Just spent £1500 quid on a complete engine re build only for it to die at the toll booths on the M6 toll road going south on the way home from Scotland. I feel completely depressed about the whole thing. Stopped at te toll booth and started to pay(the extotionate) £6.00 when it started to boil over. went through the toll with it starting to rattle and stopped on the hard shoulder. tried to restart it and there is completely no compression at all. spins over but fails to start.(keyboard at this moment is getting wet due to my tears) I am really fed up with the hole thing and wish I had never bought one right now...... Anybody any ideas.. Please.
sorry to hear that gadget ... why do you say no compression ? ..is it because of the speed it turns over at ? .. sounds serious of course ..how long had it been hot ? ..maybe a chain ? ..does it even attempt to fire ? .. lets hope we can all help.. and that it isn't terminal .... regards ... STN
Wow, bad luck, it's extra galling after spending that amount of hard earned moolah on a engine rebuild . Get yourself round to the cowboy who did it ( unless you did it yourself ! ) .
spins over but no sound of any resistance whilst turning. Unaware of it being hot until it boiled at the toll gates where i immeadiatley pulled over and switched off.
does sound as if it's dumped a chain gadget ..are you back home or not ? .. needs a compression check to make sure .. hang on ..oops which model is it ?
I remember you talking of oil pressure relief valves but not an engine re-build ? .......STN
Back home now, in Very sunny Dagenham.. Yes you are right It did have to have the oil preasure relief valve replaced, apparently there are 2 and only 1 was done as it wa broken. Last time this happened the head was skimmned and new head gasket was fitted. it was still bad so the engine was re built. I am wondering because of the re build and the head skimming were the presures of all the new components working the cause of maybe the head cracking, and not the head gasket failing. aka it now maybe needs a new head.
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DJWerkz
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Re: Bloody thing
« Reply #6 on: Aug 30th, 2005, 2:11pm »
Hi there, I came across a company called Scholar Engines who say they have plenty of experience with the Cosworth heads (if that's what you are running). I have a spare set of heads which I am going to send to them for test/analysis.
Here is their email address: scholar-engines@supanet.com
cheers mate,,,,, unfortunatley I have a 16v scorpio ultima. 2.3 saloon. pretty sure the heads are different , sorry for the sarcasim, really fed up with the car at the mo.. I am really gratefull for the suggestion though.
My first port of call would be the company that rebuilt the engine for you. They may have done everything correctly and been spot on, but you need to let them have a look first IMHO, just in case. Presumably you got a warranty on the rebuild in terms on x months/x miles?
Good luck with it, don't give up!
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Life after the Scorpio ain't easy..
DJWerkz
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Re: Bloody thing
« Reply #9 on: Aug 30th, 2005, 4:55pm »
Yes, if this eventually has to go through the legal channels because you suspect that the garage did mess something up (as was the case with my car), one thing both Trading Standards and the Courts will look for is that you gave the garage every opportunity to check the cause and to allow them a fair chance to put it right. Get the garage involved, tell them the car is a non-runner and I am sure they will arrange for it to be towed back to their premises for a full inspection. But it would be advisable to set up a formal written agreement with them in terms of who is liable for what depending on what is found, including what is the extent of any 'free' work the garage may be offering.
Your motto is "Don't let the b****rs grind you down", well go to that garage that did the rebuild and MESS with them, make them "UNDERSTAND" that they screwed up you car and make 'em pay. If sombody have messd my scorp well...there would be hell on earth for that person.
Hi gadgetmandb Sorry to read about your bad luck. For the price you paid you must have a warranty? You need to talk to who ever did it as soon as possible. Keep copies of every communications & try to talk via letters or email incase things don't go well. If the engine has been only just done & you have drove it in a sensible fashion then this should not cost you anymore money, the garage should sort it out, that's why you use a garage. One thing if you did "cook" the engine it might have little sticky things on the core plugs, this will tell the builder if the engine over heated or not. Be prepared to explain what happened as a overheating engine is often an excuse for the garage to blame you.
VAT or not ( please tell me you have an invoice or receipt or cheque stub for the work done !!) It don't negate the garage's responsibility to carry out work to the customer's satisfaction.
Look I just trying to be helpful. If makes you sick when you pay a lot of money and you get done. I not going into the mechanics, as others know more than me and will help you more. But I got to say. (have I got it right £1500, for a complete engine rebuild.) So who did that so cheap, I mean a complete engine rebuild. I presume you kept you speed down to 70 MPH which is the maxium speed you allowed to do anywhere in UK. I just bet the garage is going to say you belted it and blew up the engine. Would make it more easy if you could find out something that they did wrong, But the point I would like to make if when paying for something,( I think it £100 upwards, forgot without looking it up) no matter what you buy or pay for, pay by Visa Card. Then you claim is against The visa Card company. It up for the Bank to sort it out then not for you to have all the trouble. Its up to the bank to give you a refund or whatever. I never pay cash, because I never have any, forgot what it looks like. Last point. do you want to play dirty if you can't get it sorted. Then a letter, not a phone call that can be lost. to Customes & Excise. (look in phone book for address and tell then that you paid £1500 to and they did not give you a vat receipt and you beleive that they are avoiding paying VAT. You take it from me, that will stuff them good and proper. But at the end of the day its going to be you versue them and they are going to say you abused the engine. and you are going to say you did not. If you are in the AA or RAC what about asking their Solicitor for help. that what you pay your subscription for. Anyway best of luck and I do hope you get it sorted.
John is right, for that huge amount of money at least you can try to "convince" them to rebuild your engine, if they don't won't, than play it hard @!!! after all it's your scorp in the middle of this BIG problem.
Thanks guys, And yes you guessed it no recipt although I did have someone there when I paid up to get the car back, They didn't want to give me a invoice just a buisness card saying any probs and well sort it... I feel a mug now so try not to rub it in, I am big enough to know better. Normally I am mister over carefull.
I was going to ask if you had a witness, but I see now that you have. Good Point for you. I still not clear what the position is at this time. are they telling you to get lost or are they going to take the car back and put it right. Don't go to VAT people untill all is lost, I mean you don't want to rub them up if there is a chance that they will put it right. Going to Small Claims court will cost you around £60 or £80 to file you claim which you will lose if you lose your claim. Mind you, you will be blasted by the District Judge (sometimes called Circuit Judge for the way you have done business with them). This is what I honestly think, if it get nasty and you do go to court. Your case, you have a witness to say that he was there when you paid out a £1500. Good point for you. But that's all you have got. You have nothing in writing to say what the contract was. "Like to take in your car and do a complete engine re-build for the sum of £1500". You have no paperwork whatsoever. But the law says goods and services must be of mercantable quality and fit for the purpose. Good point for you. But the punch line is they might say the money you paid was for a lessor amount of work than a complete rebuild. And they bound to say that you must have driven the engine to harsly. Are you prepared to spend £60 or £80 more to get them into court. Beleive me when that summons arrives in the letter box, it promts people into action, up to then they are just thinking you will in the end just pack up and go away. At this time I am taking action against my Ford Main Dealer. At first they told me to go away. then they offered me £250 to go away, they reject this and that. but bit by bit they are given in to one ot two items bit by bit. trying to get a cheap as possible settlement. But I am a b****r. I like a dog with a bone who won't let go. I been back over four years to pick them up with all I know they have charged for and not done. Sorry to go on a long time but you need to know where you stand and what you can do. Ist. try being nice to then and give then the chance to take the car back.2nd. If they won't or don't want to know, you either count your losses or go for them and hope the District Judge finds in your favour with you certain lack of proof but you do have some points on you side. If you go to small claims, in you case it will turn nasty because the small claims will contact VAT and National Insurance and personal tax. Avoiding taxes is a major crime in their eyes. These departments all work the same and support each other. I only came onto this site to pass a message to someone who was having trouble with his car and asked me to let him know what it was because I had my car fixed with the same problem.
Does anyone know how much a Ford Recondition engine would be including fitting. You would then have a full 12 months guarantee, no question asked. Well unless you had something real stupid. Just interested myself in keeping abreast of prices.,
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and they did not give you a vat receipt and you beleive that they are avoiding paying VAT. You take it from me, that will stuff them good and proper. 
