Just a little upset at this point. Just trying to calm down a bit by writing.

Last May 05 I replaced just about everything in and around the engine, to include a new FLYWHEEL and STARTER.

Unfortunately July 05, I was run over at work and suffered damage to my left leg and ankle.

Since then I have maybe started the car less than 30x. Becoming more mobile and the weather beginning to break I began to detail the car, tune-up and such.

Well I had trouble all of a sudden starting the car. Starter and Flywheel noise--I knew immediately since the sound was familiar to me from my last Chevelle.

Well being in the area of the shop that installed the starter and flywheel, I dropped it off for a few and they took care of the problem(bent bolts he said).

Problem fixed-so I thought, not 5 starts later and the grinding again. Easter Sunday of all days to possibly be stuck an hour from home! Well it started thank goodness and I immediately drove to the shop at 6pm. Dropped it off and covered it and secured it with a lock.

Well today is Monday the 24th of April and I just went to the shop. Cover was loosed but secured. Lock had been hanging out of the pocket of the cover that keeps the lock from swinging and scratching and passenger side door was unlocked. SCRATCHES ON PASSENGER SIDE AND QUARTER.

After talking to the Owner and shop worker about this -It was revealed that shop worker unsecured cover, entered car on passenger side, attempted to start car, exited on drivers side and lock up, leaving pass side unlocked and loosely securing cover to where the lock was exposed to scratch up car in this terrible weather this weekend.

Not to be out done worker stated the original bolts were not the right ones(to thin) and that is why then bent and that probably the bolts were bent again due to not filling the starter bolt holes.

I am rather upset simply for the reason if the proper bolts were used to begin with and agian for a second time I would not have had a starter-flywheel problem----HOPING TEETH ON BOTH ARE STILL GOOD.

HOW SHOULD I HANDLE THIS MONEY WISE? PAY FOR THE MESS UP OR LOOK FOR SOME COMPENSATION BY WAY OF SHOP EATING THE FIX?

Sorry for the run on, but come on----RIGHT BOLTS THE 1st Time and this all would have never happend. Scratches to paint included.

Well, sounds like they are on the hook for the subsequent repairs to your flywheel, seeing as they didn't do it right the first, or the second, time. I would also say they are responsible for the scratches, since you had it secured and then the shop employee messed with it. Of course they will try to tell you that they are not responsible for damage to cars sitting in their lot, but the damage was directly due to the negligence of one of their employees. I'd ask them for the 2nd and 3rd repairs to your car gratis and then tell them you think they need to kick in for the repairs to your door.

andy

And then get the heck away from them, ASAP. They sound like clowns. No decent shop would do shoddy work on a classic that someone obviously cares a great deal about has made a sizable investment in.

There's a cruise in every Friday night at Eastwoods, 30 mins. away (used to be in Malvern). Talk to some of those guys one Friday evening. They should be able to help you find a goo shop to do good work.

They were irresponsible. It has been well known that starter bolts are "special", having a knurl to locate the starter accurately. Very similar in concept to connecting rod bolts. So, yeah, they need to FIX your car, including starter drive and flywheel if needed.

On the other hand...Do they charge you 5 tenths of an hour at whatever their shop rate is to un-wrap your car? I would not appreciate getting a mummified car if I were working on commission. That does not excuse the carelessness, but you should expect to pay extra if they have to take your car out of a locked "tent" instead of just unlocking the door and getting in.

Additionally IMHO any shop that doesn't know that every SB since i can remember ( that goes a long way back) has used 2 "shouldered" bolts to hold the starter against the block is lacking in some pretty basic knowledge and sure doesn't deserve much respect.

For example my 1961 Chevrolet Brookwood 9 Passenger station wagon with a 283 had 2 "shouldered" bolts holding the starter against the block. Lets see now, <counts on fingers> thats 45 years.

The car was suppose to be put in the shop the following morning and not left out for over a week. The cover was to come off immediately the next morning and not utilized as storage for a week. I live 13 miles from shop, and only because a friend lives nearby did I learn of the car still being outside after all this time. Not to mention they did leave my passenger door unlocked for at least a week.

UPDATE

Good news NO CHARGE replacement of starter and labor.

I' ll square away the scratches.

The torque of the starter can loosen and/or bend the bolts. You need to install the factory starter brace that goes on the forward end of the starter and bolts to the block and use the correct knurled bolts. Do not assume the shop did either of these, check and correct or your problems will be back.

The torque of the starter can loosen and/or bend the bolts. You need to install the factory starter brace that goes on the forward end of the starter and bolts to the block and use the correct knurled bolts. Do not assume the shop did either of these, check and correct or your problems will be back.


Will check this weekend. Thanks