99 Escort needs Engine. worth Keeping? Need ideas/ help...

[volfe]

to make a long story short, my car is now sitting in the shop with an engine beside it that doesn't fit thanks to a bit of incompetence from the shop, and not enough due diligence by me.

I bought the engine from Morris Rose Auto Parts in Michigan but am in Biloxi, we've been trying to find a salvage company closer to me, that would swap out the engine for one that fits, with similar specs and warranty. Needless to say we havent and the shop denies any responsibility and expects I should send it back.

Can anyone suggest a good auto salvage place near the coast that you've dealt with?

Can yall tell me if this is even worth it, should I just sell the car for scrap?

Could someone just shoot me before I die from the stress.

thanks!
Maia

[12Ounce]

I think perhaps you should cut your losses and walk away. Life's too short to worry about something .... that you really don't want to worry with.

If you have to pay shipping back for the salvaged engine, ... so be it. To fix this car: You need a local someone who can advise you, someone not only "trustworthy", but someone who knows his "mechanical stuff". A rare person. He may not exist for you. So what!

You have other interests. A car should be transportation, not a headache. Get rid of the car the least costly way you can find.

[jeffescortlx]

Hold on a second, before you send that engine back, WHY does'nt it fit? What is it from?

[volfe]

basically as I understand it the 99s have two engine types, for vin P and vin 3.
One is a SOHC and one is a DOHC. As an official car ignoramus I cannot tell you the ins and outs of both. As a layman peeking in, my engine appears to fit in totally different (ie vertical vs horizontal I guess). The various accessories are also totally different.

After a good holler at the owner of the shop he is having the shop ship it back. <crosses fingers>. Now, he did tell me that the shop they use doesn't have an engine so I'm about to become his worse nightmare.

Why am I crazy enough to keep this car? I dunno. Part of it is it was in pretty decent shape. Part of it is that a huge hurricane wiped half the American South off the planet and when all you have left in the world is your kids, your life, and your car and all it holds, it just really sucks to let it go.

I'm usually very practical but this mess is a mess I'm having issues with.

Oh, and horribly, I found that the shop is run by a notorious untrustworthy person! Unfortunately my old (GOOD) mechanic lived in Chalmette, a flooded area near the 9th ward of New Orleans.

Thanks again for all your help
Maia

[jeffescortlx]

Originally Posted by volfe

basically as I understand it the 99s have two engine types, for vin P and vin 3.
One is a SOHC and one is a DOHC.

Yes in 99 there are two differnet Escorts. There are the 2 door Zx2 Escort's with the DOHC Zetec motor, then there is the 4 door with the SOHC Split Port Induction motor.
How did this mix up happen? Did some one at the shop not notice that the twin cam and single cam motor's are different?

Your 99 Escort should have a lot of life left in it. My 96 has 165k and is still going strong. I swaped in the same 2.0 SPI motor your 99 has about 4 year's ago, mine has been abused hard with 12psi boost spikes and still runs like a champ.

[volfe]

I had a 95 escort from 97 til 2002 when I wrecked it like a big dummy!
Now this car... this would be its second engine as the oil pump went out March of 2005. Thankfully it ran wonderfully through the evacuation and months of driving from the coast to where the kids were. Unfortunately I guess I didn't maintain it as well as I thought during this time.

The engine snafu was caused by the guy in charge of getting an engine for my car not paying attention or not caring to read the info I gave him on the engine for sale. He told the salesman the wrong Vin Code for the engine and told me he hadn't looked over the paper I gave him (a list of 10 things!).

Well, anyway, I irately told this to the owner of the shop yesterday and he said they'd ship it back. So... trying to help get an engine for my car has just cost me $240 bucks shipping.

I HATE finding mechanics, but as a single parent I have to put all my energy into work and kids. Heck, I replaced the motor once simply cuz it was easier to pay my mechanic 2 grand than to search for a new car in my limited free time.

I have been lucky in finding mechanics in New Orleans but not here.
Once I drove from my college town of Flagstaff, AZ to NO for my mechanic to change the timing belt (I mean, I was going there anyway for XMAS) cuz the gas round trip plus my mechanic's fee was less than the first quote.

this time around, when the car was first hot I was quoted over a grand for this one place to change the radiator and the brakes.
I guess I MUST have FOOL written across my face...

Thanks yall I'll let ya know how it goes, especially if I must ask the investigative news team for help.

Take care.
Maia

[jeffescortlx]

Sorry to hear your out $240 bucks and still dont have a running car. To bad your not closer to Minnesota, usally the junk yards around here sell Escort motor's for $250-300 with low miles and a 30 day warranty. Then you'd just need install that would probly run $1000 at a shop, or some one like me as a back yard mechanic could do it for around half that.

[mightymoose_22]

Granted I don't know the dirty details of the issue... but if the shop purchased the engine on your behalf, then it is their mistake, and THEY should cover any shipping costs to return it. If you are really unhappy with the service you may want to speak to an attorney about recovering these costs... or if you feel up to the task you could handle it on your own in small claims. Had YOU made the purchase and ordered the engine, different story.

[AltecZX2]

ok so you have a zetec?
good news if you are a manual, you are 1 motor mount, a clutch and some wiring away from a motor swap :P lol