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99 Sc300 Engine Replacement Concerns


drosan

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99 SC300-- brought it to dealership for 90K service. replaced spark plugs and timing belt. one week later, the timing belt slips causing massive damage to valves, pistons, etc.. damage was so extensive the dealership had to replace the entire engine.

although the dealership would not officially admit guilt (they said officially, the timing belt slipped off due to a faulty bolt. the dealership did at least acknowledge that its mechanics/technicians were the last ones to work on that bolt, less than a week earlier), it did replace the engine at no cost to me. the replacement unit is used and has approximately the same mileage as the original engine, and has been brought up to the 90K maintenance specifications (with new plugs and timing belt). the dealership then offered a 12 month warranty on the engine.

i intend to have several independent mechanics inspect the engine for flaws or inconsistencies, but i am more concerned with the long term life and efficiency of the engine. should i be concerned? is there anything that suggests that replacing the engine this early will cause problems down the line? also, are there any specific areas that i should pay more attention to, now that the engine has been replaced?

i'm hoping to avoid problems down the line in 50K miles or so. any and all information, suggestions, and opinions are very welcome

thanks

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99 SC300-- brought it to dealership for 90K service. replaced spark plugs and timing belt. one week later, the timing belt slips causing massive damage to valves, pistons, etc.. damage was so extensive the dealership had to replace the entire engine.

although the dealership would not officially admit guilt (they said officially, the timing belt slipped off due to a faulty bolt. the dealership did at least acknowledge that its mechanics/technicians were the last ones to work on that bolt, less than a week earlier), it did replace the engine at no cost to me. the replacement unit is used and has approximately the same mileage as the original engine, and has been brought up to the 90K maintenance specifications (with new plugs and timing belt). the dealership then offered a 12 month warranty on the engine.

i intend to have several independent mechanics inspect the engine for flaws or inconsistencies, but i am more concerned with the long term life and efficiency of the engine. should i be concerned? is there anything that suggests that replacing the engine this early will cause problems down the line? also, are there any specific areas that i should pay more attention to, now that the engine has been replaced?

i'm hoping to avoid problems down the line in 50K miles or so. any and all information, suggestions, and opinions are very welcome

thanks

IMO there really isn't too much to be concerned with surrounding the swap. You can have the basics done like a compression test, check the plugs after a few hundred miles, visually inspect the engine for any leaks and run some Chevron synthetic fuel cleaner (or equivalent) for a few tanks. Really, other than that, besides tearing the engine down just take care of it like you did your other engine. Yeah it sucks that you have a totally "new" engine that you really don't know the history of but you do have a 12-mo. warranty from the dealership so that is really the best that you can do. Look at it like this: If/When you bought the SC used you didn't really know the condition of the engine at that time so this "new" swap is in a sense the same thing; give it some time, keep an eye on it and take care of it. At least you were at the dealership having the service done and not some independent shop where you more than likely wouldn't have gotten a new engine. =)

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