rEVOLUTIONh8

iTrader: (5)

so , i bring my car in for timing belt, balance belt, waterpump, cams, arp headstuds, oilchange...the mechanic calls me and says im not gonna be able to do the headstuds tonite cause they take a long time and u have to double nut them...i explain to him nahhh u just put them in hand tight (theres an allenkey hole on one side) then i go on to say forget it. actually just finish the cams and ill do the studs later...i wanted my car back that night and it didnt seem like he knew anything about the headstuds.

2 days later i get the car back with a backwards balance shaft, and a CEL....after 3 days of bs tellin me its normal then saying i have an exhaust rattle, he even told me he pulled it apart and everything was good. the car was also stalling and sputtering when i would drive it for a long time... THEN after a week of hassling him he takes the car in and realigns the balnce shaft ...Now everything is good...

then i ask him for the studs back which i left there the first time i took my car, he pulls my brandnew box of studs out of the garbage along with my stock cams ...a few hours later i open the box and find theres one stud missing and a stock bolt in its place,...yes he put only one stud in! left the rest stock... i go back and flip...asked him when he planned on tellin me...he squirmed and lied his *** off. he tells me " it cant do any damage, bring it back next friday (today) and ill put the rest in...i told him i was worried before i left and he assured me itd be fine...

so im on my way to work yesterday (long drive) almost there and the car starts to die...like it had done a few times since i got it back when i had thought it was the balance shaft. i park it and and leave it all day because when it had done this before it would be fine when it cooled down. figured id bring it in today for the headstuds and tell him its still stalling like it had been.,..i goto start the car at 7pm and it wont start...stuck an hour from home...I work at a performance honda shop so i decide to pull the car in the shop and see if its something stupid....line up the timing (all good)...i decide to pull the valve cover to see how they torqued this stud...

WHEN I GOT THE COVER OFF I WAS HORRIFIED WHAT I SAW!!! the stud was installed around piston #3 (wrong torque pattern)...it was upside down, and in too deep...the nut was torqued to 85lbs and then rest were at around 75 when i checked...i started backing it out to flip it and after taking it out a few threads (very hard becase it was crossthreaded in) i noticed coolant flowing from the hole the stud was in and filling up into my head ...I WAS SO UPSET I ACTUALLY RAN TO THE BATHROOM AND THREW UP!!! he forced it in upside down (one sides slightly longer) and puntured the water jacket on the block or cracked the block....im assuming thats why he left it in and didnt put the stock one back...i also took pictures of the stud b4 i even touched it.

i put it back exactly how it was so he cant try telling me i did it, and im towing the car to him today. im goin to tell him to pull it apart and call me so i can come see how the headstud was installed and see if he leaves it or tries to cover it up...if he covers it up im going to confront him and tell him i took pictures! im going to tell him flat out this has to get fixed and your paying for it...u pick the easy way or the hard way!!! i know hes not going to be willing to pay 3gs OR more for a block...looks like im gonna have to take him to court....any legal advice to make things a little easier for me? any similar stories?

evo 8 ya

iTrader: (31)

Wow That really sux. Stupid jack off mechanics. I guess you'll be working on your own car in the future. good luck man hope everything works out.

FuelsResearch

iTrader: (3)

That sucks. If you work at a shop, why didn't you do it yourself or get someone there to help.

sleet

iTrader: (9)

Holy ****! That is why I do my own work, I will never let anyone do my work unless ive known them for awhile or know others whove gotten their work done.

stvbreal

iTrader: (17)

I did the same thing, sort of. I do my own work on the car and decided to take it in for an oil change. Try to give some local shops some business. Bad idea. Won't do that again.

KZEVO

iTrader: (1)

Really sorry to hear about it. You may need to take him to court if he doesn't fix the motor as it is his fault. However, I would not have advised you to post here prior to you actually talking to the guy. I know u didn't mention the shop name, but if he is on the site he can see exactly what you did (not that u did anything wrong) as the motor was messed up from the very begining.

Good luck. if he can't put in a simple thing like a headstud in properly there's not way you should ask him to build your motor. just get the money from him if there's a way to do it and take ur car elsewhere.

was this a reputable shop specializing in Import aftermarket.

twinevo

you work for a honda tuning shop and based on your thread, it sounds like your very mechanically inclined. my question is why didn't you do this yourself?

Derek888

iTrader: (54)

bring a tape recorder with you

hydrofoam

iTrader: (2)

I got you... you can email me at hydrofoam717@yahoo.com for more info/help...

Had the same thing happen to me with an earlier car and you can win this easy...

First of all.. Get the car OUT OF HIS HANDS... it's obvious he has no clue what he is doing, and the more he works on it the worse it will get....

You can easily take him to court.. your case... in a nutshell he messed up your car and couldnt fix it on multiple attempts (get a lawyer to actually give you the appropriate phrasing)...

Take it to a NICE shop.. get them to quote you on all the damages.... Then.. Whether he likes it or not (assuming you have a good lawyer) he has to pay the ENTIRE bill for ANOTHER shop to fix everything he was supposed to do.. and everything he has done wrong...

You can win man... If you need any help at all just email me

-Ric

BushBurninEvo

iTrader: (8)

Sue him good man, seem like he tried to pull a quick one on you with his half *** knowledge and job.

diameters

iTrader: (1)

that really sucks bro. when you get there dont even give him a chance to tell his story. tell him that you paid him thinking he was a certified, honest, and reliable mechanic- and when your car died you took a look to see what work he did and you took pictures. tell him you got the proof of what he did and he did it wrong. tell him everything you told us on here...tell him you want it fixed properly and if he doesnt fix it right, you will take him to court and take legal action. i wouldnt leave. i would stay there and monitor what he does to make sure he's doing it right. i dont know much about engines and stuff like that ,but , this car isnt just ur ordinary car you know... show that motherfu<ker whose the boss!!!

Soon2BEVO

iTrader: (41)

Man thats not cool. My brother is a mechanic and he always tells me stories of how there is guys at his dealership that couldnt put a bicycle back together that are B-techs and such. I will not trust ANYONE working on my car unless it is my brother (who is a long term DSM guy and good mechanic) OR a shop like Turbotrix or Pruven Performance, who KNOW the cars.

TRUST NO ONE! Im sorry to hear this happened to you, thats ****ty but dont worry it will be over soon and youve more than obviously learned where NOT to take your car!

Tom

RalliArtEvoVIII

iTrader: (30)

wow...this is why i dont trust anyone with my car unless the shop has a very good rep or iknow the person, but i still have to be there in person as hes doing it, but usually i do my own stuff with walk-thru's. I dont even trust Mitsu with my car unless im right there and even then...im still skeptical

the4thpower3

iTrader: (1)

HOLY SH*T - THATS A SAD STORY. I'm sorry that you would have to deal with something like that. My best suggestion would be to try and make him pay for it first. See if he agrees to anything (shops have insurance and usually some money to fix problems). If he doesnt bite you will need a lawyer.
BTW - I wouldnt hvae him touch it again! Have someone do the work and make him pay for it. iF he says no to that.. it's lawyer time.

anjapower

iTrader: (18)

that's horrible man. sue the idiot for damages to your car. it really is extremely difficult to find a reliable and trustworthy mechanic these days.