ARROW ENGINE REBUILD

[SoCal Rebell]

Took 9 1/2 weeks from the day I dropped it off to the day I got it back. NO LOANER but I tried.

 

[BWoodbury]

I don't understand. You have a 6 year old vehicle with 42K miles on it and the manufacturer is willing to rebuild your engine for free, and you have a problem with that???

 

[FRANK]

First of all it sounds like you are doing a little much bellyaching...I bought the Viper because it is a Mopar and for no other reason did I buy it. Granted, the car does have some inherent problems...but if you are good with a wrench like myself, any potential problem will be miniscule. As far as I am concerned, the Viper is one of the greatest cars of all time - made my Dodge.

Your first mistake is having the motor pulled. I'd venture to say that most head gasket leaks are due to the crappy gasket. When that motor comes back in a few months and you finally get to drive it sometime in July, don't think you are going to notice a difference in power either. Just think...if you have the head gaskets replaced, you'd be driving the car within a week or two...

Just my two cents...

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Well, I can share your pain and would say that the wait will be well worth it. My car was out from October 28th to January 4th. I would guess that Arrow had the motor for 5-6 weeks and the dealer had a couple weeks on either end to get it in and out. I am told that Arrow is sometimes backed up a little in the winter months, as many wait for warranty work when the snow flies, as I did.

Now, while I can share your pain to a degree, I would think you could expect a few more problems buying used rather than new. Granted, most will be pretty much problem-free, but it is generally difficult to tell what the car did in it's previous life. Sure, you can do a Carfax or other similar look up, but it still doesn't tell you how the car was treated. While I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used Viper under warranty, I probably wouldn't do it otherwise (that's just me). I think you are fortunate to have the warranty and you will be very pleased with the results. Arrow does a great job and I am VERY, very happy with the work they did on my car.

I would assume that the times you have been in the shop previously were engine related. I believe that the warranty from Dodge specifies that the ONLY place you can "crack" the engine open is with Arrow. I don't think they even want their 5-star dealers doing anything more than removing the valve covers. I may be mistaken, but somebody else can better address this. While it is a mild pain, the alternative is to possibly screw up a $10,000+ motor. I would pace the floor and read this board for your fix as I did. You will be thrilled when it is back and should have a GREAT summer with one of the greatest cars ever built. Enjoy!

Chris

 

[FRANK]

Ludaviper,

You said it best yourself "The motor shouldn't need to be rebuilt at 42,000" It doesn't. If it were any other car on the planet, it would have received new head gaskets and you would have been on your way. Period. Since Dodge already knows any Viper owner spent big bucks on their flagship vehicle, I personally feel it is a courtesy to have the motor pulled and sent back to Arrow (experts). The last thing they need is some typical moronic mechanic doing something wrong to your motor - the dealer would never hear the end of it - and neither would Daimler Chrysler. I could just picture the scene "I spent 70,000 dollars on a Viper and it isn't right...blah blah blah" There would be wars on the service department.

Dodge is covering their asses...and I know there are some people on this BBS who have beat up their dealers for mistakes or repairs/warranty work...I sense it - I know it! Look at Hennessy - I see that guy getting beat up all of the time because his mods "are expensive." People won't leave that guy alone and neither would other people who had experienced problems at their local dealership. Most people today are impossible and it takes a miracle to make anyone happy in this day and age. No wonder why kids are the way they are...parental influence. Sorry for the rant.

Someone with common sense realizes this. Being mechanically inclined helps the situation as well. I'd tell the service manager "Put new head gaskets on and lets call it a day" It's a win win situation. Fortunately, there are only two people on this planet that I would allow to work on my Viper - myself and Doug Levin. After meeting him in person and touring his facility, he is a one of a kind mechanical genius who is the furthest thing from your typical mechanic. People skills, ingenuity, and genuine respect for your cars.

 

[JonB]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BWoodbury:
You have a 6 year old vehicle with 42K miles on it and the manufacturer is willing to rebuild your engine for free, and you have a problem with that???
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

A agree completely.

Since the gasket is NOT totally to blame, and the creeping cylinder liner and inferior seat/seal is also partially to blame, simply replacing the head gasket may be expeditious, but it is, at best, a partial fix. A huge mistake in a motor under warranty!

You are FORTUNATE to have this leak. BLESSED ! Astrologically shined upon! Arrow will review/ refresh/ replace 23 components in your motor, and it will be BETER than new in a few weeks.

Your "best car on the planet" signature is ringing hollow right now.

Patience, gr****opper...you are a lucky dude who is getting a $10,000 fix to a $1,000 problem. Count your blessings, from 1 - 23............

JonB~~~~~~~:&lt;~

 

[Paul Hawker]

Yes your 4 cyl will get 100,000 miles, but then the rebuild is on you. And I doubt it will get 400hp!. We on the board feel your pain, however if you bought a used ferrarri, porsche, or other high preformance car you would be up a creek. Dodge is shouldering their responsibility in a manner unusual for today's manufacturers.
Yes the wait is horrible, but the engines usually are returned better and stronger than new, with lots of upgrades that have been implemented over the years. Get yourself to a ViperDays event and someone will be willing to give you a ride in a Arrow rebuilt powered Viper.
PS ever since I was a little kid I also had a difficult time waiting for Christmas Day. Getting your newly powered snake back will be just like CHRISTMAS!!

 

[JonB]

"Time Heals All Wounds"

Enjoy your re-built snake !

 

[jamie furman]

Something that I think you might be overlooking here is the amount spent on something is not a guarantee it won't break, as a matter of fact I guarantee when you start doing expensive performance mods on your cars you are definatly increasing the chances for problems not lessening them.Thats why no one warranties the hipo work because more power breaks things thats just the way it is.And since the viper is one of the most powerful cars in the world it should make sense that there is going to be occasional problems. For a little more money than a vette your getting better performance than cars 3 times the price, and for that you ought to be willing to take a little inconvenience now and then.