Iron Mountain,MI looking for mechanic

to do an engine swap for disabled vet,anyone know anyone? you can read the fiasco here https://vandwellerforum.com/showthread.php?tid=2053

she just bought the van,just spent 2k on heads and gaskets and just had the engine seize on her

except for the part that the engine was running perfectly smooth with zero smoke or issues before it blew white smoke,i suspect that the anti-freeze was weak and it froze overnight and the first shop went through the head gasket motions but missed a crack in the block

but what the hell do i know?

my 40 year old engine,seems iron doesnt care about a decade or two

now keyboard warriors aside,does anyone know a mechanic in the area that can help?

From my take, she has a van that is good with a buildout that works for her. A bad engine can be had in anything she may be able to afford and probably can't move the interior over on her own. With a new engine, it should keep her going. I think the real problem was not getting enough antifreeze for the weather she is in. In hindsight it would have been better if she got the whole engine in the first place.

Personally, my van now fits me to a T with the modifications I have made and will willingly throw an engine, transmission and rear end at it to keep it going. No way would I spend the money on another one to have to make all the mods again and then may well end up having to do one (or more) of the big three to it.

YMMV

...and BTW, I think you have more than 6 weeks and 2,000 miles of (very bad) experience with your own van.

^^^I do and still have it. I will spend almost whatever it takes to keep it on the road. I don't think she had the money for a built out 50K van.

I've deleted all of the posts with unhelpful advice. Please post if you know a mechanic that can help or if you can help yourself.

rvwandering said:

I've deleted all of the posts with unhelpful advice. Please post if you know a mechanic that can help or if you can help yourself.

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thank you


been in contact with a privateer mechanic that can get to it in about 3 weeks so contacted a shop he recommended,waiting on a reply

Better check on the warranty caveats.
No rebuilder will honor a non ASE legit outfits install efforts.
(You watch, Gary. $4,000+ OTD to have that 318 replaced with a warranty.)

Gary68 said:

...contacted a shop he recommended,waiting on a reply

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Any update on the shop?  Inquiring minds want to know.

she is still there looking for work to raise money,a couple shops $$$ there but no engine builders,i'm finding it hard to recommend something i would not do myself,no way would i buy an auto parts store engine,i would find a lower mile used engine and top end it and install myself ,talked about getting her to Green Bay where there are engine builders and she can get an engine thats been properly built,started and broken in,opposed to the bolted together never started thing the parts stores sell

havent seen anything in the area on the cheap that isnt a rust bucket,the remote location of the breakdown is making this difficult

she is a member here too,Kaylee,i pm'd HDR about getting Bob's group involved but never heard back from him

disabled homeless vet broken down in sub freezing temps... talks cheap,lets see some action

JD GUMBEE said:

Better check on the warranty caveats.
No rebuilder will honor a non ASE legit outfits install efforts.
(You watch, Gary. $4,000+ OTD to have that 318 replaced with a warranty.)

Click to expand...

the warranty reviews on auto parts store engines are horrible,make you jump through a bunch of testing to tell you it's your fault deal with it,$500 used engine,$500 craigslist mech to install and get the hell out of dodge,the local shops said something like $4500,nothing local but rust buckets,tough situation,dont break down in UP michigan

For $2000 I would have had the engine rebuilt. But it's too late for that and from the sounds of it this person is stranded, broke and needs some help to donate and install a used engine in her vanhome.


1. Set up a go fund me page so people can donate $5/$10/$20. Even if it's only a few hundred bucks that money will come in handy for miscellaneous expenses like gasket kits, fluids and whatever else is needed to get that van back on the road. No sense in not doing the job right. Your $20 donation might help buy a water pump that will save this unfortunate woman another trip to the mechanic. I've gone a long way just on $500 in parts.

2. Start looking for a donor engine. Post ads on every craigslist within a day's drive. Get on some Dodge forums and post messages in the local forums. I'm on FTE but if I was stranded in my sbc my FTE buddies wouldn't hesitate to help me out because I do the same for them.

3. Contact the women's shelter in her area. I do a lot of moving jobs for the women's shelter. They call me because I'm honest. I don't  take advantage of people who are down on their luck. Call the legion or wherever Americans hang out to drink beer and tell war stories. Explain the situation there's a woman/veteran stranded living in a van that doesn't run and she needs an engine so anyone who knows anyone who has a garage or an engine or knows someone. 

There's a used motor out there just sitting in someone's garage and god's plan is for us to show enough love and compassion to make this happen.

I might be going to Minnesota in a month. I haven't decided. I'm in Montreal and would be passing her way and if I do I will stop and lend a hand. I have everything but the hoist but those can be rented/borrowed or we get enough arms and just muscle it out.

Gary68 said:

she is a member here too,Kaylee,i pm'd HDR about getting Bob's group involved but never heard back from him

disabled homeless vet broken down in sub freezing temps... talks cheap,lets see some action

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Yeah, I seem to recall that was posted by me also, along with a few PM's to certain people...all unanswered or deleted.
Of course, this is not the first "nomad service/help/tribe" idea that has received donations...

To be fair, this years RTR is not far enough in the rear view for all to have recovered. (tick, tock tick, tock)
At least Bob has actually done the foundation work of a real non-profit. Great first step.
Better to be told "no" than ignored, however.

Besides some stickers and a website or two providing info you can grab in ten other places, thus far, the three I am thinking of have done nothing but line the pockets of those at the helm. Thousands of dollars of member money just snatched without accounting for its use. (I wonder how readers here have missed this?)
(I also wonder, if I were to point fingers and name names...how long it would be before the post was removed from the boards?) Things that make JD go Hmmm...

I don't know what you are referring to. none of the moderators or volunteers at RTR make a dime. I scratch to make ends meet just like everyone else.

Gary so sorry about not getting back. I have been on the edge of poor internet coverage for about a month and a half.

highdesertranger

I think Gary was asking about Bob's non-profit helping her.

as far as I know, as of the RTR the nonprofit was not ready to start passing out monies. although I really don't know a thing about the nonprofit. I will pass the info along. highdesertranger

Thank you HDR!

highdesertranger said:

I don't know what you are referring to. none of the moderators or volunteers at RTR make a dime. I scratch to make ends meet just like everyone else.

Gary so sorry about not getting back. I have been on the edge of poor internet coverage for about a month and a half.

highdesertranger

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If that was for me, my post REALLY had the wrong landing.
I did NOT mean RTR.
I did not even mean Bob's new non-profit.

While at times I disagree with the censorship here, I fully believe all involved are pure-of-heart in their intentions and out to help others.
(...and censored or not, you have to be a REAL jerk clearly crossing the line multiple times to be tossed off the forums. Mods have a lot more patience than I am capable of. Hats off to you guys. (Really.)

Hey Gary...look at this...

https://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucitsrh/?sl=71QSCI19139038