Big Problems

[TIGER 6]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond.Wammy,my engine serial no. is 402-077.Djseed,I do have the Dart block upgrade.
A couple of thoughts/observations.I have been "fooling around" with cars for some time,am not particularly knowledgeable about mechanical or electrical stuff but know enough to ask the right questions and if the answers make sense,have been racing in the Bertil Roos F2000 series for a couple of years,done a number of track weekends over the years with a variety of clubs and cars including Ferraris,Porsches,'Vettes etc,and am probably an "average"driver who is slowly getting better.I thoroughly enjoy the cars and most importantly,the people who also share this interest and passion.
This is my first experience with a major failure with a car,so it is a bit of new ground for me. In addition to trying to use this web site,I have talked with a variety of different people in the high performance/sports car business-engine builders,race team owners/drivers,car dealers,driving school personnel etc etc-to try to determine what my reasonable and fair options might be.Interestingly enough has been the fact that everyone I have talked to-and I have been absolutely frank about what I have been doing with the Coupe since I purchased it last August-has said there should be no question about Roush replacing the motor under the warranty,not withstanding the fact that the word "racing" is specifically mentioned in the warranty documents as an exception which would void the warranty.If I was drag racing,doing the One Lap of America as my son and I had planned to do with the Coupe but will not now,Club racing,SCCA,Vintage etc, the situation would be completely different and absolutely clear.I feel,right or wrong, that if a car built as the Coupe has been built has any type of warranty which would be void if the owner places that car on any type of race track for any purpose,the potential owner should be informed of this at the time the car is purchased.Insurance companies are very clear about this-some will cover our cars for track events,some will not.
Additionally,companies selling these type of cars should make it clear what the participants' liability is with warrantied aspects of their cars when they promote and sponsor a track experience for their customers.
Again,thanks for taking the time to respond.It has been appreciated and helpful.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Tiger;

Sorry to hear of losing the motor,hate to see anyone lose a motor,especailly a high dollar item like a Roush motor......... if it "blew a rod out" it could be as simple as a rod bolt failure...........with as many parts and peices in any internal combustion engine,it's a wonder they last as long as they do,any little part can be defective without anyone every knowing and if and when it fails,things usually go to hell in a hand basket real quick...........

With that said,I'm sure the warranty on your car from Superformance would only apply to the car itself,and the warranty for the engine would lie with Roush,I would give them a call and report what happened and see what they come up with,but do not be surprised if they tell you you have no warranty due to your "racing adventures"..........

In all honesty,I'm surprised they sell these motors with any warranty at all,knowing what type of vehicles they are going to go into and what kind of use/abuse most will put these motors thru,I have a neighbor with a supercharged 04 Mustang GT and he is on his third motor,he has more money than brains and can brake a railroad track with a raw egg any day of the week........

I think now it's all up to Roush to decide what if anything they will do,I think they should at least take the motor apart to try to determine the cause of the engine failure and go from there................

David

[CoupedUp]

Tiger,
Any updates on what's going on with your motor and Roush?

Doug

[TIGER 6]

We are "in negotiations." Dennis and Mark Ray of Olthoff Racing in N.C. are doing a good job so far to get the motor fixed in a way that is equitable to everyone. I'll post the results when we are finished.I have been out of touch for a while-did the One Lap of America with my son last week in his new C6 'Vette. First time for both of us,and we had a BALL!!!

[Fred Douglass]

.......although I am at the moment dealing exclusively with stroking and reheading my Cleveland, a Mustanger pal of mine is seriously contemplating replacing his rather completely worn-out 351 with a crater. I advised him to get onto this site,
although there are Mustang sites aplenty. He is leaning toward a Ford Racing 393 Windsor stroker. He then discovered that the 514ci monsterpiece is (supposedly, according to the online catalog) the SAME WEIGHT(!?!) as the Windsor crater. I find this hard to believe---but there's room aplenty in his 1969 'stang. THEN of course, the topic of warrantees came up as did the issue of reliability.

What I have heard via scuttlebutt is: a) Roush has had a spate of "grenaders" on the truck-racing circuit, b) Roush's engines, for all their priciness, had a so-so reliability record, c) FordRacing 393s pump out REAL power, but there has only recently come forward a 2yr-20K warrantee, and finally, d) that the 514ci monsters had some problems with distributor/oil-pump drive-gear flaws and that there was a necessary "fix"---which FordRacing has NOT done.....leaving it up to wary purchasers.

He will not be racing his car, not even making "offical" drag-strip runs, but he wants a "street job" with ample power. What, if anything is true about the above "a-d" scuttlebutt items? I had heard good and bad about Roush---but assumed the breakdowns were only in the racing trucks---until I read this thread.

Any opinions would be more than welcome. My warrantee problems, should they occur, would/will be between me and my local co-builder--who lives three miles away.

Appreciate any comments on "a-d". Learned a lot from this thread. BTW, I recommend Hal Copple's comments on Accusump uses and caveats---over on a "low oil-pressure" thread, re Clevelands.

Chow,

[MidOHasp]

I'm sorry, but everyone who was recommending deleting an original post and lying to the builder is an irresponsible dip.

It's advice like that, and the people who follow it, who make the prices for the rest of us go up.

I don't like social welfare, and I don't like engine welfare. Why should I have to pay for someone else to go to the track without any kind of oil safety measure (accusump or dry sump) and throw a rod?

I don't know what Tiger's final course of action is, nor did I pay attention to who advised him to lie to his builder, doesn't matter.

That is positively terrible advice.

Suck it up, and be a man. If you violated your warranty, then reach in to your pocket or take the year off.

If you've a legitimate claim, then go make it and get well.

I can't believe anyone seriously gave that advice.

[427sharpe]

You'll get further by being honest....and it's always easier to remember the truth. I think Roush will take the motor apart, find the cause of failure, and if it is 'materials or craftmanship' they will do the right thing. If it is an owner error (oil cooler lines backwards, filter problem etc..) they may recuse themselves. I have found that most people, if approached honestly, will be honest in return. If however, you begin a relationship on a lie, you are headed for misery.

[Excaliber]

The good news is; Tiger6 IS being totally honest about the whole deal.

Now I know "warranties" don't cover "race" motors, but there IS the possibility of "defects in material and workmanship" that should be considered never the less. If Roush screwed up or parts were defective, that honesty thing workes both ways! Sounds like it might work out the best possible way for both parties. Good luck.

[CSX 4027]

5 previous track days.
9500 miles.
Unless the motor was well maintained, checked and serviced, I wouldn't do track days in a motor that has seen 9500 mostly street miles of spirited driving in less than a year.
Did you ever adjust the valves?
Did you ever check/replace the valve springs?
Have you done a leak down test?
Have you done a compression test?
Have you checked your spark plugs for problems all along?
Have you checked your timing on a regular basis?
All the above is routine and straightforward.