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Spun bearings after mechanic replaced head gaskets, UIM and LIM

F

fju2

New member
My wife was getting mad at me for always working on cars, so I bit the bullet and had a mechanic replace the head gaskets, UIM gasket and LIM gasket. I actually took the UIM and LIM off the vehicle, and had it towed to the shop for them to finish, so I was able to inspect the UIM and LIM, and all appeared well.

I get the car back, drive it around for approximately 30 miles and then spin at least one rod bearing, or maybe even a main bearing; I haven't had a chance to tear into it to inspect, but it's definitely a spun bearing.

When I got the car, I noticed this bolt in the glove box, and thought it looked an awful lot like the LIM bolts, but figured there's no way they wouldn't have installed all bolts, so I blew it off. Well, now there's water in the oil and the engine seized.

So I ask you this: Is this a LIM bolt? Later today I'm going to disassemble and find out for sure.



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yes, but when taking those parts off, coolant is still covering the valley and down on to the rods and crank.

What sould have been done was drain the oil, fix the car, fill with oil, run for a few miles and drain again, that way all the coolant is out.
 
And to add salt in the wound, I sold it on Thursday while it was not showing any signs of problems, got a call from the guy about 2 later, saying there was a problem with the car. I went to check it out, replaced the alternator and battery, fired it up and test drove it, engine died 30 seconds later, and wouldn't turn over again. I towed it home, gave the guy his money back and here I am trying to recoup my losses.
 


Fivefingerdeathpunch said:
yes, but when taking those parts off, coolant is still covering the valley and down on to the rods and crank.
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Very true. I should have thought things through a little more when they called me to get the car because it was "done," and I ended up waiting 3 hours when I got there-- and helping them-- while they actually finished it up.

I have never gone to a mechanic before, but isn't it normal for payment to be remitted once the work is complete? They kept asking for payments while they had it, and I actually made $300 in payments along the way so they "could pay their tech." Finally, I told them I'd prefer to make the final payment once the car is done.

The night I picked it up, I wasn't sure I was going to have transportation to pick it up, but they told me payment needed to be made that night, whether I pick it up or not.


Is this normal? Seemed a bit strange to me, but then again I've never used a mechanic before.
 
I'm afraid if I take anything apart to inspect, they'll say I voided any guarantee, or that I could have done something wrong; but I'm also afraid if I take it to them, they will cover up anything they may have done wrong.

What would you do? I'm considering disassembling their repairs, except the head gasket, and documenting what I do and find in picture and video.
 


That sounds like a shady mechanic to me, did you ask any local people about shops to go to? X2 for not touching the car until you contact either an attorney or if they will fix it to your satisfaction.
 
I called them and they'er going to come see it on Monday. I didn't take anything apart, but I opened the hood and saw that the bolt I found in the inside of the vehicle is identical to the LIM bolts. I bet it's one of the sneaky LIM bolts that go inside the LIM, that are usually hidden by oil, and they forgot to put it in.
 
If you had HG's done, take a look for the new gasket and ensure it looks new. As for that bolt, sure looks like an LIM bolt from the view you took the pic. Very few other bolts on the car look like that. Based on what you had done, I'd say it's an LIM bolt. And you are very likely correct that it's one of the hidden ones.

Depending on why you wanted to do the HG's, I'd say your UIM is likely to have a crack/issue in the EGR port causing coolant to get into the intake. (that's off the guess list BTW) which if that bolt was missing inside..could have allowed coolant into the crankcase.
 
When I first bought the car, I knew it had a blown head gasket so I drained the oil immediately. It sat for about a month, until I finally removed the UIM and LIM, inspected the UIM and it looked to be in good condition, and probably even new. I then had the car towed to the mechanic's.

When I arrived to pick the car up upon completion, they came up to me before I even entered their property and asked me to go get some oil and a filter, at which time I informed them that I already purchased oil and filter and dropped it off prior, and described the person I left it with. They told me he recently quit, and must have misplaced the oil and filter. So they went to get oil and a filter, and proceeded to finish repairing the car, as I waited and even helped them. The tech that performed the repairs told me they already had the car running, which raised a red flag since they didn't have any oil in the enigne. They came back with the oil, put it in and off I went. It ran great for about 30 miles, until it finally spun a bearing.

I know they didn't drain the coolant contaminated oil in the crank case, since they asked me to go get oil and there was no oil in the engine when I got there; and I believe the tech running the engine with no oil was probably not a good idea. And the bolt? I'm willing to bet that it's one of the LIM bolts that is hidden, and likely contributed to coolant seeping in the oiling system.
 


fju2 said:
Very true. I should have thought things through a little more when they called me to get the car because it was "done," and I ended up waiting 3 hours when I got there-- and helping them-- while they actually finished it up.

I have never gone to a mechanic before, but isn't it normal for payment to be remitted once the work is complete? They kept asking for payments while they had it, and I actually made $300 in payments along the way so they "could pay their tech." Finally, I told them I'd prefer to make the final payment once the car is done.

The night I picked it up, I wasn't sure I was going to have transportation to pick it up, but they told me payment needed to be made that night, whether I pick it up or not.


Is this normal? Seemed a bit strange to me, but then again I've never used a mechanic before.
Click to expand...

100% not normal.

In response to the above post, if they ran it without oil, its shot.

Best bet is a used motor, change the LIM gaskets and leave it at that.
 
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