Bel Engine Services Ltd

This engine was originally built to tolerances specified by ***When it was first installed in the vehicle, the installation shop dropped something in the engine, causing some internal damageBetween that, and the customer's improper operating techniques, the engine subsequently failedWe recommended a shop of our choice to remove and reinstall the engine, which the customers chose to ignore, using his shop of choice insteadThat shop partially disassemble the engine without us being presentWe covered the costs of repairing and rebuilding the engine and returned it to the customerWe refused to pay the R & R charges or the towing bills, because he didn't use our approved shop of choice.As for his statement that he has our admission of fault in writing, that is a blatant lieWe have never assumed responsibility in any form; verbally or writtenWe know we followed proper procedure in the rebuilding of this engine.This customer has chosen to use legal avenues, which have requested a response by November 15,For the first time in our years of business, we have been pushed to use legal representation in response to thisHis lawyer will have our reply by the 15thIt shows a lack of maturity that this customer has chosen to further complain to the Revdex.com before even receiving our reply to his legal council

This customer does have a legitimate complaint regarding his engineAfter his engine was reinstalled by the dealership, he brought in his car to diagnose an intermittent engine noiseHe took our owner for a short test drive, and with difficulty, he was able to duplicate the conditions to
cause the noiseThe requirements to cause the noise to occur would probably never happen during operating conditions.We searched on the internet for causes, and found a myriad of complaints from *** owners regarding noises in this engine designAt no point were we told anything about low oil pressureWe passed on the info from the internet to our customer, who tried various remediesSome appeared to solve the issue, but only on a temporary basisAs we were not informed about the low oil pressure, we recommended he drive the car for another km, and we would then cut open the oil filter and inspect itWe suggest this to all customers with fresh rebuildsHad we been informed of any oil pressure issue, we would have strongly urged him to stop driving the vehicle until further diagnosis could be completed!The customer wanted a guarantee that we would pay any and all repair costsWe told him, as is exactly printed on our invoices, that we warranty our machining and assemble to be correct, but we offer no additional warranty on parts beyond what the part manufacturer offersIf we made an error, we would correct itHowever, if the problem was due to defective parts, we would negotiate with the manufacturer on our customer's behalfWe offered, in writing, to have the engine removed at the shop of our choice, to properly diagnose this issueIf we were found at fault, we pay the repair billIf we are not found at fault, we are not responsible for the removal & replacement labourThis was offered to the customer the day before he posted the complaint with the Revdex.com.We understand he is dissatisfied, but we are disappointed he chose this actionWe made a fair and just offer, which would be based on factual diagnosisWe cannot offer anything further until we know the cause of this issue

*** ***
I am rejecting this response because: Chronology of Events:Last summer (2016) I broke a pistonOn the advice of *** *** (my car dealership),in the Fall of I contracted BeL to rebuild my short blockSince BeL does not do theremoval and reinstallation of engines (R and R), I contracted *** *** to do this.BeL recommended that I get my injectors tested at Duke'sI did this and the injectorschecked out as OKBeL was paid in full and on time for the work that they completed.*** reinstalled the rebuilt motor (Spring 2017)They informed me that the enginewould need to be tuned before being fully broken inI drove the vehicle home (twoblocks)When the day came to transport it for the bretune, it wouldn't startWhenthe tuner (***) couldn't start it either, they replaced the injectors (the ones that hadtested OK by the guy recommended by BeL)The car started and was tuned for break-in.I drove it away and immediately started hearing a loud clanging noiseWhen I took it to***, they said they had never heard that sort of noise before and sent me to BeL.During a test drive, BeL heard the noiseThey indicated that I should have the oilchanged and let them look at the filterAfter inspecting the filter, they said keep drivingthe car. Being concerned, both *** *** and I agreed that an independent lab shouldconduct a separate oil analysisThe results of the oil analysis showed severe levels ofchromium and unacceptable levels of tin in the oilBoth of these are associated withbearing wearPrior to receiving these results, I started doing some of my owninvestigating and decided that it might be a faulty VCT solenoid causing the noiseItested this by unplugging the solenoid and the issue went awayI verified this with*** *** and a licensed mechanicI purchased a replacement solenoid for thepassenger side (where the noise was) and had a licensed mechanic replace itWhen hehooked it up again, the noise came backSo, the licensed mechanic did an oil pressuretestThe results of the test showed extremely low or non-existent oil pressure (video wastaken)When he had heard the noise, the licensed mechanic suspected that this was theissue and couldn't understand why BeL (having heard the same noise) had said "keepdriving it." My experts told me that if I had heeded this advice, the engine would havesuffered catastrophic failure. I showed BeL the video of the low oil pressure testThey said the engine would have tocome out for inspectionThey also said that they would not be responsible for any costsfor repairing damage caused by a faulty part they installed beyond the manufacturer'swarranty on the partThis information was included in the original contractThus, at thetime I was faced with having to pay to have the engine removed for the second time, thecosts of repairing any damage that occurred as a result of a faulty part and the cost ofreinstalling the engineAlso, I was presented by BeL with a new document indicatingthat they would only pay for the removal of the engine, if I used a service provider oftheir choice and if the damage was not the result of a faulty partHowever, the documentalso stated that if the damage was determined to be due to their workmanship, they wouldbe responsible for all costs associated with removal, repair and reinstallation of theengine (more on this below). With this information, I consulted experts within my personal networkOne individualwith a long history in the automotive industry indicated to me that they had a client sometime ago that had run into a similar situation with BeLThey indicated to me that I shouldmake sure that BeL returned all damaged parts to me and that I gather as much of myown evidence as I couldIn short, in their opinion, BeL had not acted previously in thebest interest of the customerThus, I decided to use *** a performance engine shopof my choice, to ensure that there was no potential for conflict of interest on the part ofBeL. When the engine was removed and a preliminary inspection was conducted, I was presentalong with two licensed mechanics (one with years of experience) and a thirdindividual who has been building and rebuilding engines for five decadesNone of theseindividuals had previously metPhotographs were taken of the observed damageWhichservice provider performed the second R and R has no relevance to the nature of thedamage to the engine that was observed at this time. Once the damage was observed and photographed, *** shipped the engine to BeL fortheir own inspectionAlthough I asked BeL to be present when they did the inspection,they cited government safety regulations as preventing them from allowing me to be inthe shop areaThis seems contradictory since I had already been in the shop area whenthey inspected the oil filter and when discussing aspects of the rebuildI also witnessedother customers in the shop areaAfter they conducted their inspection, I received anemail outlining the damage and indicating that as promised, they would repair the engineat no additional cost to me (more on this below). The repaired short block was returned to *** for reassembly and reinstallation (Fall2017)Upon completion of this, I paid *** for their work and submitted my invoicesto BeL for reimbursement with the expectation that they would honour what they hadsaid to me in writingAt this time, BeL indicated that they would not pay for any of the Rand R costsUpon requesting return of the damaged parts and updated documentation onthe rebuilt engine, BeL would not do thisSubsequently, as previously noted, afterengaging a lawyer to draft a letter to BeL, they partially complied with this request byproviding updated documentationThe damaged parts have never been provided. Driving habits:Concerning the claim that my “driving habits” are somehow responsible for the failure ofthe bearings after the engine was rebuilt, I drove the car for years with the short blockunaltered from the original manufacturer’s specifications without any issue at all,including any issue related to bearings or oil pressureDuring this time, the vehicle wasmaintained in excellent conditionBoth my driving habits and the condition of myvehicle during this time have been observed by an expert. Building the engine to manufacturer’s specifications:As BeL states, it was contracted to rebuild my engine to the manufacturer’sspecificationsGiven this, why did they change the compression ratio on the engine fromthe manufacturer’s specifications? A second issue relates to the bearing clearancesGiventhat I drove the vehicle for years and experienced no major issues, including anyissues related to bearing clearance or oil pressure, why would this suddenly become amajor problem? A third issue relates to information provided to *** (not to me as thecustomer) by BeL that the idle should be raised to rpms and that the rpms should bemaintained at a minimum of rpms under load to ensure adequate oil pressureMyexperts tell me that none of this is to manufacturer’s specificationsAt this point, therequirement of maintaining rpms under load has created a driving hazard whenreversing under driving conditions and according to my experts will likely resultin premature wear on the clutch. Honouring the Warranty in Full:As previously noted, upon presenting BeL with evidence of damage to the engine, BeLindicated that they would not be responsible for repairs if the damage was caused by afaulty part as stated in the warranty statementOn May 24th, they presented me with anew written statement indicating the following: “If inspection and diagnosis shows evidence that the engine damage was caused byimproper engine machining or assembly, BeL Engine Services Ltdassumes financialliability for removal, repair and re-installation.” Subsequently, upon disassembly and inspection of the short block by BeL, I received anemail from them dated August 10, in which they wrote:“we will repair and reassemble the engine at no charge to you as promised.”Finally, upon receipt of the requested documentation, I note that the repair was classifiedas a “warranty issue.” Given all of the above, it appears to me that BeL treated this situation as one in whichthere was some issue with engine machining or assembly as opposed to a faulty partAtno point since the inspection of the engine have they indicated that a faulty part was thecause of the engine failure. Reinstallation Expenses:In terms of the expenses incurred in the reinstallation of the engine, a different sizedpulley was required to compensate for the loss of power available through the originalshort block resulting from the decision by BeL to lower the compression on the engineInother words, the engine could only return to the power level that it could achieve whenthe short block was in its original condition by changing out the pulleyThe wheelalignment was required because the removal and reinstallation of the engine can throwout the alignment and create a safety issueNew spark plugs were required because theywere damaged during the failure of the initial rebuild of the short blockThe engine tunewas required to ensure that the rebuilt engine operated within acceptable parameters sothat a proper and safe breof the engine could occur. Use of Revdex.com and Legal Counsel:Bel Engine claims to be offended that I have sought to resolve this issue through the Revdex.com and have also sought legal adviceWhile they claim that they have never had a complaint in their years in business and have never used a lawyer, I have been alive for a lot longer than years and have never had to use either the Revdex.com or a lawyer to resolve an issue with a service providerUnfortunately, in this case, resolution of the issue without either the Revdex.com or the involvement of lawyers has not been possible to dateMy understanding is that the Revdex.com is designed to provide a forum for customers and service providers to try to resolve issues when they cannot be resolved privately.Seeking a Resolution: When I contracted BeL Engine to rebuild my engine, my expectation was that they wouldrestore my engine to operating condition and that if there were issues related totheir workmanship that they would fix the problem and restore the engine in my vehicleat no additional cost to meSubsequent written documents provided to me would seem toconfirm thisUnfortunately, to date, this has not occurredHowever, in an effort toresolve this matter, I suggest the following: 1) That both parties reach a consensus on a fair reimbursement for all costsassociated with removal and reinstallation of the engineFor example, we mighttake the average local shop rate charged for engine removal and reinstallation(including additional parts and services) and use this as basis for calculating a fairrateWe might also calculate the cost of transporting the vehicle by flatbed toand from my home to BeL and split the difference between that and the costs oftowing to and from ***. At this point, the vehicle has not yet gone through the complete breprocess sowhether or not the work has been completed correctly will not be known until sometimein the Spring of I am hoping that the results of the brewill be positive!

This engine was originally built to tolerances specified by [redacted]. When it was first installed in the vehicle, the installation shop dropped something in the engine, causing some internal damage. Between that, and the customer's improper operating techniques, the engine subsequently failed. We recommended a shop of our choice to remove and reinstall the engine, which the customers chose to ignore, using his shop of choice instead. That shop partially disassemble the engine without us being present. We covered the costs of repairing and rebuilding the engine and returned it to the customer. We refused to pay the R & R charges or the towing bills, because he didn't use our approved shop of choice.As for his statement that he has our admission of fault in writing, that is a blatant lie. We have never assumed responsibility in any form; verbally or written. We know we followed proper procedure in the rebuilding of this engine.This customer has chosen to use legal avenues, which have requested a response by November 15,2017. For the first time in our 23 years of business, we have been pushed to use legal representation in response to this. His lawyer will have our reply by the 15th. It shows a lack of maturity that this customer has chosen to further complain to the Revdex.com before even receiving our reply to his legal council.

[redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: According to a licensed mechanic, the noise the engine was making indicated a serious issue that needed to be dealt with immediately. The licensed mechanic was surprised that anyone with an expert knowledge of engines would allow a customer to continue to drive the vehicle under these circumstances. I have also been told that if I had continued to drive the vehicle, the engine would have eventually seized. If I had been operating the vehicle at highway speed in busy traffic and this had occurred, what might have happened? The bottom line is that I relied on experts and paid them big money to return my vehicle to normal and safe operating conditions, and clearly they failed to do this. Even when presented (after relatively few miles had been put on the new engine) with evidence that the engine had a serious issue (although not fully understood), they told me to keep driving it. If at that point, there was already damage to the engine, after continuing to drive it on their expert advice, the damage is likely worse. If a doctor performed heart surgery on a patient and after surgery the patient's heart was doing very unusual things, would the doctor tell the patient to keep jogging? Surely, someone is responsible for what has happened to the car.
Sincerely,
[redacted]