Ram 1500.. I'm being taken.. Partially my fault.

Long story.
I have always had that tapping sound with start ups. Let it idle and it goes away.. mostly if not completly.
One day I was idling and was at operating temps. All of a sudden the truck (engine) begins to shake a little and I hear what sounds like a push rod tapping the right side I have around 240,000 miles so I figure something let loose in there. I should have opened it up..
I found a shop that is around 100 miles from me that has an "unbelieveable" price on a rebuilds with instalation.
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/3709306812.html

My truck has NEVER overheated. I have had several leaks that I fixed and NEVER used "green" .
I am being told that I lost a valve seat when it "overheated" and it ruined my "headS (that's both)" so it's $2500 plus the heater hoses I asked them to change while they were in there. I was supposed to get a report as to what they found before they worked on it and never heard from them. I never signed any paperwork. They claim that the work is done and they are running the engine to make sure it is right.. I think I am a victim of a scam.

 

My best advice would be get a lawyer and another mechanic. The other mechanic is to verify their work. This is in the long run going to cost you more than $2500 dollars. But, if you are lucky just getting having a lawyer contact them will solve it.

Something I learned from having lawyers in the family, often just sending a letter sent on a legal companies letterhead is enough to scare most people into being honest.

 

If you got a rebuilt motor installed for $2500....you got a DEAL.

 

IF he got a rebuilt motor installed.

I do want to mention it would be uncommon but not unheard of to have a localized overheating issue related to just 1 cylinder.

 

In our earlier conversation I informed him that I found it impossible to have 2 heads go bad when one seat fell out. He had also told me that the crank "was bad". I asked how?? He said the metal fell into the pan from the piston.. I told him that was a joke. Then I just had to let him know that I used to be ASE certified for over 15 years in engine repair and what he was telling me was not what was happening to my engine. I am in no way saying I know everything but this guy was looking to say whatever he could to get the additional $500 from the origional quoted estimate, which is also in his ad. We hung up with him saying it is his dad that does the repairs and he would talk to him to find out exactly what is going on. This also sent me into a frenzy. Why is he telling me sh!p that makes no sense and expecting me to believe it??
So he just called back.. His dad said it only had one bad head. I then say.. .. ok?.. Then he starts nameing off all the parts they installed. He tells me they changed the radiator because it was really nasty inside. Then I hear him (sounds like he covered the phone) ask in spanish if "they changed the radiator". Comes back on and says yea, they changed it. I hadn't questioned it.. I thought they changed it because they said it would be in the ad.
So finally after the dust settled and I calmed down a little I dreadfully asked how much the total is. $2300.. He says it's ready to pick up and they only take cash or debit. Hmmm.. I was hopeing to be able to use a credit card.

 

Maybe I am not reading it all correctly....but having read the ad, and saying what they do for that price.....sounds like you got a deal. Maybe I am missing something???

 

It's a deal too good to be true.. Notice the mention of "if your block is crack". Once my truck was there it seems that was all they wanted to say. They repetedily mentioned my block in our conversations. He kept saying "when my engine overheated" or "when it overheated". My engine never has overheated. I decided to do a rebuild because it sounded like I lost a push rod. My engine has none so I was unsure what could have come loose but I know it was not due to overheated. I have 240,000 miles so mileage was a major factor for me in deciding to just get it rebuilt instead of tearing into it.. especially at $2000.

 

SOUNDS LIKE A TYPICAL LOW BUDGET REPAIR JOB! they charge teh daylights out of you then only fix the one thing they find wrong then put it back together calling it rebuilt.

I say you got RIPPED how is it that your heads went out when your truck was running fine and it never over heated.

in california they can NOT do any repairs on your vehicle unless you sign a contract allowing them to repair "the problem" they probably werent reporting your repair on the books. thats why they want cash or debit. but then again nowadays people are scandalous about cancelling checks and reversing payments on there credit card cheating shops out of there money.

you should always check out the shop before having any major repair work done.

my dad paid an unbelievable deal on a transmission "rebuild" ($900) picked it up ready to go and it wouldnt shift out of first gear and they tried to say it was fine. after complaining more and threatening with the bureau of automotive repair they "fixed it" then it wouldnt shift out of first gear until like 35 mph so long story short my dad was milked out of $1700 in the end since he didnt listen and never spoke up he got burned for a transmission that when finally done half way right went out 3 months later

its no surprise that shop is no longer in business but theyll reopen under someone elses name and scam as many more people as they can.

I say have another mechanic look at it and contact a lawyer they can be sued for the money you paid them (givin you have a receipt showing they worked on your truck if not suck it up and move on your SOL ) and the money you had to pay someone else to fix it right I believe

those guys just thought you were the average consumer that doesnt know any better and was taking you for a ride on the milk wagon

is your truck in running and driving order now?

 

I will find out tomorrow if it is actually "rebuilt" and see what all they did. It's 97.7 miles from me right now..
He said it was bored 20 over and rebuilt completly from the inside. So far he is saying I got what is in the ad BUT there has been no mention about the coolant tank. The ad says I get one. Mine is about a year old.. I seen steam coming from a seam around the filler neck so I bought one at the dealer. That alone was like $150..

 

Im looking for Comet GT parts. I have a 1973 Im trying to restore. do you have any parts?

 

The parts I have are not for sale..yet
Try placing an ad here
http://mmb.maverick.to/forumdisplay.php?f=14

 

:sorry:...to hear about your situation...

 

Another thing that I wonder about is wether or not I am actually getting MY motor back. When I called Wednesday they had not started working on it.. I wonder if there is a way to know if I am getting my block back..

 

not if you didn't put an identification mark on it...I always mark the block, heads and crank before I drop the motor off.

 

Wasn't there anyone closer than a hundred miles away?
I won't deal with them, just on the grammar of their ad alone.
Is it like a professional shop? Did you sign anything to allow them to work on your truck? Trying to sue them is just more of a waste of money, even if you get a judgement, they may just disappear...and you'll never get anything, plus be out the money you spent to sue them...plus..they've got your truck, you may never see it again..