Multiple misfire after fill up - coincidence?

[TobyU]

Holy crap! Total coincidence, but I was just talking to my neighbor about what's going on. He's a gear head and I always see him fixing up cars to flip. When I told him what was going on, he said "Holy crap...let me make some phone calls". Sure enough, he knows a few different guys that do little one or two man operations that can do the swap for me for between $1000 and $2000!! Every "reputable" shop I called around to were all in the 4k-6k range. Man...how have I not been plugged into this glorious seedy underbelly of the auto repair world sooner?! This has made my YEAR!

I'm sure I said it earlier..Word of mouth.

I see you are in Utah now since I'm on a computer posting...prices must be higher there.
700-900 is private guy rate for engine swaps here.
I thought the 1550.00 price yesterday from small garage was out of line.
He is a mechanic that just bought out an established garage and young guy in his 20s.
I know his family and went to introduce myself and network and drop off cards for my businesses.
I have sent him at least 4-5 people in the past 2 months.
This high price hurts my willingness to send more.
People kill themselves...but apparently shops have no problem having enough customers regardless of prices.

 

[Matticus]

I'm sure I said it earlier..Word of mouth.

I see you are in Utah now since I'm on a computer posting...prices must be higher there.
700-900 is private guy rate for engine swaps here.
I thought the 1550.00 price yesterday from small garage was out of line.
He is a mechanic that just bought out an established garage and young guy in his 20s.
I know his family and went to introduce myself and network and drop off cards for my businesses.
I have sent him at least 4-5 people in the past 2 months.
This high price hurts my willingness to send more.
People kill themselves...but apparently shops have no problem having enough customers regardless of prices.

If I provided the long block, the guy said he would have done it for $1000. So, not too far above your "private guy" rate

 

[TobyU]

Labor quote was actually $4100 - $4700. But yeah...hefty.
The guy just got back to me - $1000 for labor. He even said he's got a freshly rebuilt 5.4 that he'll sell me for $3500 with a 1 year warranty. He does the rebuilds himself...apparently these 5.4's are "his thing". That includes the install! This just keeps getting better and better

Now in all actuallity you need to get it this guy and I bet his recommendation would have been to pull the head and have machine shop fix it in the first place.
Your truck doesn't "need" a new or different engine. It need an engine repair. You contacted him with the preconceived notion form other shops that that was the best way to fix it.
He might have had a completely different recommendation if you would have taken it to him first, had you known about him.
I would start from square one and get his input and advice.

Any body that works on 5.4s does timing chains and cam phasers almost weekly.
Pulling a head or heads on an other wise fine motor is no big deal.

Most shops don't fix much....they replace parts.
They make top dollar on the install (as you have seen from quotes) and then they usually supply the engine too and they make more on that as they get a discount on what you will pay.

Maybe this will turn out A LOT better for you.

Fingers crossed....


I just can't budge from the opinion that a new or reman engine especially at a shop is NEVER the best way to fix and engine problem.
It might be fastest, easiest, most comforting...but never the best.

 

[Matticus]

This thought crossed my mind. After I tell him what has happened, I'm going to see what he thinks. If a repair is within $500 or maybe even $1000 of the motor swap, I may still have him do it. During my attempts to get that spring back on there, I had two keepers go flying off into the abyss. I don't know where they went and I'm concerned they ended up down in the oil pan. I figured it was probably fine down there and would never get sucked up past the oil pump screen, but I know it would be on my mind whenever I drove it. So, a new motor would take that off my mind

 

[TobyU]

I had a push rod (hardened) tip snap off one time and end up in oil pan. Back then I was OCD about my cars so I lifted up engine a little and dropped pan down and got it with a magnetic pick up tool.
I HAD to have it out of there....It was my baby and I raced it hard up and down the streets weekly.