[delete if busy] Setting the record straight!(we can ditchthisthread now)

[MK1Scirocco16v at attbi.com (Dave Ewing)]

I really don't know what to say.  I feel like Shannon should of sent this to
me so we could figure things out but since he is using the list as a forum
for personal attack I feel that it is my responsibility to defend myself and
to share the truth.

> The long and the short of it are this. Dave Ewing rebuilt the motor,
> picked the motor up and found that the new rod bolts, main bearing bolts
> and other brand new parts I supplied for the rebuild had not been
> installed.

This is true, but Shannon had never told me that installing aftermarket rod
and main bolts were part of the deal.  IF he were to of said this, I would
have done it.  Since he didn't say it, I didn't even look in his box of
miscellaneous parts that had nothing to do with rebuilding a block.  As far
as other new parts??  I have no idea what goes into a bottom end other than
rod bearings, main bearings and rings!  What other parts was I suppose to
install?

> Dave commented motor was unknown mileage but known good.

Shannon bought this motor from Small Car Performance in Tacoma sight unseen.
When the motor came in it still had the head on it and was apparent that it
was in fairly decent shape.  I only told Shannon that it LOOKED to have low
mileage (no way to tell and I never spoke to the original owner) and that it
seemed to be in decent shape (no overheating etc.).  Where I get the blame
for the condition of the motor is beyond me, I only agreed to overhaul it
for him.

> I could still see the factory cross hatching in the cylinder walls with
> some very what I thought to be light scoring. Picked up motor after
> rebuild and Delong noted that the hone job appeared to have been done
> very half-assed and score marks in cylinders were still just as present.

Interesting.  So what your saying is that Chris saw the motor before it was
honed?  As most of you already know, as well as Delong, when you hone a
cylinder you don't always get EVERYTHING out of the surface of the metal.  I
try to be careful about honing cylinders because I don't want to take too
much out of the cylinder as hones aren't designed to bore.  But I did hone
enough for the pistons to reseat into the cylinder.

> I being new to VW motors at the time and pressed for time installed the
> block anyway. My mistake.

Pressed for time, precisely.  When he realized I hadn't installed the new
rod and main bolts, he said it was cool.  I wouldn't of had any problem
installing them but this would of meant that the motor may not of been done
that weekend, or he would of had to stay later while I did it.  At the time,
he didn't seem to care.

> Motor broke in carefully and correctly. Car continued to burn large
> amounts of oil well after the break in period. Let Dave know I felt the
> block was suspect and was consuming a quart every 600 miles and I felt
> the block/rebuild was suspect.

This is where i get lost.  The only way I knew Shannon was having a problem
with his motor was by intercepting emails that I wasn't suppose to look at.
The last time I caught him bad mouthin me was in an email titled
"Test--Delete".  I don't know why I looked at it, but I did.  I then, again,
told him that I would have no problem looking at the motor to see what was
wrong.  At this time it had been over 2 years since I built the motor and I
was still willing to back up my work.  I got no response to my reply.  I
stumbled upon another email that had this similar subject in it and
responded similarly (about 6 months before this) and got no response either.

> Dave did not respond for months. All the
> while he continued to post on this list.

I suspect here that the email never reached me.  I haven't changed my email
for 5 years so there would be no reason for me not to receive it.

> When he did respond his
> response was, "it cant be the rebuild, I did it like all the others I
> do", pity on those folks. Regardless from the months it took him to
> respond to the fact there was no warranty expressed or implied I began
> swallowing the fact that I had been had.

Whenever anyone asks me a question of any sort I respond.  I don't know what
I was suppose to respond to, Shannon, there was no email to me!  Yes, I
rebuild all my motors the same, paying close attention to cleanliness,
accuracy, and quality.  The LAST thing I would ever want was to have someone
on the Scirocco list get a bad rebuild.  Mistakes do happen, though, and
whatever the problem is/was, I was willing to check it out.  I see you
omitted that part of my response.  Oh, by the way, I never said it COULDN'T
be the rebuild.  As memory serves, you did have a headgasket issue???
Wouldn't that of been a great time to check out the block???  I never heard
from you directly, ever, until today, and only after you posted this to the
list.

> Headgasket blew on the car after 10K miles. Replaced head gasket
> switched to ARP studs through out (thanks DeLong). Car continued to burn
> oil. As of the last time I drove the car in consumes in excess of a
> quart every hour. Compression is way low on 3 cylinders. Did lots of
> other tests that I don't feel the need to go into here. Plugs foul solid
> with oil every 250 miles. Mentioned the fact to Dave out of boredom and
> his response was "I built it just like all the other ones". He wanted to
> know just what I wanted him to do about it, very nicely I'll add.

I asked him what he wanted me to do, as in, "tell me what you want me to
do?".  Not in a way that it's not my fault.  Again, no response.  He had
told me he had a headgasket problem I figured that that was THE problem, not
that there were others.

> Conversely I decided the last thing I wanted was him anywhere near my
> car. End of story until earlier this year (car still in storage) where I
> made a remark here on the list to effect of Dave and his shoddy rebuild.
> In hindsight it was perhaps a poor choice on my part to air it here on
> the list. For that I am sorry to both the list and Dave. Look, I'm the
> first one to apologize. Touche'.

Touche' indeed.  I've been sorry I took on the job ever since.  $300 I could
of done without.

> As of course you all know there were more things said and the dates are
> hazy as I type this. If anyone is at all interested I can supply dates
> and copies. The net net is this, the Scirocco is waiting till I have the
> time part it out and life goes on. Sorry Dave for your perception that
> I've singled you out as the cause for my blown motor, Ive ruled out over
> the past year everything else. So lets do what I always do in these type
> of situations. Blame Meze (like crazy). Damn you Meze....
>
> Good to see the List in my absence has not grown up. So on with your
> regularly scheduled banter. /thread Lock
>
> 16Volt
> Your face here

I have to hand it to Shannon on the rest of this email.  I am impressed and
then, not impressed, because Shannon can be a great guy when he's not
whinning and I believe he would even agree with me there.  At NO time had
you (Shannon) been had, at most there was a communication issue.  Why you
didn't respond back to my offers of helping, I have no idea, even early on.
Honestly, in my opinion, you have to take the responsibility on this one as
you should of known after I didn't respond (especially with your computer
experience) that I didn't receive the email.  Especially after I kept
posting to the list like nothing happened.  I realize we weren't buddy
buddy, but I don't work that way and as a technician would never feel
comfortable about your motor not doing what you wanted it to.  I feel guilty
when I don't triple check everything on everything I do so I would of had
absolutely no problem fixing your motor, at my expense even, if necessary.
You should of got a hold of me, or atleast, responded to my responses to
you.

I hold nothing against Shannon personally, and if a motor I put a bunch of
money into ended up like Shannon's, I'd probably be bitter too, but
littering your bitter trail with other people's names isn't the way to deal
with it.  Hey, I admit, there actually could of been something wrong with
the motor but he never asked me to come check it out.  He did tell me what
was happening and I asked him what he wanted me to do but with no reply.

I suggest that if something you had done or bought isn't as you thought it
would be, you should most definately let them know and get what you deserve.
I do it!  I guess that is where my problem lies, not everyone is like me.

I appoligize, also, to the list for this getting drug out here.  I only
wanted to clear my name as it is important to me.  Thank you all for not
complaining and carrying on (as I know the list can do at times) about
personal matters being put on the list.

Dave