Engine blown after 1,300 miles, what now?

[Loring]

File the claim. That's a good reason for the supplier to deny a warranty issue should it come up. Considering you luck thus far, playing it safe is the good bet.

[metros]

UPS Doesn't handle items labeled fragile with care?! What?!

My UPS experience:

[suttonb3]

UPS Doesn't handle items labeled fragile with care?! What?!

My UPS experience:

Oh man, that hurts to look at!

I talked with Flatirons on Friday and it didn't go so well at first. The guy I was talking to said that UPS was unlikely to agree to replace it based on suspected damage. He said that if I had pictures of a broken vase (for example) things would go my way much easier. He said I had nothing to worry about anyway, the damage is way outside the sealing surface and he's put engines that had the crank bust through the crate into cars without issue. I told him that the reason I'd bought a short block was to remove the worry, but now I can't help but worry. He agreed to file a claim, but I was instructed not to get my hopes up. He called a few hours later to tell me that the claim had been filed. UPS is picking up the crate today and shipping it to an "inspection warehouse" somewhere in Florida, where the adjusters will take a look at it and make a decision. He seemed more confident that they would replace it, stating that there was no question the package was abused. I hope he's right, I can't imagine what kind of condition it'd be in if returned to me.

[wleehendrick]

The guy I was talking to said that UPS was unlikely to agree to replace it based on suspected damage. He said that if I had pictures of a broken vase (for example) things would go my way much easier.

Good luck, and hopefully UPS doesn't push back. The damage is not 'suspected'; From the appearance of the packaging, it's obvious it was mishandled, and the block did sustain (external) damage as a result. Whether or not this affects it's functionality/longevity is debatable, but irrelevant. UPS is responsible and you should not assume any additional risk as a result; UPS is free to take possession of the block and sell it as a salvage then the risk is on the next buyer and the value would be adjusted accordingly. You paid for a new block and deserve to receive a pristine one with no worry.

I'm still pissed at UPS and DHL for multiple damaged/lost shipments that delayed our home renovation project last year, so I'm not inclined to cut a shipper any slack for obvious mishandling.

[AZPete]

Sutton, there are two separate contracts here. 1. You paid Flatiron for merchandise, hence you must get satisfaction from them, not UPS. It's your decision to accept it as is, or return the damaged item. You should request a solution now and not let them delay by saying they need to wait for UPS to evaluate their claim. If Flatiron won't refund or replace the engine, you can most likely get a refund through your credit card issuer.

2. A separate issue is that Flatiron contracted UPS to deliver their product so they must deal with UPS. I ship a lot of very fragile stuff via UPS and know that if it was packed according to the UPS specs, and the shipper bought UPS insurance, UPS will pay for the repair or replacement to the shipper. Once UPS picks up the damaged shipment they will inspect it for damage and how it was packed to determine if the shipper's damage claim is valid. UPS will then return the engine to the shipper, perhaps at an additional cost. If the damage claim is not paid by UPS, it shouldn't influence the shipper's obligation to you, their customer. Keep the two contracts separate and don't let them suck you into their contract with UPS.

[Loring]

I'm happy that he said you've got nothing to worry about. I'd have him send that in an email just so if there is an issue and he's forgotten he said that, you can show him.

[lance corsi]

Concerning your engine failure, I might suggest to look closely at the oil pump. The seal @ the crank interface is subject to failure, as well as the flat head screws used on the back side. They tend to work loose, hence the oiling problems. Personally, I think a dry sump system is unnecessary, especially for primary street use. Take a look at my thread for the solution I am using.

[suttonb3]

Concerning your engine failure, I might suggest to look closely at the oil pump. The seal @ the crank interface is subject to failure, as well as the flat head screws used on the back side. They tend to work loose, hence the oiling problems. Personally, I think a dry sump system is unnecessary, especially for primary street use. Take a look at my thread for the solution I am using.

No news on the block replacement but I did have an interesting visitor yesterday. I've become acquainted with the former owner of a local speed shop, he estimates he's built close to 1,000 EJs over the years. He was interested in checking out the 818, and I was interested in his evaluation of my bad engine. He was able to determine the bad cylinder just by looking at the tops of the pistons. There was a pattern on cylinder 3 that he associates with detonation. Of course I knew that cylinder 3 was the bad one, but he didn't before making his comment. So now why do we have detonation? Upon closer inspection a small tear was found in my turbo inlet pipe. He thinks the tear combined with my off-the-shelf tune was enough to run lean. We also pulled the oil pump off together because he wanted to see how I applied the gasket maker. He said the overuse of gasket maker has brought about the destruction of more engines than just about anything. He said that overall I did a decent job, but I applied more than he'd like to see near the o-ring (sorry, I'll have to post pics tomorrow.) He said the gasket maker can prevent the o-ring from sealing perfectly and will allow oil to bleed back to the pump, resulting in lower than ideal pressure.
He added a few items to my should-replace list that I didn't anticipate. First was the oil pan. He said there's just no way to get every bit of debris out and it's not worth the risk. If that's the case, which oil pan should I use? I bought the Moroso oil pickup and have stock headers.
Next was the AVCS (I have it only on the intake side). He said there's small oil passages that are difficult to clean. What do you guys think?

[Loring]

I tend to agree, but I'd certainly defer to his expertise. Generally speaking, adjustable cam gears (as well as other things with small orifices like HLAs and such) are nearly impossible to clean properly.

[Sgt.Gator]

STI Pan.
Yes on the AVCS.

[suttonb3]

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Ok, time for an update! Unfortunately the mildly damaged block was completely destroyed during return shipping. Flatirons sent me a new one (using FedEx!) but now they have to fight with UPS. I have to give them credit for being very patient and helpful with all of my questions.
I have finally assembled all the parts, now it's time to put them together. TD04 was rebuilt, heads professionally cleaned, pressure tested and decked, injectors cleaned and flow tested (I never did this during the original rebuild) new oil and water pumps, oil cooler, thermostat, Moroso oil pickup, ARP head studs, master gasket set, AVCS, Perrin turbo inlet. I took a few hours and detailed my oil pan, taking care to hit all the crevices on the back side of the baffling. Tedious for sure, but I figure my time is worth $50/hr plus I've been told my 2006 WRX pan is the same as the Sti and I can't find evidence to refute this. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[AZPete]

Congrats for coming out of this mud bog with a shiny new block and in great shape to build the engine you want. Your perseverance paid off and your supplier now has a solid reputation here.

[coloskydiver]

+1 on Flatirons Tuning. I bought my block and majority of engine components through them and they are extremely knowledgeable. Glad everything worked out for you.

[suttonb3]

+1 on Flatirons Tuning. I bought my block and majority of engine components through them and they are extremely knowledgeable. Glad everything worked out for you.

Agreed. All things being equal, I'd prefer to give my business to a local company. But these guys have been so knowledgeable and helpful they have earned my business for sure.

[longislandwrx]

Unfortunately the mildly damaged block was completely destroyed during return shipping. Flatirons sent me a new one (using FedEx!) but now they have to fight with UPS. I have to give them credit for being very patient and helpful with all of my questions.

If it's not broke, fix it until it is. Impressive that UPS can't even ship something to themselves without damaging it.

[suttonb3]

If it's not broke, fix it until it is. Impressive that UPS can't even ship something to themselves without damaging it.

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True, but even the short block that was delivered FedEx showed up with this bent stud (for the transaxle, sorry I don't have the photo editing savvy many of you do) , and the box was in perfectly fine shape. I'm starting to think that Subaru's "crate" needs a redesign.

[suttonb3]

I need a little help installing this new oil cooler. My FSM shows 2 o-rings (marked "H") between adapter A and B.

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I just took the old one apart and only found one o-ring, in the groove on the aluminum adapter.

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In my master gasket set i found an o-ring that fits (the one I'm pointing to with the pick, I'm not sure it's needed) , but it just doesn't seem right, and I NEED to make sure it's right.

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Also, the center of these adapters don't seem right, though there really isn't another way for them to line up.

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Thanks for your thoughts!

Ben

[Sgt.Gator]

Ben, Sorry I didn't see your questions above because I apparently wasn't subscribed to this thread. Did you figure this out?
I'm asking because the FSM pic you have is nothing like the ones I've used for an STI or LGT. There are no adaptor plates A & C on any of the EJ255 or EJ257 blocks I've worked on. What FSM is this from?

This is the way I've always seen them: