What did the shop mess up?

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gotastuckjeep

New Member

Oct 5, 2006

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Oct 26, 2008

#1

• Oct 26, 2008

• #1

I have an 88 5.0HO GT. I have spent about two years getting title issued clear and return the car to safe for street operation. Recently I decided that I wanted more power. I already have bolt on like electric fan, headers, cold air intake, etc. We decided that it was time for a cam. The cam that they( a shop) placed in the motor was to big. It bent all the pushrods on the exhaust side of the heads. After they told me about this I was less than happy. So I said return it to stock. Now I have the car back and it runs fine on the intial startup. After heat gets to it sometimes: It while miss under light gas at about 40mph and 4th gear (tach is broken. stock gears). While in netural the oil presure gauge fails to zero and the motor dies at ideal. To reesart it you must pump the gas a couple times while turning the key. Any thoughts on what they might have done or where I should start?

 

S

slow84lx

clean it good before insertion

Jul 3, 2005

372

180

63

Dallas, TX

Oct 26, 2008

#2

• Oct 26, 2008

• #2

You might want to find a different shop to work on your engine next time. The pushrods may have gotten bent due to failure of checking piston to valve clearance when installing the camshaft. Of course, with that "big" camshaft in your otherwise stock engine it probably would not be running well either due to imcompatible parts combination.

 

vristang

15 Year Member

Mar 31, 2005

4,933

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Seattle

Oct 26, 2008

#3

• Oct 26, 2008

• #3

Time for compression and leakdown checks. There is a real possibility that other parts were damaged when the rods were bent.

Checking piston-valve clearance is part of doing a cam swap. You could take action against them, but it would still be a tough fight to get any money out of them.

Are you getting any codes from the ecu?
Having to pump the throttle to start an eec-iv system doesn't make much sense.

 

1991vert

10 Year Member

Feb 27, 2004

1,103

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Ludlow, MA

Oct 26, 2008

#4

• Oct 26, 2008

• #4

if he holds the throttle down, i believe it doesnt get any gas during startup

 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Mod Dude

Feb 18, 2001

43,252

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Massachusetts

Oct 26, 2008

#5

• Oct 26, 2008

• #5

Correct, flooring it while trying to start the car shuts off the injectors. It's what you do if you ever flood the motor

 

vristang

15 Year Member

Mar 31, 2005

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Seattle

Oct 26, 2008

#6

• Oct 26, 2008

• #6

yes, holding the throttle to the floor will cut fuel during startup...
but he is talking about 'pumping' the throttle.

I think pumping the throttle would dump fuel in it???

Still say start with the codes...

 

B

blubullett

Member

Jun 22, 2006

535

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Modesto, CA

Oct 27, 2008

#7

• Oct 27, 2008

• #7

If the pushrods were bent then all the valves were probably bent also. I would make the shop that worked on it fix it to how it was running before they worked on it. They leagally have to carry liability insurance just for reasons like this.

 

PUNISHER RACING

Active Member

Aug 27, 2007

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Oct 28, 2008

#8

• Oct 28, 2008

• #8

Get a good lawyer and then a better shop.

 

90 lx convert

Stanger

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Aug 13, 1999

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Falling Waters Wv.

Oct 28, 2008

#9

• Oct 28, 2008

• #9

OK. First, did you tell the shop what cam to use? If you did you assume some of the liability for the damage because they followed your instructions. Notice I said SOME of the liability, any REPUTABLE shop would still check valve to piston clearance. But still they did what you asked. If they chose the cam then the liability is all on them for not checking the clearances. So this is what happened, the valve clearance on the intake side was OK but the exhaust hit the piston. When that happens several things get hurt, the push rods bend, the valves bend and in an extreme case the rocker bolts are damaged. If they replaced the push rods, that's the easy part, the valves are probably still bent. That's why it runs like crap. First thing, leakdown test. That will tell you how bad. Not compression, leakdown that will tell you how much air stays in the cylinder. Good luck. Mike

 

vristang

15 Year Member

Mar 31, 2005

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Oct 28, 2008

#10

• Oct 28, 2008

• #10

90 lx convert. said:

OK. First, did you tell the shop what cam to use? If you did you assume some of the liability for the damage because they followed your instructions. Notice I said SOME of the liability, any REPUTABLE shop would still check valve to piston clearance. But still they did what you asked.

Click to expand...

I completely disagree.

There is NO EXCUSE for any shop to not check p-v clearance. Even if the customer tells the shop "It should be OK".... The shop is responsible for checking it!


Then for the shop to replace the pushrods, without making sure everything else was 100%....

Hack work at best.

Just my opinion though,
jason

 

G

gotastuckjeep

New Member

Oct 5, 2006

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Oct 29, 2008

#11

• Oct 29, 2008

• #11

I did buy the cam but it was there recomindation. The car doesnt always run bad which is what makes me think that the values may not be bent it is just at that speed and rpm combo. I can still leave black marks. Its just got me dumbfoundaled