Blown Engine Questions - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Frank · 10-03-2005, 05:20 PM

Hi,
Today was a bad day for me and my box.To start with,on thursday; I decided to go ahead with the head gasket and see what would happen.They did not seem happy that I did not want to replace the engine.I said,if they won't do the head job,just put the car back the way it was.He said he refuses to put it back the way it was.Today,I got a call from the owner of the shop saying he does not like me questioning his mechanic and telling him how to do his job.He said he took off the head and confirmed that the engine is blown.He sais he found the piston ring broke into many peices and the ring went through the entire engine including the exaust manifold making that entire side basically fried.(now,when I tried to start the engine whed it first happened;it sounded normal like it could start,I had no metal noises at any point or any noises to imly somehting like thid happened so if probably didn't.)He the sais he will not work on my car and wants me to come pick everything up(I kinda laugh at this point).

This is what I found on my answering machine at my office this morning.We have been communicating using my cell then entire time but I guess he didn't want to talk to me so he called my office on the weekend.

I guess this confirms that he is trying to rip me off

So,I followed up be giving him a letter (and sending a copy certified mail) saying that he took my engine out without my permision and never game me an estimate to sign(NJ law sais you must get a signed estimate to start work).Then saying I want him to put my car back together like when I brought it to him with it turning over, and call me when it is done.then saying,I will not be paying him for his time. I plan on taking this as far as necessary to get my car back and running.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions other then I'm getting screwed.

Thanks,
Frank

deliriousga · 10-03-2005, 05:57 PM

If it were me, I'd cut my losses and get it as far away from that mechanic as possible. Get the engine put in the back of a pick-up and have the car towed to the guy your dad knows for evaluation since he knows a good bit about Porsches. Keep the message on your phone and have him sign a release for you to take the car and engine at no charge. You will never get him to put the engine back in since it took him 8-9 weeks to get this far when he was hoping for a job that would pay him back for the time.

I'm with everyone else as far as trying to sell it before having it fixed properly. Nobody will buy it for a decent price while thinking it may need a new engine. I'd put the Porsche rebuilt in that was suggested before and sell the one you have to a rebuilder (unless the $5K price includes swapping it for your engine) or keep the engine and rebuild it over time and have a spare.

Good luck!

Mr. Boone · 10-03-2005, 07:18 PM

Frank,

This a bad situation that is getting worse. Sorry this is happening to you man.

My advice is as follows:

#1 - Loose the mechanic who currently has the car. He has displayed way to many behaviors that indicate he does not have your best interest at heart and that he is not competent to work on your car.

#2 Stop with the certified mail. All you are going to do is piss him off. Instead, once you get the car back and are far away from this guy, report the incident to the authority having jurisdiction (in CA we have the Bureau of Automotive Repair). At least you can get your dissatisfaction on record and if enough other customers have complained, they may even do something about it. If you are going to go legal on him hire the best attorney you can find and be prepared to pay way more than what your out now in the way of aggravation pay. I have learned from my past legal battles that one must chose them wisely, and it’s good to loose the urge to teach people a lesson. If you must sue, do so for money, not revenge. I have had the misfortune of having to sue a few people before and it really is absolutely no fun even when you win.

#3 Have a good mechanic that has a lot of experience working on Boxsters take a look at the car and provide you with a written estimate for repair. If you don’t like the next one, get a third.

#4 Selling the car “as is” is out of the question, you will be money ahead to get it repaired first, especially if you get away with just a head gasket.

Getting a factory reconditioned power plant installed may be the only answer if you intend to keep the car but that depends on how the next diagnosis come back….

In any event best of luck to you with the problem.

MNBoxster · 10-03-2005, 08:58 PM

Frank,

I'm sorry to hear things have gone so far south with this car. As suggested by others, I guess you should start thinking about cutting your losses.

If indeed you have a broken ring(s), as difficult as long-distance diagnoses are, I'd say that the leaky Headgasket caused the engine to Hydrolock. Whats Hydrolocking? Its when liquid gets into the cylinders of the engine and prevents compression from occuring. Since liquids are not readily compressible, the inertia of the Crankshaft (if engine is running) or even the torque of a Starter motor is sufficient to cause the problem. As the Piston tries to compress the liquid, the weakest part of the system (usually the rings), will break, sometimes even a Piston, ConRod, or even the Cylinder can crack from the very high pressures created. The liquid essentially acts as a Brake, stopping all the reciprocating gear very suddenly, and with great shock to all the components.

After re-reading your initial post, I am about 85% certain this is what happened, especially at the upper RPMs you describe. Cranking the engine later may not have exacerbated the problem, but it certainly didn't help. You can be sure the Shop will claim this.

My suggestion is to file suit in Small Claims Court for the amount the Shop wants to bill you. This will prevent them filing a Mechanic's Lien on the Car which could cause you all sorts of trouble. Then argue your points before a judge.

I have to tell you though, I am not very optimistic. There are lots of poor mechanics out there, no crime in that. In great part, it's up to the Consumer to weed them out, a' la Caveat Emptor. Your only points really are the delay involved and the lack of skill in diagnosing the issue, which, except for stating the Bearings were saturated/contaminated, may actually prove to be fairly accurate - I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this.

Even your Family Friend, who is a longstanding Porsche Mechanic, may have gotten this one wrong, as it sounds as if his experience is mainly with the Air-Cooled models, and a Headgasket issue with the Air-Cooled Cars presents a whole different set of issues.

You may not have actually instructed him to remove the engine, but he could just as easily argue that it was the only way to fully diagnose the problem. If you said something like "fix It" or "I'd like to know what the problem was" your permission was arguably implicit. Also, if this is part of the established procedure when a HeadGasket failure is suspected on the Boxster, he may have been justified in doing what he did.

Don't consider repairing the existing motor, it'll be waay too expensive and you won't have any warranty should you decide to sell the car. Go with a Factory, warranted, replacement engine. Call your local Dealer for details.

Again, my sympathies. It can only get better from here.

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99

PS Did you get a PPI before buying this car? If so, any recourse there? Any proper PPI should include a Leakdown Test, and this should have caught a leaky Headgasket, which is usually a progressive failure. Just a thought...Good Luck!

Pablito · 10-03-2005, 09:22 PM

I agree with the above postings.....sometimes it's better off o fight this thing from a distance, or you might end up in a loosing battle and no car......Sorry this turned out to be such a nightmare....

PD.

....If all else fails, I know some "compadres" in south Bronx that can make you car problem "go away".

...(just kidding). Hope you fix that soon dude...

Frank · 10-04-2005, 04:57 PM

No,I regret not getting the PPI now but who wouldn't.If a ring broke,wouldn't I hear a not average noise such as metal when I turned it over?

Also,if it was hydrolocked,does that mean as it sounds that the engine is locked meaning it woudn't be ab;e to be turned over?

Everyone keeps referring to a $5000.00 rebuilt engine w/ warranty form porsche.How would I get one of them?I contacted my stealership and they said $12,000 for a rebuild engine installed.What is the warranty w/ the engine?
Frank