Getting the Red/Black 93 Back on the Road?

That's awesome! I needed that! Other than it having the stock grille on it now, and the front spoiler removed (temporary) it looks identical. The green WFC sticker on the lower left of the windshield is still even on it!

I think overall in life I have been pretty fortunate, but sometimes and for some things I just can't catch a break. Back on 8/27 I had an accident and broke 5 ribs and fractured my pelvis in 5 places, I spent 2.5 weeks in the hospital. Anyway, I'm on the road to recovery and hope to be back at work in December. With all that I figured I really made the right choice for once in taking my truck to a shop... I dropped my truck off on 7/30 and as of today, I'm not sure it's even been touched (we're 4 days away from 3 months). If they want to keep and store for the winter cool with me, but c'mon! Since I haven't even been able to drive I haven't been really wanting to push it in case it was ready to leave. I've sent emails that are answered anywhere from a few days to a week later. I've asked for a list of what has been done, pics of the work, etc but nothing. They are reputable from what I know and have been around for some time so I'm not really worried about them packing up and me never seeing my truck again, but still. Will my luck & this truck's luck ever turn around? It's almost comical at this point!
 
Fwiw alot of businesses are slammed


I know. No excuses


But it just is what it is in this current climate

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I went to an open house for a local performance shop yesterday that one of my neighbors works at. I was shocked at the number of stockpiled projects they had. The place was packed with vehicles waiting for engine swaps and transmission work and road course related upgrades. I bet there were fifty vehicles in the queue.

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All of the garages around here have 50 cars sitting out waiting to be repaired. It's always been like that and I have no idea why?
 
I boo booed my work truck and all body shops was 2 months out around here


Some is supply issues
Some is labor issues

And some are just blessed to be slammed

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There are also more people today that don’t work on their own vehicles and less people that want jobs that get their hands dirty.
 
Tons of good points made, but to me what is inexcusable is the lack of communication. Even if they don’t send regular updates you should be able to email or call and get a response back in a day or so.
 
I agree, even if it’s “haven’t gotten to it yet”

Problem is shops over promise on time lines so they don’t want to hear “you said three week”
 
Raymond_B said:
Tons of good points made, but to me what is inexcusable is the lack of communication. Even if they don’t send regular updates you should be able to email or call and get a response back in a day or so.
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That! Thats all I want/expect. I just hope they're not in over their heads, we haven't even got to the Holley Terminator yet.
 
I received a short email from the shop today, in reply to the email I sent last week. Turns out their "service Writer" guy was in an accident recently so they are behind on emails, etc. The owner said they are fighting the last bit of wiring and trying to get the truck running. Hmmm. We decided to do the project in phases, and phase 1 was to get it running as-is since we know it ran with the previous setup and then go from that point. I'm not sure what wiring they'd be fighting with, it should just be plug-n-play except for the O2 sensor, it did need to have an extended O2 put in. Im not sure if they went ahead and have put a Holley EFI in it already? But they haven't asked for more $ so I doubt it.

I decided to browse their Facebook page today and see they posted this pic in mid-November:

51718050241_dc83fe3283_b.jpg


I at least feel better now knowing 1) it's still there, 2) it's in one piece, 3) appears to be in the same condition I dropped it off in, and 4) it is being kept indoors.
 
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Talked to the shop owner, have an update. Not a good update, but what do you expect? They've got 57 hours into the truck so far and its no further than when this all started. They've just "fixing" BS, I had the fuel system replaced from the pump forward, they've redone the fan controller/wiring, battery, and starter wiring, fixed/added some grounds, worked on some cooling system tweaks, etc. So far so good right?

Well here's where things take their usual bad turn, the engine is at least partially seized. They've tried turning it over with and without the starter, have pried it more than once, tried with no plugs or starter installed but say it will barely turn more than 20* by hand with a breaker bar. :rolleyes:😔. Why not... The motor did sit for months open (plug bores open) but was always indoors. He ordered a new boroscope from Snap-On (Which I'm sure I've paid for :ROFLMAO:) that's supposed to arrive this week so they can get a good look in the cylinders. If that checks out the next step is to try and unbolt the converter and see if that makes any difference. With the truck in Neutral on a lift the rear wheels turn easily.

This truck is trying to drive me crazy! And it's succeeding. LOL. I can't catch a break. Is my poor truck cursed, or just mad for sitting for so many years? ;)
 
lightngsvt said:
Talked to the shop owner, have an update. Not a good update, but what do you expect? They've got 57 hours into the truck so far and its no further than when this all started. They've just "fixing" BS, I had the fuel system replaced from the pump forward, they've redone the fan controller/wiring, battery, and starter wiring, fixed/added some grounds, worked on some cooling system tweaks, etc. So far so good right?

Well here's where things take their usual bad turn, the engine is at least partially seized. They've tried turning it over with and without the starter, have pried it more than once, tried with no plugs or starter installed but say it will barely turn more than 20* by hand with a breaker bar. :rolleyes:😔. Why not... The motor did sit for months open (plug bores open) but was always indoors. He ordered a new boroscope from Snap-On (Which I'm sure I've paid for :ROFLMAO:) that's supposed to arrive this week so they can get a good look in the cylinders. If that checks out the next step is to try and unbolt the converter and see if that makes any difference. With the truck in Neutral on a lift the rear wheels turn easily.

This truck is trying to drive me crazy! And it's succeeding. LOL. I can't catch a break. Is my poor truck cursed, or just mad for sitting for so many years?
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Chuck, the motor sat in your garage with the plugs out and froze up or in their garage?
 
Fresh rebuild and it won’t turn over with no plugs in it? Wow. It shouldn’t be from sitting, well unless a little person dropped small objects down the plug holes or something. I’m sorry to hear this. I hope it’s something simple.
 
Dropped engine off in June of 2020 for a "5-week rebuild", got it back in March of 2021. It then went back in the truck. The shop in IL it was scheduled at bailed on me, and the shop its at now took it in late July 2021. It sat there indoors for 5 months until recently when they tried to get it going with the existing MAF/EEC-IV setup (I still plan on Holley Terminator X). The motor had to turn a year ago or else the torque converter wouldn't have been able to be bolted in. No kids here to drop anything in the holes, and I sure hope there aren't any at the shop! LOL!

Maybe Jamie was right and it's best to work on it myself. 🤷‍♂️. I've done it in the past and thought I was going to come out ahead getting done this time. Maybe I should have sucked it up and got a ZSR short or long block? If I've learned anything it's that no matter how you plan, or how lucky you think your getting, it will always take twice as long as you expect. And I've made some questionable decisions in the past in the interest of time. :cautious:

The pistons should have adequate clearance, but could a valve be stuck open causing physical interference? Could the cam/rod/main bearing be too tight, or not lubed properly at assembly leading to rust? Could too tight of a ring gap cause an issue like this? What about something jacked in the converter, or the converter not fully seated on the input shaft and the engine being bolted up anyway?
 
lightngsvt said:
Dropped engine off in June of 2020 for a "5-week rebuild", got it back in March of 2021. It then went back in the truck. The shop in IL it was scheduled at bailed on me, and the shop its at now took it in late July 2021. It sat there indoors for 5 months until recently when they tried to get it going with the existing MAF/EEC-IV setup (I still plan on Holley Terminator X). The motor had to turn a year ago or else the torque converter wouldn't have been able to be bolted in. No kids here to drop anything in the holes, and I sure hope there aren't any at the shop! LOL!

Maybe Jamie was right and it's best to work on it myself. 🤷‍♂️. I've done it in the past and thought I was going to come out ahead getting done this time. Maybe I should have sucked it up and got a ZSR short or long block? If I've learned anything it's that no matter how you plan, or how lucky you think your getting, it will always take twice as long as you expect. And I've made some questionable decisions in the past in the interest of time. :cautious:

The pistons should have adequate clearance, but could a valve be stuck open causing physical interference? Could the cam/rod/main bearing be too tight, or not lubed properly at assembly leading to rust? Could too tight of a ring gap cause an issue like this? What about something jacked in the converter, or the converter not fully seated on the input shaft and the engine being bolted up anyway?
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Definitely not a good idea to leave it open like that, **however** I bet it's probably converter in a bind or not seated or something.
 
I know I should've sealed it, but it was supposed to go to IL last April, one thing lead to another... I hope it's just converter related, a lot quicker and CHEAPER than another rebuild or new engine. Fingers crossed.
 
Looked at the pics from March 2021 and the plug holes were covered, but the exhaust ports were not. Better, worse?
 
If you can’t turn the engine over more than 20° how are they going to spin it around to get all the converter bolts out?
 
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