I found my vibration problem. My crank pulley came loose/off tonight. This is the SECOND time since my engine was replaced with a rebuilt.
Is it possible that a shop could be so dumb as to not get a crankshaft pulley on correctly TWICE, or is there something else at work here? ANy ideas.

Broken Crank bolt? Better Hope not.

Year? model? engine?

It's a 1995 3.5 SR. The re-built engine was put in about 7K miles ago. This happened about 3K miles ago...same situation. I started noticing a humming/vibration at certain rpm's, it starts to become more and more noticeable the longer you drive it. It also has to be warmed-up before the vibration is really noticeable. So this time, it was the same thing.

when the engine was replaced did you replace the Crank sprocket, Accessory drive pully and the Crankshaft bolt? IMO All three of these Items need to be replaced once this happens. Proper torque of the crankshaft bolt is criticle. If the pully slips the locating pin on the crank sprocket shears off, the pully spins on the face of the crank and messes up the mating surfaces. The pully is held tight to the crank sprocket from the clamping force of the bolt if this force is not sufficient the wimpy pin is not enoough to keep the pully from spinning..

The shop that did the engine replacement is where it is at now. They put the pulley back on after it fell off last time. They called me today and said that the bolt broke this time, and that because it is a known problem with these trucks they are not covering it.
That seems REALLY wrong to me. They took the old engine out, put this engine it, AND put the crank pulley back on when it fell off last time. They claim that since they used the old bolt and crank pulley from my old engine; since they weren't new parts failure was going to happen sometime. It seems to me that regardless of whether or not they used the old stuff, they had ample opportunity to see a defect it one of the parts and replace it. I think they didn't get it on properly the first time, and when they "re-torqued" it the second time, the pulley didn't get seated correctly...which the Mitsu dealer in town tells me, is ESSENTIAL.
Now; after giving this shop almost $6000 to this point, they said it's going to be close to 1000 to repair it again. The manager said he'll talk to his boss tomorrow about the situation; but his mechanic has installed hundreds of crank pulleys and always is real carefull. So of course, it's impossible he did anything wrong.
Justice, to answer your questions...I don't believe any of that was replaced. I know from looking myself that the crank pulley, crank pulley bolt (was on my skid plate when the pulley fell off last time), and the timing covers were not replaced with the new engine.

WHAT DO I DO?
Am I the only one that thinks the shop should pay for the repair?
If I end up needing to get a lawyer or something; what should I ask this shop that could get me some evidence? (i.e. A procedure they might have missed or something.)
If they do the repair; what should I demand they check/repair/replace?

I'm sorry for the long rant, but this is very frustrating.
I appreciate any help/advice ya'll can give.
Shawn

"because it is a known problem"
"They claim that since they used the old bolt and crank pulley from my old engine"
These two statements don't make much sense from a professional shop.

If it was a known problem then why didn't they put new parts on? I think the fact that this has happened twice to you in such a short time something is wrong with their work. Going by their reasoning they must do 4-5 of these a day, all on come-backs. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
I'm not sure a lawyer would do you much good as it seems you may only have a case for about the $1000 to repair this second problem. See how much your State allows you to sue for in small claims court and see if it allows for reimbursement of lawyer fees in any judgement, if you win. Also look at the State laws on Small Claims. If the shop does not work something out to your satisfaction I would go to another shop to get the fix. Get that mechanic to write on the service order his opinion on why the bolt broke - AGAIN! Keep all your documentation for court and write down everything now before you forget the circumstances. Keep the old parts for court also. If you can get this shop to write on the work order, it is a "known problem" as to why they won't fix under warranty, and you can prove they used old parts I think that will go in your favor. Try to get the TSB for this problem and research on the web any info that would show the shop should have known how to prevent this. I would also research the State laws that regulate repair shops so you understand what rules they are supposed to operate under, i.e. warranty. Small claims is designed to operate for consumers without lawyers so the rules are more relaxed, but you still need to prove your case and present it well. If you feel more comfortable with a lawyer, by all means, maybe you can get a free consultation, but just remember his fees may eat up all your judgement. Keep track of all your out of pocket expenses and add those to your claim (i.e. car rental, but not lost wages) don't forget to add filing fees to the claim as well. But don't pad the claim, credibility in court is very important. Some States really try to help small claims consumers, some don't if the State bar controls access and trys to direct work to lawyers. Also, a judgement is one thing, collection is another, so understand how you're going to collect if the court finds in your favor.

I'd try to stay out of court. A top-notch shop will acknowledge this: they have an obligation to take care of your vehicle. You take it in for an oil change, and they should also check the tires, because they have an obligation to make sure that your vehicle leaves their care and returns to you in a safe and serviceable condition. If this was a known condition (their words, and all I would need to turn that conversation around), they had an obligation to tell you or fix it. End of my theory.

John B.

You should be able to talk them into fixing it. The work is mostly labor, so it is easier for the shop to swallow it.

Known problem. Ha! Now they tell you... $6000 and they were too cheap to put in the redesigned pulley bolt? Ha!

So far the shop is standing firm that they will not cover the $800. Since I may have to pursue some legal help, could you guys help me with one or two more questions.
Should my timing covers normally have been replaced with a long-block engine replacement? The bolt broke only where there is thread....wrong locktite??? Over torqued? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Thanks again!
Shawn