Do you think I got screwed, or is it just part of the hobby?

[moparmade43]

Ok guys, after a few weeks in limbo, I have finally heard back from the machine shop. They have disassembled and checked the shortblock out. The first thing he says is "We didn't find anything terribly wrong, but your bearings don't look too good". So I say "So what was the noise I was hearing? The Knocking?" He says, "Well your bearings don't look good at all, especially the mains, they are scored pretty bad. And the crank needs turned .010". Wow, think that could be the noise I heard guys? So then I asked him about the oil consumption and the cylinders. The ones that were visibly scuffed and had the 29% leakdown in the #1 cylinder. He tells me that he put accidently put low-tension oil rings in it.

Now, I am asking you guys, because I have no experience with these type of oil rings, but could that cause the compression rings to not seat if that much oil was getting past them, resulting in my high leakdown?

So, in summary, the oil usage is because he put low tension oil rings in the engine, which he said is most likely the problem. So I need all new rings, the block re-honed, and I'm still not comfortable they'll do it right. Also, back to the dirt in the rod and main bearings and the fubar'd crank. I said I don't see how you can expect me to pay for any of this machine work when the rest of the engine looks perfectly fine. In my opinion the block was dirty when they put it together to have that much dirt and scoring between the bearings and crank, but the cam, valvetrain, etc. that I assembled, and sees the same oil, was fine. Then he asks if that block was bead blasted, which it was after he looked in his records, and I said it looks like they didn't get the block cleaned out good. So I told him that I don't see how any of this is on me, and it's their fault. I asked him to think it over and come up with a plan and DONT DO ANYTHING until he calls me after Christmas to discuss.

So, the saga continues. Merry Christmas guys

Will

P.S. The cylinder scuffing still bothers me, even though he tells me everything Mic'd out ok...

 

[Mr Hemi]

Good Luck, Pull it apart and do a proper analysis. Then go talk to him.

 

[1MeanA]

...The first thing he says is "We didn't find anything terribly wrong, but your bearings don't look too good". ...

He's got an odd definition of terribly wrong. I still don't think they really know what went wrong. Even if they fix it (new bearings, rings, hone, crank regrind, block cleaning, oil pump, etc.) I'd strip it down and check it myself afterwards. If they won't cover the costs I sure has heck wouldn't pay them to fix it.

 

[earthmover]

well ive been down this road myself paid a shop(well known) to build my 340 years ago and picked it up nobody could tell me what gas to run so had to wait got that fig. out, installed it with everything that i told the shop i had and paid them almost4000.00 took car to the track damn thing wouldnt get out its own way..look through my paper work no warr. on something thats hi performance damn im stuck..took it apart and to another shop to check machine work..bores are not true,head cc was way off, was chagered over 300.00 for a comp cam and lifters,was told i needed eagle h beams rods for 500hp thats 550.00.anyway got all the parts back from the 2nd shop build it myself and my son,with a little tune it ran ok 7.44 in the 1/8 mile..so if they do get it fixed your lucky...