Block cracked after coolant flush

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Air in system. Crack happened from an air pocket that was right there. Gurgling noise was air popping. Had an idiot put an engine in daughter's car and it was Summer time so she used AC. When she hit town she called me cause gauge was going up and down. I had her park it until I got there. No coolant in reservoir so I opened top hose filled it up then reservoir as it had a sealed radiator (GM). It took me .5 hour in a parking lot with a flashlight, 3 grandchildren and a gallon of premix. The shop tried to say we lied and even refused to pay for coolant. Lucky she listened to me that one time and didn't destroy that motor. I would get a lawyer involved as they should take responsibility which they should have insurance.
 
Originally Posted by clinebarger
I can't think of anything the shop could have done to crack your block.

This is going to be difficult for you to prove fault, For all you know....It had some sealant added to the cooling system before you bought the vehicle & the flush removed it?

It's a knee jerk reaction to blame to last person/repair facility that worked on your vehicle for any problems that arise afterwards, The force/pressure to crack a good/sound engine block is substantial. A hard freeze event could do it IF the coolant to water ratio was off.


I agree. This sucks for the OP, and will be tough to prove the shop did it.
 
When you had no heat, you had no coolant going in the heater. You just had air in there at that time. So you were low on coolant. That's all I can say for sure.

I don't see how that cracked the block though. I feel your pain.
 
Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Originally Posted by StevieC
Sounds like they didn't burp it properly and a hot spot developed and cracked the block or they overtightened the block plug when it was out. I took this plug out on my Santa Fe when I changed the coolant because it was easier than taking the skid plate off on that vehicle and then just flushed water through the radiator to do it. When I put the plug back in I tightened it down just enough to be snug so as to not damage anything in the aluminum block.



The block plug the OP photographed would not have been accessible when the tranny was bolted up, correct?

That is how I understood it.

Not familiar with this particular engine. Just had a quick look at the photos.
 
Originally Posted by das_peikko
The shop that did the flush didn't get all the air out of the system; that's what caused it to overheat. Pretty obvious to me what happened because I do my own drain and fills. I run the engine at idle for an hour as I closely monitor the coolant level. When the engine burps, the coolant level will drop drastically. You've got to be there when that happens so that you can add coolant. It's pretty much critical. The shop that did the work on your car just filled it up with coolant and shut the hood.


Idle for a whole hour? I've never done that and never heard of anyone doing that but I guess it can be beneficial. I guess idle until it gets up to temp and make sure to burn it but that usually doesn't take more than 15-20 minutes.
 
" I bought a '13 Taurus 3.5 from So Cal, shipped it up here" Think about all the money you saved.
 
Heater not working is a clear sign that the cooling system is under-full to the point that there is an air space in the engine. That needs to be corrected immediately, continuing to drive is likely to result in damage.
 
Originally Posted by Rochev
Whether or not the shop is at fault is what I'm most concerned with. Even if they are, I dont think I could prove it. Im having a hard time forking over my hard earned $4k to them when the car was perfect before they touched it. Theres a lot of scenarios that COULD have happened, but I doubt the actual cause will be figured out.

Yeah, there just too many variables here to prove the mechanic/garage is at fault, and I think you realize that.
If you don't want to fork over the $4k to these guys for a new engine, then don't do it.
Take it down the road to the next shop of your choice.
 
Originally Posted by clinebarger
I can't think of anything the shop could have done to crack your block.

This is going to be difficult for you to prove fault, For all you know....It had some sealant added to the cooling system before you bought the vehicle & the flush removed it?

It's a knee jerk reaction to blame to last person/repair facility that worked on your vehicle for any problems that arise afterwards, The force/pressure to crack a good/sound engine block is substantial. A hard freeze event could do it IF the coolant to water ratio was off.



That's about all I could think of also. The thing is aluminum blocks can expand so much they rarely crack unless there is a casting defect most don't even have core plugs.
Small cracks can be reliably repaired if you can get to it by TIG welding like they do on cylinder head valve pockets.
I have more questions than answers.
 
Just a wild guess but I have seen people fill the cooling system with stop leak to sell a vehicle. The new owner flushes the system as they want to take care of their new to them car.
With all the stop leak flushed out engine leaks bad. New owner is left to foot the bill for repairs.
 
Originally Posted by Blkstanger
Just a wild guess but I have seen people fill the cooling system with stop leak to sell a vehicle. The new owner flushes the system as they want to take care of their new to them car.
With all the stop leak flushed out engine leaks bad. New owner is left to foot the bill for repairs.


And when the mechanics were asked to change the coolant they did as requested then down the road your poor wife was driving a car and the coolant was flushing the Stop Leak.

Discussing technical content is perfectly valid.

Asking legal questions is no longer allowed. That is what attorney's are for.

Attorney's can tell you if you have a case and if you do how much they will charge.
 
Originally Posted by 1978elcamino
Full coverage? Is it possible the car may catch on fire and not need an engine?




Are you suggesting the OP commit fraud?
 
Originally Posted by Rochev
I bought a '13 Taurus 3.5 from SoCal, shipped it up here. Never left spots on the garage floor. Heat worked fine. Coolant level remained normal. I DID sometimes hear gurgling/gushing from the heatercore area when the heat was turned on, sometimes when the motor was shut off.


This suggests at least that the coolant was low when you got the car. Whether it was from that crack or not is impossible to know.
 
Originally Posted by CKN
The car was cheap and at a auction for a reason.

You found it.


Bingo. Car had a pre-existing issue. You heard the gurgling noise from the heater core in the cabin before the flush. Obviously, there was an issue with the car before you even bought it.
 
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