Stark raving mad!!! Scheming scammers!

[J57ltr]

So about 15 years ago we bought a used forklift, sometime around 12 of 02' the headgasket blew. We sent off to Shouthline to have it replaced and rented, 3 days turned into 3 weeks and when they returned it it wouldn't even make it off the tow truck. I told the driver to put it back on and called the service manager to say that no work had been preformed. He apologized and said he would have it fixed, it came back a few days later and still ran like crap. So I told my boss that I would replace the headgasket myself and did. I replaced the headgasket sent it to the machine shop and had the head decked, pressure checked, valve job and new seals installed. Reinstalled it along with a tune up and new timing belt. This work was completed 1/8/03

Flash forward to about 3 months ago we had a leak in the inching brake and regular brake and they suggested that they take it into the shop pressure wash the engine compartment and make the repairs $400 for the cleaning and pickup and drop off (which is a good deal) and we paid to have the brakes fixed. When we got it back it ran like crap. Well a year earlier it had started running rough and I checked voltage at the ballast resistor and was at 9V so I added a relay and used the ignition wire to turn on the relay and ran 12 gauge wire from the battery to the relay then to the ballast resistor. The 12 gauge wire was burned up but somehow the 20 amp fuse wasn't burned, I replaced the whole assembly again. The engine ran like crap was hard to start and was just a PITA after we get it back. It acted as though the timing was off and I checked everything I could think of and didn't really have time to mess with it. So the other day when I get back from a trip out of town they tell me it won't run and I run through all kinds of things plugs (fouled) cap and rotor (replaced 6 months earlier). I had a really strong odor of propane so I checked the vaporizer and bought a new rebuild kit for it, cleaned it up and installed it. It still won't run properly it missed and sputtered and just something was off. So after I put new plugs in I was still having issues and had to remove the stud that holds the distributor down to advance the timing enough to get it to run.

This morning I tear into it and sure enough the belt is in really good shape, but is off by about 1-2 teeth. I reset the cam timing and still have to move the distributor past full advance to get it to run. I ended up re stabbing the dist. a tooth off to get it back in range. I put the stud back in place and line up my marks that I had made last time I set timing and the engine fires right up idles like a champ. I got everything put back together and drive it around and it runs like great can't expect more.

Now what gets me is when I started going through the file we have on it I realize that this is the same company that screwed us last time. On their latest invoice for the cleaning and inspection they mention that it needs he valve timing adjusted. That catches me as funny as how are you going to know that without taking the engine down to a level where you can actually check it?

There is no way possible for the distributor to move a tooth over AND for the belt to move a tooth just enough for it to run without someone else intervening.

Needless to say Southline is NEVER getting business from us again.

Also I am not a forklift mechanic.

Jeff

[QUICKSILVER462]

Good for you on getting it running right!
What you have encountered trying to send it to a shop for repairs is not uncommon unfortunately. You have learned all it takes is a little logic and common sense to get things repaired properly, but unfortunately greed, lack of logic and common sense is far too common place.

[J57ltr]

I'm just pissed because we send in a piece of equipment and get charged for repairs that were never done. When I pulled the gasket, nothing had been touched. Now this newest episode. I cannot think of a single other explanation even belt stretch is out. The belt was near perfect and no signs of wear, no climbing of the teeth, the timing marks all lined up correctly. No evidence of belt stretch. I just don't understand how the belt could jump time and the distributor just change position the cam drive gear and timing pulley are separate pieces. I would like to think this is something different but I'm so pissed thinking someone would actually sabatoge our truck.

Jeff

[Slick2500]

We have a cube van at work, once you get it over 50 mph it vibrates really bad, it makes popping sounds when turning really sharp to the right, and when you step on the breaks it pulls very hard to the right. We take it into a shop, they had it for 3 weeks and told us they couldn't find anything wrong with it.....Needless to say we are looking for a different shop.

[Scottydoggs]

you need to call the BBB and set this shop up. then sue them for all your costs.

sounds like they broke it for ya and sent it back. how else would a distributor not be in right?

[J57ltr]

I would love to go after them but our Pres. and VP (my bosses) don't want me to mess with it. They wouldn't even let me dispute the charges for rental of the forklift since this has been going on for several months now, said there is no way to prove it, other than gears and timing belts properly installed do not jump time by themselves.They just said we won't use them again. We said that in 03' as well. I put a large note in the file and a read me txt file on the computer file and hard copy file. I ended up finding a place around the corner for buying parts. I may try to get Channel 2 on them and see what they can find out, maybe an expose' of the forklift industry Lol. I would like to go all Milton on them.

Jeff