I appreciate the thoughts and comments. I do not know if the engine builder did anything "wrong" or missed anything. He has a good reputation and I assume he did a very good job. But, how can I really tell?
There was no written contract and a warranty wasn't discussed. My mechanics have done a ton of work on my challengers and have done their part to step up ( not charging me to remove/ reinstall the new motor). The engine guy says he gave me a discount....still trying to decipher how much.... .But he's still looking for several thousand dollars for the new rebuild utilizing most of the components from the blown motor.
Some of you might recall that this 440 is the same motor that I had the push rod issue with last spring when I took the Challenger across country and had her shipped home from Colorado. There's no direct connection with the bad cylinder, but from my perspective, I've had to absorb a lot of extra $$ (and hassle) with this rebuild and it's aftermath, and through it all The engine builder is doing pretty well....
I'm obviously frustrated, but I don't have a lot of options. I do appreciate the risk associated with driving these cars, but I was just wondering what experience others may have had with their rebuilds. The obvious lesson is to discuss any warranty expectations before the job begins, no matter how well you know the folks doing the work.
Again, thanks for the thoughts & responses.
Unless I am reading this wrong - it sounds like this is twice the engine has failed. Same builder / machinist?? If so - I would be cutting my losses and moving on.
