Forum Replies Created
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Replies
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Scott37300, thanks for the suggestion. I might just do that, but I’m also considering doing this:
1) Go back to the mechanic that hacked on my truck. I’m going to be all nice and apologetic for being worried and ask him to put what he did down on paper (That he added the stop-leak, and the rest of it).
2) Go to the Ford dealer and ask them to go over the truck. See if they think that the engine and/or components might be damaged by what the guy did. Get a repair estimate from the dealer on what it would take to repair it… my guess? ANYTHING that touches the coolant. In this truck, the tranny is, too.
I like to think I don’t ask a lot. I dealt with this guy honestly and in good faith… and he does this. I’m not a litigious person by nature, but man oh MAN, I’m strongly considering suing him for a new engine and everything that the coolant touches.
Sure, I can flush it out any number of dozens of times. But is it gonna get it all out? What about the stuff that’s been in there for this long… and that could gum up the radiator, thermostat, water pump, and at least in theory… even the transmission as it shares the coolant?
I dunno. I just don’t know how to make this right.
-Hinoki
Scott37300, thanks for the suggestion. I might just do that, but I’m also considering doing this:
1) Go back to the mechanic that hacked on my truck. I’m going to be all nice and apologetic for being worried and ask him to put what he did down on paper (That he added the stop-leak, and the rest of it).
2) Go to the Ford dealer and ask them to go over the truck. See if they think that the engine and/or components might be damaged by what the guy did. Get a repair estimate from the dealer on what it would take to repair it… my guess? ANYTHING that touches the coolant. In this truck, the tranny is, too.
I like to think I don’t ask a lot. I dealt with this guy honestly and in good faith… and he does this. I’m not a litigious person by nature, but man oh MAN, I’m strongly considering suing him for a new engine and everything that the coolant touches.
Sure, I can flush it out any number of dozens of times. But is it gonna get it all out? What about the stuff that’s been in there for this long… and that could gum up the radiator, thermostat, water pump, and at least in theory… even the transmission as it shares the coolant?
I dunno. I just don’t know how to make this right.
-Hinoki
Update:
I drove the truck to the Ford dealership on the way home.
1) He heard of Eric the Car Guy. You’re famous, Eric!
2) The Ford Mechanic, 20 years career, called BS. Agreed with everyone here that the whole point of a head gasket job is to not NEED any additives.
3) We tested the goop. It’s Stop-Leak. A whole HELL of a lot of it.
4) He cringed when he heard that this goop, in this quantity, had been in the truck for 300 miles (So far).
Then I called the Mechanic that did the work.
1) He admitted that he added the Stop-Leak.
2) Said that he does it to all the heads he replaces because it ‘Seals them faster’ and was ‘trying to get me as much life out of the engine as he could’.
3) Said that if I brought it by, that he’d be happy to flush the radiator because ‘It’s been in there long enough to do the job it needed to’.
Now I’m not sure WHAT to do. The Ford dealership IS a dealership… but they said that Stop-Leak in the quantity they saw in the overflow bottle, could easily damage things in the engine. Namely, it could plug up the water pump, thermostat, heater core, and radiator.
I’ve seen the video where Eric tears down the head gasket and points out that it doesn’t actually do anything useful.
What I desperately need to know is this:
1) IS the situation still salvageable? Can a flush get this crap out of my engine?
2) The mechanic that did the work says that it needs to be left in there, but that he’ll take it out if I want. If I leave it in there, what CAN it break, if anything?
3) If it could damage my engine, what is the best way to diplomatically resolve the situation?
Eric? You were in a shop. What would YOU do, in this case? .. ok, unfair question. You’d have fixed it yourself.
Anyone? Anyone at all have any ideas how to deal with a disreputable shop for as amicable resolution as possible?
-Hinoki
Update:
I drove the truck to the Ford dealership on the way home.
1) He heard of Eric the Car Guy. You’re famous, Eric!
2) The Ford Mechanic, 20 years career, called BS. Agreed with everyone here that the whole point of a head gasket job is to not NEED any additives.
3) We tested the goop. It’s Stop-Leak. A whole HELL of a lot of it.
4) He cringed when he heard that this goop, in this quantity, had been in the truck for 300 miles (So far).
Then I called the Mechanic that did the work.
1) He admitted that he added the Stop-Leak.
2) Said that he does it to all the heads he replaces because it ‘Seals them faster’ and was ‘trying to get me as much life out of the engine as he could’.
3) Said that if I brought it by, that he’d be happy to flush the radiator because ‘It’s been in there long enough to do the job it needed to’.
Now I’m not sure WHAT to do. The Ford dealership IS a dealership… but they said that Stop-Leak in the quantity they saw in the overflow bottle, could easily damage things in the engine. Namely, it could plug up the water pump, thermostat, heater core, and radiator.
I’ve seen the video where Eric tears down the head gasket and points out that it doesn’t actually do anything useful.
What I desperately need to know is this:
1) IS the situation still salvageable? Can a flush get this crap out of my engine?
2) The mechanic that did the work says that it needs to be left in there, but that he’ll take it out if I want. If I leave it in there, what CAN it break, if anything?
3) If it could damage my engine, what is the best way to diplomatically resolve the situation?
Eric? You were in a shop. What would YOU do, in this case? .. ok, unfair question. You’d have fixed it yourself.
Anyone? Anyone at all have any ideas how to deal with a disreputable shop for as amicable resolution as possible?
-Hinoki
Here’s the thing…
I never had oil in the coolant. I was burning coolant in cylinders 2 and 6, but the oil never mixed in with the coolant.
The heads were replaced about a week ago with new gaskets, heads and the like.
It may be leaking oil NOW, but it wasn’t when I took it to him.
Heh. Good thing I love this old truck.
-Hinoki
Here’s the thing…
I never had oil in the coolant. I was burning coolant in cylinders 2 and 6, but the oil never mixed in with the coolant.
The heads were replaced about a week ago with new gaskets, heads and the like.
It may be leaking oil NOW, but it wasn’t when I took it to him.
Heh. Good thing I love this old truck.
-Hinoki
I’m not sure I do. I checked the oil, and the oil is clean. There’s no milkshake on the dipstick, nor under the oil fill cap.
If the new gaskets were bad, wouldn’t it be in the oil pan too?
This sludge is just in the coolant bottle, and the mechanic SAID it was an additive. Me, I’m not so sure.
-Hinoki
I’m not sure I do. I checked the oil, and the oil is clean. There’s no milkshake on the dipstick, nor under the oil fill cap.
If the new gaskets were bad, wouldn’t it be in the oil pan too?
This sludge is just in the coolant bottle, and the mechanic SAID it was an additive. Me, I’m not so sure.
-Hinoki
Yeah. was thinking about getting something that wasn’t a hobby and primary transportation in the same package. 😉
The truck, like me, is old, battered, with a few chunks taken out of it for good measure. With a bit of maintenance, we’ll both make it around the block a few more times.
The truck heads to the shop on Friday, ought to have it back by Sunday afternoon. Here’s hoping things go smoothly and we don’t find any gremlins along the way.
Cheers!
-Hinoki
Yeah. was thinking about getting something that wasn’t a hobby and primary transportation in the same package. 😉
The truck, like me, is old, battered, with a few chunks taken out of it for good measure. With a bit of maintenance, we’ll both make it around the block a few more times.
The truck heads to the shop on Friday, ought to have it back by Sunday afternoon. Here’s hoping things go smoothly and we don’t find any gremlins along the way.
Cheers!
-Hinoki
Well, it’s confirmed to be a head gasket leak.
The compression is low in 4 and 5. The leak isn’t that bad now, but it’s getting worse. Fairly sure there’s a bad valve in there somewhere, too.
Looked into machine shops and at least here, it costs almost as much to machine it down as it does to REPLACE the heads. Go figure.
Anyway, it’s off to the shop. I know my limits, and as this is my only transportation.. and thus can’t afford to have it down several days whilst I muddle my way through the process, I’ll let the shop do it. New heads, new head gaskets, and since the exhaust manifolds are rusted and corroded on, those might get replaced too if a few studs snap.
Peace, all… I’ll get dirty on the next project that comes up. This one is outta my league.. for now.
-Hinoki
Well, it’s confirmed to be a head gasket leak.
The compression is low in 4 and 5. The leak isn’t that bad now, but it’s getting worse. Fairly sure there’s a bad valve in there somewhere, too.
Looked into machine shops and at least here, it costs almost as much to machine it down as it does to REPLACE the heads. Go figure.
Anyway, it’s off to the shop. I know my limits, and as this is my only transportation.. and thus can’t afford to have it down several days whilst I muddle my way through the process, I’ll let the shop do it. New heads, new head gaskets, and since the exhaust manifolds are rusted and corroded on, those might get replaced too if a few studs snap.
Peace, all… I’ll get dirty on the next project that comes up. This one is outta my league.. for now.
-Hinoki