So i usually do all my own work on my truck...I ain't no Mozart with a wrench, but I like the challenge and I like to learn. I recently did my spark plugs and wires as I had noticed that my gas mileage was terrible on the highway.

In doing the plugs, i screwed up the number 6 one and created a misfire as the valve and the cylinder were actually striking the plug. This isn't really the meat of the story but it gets us where we're going...

I took it to a shop and they said they'd get to it. They diagnosed it quickly and told me all i would need is a new valve and a replacement cylinder head. I took this at face value and said "Ok, no problem." This process started to take rather long and when it still wasn't done 2 weeks after I took it in, I started to worry. They then assured me it would be out soon. When I came back to check on it 17 days after I had dropped it off, they told me that they had broken the cam shaft chain guide in the back of the engine and the whole engine would have to come out so they can fix it.

Fast forward to right now as I'm writing this in a desperate plea for advice. It has been 37 God-forsaken days since I took it in and they still have it. They have made excuses left and right, they've blamed the whole chain of command at Ford back to Henry himself, and they've been extraordinarily vague with me. The only thing that has kept me there is the mechanic was a Navy Diver and I'm in the Navy as well so there's, *what I thought*, was a mutual respect for integrity and honesty between us.

Now that you have the whole story, here are my specific questions.
1. How long SHOULD it take to replace a valve and a cylinder head? (i tried to find out myself online and nothin' doin' there)
2. How easy is it to break the cam shaft guide while working on the cylinder head? I.e. are they inexperienced or just lazy.
3. has any one had a similar experience with a mechanic and what should I do? Legal action? Threaten to not pay? etc.


Thank you in advance, please forgive me for my sins against my truck, and feel free to make fun of me.

Mike

 

Welcome to the forum

Assuming Ford Ranger with a 4.0l SOHC engine so 2001 to 2012 model year?

If it is a 2001 to 2005 Ranger then they should have just pulled the engine right off the bat, and priced in changing the timing chains, tensioners and cassettes(Guides) as those model years need to be updated to the newer design.

You can pull the passenger side head without breaking the rear guides but not that easy to do, if '01-'05 then my bet was it was already cracked so it was going to break regardless.

Probably lack of experience with this specific engine is more of the problem.
Should YOU be paying for their education?
No, absolutely not, pretty much everyone knows that schools cost money you PAY to learn, and every DIY mechanic knows you PAY when you F-up and have to buy that part again or you PAY in the time it takes to redo it.
So you do NOT get paid to learn, YOU PAY to learn.

So they better knock off most if not all the labor to get it back up and running
You SHOULD, for sure, pay for the parts and materials(head, timing chains, gaskets, coolant, oil, ect...)
Just not the labor, cost of schooling in the 4.0l SOHC university

Yes, the 30+days is not right, but unless you have a contract they signed with a time specified then you are out of luck, you might try small claims AFTER you get working vehicle back, but you would have to be renting a car now, cash out of pocket to show "loss of use" damages, and you would probably only get back the cost of the rental car, so break even scenario

Time wise I would allow 6 hours to pull 1 head on the 4.0l SOHC in vehicle
8-9 hours to pull the whole engine, which would be best

Then 3-4 hours at machine shop to put old valves and new valve into new head, which is a "valve job" since they have to grind the valves/seats to fit
This can actually be 3 to 4 days depending on how busy the machine shop is

Then 8 hours reassembly
10-11 hours to reinstall whole engine

So 5 to 7 days would be best time, 9 to 10 days for delays


The 4.0l SOHC heads were never a problem, so a used head is a pretty safe bet, complete with valves and cam shaft, $200-$300
Whole 4.0l SOHC engine with 100k-150k runs $1,000-$1,800, but unless it was from a 2006 or later Ranger then I would do new timing chains before putting it in.


Yes, there are good mechanics and bad mechanics, honest mechanics and dishonest mechanics, just like any other profession

Most stories are about bad or dishonest mechanics since the good ones are seamless, you don't even notice them because every thing just works, lol.

 

To the OP.
So you installed a spark plug in #6 that was too long and the valve and piston came in contact with it ?
Can't quite wrap my head around how you damaged a valve by doing a spark plug change.

Really _ "all it needs is a new valve and cylinder head".
That's like saying I'm just going to hike up Mt. Everest this afternoon...

What garage says that as if it's a 2 hour job ?

I've run into a situation like this before.
The business bites off more then it can chew and then they realize how the screwed up.
So to try and cut there losses; they squeeze in an hour or 2 at the end of each day or once a week because they know they're going to lose money.

That's what's taking so long.

What to do though ???

I would have told them to stop once I got the news that they broke the chain guide and taken someplace else with out paying them.
They would have protested off course and that's the time to bring it to small claims court.
At that point, all they have done is taken it apart and buggered it up _ they hadn't fixed anything yet.
It would be up to you to get at least 3 quotes from other reputable garages to put things right _ the judge would take the lowest quote.

Even if they agreed to put things right, I sure as Hell wouldn't trust them to work on it anymore _ they obviously don't know what they're doing.

 

First let me thank you for your service.

I am sorry your truck and this shop is giving you a hard time.

Who found out that the piston was hitting the spark plug?

Did you remove the spark plug and find it damaged?

Or did the shop claim the wrong plugs were installed?

You did not post what year your truck is.

However in looking up spark plugs for a 2000 4.0 and a 2008 4.0 there is a length difference.

I am curious why only number six piston made contact with the plug ( was only number six plug incorrect ?)