Anybody heard of $1900 repair bill for "bad gas"?

All that stuff should be a last resort for a vehicle that was running just fine before the last fill-up. It's over-kill and a rip-off....especially what they charge per hour ($109/hr). They take advantage of people because they know the average person cannot fix it them selves and need their vehicle on the road.

Basic common sense says you try the easy solution first. If that doesn't work, then you dig deeper. That's like pulling an engine out for a full rebuild because it won't start. Gimme a break.

 

Glad to hear it! Proof again better off doing it yourself....

Agreed.

 

Agreed!

 

Straying but I've seen it happen, well engine did(had) run...

Around '82/'83 a buddy bought a '77 Granada with a 250 and O/D top loader that engine was dissembled in trunk... Owner said motor needed rebuilding, wouldn't run over 25MPH... We looked at it and found no reason for it not to run, but because block had gotten wet he decided to replace the engine with one from a Maverick(there's our tie in)... Well he didn't get a carb with the replacement so used the original & guess what ??

It wouldn't run over 25 MPH

 

Don't wanna get too far off-topic, but couldn't resist.
True story: Back in 2000, a lady with a very nice '93 Cadillac Sedan Deville could not get the engine to start. She took it to a shop (don't remember if it was dealer or independent) and was told that the engine was seized and would cost $5,000 to replace. She decided she'd rather buy a newer Caddy than spend the 5-grand on that one, so she sold it to a friend of mine for $250 (you read that right). He brought the car home and proceeded to clean the corroded battery cable to the starter. The car fired right up! And now, 15 years later, he is still driving that car.

Just another example of how mechanics are not always competent, hence my previous comment that you should always try the easy way first.

 

Hey, I got my truck back on the road so this thread has served its purpose. You guys feel free to do what you want with this thread.

I kinda like hearing some of these horror (for original owners) stories, so keep em coming.

 

I can think of a couple more that happened, one was my daughters '87 Mustang 4cyl, 5-speed...

She was moving from FL to NC and it stalled just as she pulled out of drive way, grunted but wouldn't turn over, no solenoid chatter... Well she called AAA and they tried to jump it, same thing just a grunt, wouldn't push start(drug the tires), was declared the engine was locked... So they had it towed into GA where the tow company had a lot and I made plans to go tow it home...

When I get there just a grunt, BUT I noticed crank moved as did alt and tentioner but P/S pulley was still... I pulled belt and errr, errr cranked right up, yep P/S pump locked... Rather than tow it, I rigged a P/S bypass with short belt and we drove it back to NC... No it had never been checked by a real mechanic but the major pisser was that P/S pump, I'd bought it at Western Auto approx six months prior... I raised a small degree of Hell and was compensated for my travel expenses and gas...

A even bigger pisser was probably two years later the replacement pump also locked up and she was living in IA... Luckily her father in law is also a pretty good gear head so he replaced it that go round... Her husband? As far as mechanical, couldn't pour piss out of a boot with directions on heel... BUT he can keep a major US government agency's computer systems running...

 

My other experience for mechanic of year(maybe decade?)was a Chevette I picked off the local Pontiac dealer's back lot... Turned over but cam belt wasn't moving, piece O cake I thought... Once inside I found it had a new belt with teeth ripped off, cam was locked ---- ought oh... Well cam movement could be forced, so I pulled the inspection covers(there is no real valve cover on those engines) and am met with a head gasket installed on top of head, under cam carrier(the head bolts hold head and carrier in place)... Well I squirted the cam bearings with oil and cam freed up , so I installed cam belt and it fired up... BUT there was no oil flow to the bearings or rockers...

I found a exploded view and no doubt someone removed the head bolts, pulled carrier, installed that gasket and bolted the carrier back in place... Was no evidence the head had been removed as factory paint was still on gasket between block and head... After creating a few new words for the English language, I say WTH, if someone else can pull that carrier and leave head in place, so can I... Off comes carrier and gasket (BTW there is no gasket between carrier and head, only a thin coat of RTV used)... Upon inspection I determine the oiling galley is in a different location between block and head vs head and carrier, so that gasket was blocking oil flow... Bolted it back together, fired it up and there was plenty of oil to bearings and rockers...

Now why did someone install that gasket between head and carrier? Can only speculate there was a leak between carrier and head(that a little RTV would have fixed)... I ran it for about six weeks , no coolant issue, no oil leaks, found it a new home...