did an engine swap on the BMW

[Mike P]

you guys have done this for me before with accuracy. I'm tired of shoddy work that I seem to be plagued with. The head gasket went in the BMW and so my "friend"/mechanic said its cheaper to just swap the engine, so I shelled out money I don't have to do that. After like 2 weeks I finally got it back and a day later I now have a sound, can anyone tell what it is?

 

[95blklsc]

How does the it sound with rpm or when there is a load? It does sound like a death rattle....

 

[budpytko]

Have you tried taking it to where you got the engine and letting them liston to it... was there ANY warranty on it?

 

[beerdog]

He is probably right on the cost. It would probably be the same situation when comparing the cost to to replace a head gasket on our engines vs just swapping in a used engine. Either way you have to remove the engine. Of course, this depends on how much a used engine costs. They are fairly cheap for Mark8's.

 

[Mike P]

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Yea, I brought it back today, we'll see

 

[svtlincoln]

He is probably right on the cost. It would probably be the same situation when comparing the cost to to replace a head gasket on our engines vs just swapping in a used engine. Either way you have to remove the engine. Of course, this depends on how much a used engine costs. They are fairly cheap for Mark8's.

Except this isn't a MarkVIII, it's a BMW.

 

[svtlincoln]

It's hard to tell in videos. But I agree with 95blklsc on the death rattle. Hopefully we're both wrong! Good luck!

 

[Mike P]

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Thanks, I'm still without it so.... I guess it's bad

 

[Mike P]

ok I need opinions on this:

The guy doing the engine swap is someone I've known since childhood. He has "fixed" things many times for me. Anyhow, he tells me after he fixed the water pump, which I brought the car back from because it was still overheating, that the head gasket is bad. So I call BMW and they say it'll be $3500 to do, and he tells me to swap the motor, it'll be cheaper and he'd do it for $1700 for the engine plus some labor costs, which is fine because its alot of work and he always does it free for me. This was almost 3 weeks ago. He replaced the engine and after having problerms along ie: he swapped my old parts (some new) on at my request (I think this should be standard behavior but who am i) anyway, he gives me the car back and I drive it. The very next morning it is cold out and the car runs real rough on startup, almost like its down a cylinder. So I call him and drop it back off. after changing "everything he can think of" he comes to the conclusion that the engine is bad and needs to be warranty swapped. So the wreckers were supposed to come tomorrow and get the engine that he was supposed to take out over the weekend and have the replaced one there. He works at a shop but he does this stuff on the side for me. Mind you, this is a job I got him some 15 years ago or more because I worked there. Anyway the old guy that runs the place calls me today and says that of the $1700 I gave him already he would be willing to return $700 because they can no longer get an engine from the wrecker they got it from and that I could lay out another $1500 for one they found somewhere else and he'd let my friend do the work on job time and give me parts at cost (which I already get). I say no thanks, 1. I have no business with him because I worked the arrangement through my friend not the business and am not paying some unrecouped labor costs. 2. I paid to get an engine and paid for "some labor" and because it didn't work out for my friend now he is basically passing the buck onto the shop so he can get away with whatever hes trying to do, so I deserve an engine. The total cost to me was $2680 originally, now they are trying to say that I have to pay more. I said, put the engine back in the car, return my $1700 and I will go to BMW, am I wrong? whats the opinions of you guys? Some of your opinions I respect, others I will listen too, thanks.

 

[driller]

Some of your opinions I respect, others I will listen too, thanks.

I'm not sure which group I am in, but...

I have to ask if a compression test was done and/or a leak down test to attempt to isolate the cause for the symptom(s).

But regardless, if the friend is now pushing it to the shop, that is for you to take up with him. Perhaps he used the business to acquire the engine?

But to ask for the full $1700 back would be a stretch since he would be out all labor costs to date. Not to bore you with the details, I had a situation where I had work done and then had to pay to have it done again because of bad 'parts' which later tested 'good'. Sometimes it's a roll of the dice and you can expect to sometimes lose.

If it were me, I would ask for the cost of the engine back plus some negotiated amount of labor from the friend. It sound like you don't want to do business with the shop and that is your prerogative but you're going to have to find someplace or someone to swap it again.

 

[Mike P]

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So you think, even though I got nothing, that they'd still be entitled to labor? I'm going to try and buy a new car, screw this used garbage. I need to get to work and back. Not worry if I'm going to make it.

 

[driller]

The problem is it was not a legitimate business deal, was it? You said a friend did the work on the side and the business tried to refund part of the costs and offered to install another engine basically at cost? You think the business should refund all the money and put the original motor back in so you can take your money elsewhere?

Maybe your friend should put the old motor back in for free and give you your money back but I don't see how the shop is culpable in the deal.

When I have work done at a 'business' I expect a quote beforehand. I expect any extra charges to be agreed to before extra work is done. And I expect a reasonable warranty of product and labor. None of this applies to this deal.

I would give the shop a chance to make good with the situation, but with terms worked out beforehand.

 

[Mike P]

the problem is I never made a deal with the "shop" I made it with my friend so the shop shouldn't be involved at all. So for them to have any position, imo, is uncalled for. The shop, in essence, is my friends problem, not mine. He chose to involve them when things started looking bad for him

 

[tixer]

I guess the first thing to decide is how good of a friend your friend is. I'll assume he does have your best interests in mind, and just got "stuck." It may be unfortunate that he got the shop involved, but he did. Assuming this shop has a good reputation elsewhere, they'll want to make good on this regardless. They'll want to be compensated of course. That's business.

If you want to keep this friend a friend, following through and calling this a one-time f-up that's nobody's fault may be the best approach. with used engines, you never really know what you're going to get. cars end up in a salvage yard for good reason.

 

[steve]

Take it to the Peoples Court, this is a case for contract law. I take it you have nothing in writing, so it will come down to verbal.
In the end you paid to have a working engine and have none. You should not have to lay out any more money unless you were told that the warranty on the engine was parts only and not labor.

 

[Mike P]

I guess the first thing to decide is how good of a friend your friend is. I'll assume he does have your best interests in mind, and just got "stuck." It may be unfortunate that he got the shop involved, but he did. Assuming this shop has a good reputation elsewhere, they'll want to make good on this regardless. They'll want to be compensated of course. That's business.

If you want to keep this friend a friend, following through and calling this a one-time f-up that's nobody's fault may be the best approach. with used engines, you never really know what you're going to get. cars end up in a salvage yard for good reason.

well, I have severed that friendship, this isn't the first time he threw me under the bus, left me holding the pooch, get it? What annoys me is that he is a long time friend and this is about integrity, when **** got tough for him or didn't work out, he should have come to me and said whatever but he tried to throw me under and bail himself out of it and still get $1000 labor out of it. SCREWING ME was the only thing they seemed to have on their minds.

Take it to the Peoples Court, this is a case for contract law. I take it you have nothing in writing, so it will come down to verbal.
In the end you paid to have a working engine and have none. You should not have to lay out any more money unless you were told that the warranty on the engine was parts only and not labor.

no paperwork either way, and I have text messages from the beginning from what was promised to what transpired. I'm fairly certain they'd hold up in court, I've been there a few times, so I have seen shakier evidence. In one of the texts, I was specifically told, the engine will be warrantied, no cost to you just sucks for me (meaning him). So, if that's compelling then I'd say I have a good case.

 

[steve]

If you can't come to an agreement with each other then small claims court is your best bet then, you can use the text. Let the shop go after the junk yard for their labor since they got the bad engine from them, not your fault.

 

[SCTBIRD1173]

Good luck Mike! Sucks if it comes down to small claims court but I really don't see any reason you should be screwed over on a warrantiable used engine. Hope it all works out for you and with the least amount of headache.

 

[Mike P]

thanks

 

[svtlincoln]

I agree with some of the others. Small claims seems the way to go. If they warranty the engine and the engine fails then they HAVE to provide you with another engine. To tell you that they'll give you $700 back and get a different engine for you and then charge you another $1500 is bogus. Good luck to you. Hope it all works out and is as pain free as possible.