I changed the head gasket last night on #55. This is the first time I have dug into an engine project on this car, well besides I/H/E. Everytime I have done any work on this car I find another half-assed hack job that the former owner's "mechanic" must have been responsible for. The funny thing is, when I was buying the car and asking about the mechanical history, the *ucktard kept saying he had the best mechanic that always put a lot of extra time and effort into a job and had excellent attention to detail....

So at least I have something to laugh at when I find these things - it's better than getting pissed off and slinging tools around the garage. So, on to last night's findings.

Like I said I was changing the head gasket. I pull the valve cover and start to loosen the valve adjustment lock nuts. Oh boy, like 14 of the 16 are finger tight! I continue by removing the cam oil rails and cam caps.

Now if you have ever pulled the cams on a B series, on your first attempt you probably lost the #3 cam cap o-ring. I admit I did it the first time I removed a set of cams. Anyway I am careful when I pull the #3 cap, and guess what I find.... Nothing! Wow. Probably not the end of the world, but certainly not ideal.

The cam lobes, journals, and lifters all look fine. No abnormal or excessive wear.

The 2 other little thing I noticed was the inner timing belt cover did not have a gasket and the timing belt tensioner lock nut was just about stripped beyond repair - which is really unfortunate because I may have to pull the motor to get it out and replace it. Now that is okay becuase I'll have a chance to clean the engine bay

Here is a list of other things I have found since having the car:
1)Came with an LS tranny

2)Secondary O2 wiring had been spliced

3) #1 + #2 and the fact that the fuel return line had been replace just screams foreced induction

4) Ignition wiring has been repaired and the key mechanism has been replaced or removed (hmmmm stolen). Carfax was clean BTW.

5) Stereo wiring was ALL wrecked. So I removed it completely

6) One of the rear wheel studs was replaced with a non OEM unit that is about 5mm shorter than stock

7) One of the threaded mounting holes (chassis side), for the passenger side rear upper control arm, was cross threaded.

8) EVERY suspension bolt I have touched must have been put on with an impact wrench running 120 ft/lbs

I'm glad I decided to do a little maintenance before Expo

Hacks make me


Ausmith - who has to go change a tranny.

 

Wow man, I would have been a very Unhappy Camper if I bought a ITR and it was not supplied with the Correct Tranny!

Well good luck, Eric

 

haha damn...I went through a lot of the same ****, only I bought my car salvaged and expected to find weird ****.

 

Clayton, if you really want to find a smoking gun for FI, check to see if the MAP sensor and TPS wiring are spliced. You've had the car less than a year, right? You're still well within your rights to track down the previous owner and repeatedly kick him in the nuts!

 

You've got to be kidding, right? But if your not, then you should contact the owner that you bought it from and have some words with him...

 

Clayton, you knew it had a LS tranny when you bought it didnt you? Seems like I rememeber you saying that when you were driving home from NV or something.

Still, sucks though to find out the previous owners mechanic was so incompetent.

 

I sure hope you got that car cheap

Suprdave

 

Yeah, I remember on your adventure home from Nevada, you mentioning the LS tranny. Sucks that the "jerkoff" who worked on the car was a hacker.. Good luck cleaning her up and doing it RIGHT..

 

Damn Clayton, I am sorry to hear about all of this It is stories like this that make me appreciate our local shop (AutoWave) more and more. Best of luck, and I hope you don't find anything else.
Greg - who agrees that the previous owner deserves to be kicked in the nuts repeatedly

 

Sometimes, sellers use idiocy as an excuse when they are accused of fraud



[Modified by Tommy_Gunns, 11:22 AM 2/23/2003]

 

Man that's a lot of bad news. You're taking it a lot better than I think most of us would. Anyway good luck getting the car back together.

 

we can all have a H-T meet at that guys house and have a good *** beating.

 

It's not just the mechanic being incompetent, the seller was very dishonest as well!!!!11!!1!

 

I think that you need to put on the Australian *** kicking boot (simpsons episode) and go have some fun with the previous owner.

JN who was happy to disassemble his motor to find stock ITR parts...

 

Wow that really is shady of the previous owner. People will always deny or say anything jus to sell a car nowadays, I hope you get everything fixed and straightened out.

 

Damn an LS tranny, that is fucked up

 

that is truly a list of horror

who knows what else you'll find down the road

 

Dear Lord, Clayon.

I can't believe that list. Are you planning to contact the seller with your displeasure, or just leave it alone?

I'm not sure what I'd do, but my first reaction would be to pick up the phone and let them have it.

 

Amen to that, good luck on restoring her to factory greatness.

 

Thanks for the support guys. Actaully I called the guy as soon as I figured out it was an LS tranny - I was already in Colorado at that point.

This all happened last year, so I've had time to cool down. I sent many emails to the guy and his wife asking for some money back, which I was told I was going to get and never did. I didn't pay much for the car, so it's not a super big deal.

Besides this is all stuff that I can fix and upgrade along the way.

The cool thing about the LS tranny is doing 100 in 3rd gear The car is still really fast despite the longer gears.

Everyone can check it out at Expo!

Ausmith

 

Sorry to hear that, Clayton

Dishonest sellers

 

Re-b00st the fugg out of it.

 

boost ownza

 

or... that car spent at least ONE winter in road salt heaven... New York State
Sorry to hear your new beast has probably been abused.... hope you dont find any worse stuff!