My motor is fried. Anyone ever been down this road?

I paid this mechanic $2300+ to do a cam swap. After having the work performed, I put a few hundred miles on the car driving it back and forth to the guys shop 3 times because the car didn't run right. It was hickuping, stalling, bucking and generally running like sh*t. He told me not to worry about driving it, that it wasn't causing any harm to the engine. After my 3rd trip down to see him to correct the drivability issues, it still didn't run right. He told me to bring it back a 4th time and leave the car for him all day so he could tune the computer from scratch. Well, I never had the opportunity because the next day, I was idling though traffic waiting for the light to turn green when the car started ticking violently & then it stalled a second later. I pushed it out of the street and called a tow truck before calling the mechanic.

He told me to bring it down to have the warruntee work done, but when I got there, he said it was a rod knock and that it had nothing to do with the work he performed. I took it for a second opinion and found out that there was no rod knock, the ticking was from a broken valve spring which was in two pieces when the second mechanic pulled the valve cover. The valve dropped down the guide into the combustion chamber. I phoned the mechanic who did the work and he told me he'd fix it. I reluctantly brought my baby back to him only to have him point the finger in another direction and tell me the rocker arm failed. (I know, it didn't make any sense to me either.... why would the valve spring be broken) He won't take responsibility and I'm out an engine on my 2001 Z06 with only 30K miles. She should have plenty of life left in her.

I'm at the point of pulling all my hair out over this. I never should have touched the damn thing. It was fine the way it was. I wake up almost every night so infuriated I can hardly fall back to sleep some times. I don't know what to do.

 

may be he screwed up the cam install and that's why it ran like crap. Post some pictures if you can. Was the rocker broken? Not to add fuel to the fire but 2300 is a bit high for a cam install unless my pricing is a bit old. Sorry about your trouble it sucks but don't look back and kick yourself in the head thousands of cams have been done successfully. If he is at fault nail him.

 

I'd recommend a couple of things ....

1) Obviously this "mechanic" should be avoided, so please post his name (and/or shop name) so the rest of us in No. Cali can avoid him

2) start documenting everything you can in case you need to go to court on this. Pictures, statement from other mechanic who saw the broken valve spring, copies of work orders showing you took the car back several times for "driveability" issues, paperwork from cam maker showing there should be no driveability issues with the cam ... whatever you can do to show the problems started with the cam install and that it was obviously done incorrectly.

Good luck .... Steve

 

there is a reason that the rocker arm and spring both broke. And it ran like crap. I would say that he is probably some old school mechanic who thinks he knows everything about sbc but doesnt have a clue about ls1's. And I bet he adjusted the valvetrain wrong. If rockers are to tight would cause them to open to much and could break both. Also would keep valves open to long and car would run llike crap and make no power. I dont know what all mods you have, but I would ask him how he adjusted the lifter preload. Dont let him touch it and measure the rocker arms and then measure others and see how far down they were torque. Then torque one to gm spec and see how far down it was torqued. Compare the two and see if he overtorqued. Or better yet take it to another mechanic and have him do this, His testimony will mean more in court than yours will. Also look at the top of the valve and retainer and see if the rocker arm has bottomed out on the retainer. Check under the rocker arm for the same thing. Also call comp and tell them what happened and ask them for advice, im sure if someone has broke one they wouldve heard about it and would know why. Did the heads ever come off?

 

here is what happend to me. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1538415

 

My sympathies, try calling the Bureau of Automotive Repair see what they say. I would tell the guy I was going to do it. I hear they can be a pain in the @ss and can cause some grief for this guy.

Rick

 

did you ever find out if the springs were bogus/used?

 

well I sent the springs back to comp and they said that they would look at them. They said they would call me about the refund but I haven't heard anything yet. I put the new set on and have hit 6000 many times and pulled the valve covers many times and so far so good. BUT, I'm nervous about the single spring now so I bought a set of Patriot Golds. I haven't installed them yet.

 

If you ever hear anything, please post up. thanks and sorry to have hijacked the thread.

 

Yeah, first of all, I think I paid too much too. I was originally quoted much less, but somehow, it ended up being more.

"may be he screwed up the cam install and that's why it ran like crap. Post some pictures if you can. Was the rocker broken? Not to add fuel to the fire but 2300 is a bit high for a cam install unless my pricing is a bit old."

Yeah, he screwed it up alright. No, the rocker was fine.

"1) Obviously this "mechanic" should be avoided, so please post his name (and/or shop name) so the rest of us in No. Cali can avoid him"

I want to send out a precaution to everyone so they aren't d*cked over like me, but I want to get this whole thing settled first. Once it's done, everyone will know who not to go to for any work on their car.

"2) start documenting everything you can in case you need to go to court on this. Pictures, statement from other mechanic who saw the broken valve spring, copies of work orders showing you took the car back several times for "driveability" issues, paperwork from cam maker showing there should be no driveability issues with the cam ... whatever you can do to show the problems started with the cam install and that it was obviously done incorrectly."

Great advice, already done.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, with any luck, this scumbag will realize what goes around comes around.

 

Hey man, what cam do you have?

 

It's only a 224/228 .578/.591 114/lsa cam

 

what length pushrods did the guy use?

 

send everything certified mail to him

 

I don't know, my receipt only lists a camshaft package.

 

To who?

 

Dont let that mechanic get away with it. hes giving you the full run around to avoid taking the responsibility.

i dont think you should let him attempt to fix it, hes obviously incompetent with LS1 motors. Get it done by a corvette shop. get proof that the valvetrain geometry was incorrect then take him to court and sue him for all damages.

ps-comp 918s are good for up to .600 lift cams if installed correctly.

 

to the mechanics business make all discussions in writing. When you write something take time to read it and have others review it to pin him to his failures. Be prepared for court as you write to him.

 

Early comp 918s had a problem with breaking. This could be what coused the prob totaly. spring breaks, tencion falls off the valve, valve stem keepers fall out, valve drops, hits piston. and bam! Before bashing the guy in public. How old were the springs? Did you buy them new? could of ran like crap cous the valve spring was broke soon after the install.

 

Yes, Comp had trouble with this but it has been about 6-7 years ago. We use Comp 918 springs in most of the cam swaps that we do at the shop and have never had any problems. In one of my personal vettes I'm running a G5X3 cam with the 918 springs. last year I had this car tuned by LGM and it had 521 rwhp with 100 shot of nos and I drive it hard when I drive it. Now as for your problem after they installed the cam and tighten the rocker bolts down if they did not turn the motor over a few times and double check the rock bolts I seen them back off causing a miss, back fire and all kinds of trouble. good luck