Unfortunately when you get a new motor you get a long block not an entire engine from the mounts up. Would be cool to get all new parts though.

 

That's not true... My engine was replaced around 55K when it started 'eating' coolant. It came with a whole new head to include; spark plugs, coils, & cam sensors. Only the exterior items: intake, exhaust, A/C, turbo, etc.. just needed to be swapped over to the new engine.

The new engine is not from the same "casting" as my original as there are obvious 'block mounts' and bosses that were not on my original block. Since GM is starting to use this engine in some of its other cars: Buick, Cadilliac... I assume that the porosity issue between #2 & #3 cylinders in the 'mid-block' casting has been identified and addressed. So far, I have not had any more issues. I regularly check the oil & coolant (painted a strip on the overflow bottle).

Now granted that when the car was manufactured, the powertrain was just an assembly waiting on a body. But when you start removing that assembly and picking parts off of it to replace or transfer... it does get to be a game of "how does this go back on" & "did I make sure I tightened that"? A good mechanic is thorough and double checks his work, however... there will still be those 'oversites' because they are human. My car took a week and a half to be done. This was mostly due to waiting on parts to arrive, and the fact the mechanic has other vehicles to service/repair while waiting. This leads to 'reassemble errors' due to time away from task, as was the initial post.

It sucks that your mechanic lost focus on your repair. It sucks that you have to keep going back. But it would suck even more if you had to pay for their 'suck-ness'. I received my car back and the inlet to the intercooler was 'kinked' on the wrong side of the lower radiator hose. Also, although my engine no longer 'drank' dex-cool, it would still overheat. They replaced fan control module and then the entire fan assembly before they found a lonely ground wire that was missed (fan would not come up to full speed). Once that was attached... problem solved.

I still had to do a close inspection of the entire engine bay, sure I found wire looms that were not secured and a vacuum hose that needed rerouted, but I did not have to pay for anything other than the inconvience of not having my favorite ride for a while.

It's a shame that Chevy discontinued the HHR as nothing on the lot today provides the same utility and plasters a smile on my face the way my SS does!

 

Yeah, but they have to remove the old ones and move them over to the new engine. Seems like charging labor for t-stat and serpentine is going overboard. Would the actually deliver a car with a replaced engine that had no serpentine?

We are all led to believe that "Certified GM" technicians have "the book" and the actual hands-on of doing it all. "the book" does have step by step all inclusive directions, supposed to be no guess work, and GM has never lied to consumers.

 

A long block includes the head as opposed to a short block that is just the block and internals. The plugs and such are extras. But you still had to transfer other items just like I suggested. The plugs coils and two sensors are probably common to all LNF motors vs the rest of the items that may be different between cars that use this motor.

 

Labor? That was for NEW (according to the ops post) t-stat and serp belt. I highly doubt that included labor in those prices

 

Having never paid a Chevy dealer for those parts, I was guessing at most $75, leaving 1 hour labor to $135. I do know that a t-stat at Advance runs about $20 and a belt for around $15. And I do know when I had a junkyard motor put in my old 2008 that they used my old belt, but kept the stat housing from the "new" motor I never got a straight answer about the water pump.

Evidently the poster was being charged labor twice, unless I grossly underestimated the overcharge for parts.

 

You could be right about that. I sometimes over estimate the dealer prices. Having worked for them and then an Advanced Auto I remember prices being quite different. But Labor rates at the dealership I worked at were $90 per hour. Advanced was $75 iirc. If they are charging labor for these then I would be talking to the service manager about it. But now would be the time to get them.

 

ScroogeSS, Where was the ground wire? I too have the same issue after they dropped my engine for timing chain and head replacement. Now that I have it back, overheats at idle with AC on. They replace the fan module with no effect. Now they want to replace the ECM!

Thanks

 

The ground was in the vicinity of the wire bundle near the oil cooler... If memory serves correct. I wish I could be more specific, but my SS is at the dealer awaiting a new turbo. When my engine was replaced, they did not replace the turbo. It's now just two months out of warranty...

 

How did you get GM to pay for the replacement engine? We have a 2008 HHR SS and the block cracked between 3 & 4. We have to pay almost $6000 to get the engine replaced with a new 2010 2.0 liter and now we are being told the engine won't be at the dealer ship until Nov 25 which is four months from now. We are very disappointed that it's going to take so long to get our new engine and GM won't help help pay for the engine since it's clearly a porosity problem with the block. Engines just don't crack. Apparently the engine is coming from Germany.