No engine warranty due to wrong bolt

diesel_importer

diesel_importer

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Oct 21, 2007
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I have a friend/customer that installed a rebuilt engine in his CR truck. @ 4850 miles it started knocking. Took the truck to engine builder and he said a hex head bolt was used where a torx is supposed to be which starved engine of oil. I'll attach the pics he sent- bolt is on stiffener plate. Anyone ever heard of this?
 
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Would this obstruct the pick up tube in any way?
 
I'm with Phil. WTAF?

They are telling them that a different type bolt head caused a change in oil flow enough to shell the engine?

I'm normally pretty decent at applying common sense....I'm lost.
 
the reason a torx is used there is just for clearance for the oil pickup tube. (IIRC)

that bolt has nothing to do with oil flow. they are denying it because it proves someone was in the motor.

so this wasnt a dealer i assume? sounds to me like someone is just trying to get out of warranty work.

i would tell them to show me the thread length on that bolt v.s. the hex bolts to prove even further that it affects nothing internally.

also let them be aware that these are WET sump motors just like 98% of the rest of the motors on earth..... everything is drenched in oil at that level.

THE more i read this the more i want to slap somebody in the man-gina!!!
 
All that is, is the factory block stiffener plate. There are only 2 torx headed bolts that are used on it and that is for the oil sump, bolts will not make a difference.
 
it is possible that the hex bolt would keep the sump from sealing to the block.... Did your buddy install that stuff himself??
 
These engines come bare- no pan, sump, or stiffener installed. I've put one in but it's been 2 years. That was only thing I could think of, was maybe the flat head was for clearance of the pickup tube. BUT would it prevent it from sealing or is just to help clear the tube that runs from front to back. The only way I can see it being harmful is if the gasket couldn't seal and it was sucking air.
 
It's a CR, how long did it have accompanying low oil pressure codes? If none, they have no evidence of low oil pressure caused by aeration of the oil.

Squeaky Wheel
 
The other thing is they either rebuilt that one again or installed another before they ever found this. I just wanted to be able to tell him yes or no that could cause engine failure.
 
Just an FYI, the only motors we've seen fail within 10,000 have all been due to failed bearings because the builder was too damn lazy to plastigauge them. And sounds like they are "finding" an excuse to not warranty it.
 
^^^ correct! Never had oil pressure issues. Just started knocking, checked oil, it was low. He added oil, came by my shop and it had blowby & lope. A kid drives it and he's hard on trucks, but dayum! 5k on an engine doesn't sound like his fault. No programmer or tune, also.
 
Ill put money its the mains that are spun. We got swamped here last year with a total of 5 CR full rebuilds to do in a two week period. We asked our parts supplier to help with one motor becuse we simply couldn't meet the time frame for the customer. Thier motor went out within 5K miles and we ended up covering the warranty because they said there was no way it was thier motor that failed. So instead of making our customer hash out warranty with them, we bought a whole new kit, and used our spare block to get them going again. So there is NO REASON for them to not cover yours. IMO.
 
diesel_importer said:
These engines come bare- no pan, sump, or stiffener installed. I've put one in but it's been 2 years. That was only thing I could think of, was maybe the flat head was for clearance of the pickup tube. BUT would it prevent it from sealing or is just to help clear the tube that runs from front to back. The only way I can see it being harmful is if the gasket couldn't seal and it was sucking air.
Click to expand...

I just did mine about a year ago and i remember that section pretty vividly. both surfaces are machined so i cant see it sucking much air even with no gasket.

regardless, we know the moral of the story here bif bif
 
Never mind, I see the pickup area now. The pic was so dark I couldn't see it. I can see how it might prevent it from sealing against the bottom of the block.
 
I'm willing to bet that the pick-up tube didn't seal properly when it was put on with the wrong bolt and that possibly it got worse, sucking in air instead of oil.

I've test fitted this before and it is possible that it never really sealed.
Hard way to learn this lesson. :(

Mark.
 
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