Mwolf83
06-07-2010, 06:58 PM
Well here is my story, I'm sure I'll be flamed for it but whatever.
I ordered a 2.3L 6 bolt short block and new OEM oil pump last summer. It was supposed to be a simple build, well 2-3 months of waiting because they sold me a set of rods that they didn't even have in stock and didn't tell me about it for along time. So anyway I picked the motor up in the packaging that they put it in and that's where it sat until a week ago when it was ready to be installed.
The directions I got with it were to tighten the oil pump housing to 15ft pounds and then trim the edge of the gasket that will squeeze out. When I set my torque wrench to 15 it clicked instantly, so I turned to 17 and clicked again, then to 20 and 25, same thing. I noticed that the gasket had already been trimmed as well.
So 20 miles into the break-in oil just poured out of the timing cover, 2.5 quarts in a hundred feet it took me to get stopped and turn the motor off (I turned it off when I first saw the oil, I break-in with no hood as well to "check for leaks"). Well after a week of tracing the leak/s, I finally found the big problem.
First leak was detected when I took the timing belt off because it was covered in oil and needed to be cleaned. The leak was on the lower bolt hole of the belt tensioner. I knew this was not right so I put copper crush washers on either side of the bolt and it was fixed.
Second leak took a lot longer to track down because every time I'd pressurize the system with the drill it would take awhile to leak, but eventually I ended up pulling the gear off the pump and sure enough the seal was messed up (not blaming MAP) and the shaft had play in it.
I called MAP and told them of the problem and they decided that there are too many variables (blaming me) for them to have any part of the responsibility.
A little back ground on me and the car (91 AWD Talon): I graduated from the Automotive Service Program at Northwest Technical College with a 4.0 GPA in 1.5 years. I have been a machinist for the past 3 years and know that everything must be kept 100% clean prior to and during assembly, so I have a clean room to do so. I've worked on countless Talons and an Evo or two in the last decade and never had an issue that would be something to be blamed on me.
The reason for the motor being purchased was a spun bearing on the last built motor from SLS that lasted 3000 miles. So when I ordered the new motor I also brought the head down to be fully disassembled and cleaned by them as well.
The turbo was shot so I got a brand new one from Precision with brand new Earls pre-filter kit. Brand new oil filter housing, and any oil lines....long story short on the motor anything that touched oil was purchased new and kept packaged until assembly.
So I took pics of the damage to the oil pump and gave them a call, they told me that there are too many variables so they will accept zero responsibility and all they can do to "help" is to order me up a new oil pump (at my cost).
I thought they were good guys from what I hear on here and on the street. Also when I was ordering the motor they told me how they stand behind every build and if anything were to ever go wrong (which they said they have never had a problem with anything they've touched) that they would do anything they could to help me out. Well big talk and no action when the time came.
Edit: I spoke with Chris this morning, the conversation started out pretty heated. After about 30 minutes of back and fourth we both came to an agreement and he is working to try to help me out. Any of the previous shops I've dealt with in the past decade, besides AMS and ExtremePSI (DSM Summit not really a shop), have screwed me over in the past and have never came back to try to make things right. So as of right now I will wait and see how things play out and if they do right by me I will give them more chances in the future.
I really like to see "local" business (by which I mean Minnesota, not local to me because I'm four hours away) succeed and support them when I can.
That is all for now!
I ordered a 2.3L 6 bolt short block and new OEM oil pump last summer. It was supposed to be a simple build, well 2-3 months of waiting because they sold me a set of rods that they didn't even have in stock and didn't tell me about it for along time. So anyway I picked the motor up in the packaging that they put it in and that's where it sat until a week ago when it was ready to be installed.
The directions I got with it were to tighten the oil pump housing to 15ft pounds and then trim the edge of the gasket that will squeeze out. When I set my torque wrench to 15 it clicked instantly, so I turned to 17 and clicked again, then to 20 and 25, same thing. I noticed that the gasket had already been trimmed as well.
So 20 miles into the break-in oil just poured out of the timing cover, 2.5 quarts in a hundred feet it took me to get stopped and turn the motor off (I turned it off when I first saw the oil, I break-in with no hood as well to "check for leaks"). Well after a week of tracing the leak/s, I finally found the big problem.
First leak was detected when I took the timing belt off because it was covered in oil and needed to be cleaned. The leak was on the lower bolt hole of the belt tensioner. I knew this was not right so I put copper crush washers on either side of the bolt and it was fixed.
Second leak took a lot longer to track down because every time I'd pressurize the system with the drill it would take awhile to leak, but eventually I ended up pulling the gear off the pump and sure enough the seal was messed up (not blaming MAP) and the shaft had play in it.
I called MAP and told them of the problem and they decided that there are too many variables (blaming me) for them to have any part of the responsibility.
A little back ground on me and the car (91 AWD Talon): I graduated from the Automotive Service Program at Northwest Technical College with a 4.0 GPA in 1.5 years. I have been a machinist for the past 3 years and know that everything must be kept 100% clean prior to and during assembly, so I have a clean room to do so. I've worked on countless Talons and an Evo or two in the last decade and never had an issue that would be something to be blamed on me.
The reason for the motor being purchased was a spun bearing on the last built motor from SLS that lasted 3000 miles. So when I ordered the new motor I also brought the head down to be fully disassembled and cleaned by them as well.
The turbo was shot so I got a brand new one from Precision with brand new Earls pre-filter kit. Brand new oil filter housing, and any oil lines....long story short on the motor anything that touched oil was purchased new and kept packaged until assembly.
So I took pics of the damage to the oil pump and gave them a call, they told me that there are too many variables so they will accept zero responsibility and all they can do to "help" is to order me up a new oil pump (at my cost).
I thought they were good guys from what I hear on here and on the street. Also when I was ordering the motor they told me how they stand behind every build and if anything were to ever go wrong (which they said they have never had a problem with anything they've touched) that they would do anything they could to help me out. Well big talk and no action when the time came.
Edit: I spoke with Chris this morning, the conversation started out pretty heated. After about 30 minutes of back and fourth we both came to an agreement and he is working to try to help me out. Any of the previous shops I've dealt with in the past decade, besides AMS and ExtremePSI (DSM Summit not really a shop), have screwed me over in the past and have never came back to try to make things right. So as of right now I will wait and see how things play out and if they do right by me I will give them more chances in the future.
I really like to see "local" business (by which I mean Minnesota, not local to me because I'm four hours away) succeed and support them when I can.
That is all for now!