blazer manifold gasket replace engine blown

1999 Blazer (96K miles) - Had it at dealer for other work they said intake manifold gasket was leaking. Did wait a couple of months and took it to local mechanic they confirmed gasket should be replaced. Had them replace it picked up car drove it for 1 1/2 days and while on freeway the engine suddenly about stalled and could only go 30 mph nursed it to off ramp. Took it back to garage and they said they would flush with heavy weight oil to see if that helped. They called back and say the engine is shot and need to replace engine.
Everything up to that point was fine. No noticeable drop in coolant level etc. When I picked it up they didn't caution me at all said I should be in good shape.
They are now telling me it is just bad luck. What else can I throw at them. Does this sound a bit coincidental or as they say just bad luck?? How likely is it that they could have done something to cause coolant to get in oil?? I believe they put one of their junior technicians on it because they were real busy. Any help you can offer is appreciated.

first i would ask what the they meant by flush with heavy weight oil did you check the oil after geting of the highway and if so was the oil milky if so they messed up puting the gasket on and they are at fault but if it is running it may not be the end yet i would take it to a gm dealer and tell them your story and see if the can help you find out what caused it

If the coolant is not drained before removing the intake manifold, coolant WILL drain into the crankcase. It will destroy the oils ability to lubricate the engine. Flushing with heavy weight oil might be their way of saying they'll try to remove the coolant in the crankcase. The damage has already been done to the engine... if that is in fact what happened.

1999 Blazer (96K miles) - Had it at dealer for other work they said intake manifold gasket was leaking. Did wait a couple of months and took it to local mechanic they confirmed gasket should be replaced. Had them replace it picked up car drove it for 1 1/2 days and while on freeway the engine suddenly about stalled and could only go 30 mph nursed it to off ramp. Took it back to garage and they said they would flush with heavy weight oil to see if that helped. They called back and say the engine is shot and need to replace engine.
Everything up to that point was fine. No noticeable drop in coolant level etc. When I picked it up they didn't caution me at all said I should be in good shape.
They are now telling me it is just bad luck. What else can I throw at them. Does this sound a bit coincidental or as they say just bad luck?? How likely is it that they could have done something to cause coolant to get in oil?? I believe they put one of their junior technicians on it because they were real busy. Any help you can offer is appreciated.

It is not bad luck.
No use trying to blame it on someone else.:grinyes:

If the dealer told you it was leaking and you drove it 2 mo or more without fixing.
It is you fault.
Step up and take the blame.
MT

It is not bad luck.
No use trying to blame it on someone else.:grinyes:

If the dealer told you it was leaking and you drove it 2 mo or more without fixing.
It is you fault.
Step up and take the blame.
MT

Not true mine has been leaking for 4 years, it drips coolant externally at the back of the block. It does not leak all the time and seems to do it more in the winter, I just top the fluid up. If it leaks internally into the oil, yes it will trash the engine, I am thinking in the short time it happened it would have been a shoddy repair job if water got in the oil. What reputable shop would fix an engine that came in with water in the oil and think everything is going to be ok with a gasket. We do need more detials though to be sure. Where was original leak and did water get in the oil before the gasket change ?

Not true mine has been leaking for 4 years, it drips coolant externally at the back of the block. It does not leak all the time and seems to do it more in the winter, I just top the fluid up. If it leaks internally into the oil, yes it will trash the engine, I am thinking in the short time it happened it would have been a shoddy repair job if water got in the oil. What reputable shop would fix an engine that came in with water in the oil and think everything is going to be ok with a gasket. We do need more detials though to be sure. Where was original leak and did water get in the oil before the gasket change ?


If a plumer fixes a water leak in you house do you hold him Responsible for water damage that you had from the leak before he fixed it? :grinyes: ?

If a mechanic fixes a water leak do you hold him up for engine damage done by the leak before repair?

When a intake gasket is replaced it is good judgement for the oil to be changed at the same time.
But beyond that past or present engine damage is not on the mechanic back.

If a person drives it for over 2 mo. or more after being told or knows he has a intake leak.
It is his problem and no body elses.
MT

Considering that it failed so soon after repair, I'd think that it's possible in this case that the shop didn't follow the proper torque specs and/or tightening sequence, causing block distortion and wiping out the mains.

1999 Blazer (96K miles) - Had it at dealer for other work they said intake manifold gasket was leaking. Did wait a couple of months and took it to local mechanic they confirmed gasket should be replaced. Had them replace it picked up car drove it for 1 1/2 days and while on freeway the engine suddenly about stalled and could only go 30 mph nursed it to off ramp. Took it back to garage and they said they would flush with heavy weight oil to see if that helped. They called back and say the engine is shot and need to replace engine.
Everything up to that point was fine. No noticeable drop in coolant level etc. When I picked it up they didn't caution me at all said I should be in good shape.
They are now telling me it is just bad luck. What else can I throw at them. Does this sound a bit coincidental or as they say just bad luck?? How likely is it that they could have done something to cause coolant to get in oil?? I believe they put one of their junior technicians on it because they were real busy. Any help you can offer is appreciated.


Blazee has a good point.
But going back to when the dealer told you you needed to replace it did he warn you that it could damage the engine if it was leaking coolant inside the engine.
Was there any sign of coolant in the oil in the 2 mo that you drove it that way?
Did it ever overheat on you.
When you had the gasket replaced did you tell them it had been leaking for 2 mo?
Did they check the engine oil for coolant in it at that time and did they change the oil and filter when the gasket was replaced.
Or tell you that it may have engine may already have damage at the time the gasket was repaced.
And as Blazee metioned did they use the proper torque on the intake gasket.

Is there any coolant in the oil now?
A oil test sample may be in order.

MT-2500 - I'm more than willing to step up and take my medicine. Your last post seems to be getting more to the point. When I took it to the dealer it was for a service engine light. They told me it was related to the transmission and I would need a new TCC valve and if that didn't work a completely new transmission at $2800. While it was in there I also mentioned I had a couple of very small oil spots (2 -3 inch dia) on the driveway and wondered where they were coming from. I have a transmission shop that I highly trust so I called him on my main problem. He recommended I get the vehicle to him. He pulled the pan and did some diagnostics and said he saw no issues with the transmission and since there was no slipping we should be good to go.

Back to the leak... The dealer gave me a list of 5 spots it was leaking. I asked if any were more important than the others. They did suggest the Intake gasket but didn't say it was critical or could cause severe engine damage. The main concern was the transmission. The leak as I understand it was near the back.

When I took it to the current shop I gave them the list of leaks and they only suggested the Intake. There was no caution on their part before or after that the repair was risky or there may be further issues.
To begin with I wasn't even sure they could handle this repair. I have dealt with them for 15 plus years for oil changes, brakes, front end, etc.. but lately they seem to want to take on more work. I called the manager on the phone to see if they could handle the intake gasket. I half expected him to say no that was beyond their abilities. He said sure they could do it. When I asked how much he turned me over to his technician who seemed very knowledgeable. I mentioned I would bring it in early the next week and the manager said that was fine but he would be on vacation but the tech would be in and could work on it. This concerned me but I wanted to get it in and I was going to be out of town as well so it seemed to be a good time to take it in. When I went in I mentioned to the assist manager that they were going to have so and so work on it and he said well he had a pile of work to do so they would probably put someone else on it. I asked if he was equally qualified and they said sure. Again no caution.
When I picked it up again they said everything was good to go. As far as the other leaks they said nothing to worry about at this point but they did put some die in the oil and next time I was in for an oil change they could put it under a light and verify any other leaks. But the manifold gasket was fine and we were good to go.

To answer your questions:

1. Did it Overheat: No never did and I've had to add little if any antifreeze.
2. Was there any sign of coolant in oil: No - I know enough to keep an eye on that
3. I don't remember if we discussed length of time since dealer suggested I change it. They didn't seem concerned.
4. As described above as far as I know they didn't check the oil before or if they did they didn't tell me there was an issue. They were supposed to have changed the oil after and flush the coolant.
5. I don't know the condition of the oil after because I was out of town and my son was driving it when it happened. We took it back to the shop and it has been in their hands since last Thursday. As described earlier they claim they put some heavier oil in and tried to see if that would help.

My whole point is to your questions. If it was so critical and could potentially cause a major failure I would think they would 1. Inspect oil before and maybe keep a sample. 2. Inspect oil after change. 3. Advise customer that this is a risky procedure.

We as customers come to a garage with a certain amount of trust. That's all we have to go on. I fully understand it is not a perfect science and will hold up my end of the deal.

Lastly they are saying it would cost me $4500 for a new engine. I already found a rebuilt for $2500.

Sorry for the book but hopefully it gives you a better overview of the situation. I know there is a chance it was going to happen, but based on how they handled it and all it seems a bit coincidental. I was only asking for possible things that could have gone wrong during the change out that may have caused MY problem.
I appreciate everyone else's suggestions on torque etc....

There could have been a few problem with this case. In my opinion, I think there was a mistake made when the garage serviced your gaskets. Everyone has a point here. There could have been some damage because of the old gaskets not being replaced soon enough, as MT mentioned, but I don't think it would give out like that, especially right after the fix was done. Usually if they made it that far, chances are, as long as the fix was done properly, you should be o.k. Old master makes a great point in that if the coolant wasn't flushed out totally, it will for sure get in the engine, and furthermore, if your not careful when your cleaning the gasket surfaces, tons of junk can get into the engine -from dirt to gasket material. All of this stuff will eventually get into the oil pan and get sucked up right into the engine, overloading the oil filter media and causing it to eventually bypass the filter and then damage occurs. Oil galleries can and do get clogged and eventually starving the engine of oil. Another equally important factor blazee mentioned and must be done correctly is the torque values must be correct on the intake for these engines. If not, block distortion will occur and you'll have engine damage. If the oil wasn't changed after the fix, even if there wasn't any coolant in the oil, it would still be full of debris/dirt, and changing it would be the only way to reduce the chances of eventually getting this into the engine.

Changing the oil to a heavier oil? Like old_master said, the damage has been done. I think by this very idea of changing the oil they offered to do, casts doubt on their job they did for you.

My advice would be to get your truck out of that garage, pull your engine and see where the damage was done. I believe they did not do the job properly, either as a result of lack of knowledge(whoever did the work, didn't really know how do do it properly), or a lack of care( just wanted to get it done, and skipped/hurried some steps to get it out the door). Its a tough call, and even more tougher when your not there in person to see what is actually the case.

Good Luck

MT-2500 - I'm more than willing to step up and take my medicine. Your last post seems to be getting more to the point. When I took it to the dealer it was for a service engine light. They told me it was related to the transmission and I would need a new TCC valve and if that didn't work a completely new transmission at $2800. While it was in there I also mentioned I had a couple of very small oil spots (2 -3 inch dia) on the driveway and wondered where they were coming from. I have a transmission shop that I highly trust so I called him on my main problem. He recommended I get the vehicle to him. He pulled the pan and did some diagnostics and said he saw no issues with the transmission and since there was no slipping we should be good to go.

Back to the leak... The dealer gave me a list of 5 spots it was leaking. I asked if any were more important than the others. They did suggest the Intake gasket but didn't say it was critical or could cause severe engine damage. The main concern was the transmission. The leak as I understand it was near the back.

When I took it to the current shop I gave them the list of leaks and they only suggested the Intake. There was no caution on their part before or after that the repair was risky or there may be further issues.
To begin with I wasn't even sure they could handle this repair. I have dealt with them for 15 plus years for oil changes, brakes, front end, etc.. but lately they seem to want to take on more work. I called the manager on the phone to see if they could handle the intake gasket. I half expected him to say no that was beyond their abilities. He said sure they could do it. When I asked how much he turned me over to his technician who seemed very knowledgeable. I mentioned I would bring it in early the next week and the manager said that was fine but he would be on vacation but the tech would be in and could work on it. This concerned me but I wanted to get it in and I was going to be out of town as well so it seemed to be a good time to take it in. When I went in I mentioned to the assist manager that they were going to have so and so work on it and he said well he had a pile of work to do so they would probably put someone else on it. I asked if he was equally qualified and they said sure. Again no caution.
When I picked it up again they said everything was good to go. As far as the other leaks they said nothing to worry about at this point but they did put some die in the oil and next time I was in for an oil change they could put it under a light and verify any other leaks. But the manifold gasket was fine and we were good to go.

To answer your questions:

1. Did it Overheat: No never did and I've had to add little if any antifreeze.
2. Was there any sign of coolant in oil: No - I know enough to keep an eye on that
3. I don't remember if we discussed length of time since dealer suggested I change it. They didn't seem concerned.
4. As described above as far as I know they didn't check the oil before or if they did they didn't tell me there was an issue. They were supposed to have changed the oil after and flush the coolant.
5. I don't know the condition of the oil after because I was out of town and my son was driving it when it happened. We took it back to the shop and it has been in their hands since last Thursday. As described earlier they claim they put some heavier oil in and tried to see if that would help.

My whole point is to your questions. If it was so critical and could potentially cause a major failure I would think they would 1. Inspect oil before and maybe keep a sample. 2. Inspect oil after change. 3. Advise customer that this is a risky procedure.

We as customers come to a garage with a certain amount of trust. That's all we have to go on. I fully understand it is not a perfect science and will hold up my end of the deal.

Lastly they are saying it would cost me $4500 for a new engine. I already found a rebuilt for $2500.

Sorry for the book but hopefully it gives you a better overview of the situation. I know there is a chance it was going to happen, but based on how they handled it and all it seems a bit coincidental. I was only asking for possible things that could have gone wrong during the change out that may have caused MY problem.
I appreciate everyone else's suggestions on torque etc....

You have some good points there.
I might have jumped your case on you to soon.

As said if the job was not done right or if the oil and filter was not changed at the time it was replaced it could be the repair places fault.
It is strange it blowed right after repair.
And there suggestion of heavy oil is not in there favor.
They should have Liability insurance to cover it if it was there fault.
Or if it was not done right.
I would call them on that end and have there adjuster come in and check things out.
As said get it out of there and have a good repair place take it apart and find out what caused the damage.
And look on you copy of repair bill and see if the oil and filter was repaced at the time of repair.
Ask if the intake was torqued and what it was torqued at and how it was torqued?
And if you can get a sample of oil and save the old filter that was in it after it blowed.

Good luck on it.
MT

MT,
Thanks for giving it some more thought. Unfortunately I read your first post about 10 minutes before I finally heard from the owner. He has offered to help me with the engine repair but stated they still didn't think it was their fault. I was a bit humble because of your statements. He said he will work on finding a rebuilt engine and or see if they can make some repairs themselves. He is supposed to call me by noon tomorrow with an estimate on the repair. He said since I am a good customer he will help me out. I think most of the evidence is gone. Do I let him keep working on it or should I have it towed and move on??

Thanks to everyone else for the advice... I'll see what he has to say tomorrow
:banghead:

That is a tough call.
Witout tearing down the engine and checking for what hppened and what cause it to blow or knowing how the intake gaskets were installed and if the oil was changed and flushed.
Intake gasked leaking outside the engine is not bad unless it lets coolant get low and lets the engine heat up. But
A intake gasket leaking can let coolant into the engine any time it is leaking.
Which can damage the engine bearings.
And may not show up untill later.

When repacing it the gasket replace has to be done right as stated.
It has to be torqued right and also cleaned right.
Some repair shops do not use the proper cleaning and replacing procedure.
And even use abrasive pads to clean off old gasket that can damage engine.
They also have to take care and not let old gasket and dirt and coolant get into the engine.
Enven being careful some may get into the oil pan.
That is why on a intake gasket replace the oil and filter should be changed at the the job is done.
I also like to warm the engine up good and listen to the engine and check oil pressure and change the oil and filter again.
I also like to talk to the customer and inform them about the danger of intake gasket leakage and bearing damage from coolant getting the oil.
Even if the intake relacement job is done right there could be engine bearing damage done before the repair that may not show up untill later.

If the shop is willing to help you out see how far and how much they will do.
As you say the evidence of what happen may part gone.
If they go half way is better than none.
If you take it to court or go threw there garage insurance adjuster you will you may not get any more.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.
MT






You dealer should have warned you about it when they first found the leak.

If a plumer fixes a water leak in you house do you hold him Responsible for water damage that you had from the leak before he fixed it? :grinyes: ?

If a mechanic fixes a water leak do you hold him up for engine damage done by the leak before repair? Truck was running for 2 months with no apparent problems, ergo no damage done
When a intake gasket is replaced it is good judgement for the oil to be changed at the same time.
But beyond that past or present engine damage is not on the mechanic back.Truck came in running bearing noise severe engine damage would be evident pulling it into the shop
If a person drives it for over 2 mo. or more after being told or knows he has a intake leak.
It is his problem and no body elses. A minor coolant leak or oil leak that is topped of during 2 months causes no damageMT

Read my original response

Truck was running for 2 months with no apparent problems, ergo no damage doneThat is not a valid line of reasoning. Perception of damage has no effect on whether or not any damage has occurred.


Truck came in running bearing noise severe engine damage would be evident pulling it into the shopNot necessarily.


A minor coolant leak or oil leak that is topped of during 2 months causes no damageThis statement is also untrue as a general statement, and is a speculation based on information that is unavailable. The validity of this statement would depend on a case by case basis.

You guys tell me... As reported last night the owner told me he would work up some options, help me out, and call me by noon today. By 4:00 no call so I called him. He said he needed another hour and would call me by the end of the day. Well guess what, he never called.

What does that mean????

Trying to give you an update but nothing to go on...

Hey dad12

Sounds to me like the owner of the shop is not a stand up guy, and he's thinking of more BS to give you. I hate all repair shops. I'm glad I did my own intake manifold gasket job...
Good luck to you, I have a bad feeling on this one..........

Dino

Dad12,


Same thing happened to me after an intake gasket repair...took two weeks or so for a tapping sound to start and then the engine went.