[my84cj7]

Sorry for the rant but I've had my CJ7 in the shop since the beginning of last summer to get a 360, auto., and some other work done on it. Well I have been more than paitient with the guy that's been working on it and finally I call him the other day and he says it ready and everything is good to go. Well I go get it load up my 258, 4spd, and some other parts that are left over, get in my jeep crank it up, it sounds awesome, idles great. After paying the guy I pull it outside and start to head out, 1st gear, great, 2nd gear still going good, and then when it hits 3rd and I think i'm going about 45-50 and it starts dieing. Well he told me it was low on gas so I get more gas and try it again and it starts to die again on me and I'm only about 1/2 mile away from the shop. To make a story short I took it back to his shop told me the choke was hung up, "said" he fixed that, then broke down again. Then I just took it back to his shop and left it. I was so pissed I had to leave I couldn't even stay at the shop anymore. This was last Thursday and I haven't even called him back yet but I'm going to Monday after I've had some time to cool down.

Has anybody else ever had any experience like this? And again I'm sorry for such a long story and rant.

[John Strenk]

Yeah, I've done it to myself. Thought I had all the problems worked out and bang, my jeep des 1/2 mile from my house. Unfortunatly I had no one else to blame but myself. You at least can complain to someone.

Usually in my case it's something that I didn't think needed any attention or something the PO did and I din't catch yet. Or something I'll get to later...

[BigTDog]

I'd be pissed too. That's a lot of time and money.
It might be a good thing that you walked away and didn't blow up at the guy. But then again maybe he needs a good a$$ chewing.
Just think of how rockin it will be to finally be hammerin on that 360!

[JeepHammer]

We weren't the 'Cheapest' shop around by a LONG shot, and our bill usually rivaled the dealerships when we were done...

BUT,
When we said it was 'Done' that meant it was ready to drive to California or where ever else your heart may want to travel!

We often broke in engine, and we ALWAYS test drove every job for about 10 or 15 miles just to make sure there wasn't any Leaks, Squeaks, Rattles, Disconnections, or General Problems with our work...
(People sometimes complained about seeing their car driving around town, or notice the mileage on the odometer and complain about us test driving the vehicle!)

The reason we went to such extremes is...
If it broke down,
I PAID THE TOW BILL, REPAIR BILL AND PAID FOR YOUR PLACE TO STAY IF YOU WERE OUT OF TOWN WHEN IT HAPPENED.

If you were a customer, and had a problem like transmission, or brakes, ect. out of town that we DIDN'T service, I would call the shop working on your vehicle and have them bill my shop 'Professional Courtesy' (haggle with 'em on your behalf) rates, and you could take care of the bill with me,
Instead of getting RAPED on the road!

Now my old shop got absorbed by a huge rebuilding chain (Jasper Engines) and there is not many places that will give that kind of service anymore at ANY price!
-----------------------------------------

What I hated the most...
Was when some guy came in ranting and raving about how much time and money and aggravation he had just gone through and the vehicle STILL had problems...

AND YELLED IN MY FACE ABOUT IT!

I don't take that well, and there was a reason we had someone else on the front counter that could deal with them!

They usually left VERY happy, but the state a lot of them came in was just Non-Human... And it just WAS NOT OUR FAULT!

[ivaskaj]

I'd like to see you do an engine swap and have it perfect from the get-go. Ain't gonna happen. It will take time to get all the bugs worked out. That's why it's best to do it yourself. If you can't do it yourself, then don't do it. That's what I learned long ago. That's why all my stuff is stock.

[jcooley7]

i have a 360 in mine but 4 speed it did the same after replacing the coil,plugs and plug wires, starter, solenoid, battery, alternator, brain box myself it kept doing it so i took it to a mech and it was my fuel pump so i did away with the mechinal one and he added a electric runs great

[SuB8HaVeN]

I know how you feel. I had the slushbox in my DD rebuilt several months ago and ended up taking it back to the shop 4 times. They did a complete rebuild and then a few days later it overheated and grenaded again, then the solenoid pack failed again, then it had wiring issues, and finally the TCM took a crap. I was extremely irritated by the 3rd time back, but the shop owner was real good about it and replaced all of those parts on his dime after the rebuild (they should have all been replaced anyways).

You have to remember that sometimes it's out of their reasonable control. Sometimes things will fail that they didn't account for in the first place. You also have to remember that shops have different people working at them. Some are lazy, worthless pieces of **** and others are knowledgeable and very hard workers that don't half *** everything. By the 3rd time it was back he had his best tech on it because he couldn't afford for the rest of the goof-offs to screw it up again. But one thing's for sure, they're not doing it on purpose most of the time because every time they see you come back for the same problem they lose time and money.

What I did was calmly explain to him the trouble it requires for me to drop the car off, missed work and school, etc. I also explained to him that I wanted them to make sure that they test drove the hell out of it. He agreed to send the car home with an employee that lived an hour away to make certain that it was fixed correctly. In the end it's still running to this day (knock on wood), but hey I've still got another 6k on the warranty.

[HackFabrication]

Don't even get me started on my Harley rant.......

[lucdog]

harley rant , first thing that comes to mind, don't use synthetic oil , the bearings will skid(dealer). there are lots more.

bill, 2000 fat boy

[crusty75]

Ahhh, Harley dealer service. Truly amazing in their ability to almost completely destroy your motorcycle, EVERY TIME. I gave them two chances, that was it.
With out a doubt, two of the most horrifying experiences in my life.

When you screw up a motorcycle, it is like screwing up an airplane, more than likely, somebody is gonna die.

[HackFabrication]

Yeah, too bad this is Jeep Forum. Although I posted one of my experiences here: http://hdforums.com/forum/other/40506-leaking-rocker-boxes.html Unfortunately a bunch of the 'PAIN' has been lost in the post.

[JeepHammer]

Originally Posted by ivaskaj

I'd like to see you do an engine swap and have it perfect from the get-go. Ain't gonna happen. It will take time to get all the bugs worked out. That's why it's best to do it yourself. If you can't do it yourself, then don't do it. That's what I learned long ago. That's why all my stuff is stock.

I've built MANY an engine, had everything running PERFECT in one day of tuning/test driving.

IF YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, The Tune is the EASY part!

It's the 6 thumb 'Busters' that don't have a clue how things work together, and think because they can get things 'Running' means they know it all and don't have to continue education...
-----------------------------

If the engine was machined CORRECTLY,
Put together CORRECTLY,
And you know everything was VERIFIED as you assemble,
It doesn't take long at all to work out the fuel/Ignition.

Why do you think I spend so much time telling people to VERIFY that the #1 piston is ACTUALLY at Top Dead Center...
VERIFY that you are on compression stroke,
VERIFY the harmonic balancer is reading correctly,
VERIFY the distributor is installed correctly,
VERIFY the firing order is correct,
VERIFY compression in all cylinders,
VERIFY the cooling system with a pressure test,
VERIFY you have proper wiring between switches, coil, modules, ect.
VERIFY fuel flow to, and past, the fuel filter,
VERIFY fuel pressure on a closed line,
VERIFY the carb is passing that fuel,
VERIFY the vacuum advance is doing what it's supposed to, WHEN it's supposed to,
VERIFY the centrifugal advance is doing what it's supposed to, when it's supposed to,
VERIFY the rotor is properly phased so it doesn't move away from the plug terminal it's supposed to be firing,
VERIFY you have the correct linkage adjustment on the carb
VERIFY you don't have any vacuum leaks,
VERIFY the engine is producing the correct vacuum readings,
VERIFY you have the correct idle mixture,
VERIFY your accelerator pump is working/adjusted correctly,
VERIFY there are no dead spots in the carb or ignition advance,
VERIFY the plug color/main jet fuel mixture on a test drive...

Believe it or not, someone that actually knows the systems inside and out can spend 1/2 hour hooking up timing light, vacuum gauge, tach, dwell meter, radiator/cooling system pressure tester, ect...
Another 45 to 60 minutes making sure everything is working and adjusted correctly,
And about another half hour test driving, feeling for boggs, dead spots, misses, and checking plug color/fuel ratio on the main jets (the ONLY way to check the main jets is by DRIVING the vehicle, no matter what ANYONE says)

So the average 'Test & Tune' takes about 3 hours with a soda break on the way back to the shop!

Don't just 'Guess' it's OK, actually know what you are doing,
OR,
Find someone that does know what they are doing!

I feel REALLY sorry for this guy because he took it to a 'professional',
Got stiffed on the time frame for the work,
Then got a inferior product back after paying perfectly good money!

There are professionals out there, you need to seek them out...

And if you find one that is REALLY good, make sure EVERYONE YOU KNOW knows about him!
He will stay in business, while the 'Fly By Night' guys will starve!

I've had vehicles in my shop that had been to NUMEROUS other shops before ours...

"Won't Rev Up, Runs Out Of Power".
Previous shop 'Tuned Up' the engine and 'Rebuilt' the distributor,
NEW, Pick Up Coil, Reluctor, Module, Coil, Cap, Rotor, Plug wires, Plugs, Everything timed and gapped correctly.
Didn't have the power loss before the 'Tune Up'.

"Buster" put a I-6 Trigger ring on a V-8 Distributor and couldn't find the problem with a $15,000 Sun Machine!
Took us about 20 minutes to find the problem.
-----------------------

"CRAPPY FUEL MILEAGE, NO POWER"
2300 CC Ford 4 cylinder.
'Buster', in THREE different garages, had replaced...
Fresh Reman short block, New head from Ford,
Freshly reman carb, all new emissions controls,
New exhaust system all the way back...
Obviously, these people were grasping at straws!

Took about 20 minutes to figure out the vacuum advance wasn't getting any vacuum...
Turns out, the vacuum lines to/from CTO switch were full of gasket sealer. (CTO switch new)

This guy got screwed for new engine, exhaust, all emissions equipment, distributor & carb because of 50¢ in vacuum line the idiots couldn't diagnose...
-------------------------------

Dealership was getting ready to pay a guy back for a BRAND NEW Cadillac because it would die unexpectedly.
Dealership was 3 days away from having to return the purchase cost, interest, tax, plates and fees on the lemon law...

New fuel injectors, three new computers, two new engine to computer wiring harnesses, new throttle body, all new sensors and had been to two independent shops before ours...

Since we normally didn't see any vehicles for anything but oil changes before warranty ran out, I had to spend two hours reading up on the new vehicles.
Part of that reading was to check the FACTORY ISSUED SERVICE, UPDATE & RECALL BULLETINS...

13th page of service bulletins... Robert Bosch issued a warning about fuel injectors that LOST resistance when heated up during use.
Took the fuel injector rack off (20 minute job), tested the resistance of each injector (5 minute job) everything within tolerance,
Threw the injector in the toaster oven in the break room and heated it to 350 degrees, Took 5 minutes, more or less,
Resistance had DROPPED (normally when you HEAT an electrical circuit, the resistance goes UP)
Tested the resistance again... DROPPED TO NEARLY HALF THE MINIMUM!

The computer was seeing a VOLTAGE SPIKE and doing EXACTLY what it was designed to do, SHUT DOWN to save the electronics!

8 New injectors and 45 minutes to install them back in the rails, and the rails on the vehicle, and the problem was solved.
---------------------------------

I'm no genius at this stuff,
BUT,
I don't let the basics slip by either!

BLOW THROUGH your vacuum/pressure lines!

Check the darn vacuum advance when you have the distributor cap off for inspection/tune up!

If you see a 'Dry Hose' or 'Crack' in a belt, CHANGE IT!

If you see cracks in a brake hose, CHANGE IT!

If you have the thermostat housing uncovered for something,
TAKE THE WATER NECK OFF,
SAND IT FLAT (sheet of emery cloth taped to counter top or sheet of plate glass/mirror, you don't have to spend a fortune on a flat bed sander!),
CHANGE THE THERMOSTAT WITH A QUALITY UNIT,
TEST THE NEW ONE BEFORE YOU INSTALL IT!
(Pan of hot water on the stove and $5 'Candy/cooking' thermometer),
AND USE A NEW GASKET! DO NOT USE THAT SQUEEZE TUBE STUFF!
DO NOT OVER TORQUE THE WATER NECK FASTENERS!
One serious (or more) engine overheat averted for $15 and an hour of your time!

CHECK/REPACK YOUR WHEEL BEARINGS, AND USE NEW SEALS! (they are $1.50 each!)
USE SYNTHETIC MARINE GREASE IN YOUR JEEP BEARINGS.
Synthetic & most marine greases repell water and won't draw/mix with moisture/water! It's worth the extra $1.50 a tube!

YOU DO NOT need a wheel bearing packer, fingers of one hand to hold the bearing, and palm of other hand works fine to 'Pat' grease into the bearing.
IF the wife will let you, stack grease on the ENDS of the wheel bearings, and VACUUM PACK them!
The grease sucks right in with no fuss!

I keep my extra parts/bearings ect. in vacuum bags with a little oil when applicable. Keeps small parts together and organized, they are water/dirt/corrosion proof.

ADJUST YOUR DAMN BACK BRAKES!
You would NOT BELIEVE how many people complain about 'Bad Brakes' just to find out they had NEVER adjusted out the back brakes!
No back brakes puts 20-25% more braking effort (100% of the braking effort!) on the front!
IT's no wonder you are glazing over and wearing out front pads like crazy and the vehicle seems hard to stop!

DON'T BUY 'IMPORT' PARTS!
DON'T ASK FOR THE 'CHEAPEST' PARTS! (They are most certainly 'Import' parts!)
Pay the extra for the 'Premium' parts, they are worth EVERY penny!

MAKE A LIST of things that go wrong or don't seem right as they are happening!
You wouldn't believe how many times people chewed us out because 'WE' *FORGOT* or *DIDN'T FIND* this or that problem...
When they didn't mention word one about it when asked for the 'Issues' they were having!

How are we supposed to know your silly assed kid knocked the vacuum lines off the heater controls when installing the 'Static-O-Matic' stereo if you don't TELL US the heater isn't working, when you originally complained of braking issues!?

I used to throw in things like washer fluid, a quart of oil if it was low, brake fluid, power steering fluid, belt adjustments, wiper blades...
The usual stuff the 'Oil Change' places charge you extra for if you had mechanical work done.
I'm charging a flat percentage of the parts for 'Shop Supplies' so what the heck...
BUT,
When you get a 'Tune Up', you get charged for wiper blades, burned out bulbs, extra fluids, ect. that's what TUNE UP means...
So don't get bent when you tell us to 'Tune It Up & Service It' and find out there are wiper blades on the bill!

You buy an engine, transmission, something like that, we clean windows, vacuum, throw in wiper blades, ect.
Not a problem,
But you tie up my MACHINE SHOP for oil changes, ect. we charge for the 'Service'... IE: Vacuum, Clean windows, ect.
I MUST pay the guy that is doing that work,
I MUST pay for the building, tools, electricity, water, ect. he is working with...

You don't work for free, don't expect us to either!

Well, this has turned into a RANT... So I'm going to put a sock in it!
Later!

[visa]

well from the get go do the work yorself, paying a shop? theres the prob. right there. if you can work on it yourself then why do you have it!

[Andy5150]

A lot of "mechanics" are just parts changers. Any 10 could probably succsessfuly change out cam and lifters, but try to find one who can accurately diagnose that the engine actually needs those items. I had a freind some years back that did just that to his buddies, Nova, only to find out that it just needed sparkplug wires.

[mjp83]

After putting on an electric pump my 360 it did the same thing. It is a 4 spd manual, and the fuel pump was not able to keep up with the fuel demands, so it starved the engine once it used all the gas from the carbs fuel bowljust before each shift into the next gear. I am guessing on the auto, you did not rev it up high enough to use all the gas until going into the highest gear. Check to see if the fuel filter is new and the fuel pump as well. You are running a manual fuel pump? If it is electric and a cheap Napa type, forget it. Go holley or back to a new manual - it is trouble free!