Denver
05-02-2008, 03:30 PM
THE STORY
In Jan of 2007, I contracted with a local Denver Area, self advertised Pontiac Guru, to build a Pontiac 455 cubic inch engine for me. The cost was $7000. This individul had been recommended in the Denver/Longmont area by Jim Hand in his book "How to Build Max Performance Pontiac V-8's".
When I recieved the rebuilt engine, in April, 2007, and installed it I found that it was leaking oil from the rear main seal. The builder told me he had installed a rubber two piece seal of his own design. I pulled the engine out of the car (7 miles on the engin at this time.) and sent it back to him to have it repaired.
He maintained that the leak was not his fault, but that I had installed a oil filter adapter which was dirty and that it had caused the seal failure. He said he would replace the seal with a new rubber seal and fix the leak, but that he would not honor the warrenty because I had changed the oil filter adapter to accomodate my headers, which voided the warrenty.
At this same time, because the crankshaft bearing surfaces were scuffed and scratched, I also told him to grind the crankshaft 0.10 under size and install new 0.10 oversize bearings. (I now believe that he did an inadequate job of cleaning the block.) He quoted me a price of $2500 to change out the leaking seal and replace it with a new rubber seal and to grind the crank and install the new bearings. He rebuilt the engine in May of 2007.
I reinstalled the engine in Sept, 2007, and drove it approximately 8 miles (total miles on engine from previous install and this one was 15 miles) when the engine began making rattling rod noises. I shut it down and removed it from the car.
When the engine was torn down in Dec, 2007, the following problems were discovered:
First, The crankshaft had NOT been ground 0.10 under size and new 0.10 oversize bearings had NOT been installed. All the rod bearing were completly hammered out. The crankshaft was destroyed and metal particals had contaminated the entire engine.
Second, The rear seal had NOT been replaced with a new rubber seal. The rear seal had been replaced with a rope seal and large quanities of silicon sealer instead.
When confronted with these facts, the engine builder, Greg Merrick, admitted to me that he had not gound the crankshaft, installed new proper sized bearings or replaced the rear seal with the correct seal as I had paid him to do, but he assured me that was OK, because he was the engine builder and he would determine what needed to be done to the engine.
I am presently in the process of taking this matter to court for settlement. I have sorced a new 455 and am in the process of rebuilding it. I will do the work myself this time.
I am posting this message a public service to anyone considering dealing with him. Based on my experience (I am out $ 9000) I would not recommed this mans services to anyone.
CAVEAT EMPTOR, Let the Buyer Beware
Yours Truly,
Denver
In Jan of 2007, I contracted with a local Denver Area, self advertised Pontiac Guru, to build a Pontiac 455 cubic inch engine for me. The cost was $7000. This individul had been recommended in the Denver/Longmont area by Jim Hand in his book "How to Build Max Performance Pontiac V-8's".
When I recieved the rebuilt engine, in April, 2007, and installed it I found that it was leaking oil from the rear main seal. The builder told me he had installed a rubber two piece seal of his own design. I pulled the engine out of the car (7 miles on the engin at this time.) and sent it back to him to have it repaired.
He maintained that the leak was not his fault, but that I had installed a oil filter adapter which was dirty and that it had caused the seal failure. He said he would replace the seal with a new rubber seal and fix the leak, but that he would not honor the warrenty because I had changed the oil filter adapter to accomodate my headers, which voided the warrenty.
At this same time, because the crankshaft bearing surfaces were scuffed and scratched, I also told him to grind the crankshaft 0.10 under size and install new 0.10 oversize bearings. (I now believe that he did an inadequate job of cleaning the block.) He quoted me a price of $2500 to change out the leaking seal and replace it with a new rubber seal and to grind the crank and install the new bearings. He rebuilt the engine in May of 2007.
I reinstalled the engine in Sept, 2007, and drove it approximately 8 miles (total miles on engine from previous install and this one was 15 miles) when the engine began making rattling rod noises. I shut it down and removed it from the car.
When the engine was torn down in Dec, 2007, the following problems were discovered:
First, The crankshaft had NOT been ground 0.10 under size and new 0.10 oversize bearings had NOT been installed. All the rod bearing were completly hammered out. The crankshaft was destroyed and metal particals had contaminated the entire engine.
Second, The rear seal had NOT been replaced with a new rubber seal. The rear seal had been replaced with a rope seal and large quanities of silicon sealer instead.
When confronted with these facts, the engine builder, Greg Merrick, admitted to me that he had not gound the crankshaft, installed new proper sized bearings or replaced the rear seal with the correct seal as I had paid him to do, but he assured me that was OK, because he was the engine builder and he would determine what needed to be done to the engine.
I am presently in the process of taking this matter to court for settlement. I have sorced a new 455 and am in the process of rebuilding it. I will do the work myself this time.
I am posting this message a public service to anyone considering dealing with him. Based on my experience (I am out $ 9000) I would not recommed this mans services to anyone.
CAVEAT EMPTOR, Let the Buyer Beware
Yours Truly,
Denver