Defy Concealment
New member
Hey guys, I am having my first experience with some warranty issues relating to a remanned short block 22re I got for my 86 recently.
So I find a motor from a local company (who shall remained unnamed for now) for about $1000. Seemed like a good deal and the guy seemed trustworthy enough over the phone so I bought the motor.
Well I spent the next month or so slowly removing the old motor, swapping parts, ect... to get the new motor ready for drop in. (I only get about one day a week to work on the thing so it took me a while.)
Well, I finally drop the new motor in and get it ready for the first start up. I start to fill it with fluids when I notice a small coolant leak dropping to the ground just behind the front axle.
Well after some digging around I discover that the freeze plug on the back of the block on the INSIDE of the bell housing was leaking. I have pictures and video from one of those scope cameras to confirm this. Under no pressure the plug dripped every minute or so, but under pressure the thing practically sprayed fluid like a super soaker :frusty:
So, realizing that I am now going to have to drop the tranny to get to the stupid thing I call the company. They offer to send me a new freeze plug.
So here is my question, do I have a right to be pissed off that their way to fix the problem is to send me a 2 dollar part? I get that warranties usually cover just parts, but this wasn't a motor thats been driven for 6 months and developed a problem. this stupid thing came right from their floor with a defect that basically costed me another weekend out of my life (I also ended up having to skip a gunshow I was going to vend at to fix the thing which equaled to roughly a couple grand of lost income, but I suppose thats besides the point)
unfortunately thats not the end of the story. I dropped the tranny, replaced the plug and got the engine up and running. I was fairly happy with it besides some valve clatter (which was expected as I set the valves cold when the engine was still outside the truck) Well I drove it around for a few days (following the recommended break in procedures of the cam, and the engine itself) and re adjusted the valves following the lce tutorial I found online (with a hot engine). I put the thing back together and still have clatter from the very back of the head. I figured I screwed something up and the next day I re did all the valves making everything tighter than I did the day before. Literally zero change. Smooth in the front of the head, tons of clatter coming from the very back. I even did the test of loosening the valve cover to make sure it wasn't causing the problem.
I have no idea what the issue is concerning that. Still digging into it.
On top of all that, yesterday I drove to roseville and back (about an hour drive) and when I parked the truck I noticed it started dripping quite a bit of oil on the ground (like a softball size puddle in the time it took me to get out of the car and walk ten feet away).
I spent about 20 minutes looking around trying to figure out the source. Well I am pretty much certain that the oil is coming from inside the bell housing. which I'm assuming means the rear main has failed or something. Going to look into it more tonight. (Rear main was installed when I bought the block btw...)
So what should/can I do? I am hesitant to call the guy again just yet, as I am pretty certain he will just offer to give me a free rear main and a middle finger. No idea what he will say about the valve clearance issue.
I am not looking to sue anyone or anything like that, but I am just pissed and have basically zero confidence in this motor anymore. should I leave a bad review and walk away? Should I blast him on social media and forums like this one? Or am I being a precious little snowflake and should take my free rear main and suck it up? :nono:
Thanks for letting me rant guys :argue:
So I find a motor from a local company (who shall remained unnamed for now) for about $1000. Seemed like a good deal and the guy seemed trustworthy enough over the phone so I bought the motor.
Well I spent the next month or so slowly removing the old motor, swapping parts, ect... to get the new motor ready for drop in. (I only get about one day a week to work on the thing so it took me a while.)
Well, I finally drop the new motor in and get it ready for the first start up. I start to fill it with fluids when I notice a small coolant leak dropping to the ground just behind the front axle.
Well after some digging around I discover that the freeze plug on the back of the block on the INSIDE of the bell housing was leaking. I have pictures and video from one of those scope cameras to confirm this. Under no pressure the plug dripped every minute or so, but under pressure the thing practically sprayed fluid like a super soaker :frusty:
So, realizing that I am now going to have to drop the tranny to get to the stupid thing I call the company. They offer to send me a new freeze plug.
So here is my question, do I have a right to be pissed off that their way to fix the problem is to send me a 2 dollar part? I get that warranties usually cover just parts, but this wasn't a motor thats been driven for 6 months and developed a problem. this stupid thing came right from their floor with a defect that basically costed me another weekend out of my life (I also ended up having to skip a gunshow I was going to vend at to fix the thing which equaled to roughly a couple grand of lost income, but I suppose thats besides the point)
unfortunately thats not the end of the story. I dropped the tranny, replaced the plug and got the engine up and running. I was fairly happy with it besides some valve clatter (which was expected as I set the valves cold when the engine was still outside the truck) Well I drove it around for a few days (following the recommended break in procedures of the cam, and the engine itself) and re adjusted the valves following the lce tutorial I found online (with a hot engine). I put the thing back together and still have clatter from the very back of the head. I figured I screwed something up and the next day I re did all the valves making everything tighter than I did the day before. Literally zero change. Smooth in the front of the head, tons of clatter coming from the very back. I even did the test of loosening the valve cover to make sure it wasn't causing the problem.
I have no idea what the issue is concerning that. Still digging into it.
On top of all that, yesterday I drove to roseville and back (about an hour drive) and when I parked the truck I noticed it started dripping quite a bit of oil on the ground (like a softball size puddle in the time it took me to get out of the car and walk ten feet away).
I spent about 20 minutes looking around trying to figure out the source. Well I am pretty much certain that the oil is coming from inside the bell housing. which I'm assuming means the rear main has failed or something. Going to look into it more tonight. (Rear main was installed when I bought the block btw...)
So what should/can I do? I am hesitant to call the guy again just yet, as I am pretty certain he will just offer to give me a free rear main and a middle finger. No idea what he will say about the valve clearance issue.
I am not looking to sue anyone or anything like that, but I am just pissed and have basically zero confidence in this motor anymore. should I leave a bad review and walk away? Should I blast him on social media and forums like this one? Or am I being a precious little snowflake and should take my free rear main and suck it up? :nono:
Thanks for letting me rant guys :argue:
