anyone here buy an engine through international diesel ltd? need feedback!!!

[asabadin]

Well, I am new to this board. my engine seized up on the way back from colorado. i flew out there to buy my 1995 suburban and half way home the engine quit. needless to say the seller has told me that i am on my own. so now the hard part finding a reputable rebuilder or distributor well keeping the price down. international diesel ltd. is the lowest price i have found. has anybody used them? feedback? i am open to ideas on what i should do or who i should go through cost is an issue however paying twice is adding insult to injury!!! let me know gents. thank you for your help

[Billman]

How far did you get from where you purchased it?

Give more details. Was there any oil in it?

Maybe you need to Pursuade the seller into taking more responsibility...

[asabadin]

yes there was oil in it. no water in the oil or coolant to convince me of head gasket issues. The rpms started going up and down and then it quit. as soon as it quit the temp guage jumped!!!! After that it blew the t fitting that goes to the heater core. I had it towed and the t fitting fixed. after it ran for about 30 seconds the motor compltely locked up.
"Seller said as is is as is"!!! What a Jerk.

[markrinker]

I wouldn't take this lying down, unless 1) you bought the vehicle 'off' Ebay, or 2) got a GREAT deal and the vehicle is in primo shape with low miles for the year. It will take at least 4-6K (if you are a good wrench, and settle on a used motor) and probably closer to 8-10K (if not and you go with new) to get your truck back on the road.

Did you purchase the vehicle through Ebay, or off Ebay? If 'on' Ebay, the seller is responsible for ACCURATELY describing the vehicle. If there were known problems (any previous sign of impending engine failure you can prove) - he is liable and Ebay will back you to the moon. They have a vested interest to make sure Ebay Motors does not become the 'lemon dumping ground'.

Is the previous owner a DP member? If so, he might have discussed problems with the engine on here...(unusual noises, oil leaks, loss of power, white smoke, etc.) If the seller was internet saavy enough to sell it on Ebay, he was likely a vistor, if not a member of the DP.

Other important legal considerations. Did you sign a bill of sale with the seller? If so, what did it say? Was the title signed by you as the buyer? What method of payment did you use?

If you are already home in CA with the vehicle, then you have taken possession and may as well stay on course to replace the motor with a good one. If you have left the vehicle where it died, or better yet, had it towed BACK to the previous owners driveway, you'd have a better chance of recovering your funds legally.

I had an IP failure with an International diesel plow/dump truck purchased on Ebay last fall, only miles from a dealer in southern Missouri. Seems it had been overheated "on the way back from the paint shop", according to them. I first became suspicious as they were replacing the alternator when I arrived - it had failed as they were prepping the truck. Once on the road, the truck would not hold 55mph on the hills with my 3/4 ton pickup and trailer in tow. Within 20 miles, the IP failed completely. If it hadn't, I would have turned around and gone back to the dealership anyway.

I quite literally 'walked away' from the truck, unhooking my trailer and pickup and drove them back to Minnesota. I had only a completed bill of sale - and they had my cashiers check for the total purchase. Title was still in the dealers name, but signed by me. It didn't look good...

They came to get the truck and 'fix it for me', taking it back to their dealership...re-establishing their possession of the truck.

We haggled for a bit, discussed the 'possession' aspect, and they reluctantly agreed to refund my money, but not until I talked with the owner of the dealership and calmly let him know that I would not settle for anything less than a full refund, and that his dealership's reputation was on the line. I must have repeated, "I do not have any interest in the truck", about 50 times during our conversations.

At a minimum, if you keep the truck and replace the motor, I'd sue for costs to repower the truck, and be happy to settle for half.

Last and most importantly for future happiness with or without the suburban: Do you have an understanding wife??? What does she want you to do? ;)

[ 12-01-2004, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: Mark Rinker ]

[EscaladeDiesel]

I SOOOO feel for you.

Chances are, just the threat of you suing, even if in small claims court depending on the max dollar judgement allowed, or having an attorney write a strong letter will get them to negotiate with you.

With respect to your engine, have it checked thoroughly to make sure the failure is catastrophic & beyond repair.

I was told my engine & block were ruined when torn apart (and my Suburban was even driven to the mechanic), but after having another mechanic replace the crank (gouged) the bearings, a rod, h-balancer & pully, etc...etc...the engine is running strong (just have an issue with the IP). Obviously I was being ripped off, and have spent enough to replace the entire engine...lesson learned.

If your engine isn't rebuildable, and you aren't going to be THE mechanic, I would get an engine from the same mechanic who puts it in, trying to save a little now might cost you thousands in the end when the engine fails (even if under warranty) and you have to pay for labor & shipping again to get it replaced or repaired in MHO. Just something to think about.

[Keith Richards]

I agree with mark and escalade.Try to negotiate something legally.Thats just too much a financial burden to bear for such a short ride(but a long one nonetheless).Good luck.

[markrinker]

Any updates? Hope things are looking up for you...

[asabadin]

no news yet an attorney is preparing as letter for me. In the mean time I am going to have the truck torn apart to find out what happened. All in all, I like the truck it is very clean everything works when i tested it it is the 2500 series 4x4 suburban with the 3 seats. has a exhaust brake and overall is very very clean all the way around interior and exterior. i paid 6500 for it but it is not the money to me it is the principle that someone would try and just flat out screw you.