Two Engine failures from Southern Automotive

[Donald Campbell]

Has anyone else out there experienced two engine failures with new Southern Automotive 427's with less than 5 hours on each?

The first new "complete crate motor" that "had been run for three hours" at Southern would not even start. Once it did it ran for less than an hour before it had coolant in the oil.

The replacement motor was worse. It had not been run. Did not run well once reinstalled. Fit and finish were not what you would expect for the price paid and the valve assembly came apart due to a broken bolt while it was being dyno'd. It also leaked oil from day one through a one inch gap in the head gasket.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Southern? Who else should I have spoken with about a 427?

[Great Asp]

It might help if you could give us more information, when you bought the first engine, how you got the second engine, displacement, heads, cam, etc...

Eric

[Clois Harlan]

Donald,

I feel your pain and to be honest with Dean Lampe and I had a couple of 427's built by a man that had a very good reputation (not on this site ever) and both our engines melted down in less than 15 mins after they were ran in by his machine shop. What I am saying is everyone can have a problem and it is how they address the problem. A 1" gap huh?

Clois

[xlr8or]

Nice first post. You might want to give a few more details in who you are, what the engines were for, what was ordered, what caused the failures??

First post slam with no details is a bit out of order.

[Donald Campbell]

xlr8or,

You are completely right, and I apologize for being out of order ... but I would not want another guy who is building his dream car to have to go through what I did!

Is that not what this forum is about?

[Great Asp]

Originally Posted by Donald Campbell

xlr8or,

You are completely right, and I apologize for being out of order ... but I would not want another guy who is building his dream car to have to go through what I did!

Is that not what this forum is about?

You are mad at Bill Parham, and that's not exactly the same thing. Better would have been to present all the facts in a detailed manner looking for help to resolve an obvious problem. We don't even know what kind of Cobra you are building It's not that no one will believe your problems, or doubts your pain. It's just that a first time poster on any forum gets little crediblity since no one knows you, or your normal demeanor.

This forum is home to people that enjoy these cars giving us a place to hang out and compare notes on what we like or don't like, use or don't use. Our experiances are important to help others make decisions.

I am sorry you have had problems with any aspect of your car build.

Eric

[RedCSX1]

I have been told by several people who bought engines from Southern Automotive that they would never do it again. Shotty work and second hand or recondition parts were used that created all sorts of problems. Its too bad they come across as very nice people. I bought a stainless coolant tank from them that is 1st rate. Motor are a different story.

[Donald Campbell]

Yes, everyone can have a problem without question! These are machines afterall!

I unfortunately had two in a row with the same engine builder and must say I am tired of the excuses and double talk. The two pro's that helped me salvage the second 427 and make it run, because Southern was in complete denial, couldn't believe that Southern was not standing behind their product. This is all documented I might add!

You would not believe the letter I received from Bill Parham stating how lucky I was that he replaced the first motor. It ran for less than one hour!!

We could not get the second "replacement motor" to run right, to say nothing of the oil leaking everywhere, so we took it up to a pro to run it on the dyno and try to figure out why it would not run. It came apart on the dyno! Southern wrote a really nasty letter and basically said it was all our fault because this had never happened before. They paid for a new bolt and push rods and that is it!!!!!!!

The worst thing is that while my second motor was out of commission for the month of July, after losing all of last summer to the first failed motor, Bill at Southern was bragging to me that he had resold the first motor and it was running great in some other guy's ERA Cobra!!!

[lpfomoco1]

You know, there are at least a dozen things that a customer can do to and engine once it is recieved, either through ignorance or carelessness that can damage a perfectly good engine. Very rarely will a customer admit to any wrong doing. The engine builder always is to blame. Not knowing how to adjust valves is one of the main causes of valve train problems in an FE engine. How many times has a perfectly good engine been destroyed by using plumbing fitting and lines that were to small or the wrong type?

[McD00]

Boy am I with Jamo on this one. Heck, Everyone knows those old FE's require non stop maintenance. Heck I used to work on mine more than I drove it.
Looks like nothing more to see here let just move along now.

McVette

[blykins]

I wish I could just leave a face, but I can't because it's not enough characters.

So....

[cdnus]

RE: the 2nd. motor,

This motor started and we ran it for a couple of hours realizing that it just did not run right and it leaked oil like crazy. We decided to dyno at Meridian Performance in Bellingham and loaded the car into the trailer. These guy's were great. We were doing our first run -up on the dyno when the rocker assembly came apart. We opened up both valve covers and the rockers were not even finger tight (his words)

What is so hard to understand?????
He did not get to drive the car---it went by TRAILER to the shop & then came apart.
I would expect that after a engine is dynoed & proven I would be able to run it much longer than this before requiring a valve adjustment.
Also it's not like he was doing this over a ditch in the backyard himself.
He went to great lengths to assure it was done correctly by having qualified experienced people oversee the start up both times.
As for the time factor-11 months,
Everyone who had their motors sitting in the garage or chassis for months, even years before they actually got their cars on the road please stand up.

Note:
All statements & conclusions are based on the fact that both partys are telling the truth as they see it, NOT on the bases of one of them is lying.

Craig

[xlr8or]

Yes the forum is partly about that but a first post slam it typical of trolls just trying to stir up trouble. I am not doubting you had problems in any way and having all the information out there certainly helps the next guy.

If you have genuine issues with a builder and the facts to back it up there is a consumer watch forum here. There are two sides to every story and giving the other side a chance to respond is always a good thing.

[TButtrick]

Where are you located? I know a builder that will go through it, make it right, and dyno test here on the east coast.

[Jerry Clayton]

Why would a person from Washington buy engine from Georgia???

[FFR428]

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

Why would a person from Washington buy engine from Georgia???

Same reason someone from CT would buy a engine block from AK.
Most of us go by the builders reps and words from others. I'm sure Donald heard good things about Mr P. As I have too in the past. But have also heard the same story about SA from others and the problems. Some fixed some not. I really don't see who and where you buy from has anything to do with where you live. JMO of course.

[TButtrick]

Originally Posted by FFR428

Same reason someone from CT would buy a engine block from AK.
Most of us go by the builders reps and words from others. I'm sure Donald heard good things about Mr P. As I have too in the past. But have also heard the same story about SA from others and the problems. Some fixed some not. I really don't see who and where you buy from has anything to do with where you live. JMO of course.

Agreed. As I've stated before, there are engine assemblers and there are engine builders. I can give you nightmarish stories of what I've been through with engine assemblers in NJ. It's all about marketing.

[Cashburn]

Originally Posted by TButtrick

Agreed. As I've stated before, there are engine assemblers and there are engine builders. I've can give you nightmarish stories of what I've been through with engine assemblers in NJ. It's all about marketing.

Todd,
You should share your experience here in the Consumer Watch forum. No paid advertiser here to censor your experience.

[jwd]

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

Why would a person from Washington buy engine from Georgia???

I know 3 people that have Southern Automotive engines here in Wa. State. No problems have been reported. I suppose you've never bought anything out of state? That being said, I prefer to build my own engines. It's not rocket science. Well known builders are no better than anyone else that knows what they are doing.

Jim

[Great Asp]

Originally Posted by jwd

I know 3 people that have Southern Automotive engines here in Wa. State. No problems have been reported. I suppose you've never bought anything out of state? That being said, I prefer to build my own engines. It's not rocket science. Well known builders are no better than anyone else that knows what they are doing.

Jim

+1 It would be a good idea not to take sides for or against anyone on this thread, instead see if through the facts there is some common ground between the OP and SA.

I'd rather see both parties settled than have a pro and con thread.