...he told me i was only on a 1/2 qt of oil we turned it on so he can hear the knock and he said it was a ros bearing.. He plugged in his obd2 scanner and checked what was going on... After they were done checking his tech took out the key to turn the car off as soon as he took out the key the engine maintained on ..no cluster or dash lights .. As soon as he stepped on the gas the engine revved up... He said he didnt know what was going on.. and left it at the shop 2 weeks when i can to ask what was going on with the engine they told me they added 4 qts of oil and 30 seconds after they turned it on the engine seized up at there shop ... I am waiting on the call of the report they got sent from another motorsports that checked out the block... But as always i am going to have to go in because i dont expect a call from them...

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

Toyota jump started car , sounds like battry weny completly flat thats weird maybe some electical issue as well.

That doesnt explain where 4 quarts of oil went, must have burnt it past rings if no evidance of leaks

Weird toyota did not pick up it was low on oil an no cel codes ect. no explaination of why car just died. Not sure if these cars stop on oil way overtemp or loss of oil pressure but you think it would log a cel code. but if the battery died it will have reset ecu and cleared any cel codes before anyone looked at it.

Why did you get the motor rebuilt anyway was their any issue before rebuild