Upset with my mechanic

[DeeVeeEight]

About a month ago I took my Skylark convertible back to my mechanic for a lifter tap, he had rebuilt the motor (a 350) for me a few months earlier. When the car sits over night a lifter collapses. When I start it up it clatters until the oil pressure comes up. Anyway, he had the car for several weeks, then he hit it with his snow plow while it was on his lot. The car spent 2 more weeks in the body shop to get the fender that he dinged repaired, while it was there I asked the body shop to repair a blemish on the front of the hood. I owe $500.00 for the hood repairs but I still have the lifter tap. I do not want the car to go back to the shop for another indefinite period of time while the mechanic putzes around, the nice weather is here and the friggin' car was supposed to be done weeks ago. To make matters worse the body shop repairs were less than perfect and the car will probably have to go back to them for another couple of weeks to fix that abortion.
I am inclined at this point to keep my $500.00 and my tapping lifter and less than perfect bodywork and take my business elsewhere.

Screw this shit! :tth:

 

[turtlevette]

I seriously hope you don't pay him a penny. By letting the car sit for weeks for a simple problem he was pretty much saying to hell with you. The longer it sits the more chance something's gonna happen and it did.

I don't understand why mechanics painters etc. let cars sit around while they try and find time to work on them. Why not just call you a day before he's ready to do something.

 

[Beagle 1]

I was starting to get valve noise in a car after it had sat for a while, and I remembered a thread about oil filters that mentioned that a bad anti drain back seal could cause these problems. Fram was singled out as the cheapest made filter, and the most likely to leak. I had been using Fram filters for years without problems, but I figured it might be worth a try. Sure enough, changed to another brand, and the valve clatter on start up disapeared.

 

[DeeVeeEight]

I was starting to get valve noise in a car after it had sat for a while, and I remembered a thread about oil filters that mentioned that a bad anti drain back seal could cause these problems. Fram was singled out as the cheapest made filter, and the most likely to leak. I had been using Fram filters for years without problems, but I figured it might be worth a try. Sure enough, changed to another brand, and the valve clatter on start up disapeared.

I am due for an oil change... I think I am going to try the old mechanics trick of adding a qt. of trans. fluid to the oil, run it for a short while and then change the oil & filter.

 

[Beagle 1]

I don't think the trans fluid will hurt anything, but I don't think it will help either. I think the idea behind adding the trans fluid, is that the high detergent content and low viscosity would help break loose any parts that might be gummy or sticky. Shouldn't be the case with a fairly new engine.
Other ideas---
Too high viscosity oil, too thick for use in cold weather.
Warm the engine up good and adjust the valves. Maybe 1 is just enough out of adjustment to clatter when cold.
Any way, just what I would try to do myself, as I wouldn't want to go back to a hack mechanic.
Good luck.

 

[badbirdcage]

You may just have a bad lifter. It happens. Went through this many years ago in the engine rebuilding business. You buy lifters by the "tray" from the manufacturer. That is a rebuilder's pack that is determined by the dimension of the lifter. All the trays are the same size and how ever many particular lifters fit in that dimension is the number you get. Sometimes you get a bad one.

We used to run the engines in on an electrically driven test stand. During that process the cam got broken in, the rings seated, you knew your oil pressure and your compression. Did away with owner installation problems/complaints when they could see the finished product on the test stand prior to receiving it back.

Anyway, sometimes you would get a bad lifter. Fords were most problematic with Chrysler lifters being second in my experience. For your problem warm the engine up, isolate which lifter is causing the problem. Been a long time but if I remember correctly Buick 350 is a non adjustable setup. Since your mechanic isn't doing his part I would recommend you replace the lifter and go on your way. You can try to work it out with him/her later.

 

[big2bird]

I don't think the trans fluid will hurt anything, but I don't think it will help either. I think the idea behind adding the trans fluid, is that the high detergent content and low viscosity would help break loose any parts that might be gummy or sticky. Shouldn't be the case with a fairly new engine.
Other ideas---
Too high viscosity oil, too thick for use in cold weather.
Warm the engine up good and adjust the valves. Maybe 1 is just enough out of adjustment to clatter when cold.
Any way, just what I would try to do myself, as I wouldn't want to go back to a hack mechanic.
Good luck.

I agree. If you ever do this, just let it idle. NEVER drive it. It will destroy the engine in minutes. I KNOW this one. Seen it happen once, a long time ago.

 

[turtlevette]

I don't think the trans fluid will hurt anything, but I don't think it will help either. I think the idea behind adding the trans fluid, is that the high detergent content and low viscosity would help break loose any parts that might be gummy or sticky. Shouldn't be the case with a fairly new engine.
Other ideas---
Too high viscosity oil, too thick for use in cold weather.
Warm the engine up good and adjust the valves. Maybe 1 is just enough out of adjustment to clatter when cold.
Any way, just what I would try to do myself, as I wouldn't want to go back to a hack mechanic.
Good luck.

I agree. If you ever do this, just let it idle. NEVER drive it. It will destroy the engine in minutes. I KNOW this one. Seen it happen once, a long time ago.

So that's why all my cars run like crap. I've done gone and destroyed them all with a quart of transmission fluid.

 

[DeeVeeEight]

I am starting to think small claims court.....:smash: