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Buyer Beware - Rick Ehrenberg

rt-man

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Yes, that Rick Ehrenberg, long time tech editor for your favorite Mopar magazine.

I bought a rebuilt 340 (oil pan to intake, less exhaust manifolds) from Rick in the summer of 2017. While he didn’t build it, he said he knew the engine builder who did and he’d stand behind the engine. The rebuilt motor had been sitting for a while in someone’s garage and Rick had obtained the motor. I picked it up, looked in two cylinders with a crappy borescope Rick provided (they looked okay), and took it back home for installation.

Painted, put it in over the Winter. Ran crappy when fired up. My mechanic tried several things, but engine had no power whatsoever. Eventually determined that the rings didn’t seat. Lots of blow by. Rick believes it was because we used synthetic break-in oil. Nevertheless, we had to tear down the motor to put in new rings. Upon teardown, the mechanic did a ball hone on the cylinders and saw porous rust on the bottom of some of the bores. Rather than sleeve the cylinders or bore out the rusted cylinders, my mechanic and I decided to use a 360 he had lying around (block and crank) and reuse what we could from the 340.

I sent Rick the pics of the rust. I asked Rick to reimburse me a little less than a third of what I paid for the motor to cover buying new pistons, rings and what would have been the cost to bore out the cylinders and the labor to teardown the 340. Furthermore, I told Rick I’d give him back the 340 crank, pistons, and whatever else we weren’t using from the 340. He basically told me he was too busy, kept returning to the synthetic oil break-in issue (which doesn’t create rust in the bores), and never accepted responsibility for a motor he said he’d stand behind.

I don’t expect he’ll ever do the right thing here. I bought it from him because he’s known in the Mopar community. After this, I guess being known and being a stand-up individual are two different things. Expensive lesson for me. He’s the one with the long-time reputation; I’m just some schmuck who believed what he said.

Rick Ehrenberg – buyer beware.


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The lesson here is not to trust anyone based on reputation alone.

Sorry to hear about this story....hopefully you can put the experience behind you and make a good runner out of what you have. Definitely looks like long-term damage to those bores.
 
Synthetic break-in oil - like the factory fill on most new cars these days? Shouldn't be a problem.
 
You need to post those pics on your Moparts thread also...
 
My brother has bought **** loads of parts from him and NEVER had a problem. Kiwi nails it with what he said!
 
Rick believes it was because we used synthetic break-in oil.

Do you care to share which "synthetic break-in oil" was used, either in this thread or by personal message?

Reason being, I know of one Synthetic oil manufacturer; their engine break-in oil is made with conventional oil, not synthetic.

Either way, we're certain it wasn't the oil, but knowing it wasn't actually synthetic might be another iron for the fire...
 
Until I hear Rick's side of this story, I won't "beware" a damn thing.
I have dealt with and received untold vast wealths of Mopar expertise from Professor Ehrenberg for some decades now.
The least he deserves is to be able to "face" his accuser.
 
The least he deserves is to be able to "face" his accuser.

I agree. However this why you never go by 2nd hand information when selling or buying an engine unless you can tear it apart or drive it down the road...
 
I see these threads and it often comes across as a buyer that does not know what he is talking about, cannot build anything themselves and wants to blame someone else when things go wrong.....Because they don't understand how things work.
Rust in the bores: This was probably caused by the engine sitting so long before installation. Condensation can form and rust will follow. Ricks fault? No. Blame the duration of time it sat waiting and Mother Nature for creating condensation.
Rings did not seat: Yes, synthetic oil can be TOO slippery for the piston rings to seat in a classic engine. New engines are different. They run tighter clearances, use thinner rings and have tighter ring gaps.
You did this work..(Wait, you HAD this work done) and then contact for a partial refund?
Being in his position, I would have done the same. He didn't get a chance to refute any evidence before you moved forward.
I sold a car to a guy through ebay. After the sale but before the delivery, I spoke with the buyer on the phone. He was a used car dealer that talked as if he knew about the mechanicals of cars. it was obvious to me that he didn't. After he got the car, he tried shaking me down for things he claimed didn't work or were missing. **** that. He wanted to skim some money and he knew that ebay favors BUYER's rights over the sellers rights.
 
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Until I hear Rick's side of this story, I won't "beware" a damn thing.
I have dealt with and received untold vast wealths of Mopar expertise from Professor Ehrenberg for some decades now.
The least he deserves is to be able to "face" his accuser.
Bring it on, Rick. I have the email trail to back up what I claim.
And if he gives great advice for you, super. But he won't do the right thing and stand behind what he sold.
 
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I see these threads and it often comes across as a buyer that does not know what he is talking about, cannot build anything themselves and wants to blame someone else when things go wrong.....Because they don't understand how things work.
Rust in the bores: This was probably caused by the engine sitting so long before installation. Condensation can form and rust will follow. Ricks fault? No. Blame the duration of time it sat waiting and Mother Nature for creating condensation.
Rings did not seat: Yes, synthetic oil can be TOO slippery for the piston rings to seat in a classic engine. New engines are different. They run tighter clearances, use thinner rings and have tighter ring gaps.
You did this work..(Wait, you HAD this work done) and then contact for a partial refund?
Being in his position, I would have done the same. He didn't get a chance to refute any evidence before you moved forward.
I sold a car to a guy through ebay. After the sale but before the delivery, I spoke with the buyer on the phone. He was a used car dealer that talked as if he knew about the mechanicals of cars. it was obvious to me that he didn't. After he got the car, he tried shaking me down for things he claimed didn't work or were missing. **** that. He wanted to skim some money and he knew that ebay favors BUYER's tights over the sellers rights.

Yeah, those buyers, they really suck :rofl:
 
Damn
Sorry to see this
If it was me who sold it
I would be feeling pretty guilty
And I would be looking to replace that
Garbage block for you at the least
Or buying the whole mess back.
Or working something else out.
But I'm the kind who likes to sleep at night
Will be interesting to hear
The other side..
 
If he gave you his word he'd stand behind that engine, id agree a partial refund might be in order, under the circumstances you described, id have never done that.
The cylinders rusted from laying. Myself know as little as i do, would have told you inspect the engine before you install it, you could have taken care of the issue then and there. Don't forget no matter what anyone told you this that and the other thing, you bought a engine from someone who told you they bought the engine basically unknown and resold it to you. That alone should have set off alarm bells.
I feel bad for your experience and i think most of us have been there at one time or another but I'm not sure posting this and berating this guy is your wisest move. I myself would rethink and delete ....best of luck with your car
 
caveat emptor

the seller, MoPar Guru or not, famous or not
IMO should be partially responsible, in this case
if all what (OP) has been said is accurate
& especially if "he" claimed it was all good,
no matter if he was a 3rd party or not,
he's the one doing the deal, collecting the cash/funds
he's the buyers 1st recourse & only contact

also there's always 2 sides to every story,
maybe 3 in this case

Maybe pulling a head, pan, VC's & the intake,
maybe inspect it thoroughly etc., all onsite
before you sell or buy, take it anywhere
or get a money back, refund guarantee
all would be good practices
especially when 'buying an engine',
that sat for a long period of time too
that someone claims ran good or it's good to go

Or possibly the seller is putting his good name
on a bad sale possibly too
especially if **** goes wrong,
especially if he's the party that accepts the funds


my $0.02 cents
 
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I broke in my 440 with STP full synthetic 10/40 perfectly fine. if that motor was coated with oil and lube knowing it didn't have an immediate home , those walls would be great, unless it was put together that way. rust doesn't destroy over night. if I sold someone that **** I would damn sure want to resolve the issue instead of just leaving you hanging, that's just bullshit
 
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