Dealership Ruined My Engine

My helper once upon a time took the intake off a 00 ford explorer to replace leaking intake gaskets...
We always use shop air to clean the intake area off of debris so it doesnt fall into the intake ports, same goes when servicing spark plugs or doing any repair.
Nobody taught me that, just learned that on my own, good practice...
Well after he replaced the gaskets & fired it off, heard the dreaded rattle...
It lunched a valve...
We managed to fish out a little tiny sheet metal screw that fell in the cylinder, didnt belong to anywhere on the vehicle...
We just never saw it due size & tucked behind the shoulder of the intake flange / gasket area..
Fell in the intake port, past an open valve, & top of the piston as he pulled the intake.....

Shit happens....

Something similar could have happened hear & the kid is panicking & fabbing stories & blaming it on a sparkplug.
I have no idea if toyota spark plugs are problematic or not....
As mentioned the ford 5.4 3 valve had a huge issue & we had to break spark plugs intentionally & drop ceramics into the cylinder to utilize extraction tools....

Being a tech isnt easy & I laugh at some of you guys who claim you can do it better.............................
You cant talk the talk but the modern engine isnt for the weekend warrior...
But youre entitled to your mindset of your little world....

 

Haha MGMDT, hit add to cart....

 

This is what I've been thinking all along.

 

I think this may present a third option, that maybe makes both parties semi happy?
The dealer buys the truck from OP at a decent price, fixes their mess, and sells. OP goes on about his or her way with the money and gets a new truck.
I know it's more out of pocket for OP,, but if you want a new engine....

 

thats dumb, lets stay on track...

 

Looks like a special turbo-diesel. Not sure if it is plug and play, for the 3rd gen, or if it is being built for a whole different vehicle altogether.

 

Used long block engine with under 50K miles on it would be nice.
That would be the easy solution and right thing for them to do.

Short Block and using the old heads after milled down.
No thanks.
Car fax read more fuuuked up to potential buyers
Per that than a complete long Block switch.


Ceramic plug coating did that damage.

More like the metallic portions of a plug.
Which might have been encased in the ceramic.
Could have even been the top electrode portion of the plug.
Just speculation on my part.

I would deal with corporate per a long Block and mention a much lower mileage long Block would be acceptable and a warranty pushed out 2 to 3 yrs on it.

 

The head was damaged by the dealer, why aren't they offering up a new longblock? Why only shortblock, that doesn't include the head.

 

Toyota does not sell longblocks.

 

It’s a used engine too. They must be smoking some good shit.

 

Not sure what your point is...
Theyre stepping up to the plate & taking care of it, what else can you ask for....
They could easily flip the situation & make hime responsible cuz the plugs stayed in there to long, it is what it is....
An independent would have tried to tell you to pound sand, even if they did fuck up...

What other outcome do you want????
Been in the auto industry as a tech for 32 years, think I know a thing or 2, have seen everything a few times around at this point....

It unfortunate but if he gets a new reman or something they pieced together with less mileage than what he has now, its a win....
Enjoy the rental theyre on the hook for......

 

Same thing if a dr makes a mistake too, right?
Ooopsiee doopsiee..

Look I get that they are trying to make it right but if you understand your craft and when you realize that you have a seized up spark plug, the choice is: stop all work on it, and let the customer know that it is simply too risky to proceed further without complicating things further OR proceed cautiously and meticulously.
Again, that is if one cares about what one is doing.
My truck goes to my dealership that I have bought my truck from way back when. I have met all of the technicians in their and trust them all. If they DID f up, its their ass though. Responsible techs aren't going to let that happen. Feel bad for the O.P. though.
Should have never happened..
Rant over.

 

I get everything & agree 2000%, but were past that....
Tech should have stopped before breaking or damaging anything, consulted the writer to call the customer to see how he wants to proceed.
They f'd up, had no idea there was debris in the engine at start-up, etc....
Were past that, take advantage & try to get the newest motor you can as a replacement..
Put your foot down, no used unknown history BS.....

Talk to the manager, heart to heart...
If theyre bumper to bumper techs & this kid is truly a butcher, little experience, in conjunction with he caused all the other previous issue, coolant cap, etc...
You can tell the manager you dont want this kid touching your truck any further & you want an experienced engine tech on it....

My dealer...
Tune-up techs do tunes, if they damage an engine accidentally, it comes to me for repairs regardless if I like it or not.....
If I had the attitude, you f'd it up, you fix it....
Ide be down the road motors...

Just saying try to make a positive outcome of an unfortunate situation,

You trusting & met all the mechanics means nothing in my mind & youre just flexing.....
Ive known plenty of techs with actual experience that can talk the talk & make you feel theyre the best of the best....
End of the day, theyre truly complete hacks.....
Unless you spent an entire week all day long in their stall & watch them work which we know you havent, you know nothing about their practices, procedures, skill set, work ethic, precautions, etc....

 

You're right. I haven't spent the time watching over their shoulder working on my Tacoma. But I would hesitate to go so positive to say that they are hacks either. So maybe somewhere in between then. Fine. All good...
As soon as they ruin the engine on my PRO though, they'll officially qualify as hacks...
Hopefully that does happen though...
Really the mentality is baffling. But I get you are pounding your chest about having all of these years in the business...great. Nice...you have seen a thing or 6...mm hmm..and everyone else are hacks I guess but hopefully, in THIS situation, O.P. gets more than just a rebuilt engine.
If were me, I would have asked politely but firmly asked for a buyback towards a new truck or along those lines..he's rolling the dice on a rebuilt engine though..nope...Pass

 

Im not chest pounding, im not cocky what so ever.....
I hate cars at this point.....
Ill be first to say it, if something goes wrong on my truck I wont be the one saying I can fix it better than the dealer & ill be doing my own repairs....
Without a doubt, no hesitation, will be going to the dealer....

 

What does coming from a totalled truck have to do with anything? Unless it was submerged, what is there to hurt? Do you mean that an engine in a truck that was rear-ended is FJ (f*cking junk)?

Sure, you don't know the history of a used engine. Most good yards these days link the VIN to the parts. I'll bet you could get Toyota's record of services with the VIN.

 

Dealer mechanic problems happened too often for me to continue to consider them mistakes, the frequency points to carelessness or lack of ability. There are certainly mechanics and people more capable than me, but I care more about what I am doing than what I can expect from the average mechanic at the dealer; and i have no way to identify and use only the good ones.

I am impressed that this dealer is owning the issue, and presenting the OP with options, good dealer, bad situation.

We do not have enough information on the potential used engine, or on the abilities of the mechanic doing the rebuild; so how can we know the best answer. Much to consider in the decisions.

 

I've been in a mechanical trade for over 30 years. You get all kinds of techs out there. Good and bad. Sometimes shit happens. Sometimes a good tech is the difference. I don't care for the flat rate system. The system pretty much demands that you cut corners to make decent money. This in itself causes" shit to happen". I don't have to hurry to get my sparkplugs changed in .2 hours. I may not be as good as a good tech, but I'm damn better than a hurried bad one. I won't take the gamble of which tech the dealer has working on my stuff.

 

Years ago I took my Chevy Luv to a mechanic to replace the head gasket, I was a busy working as a motorcycle mechanic at the time and it was convenient to farm it out. The mechanic assembled the motor with the cam one tooth off, I knew it as soon as I started it up and was surprised they didn't realize it since they considered it completed. It was the last time I used the dealer or any shop for something I could do myself.

 

Is there a way to tell from the serial number on the used engine to link it to a chassis and then run a carfax on the "donor" truck? If so, that might give some indication on how the used engine was maintained.