Worst Outcome - Better Times Ahead?

06GT-Red

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This tale begins with a stuck spark plug tip in the driver’s side cylinder next to the firewall in my 06 GT. I ended up taking the car to a local mechanic. Long story short, the mechanic sucked the tip into the cylinder and cracked my 4.6’s block. Now, what to do?

I’ve got quotes coming for:
  1. Engine replacement with a used 4.6;
  2. Engine replacement with a reconditioned 4.6;
  3. Engine replacement with a crate engine of some sort.
Admittedly, I get beyond my depth quickly in discussing engine replacement. And, though I realize it matters little, I am dealing with disappointment related to the fact that I will no longer have a numbers matching GT. Oh, and the mechanic realizes (I think) that he bears some responsibility for this mess. Any ideas from the S197 membership?
 

06GT-Red

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Not so much a tech question as a request for suggestions for solutions. Is this the wrong place? If so, my apologies.
 

eighty6gt

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Have you got any money?


Coyotes are an option.
Voodoo pull outs are becoming available.

Since you have a (bad?) mechanic, you could have a good 4.6 built with only a fresh block that could be delivered machined and ready to assemble. Valve job, hot rod cams, some forged pistons and decent h beams would set you up for a DOB blower in the future
 

06GT-Red

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Thank you, stkjock, for moving my thread to the appropriate location.

Unfortunately, I am several states away from my car right now - I’ll be able to see things myself early next week. The mechanic had soaked the stuck tip in penetrating oil for several days and then started the car to move it to a more favorable location in his shop, the tip was sucked into the piston and somehow the cylinder wall cracked - at least this is what I have been told. He investigated sleeving the cylinder, which would not have been acceptable to me and which did not emerge as a practical option anyway. As far as I know, the head is OK. I appreciate your suggestion, eighty6gt; I will probably pursue another 4.6.
 

01yellerCobra

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Thank you, stkjock, for moving my thread to the appropriate location.

Unfortunately, I am several states away from my car right now - I’ll be able to see things myself early next week. The mechanic had soaked the stuck tip in penetrating oil for several days and then started the car to move it to a more favorable location in his shop, the tip was sucked into the piston and somehow the cylinder wall cracked - at least this is what I have been told. He investigated sleeving the cylinder, which would not have been acceptable to me and which did not emerge as a practical option anyway. As far as I know, the head is OK. I appreciate your suggestion, eighty6gt; I will probably pursue another 4.6.

Find a new mechanic before doing anything else. If he was dumb enough to start the car in that situation who knows what else he could screw up.
 

Dino Dino Bambino

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The mechanic had soaked the stuck tip in penetrating oil for several days and then started the car to move it to a more favorable location in his shop, the tip was sucked into the piston and somehow the cylinder wall cracked - at least this is what I have been told.

Seriously? You should make the stupid c**t mechanic pay for a replacement engine and if he refuses, consult your lawyer.
 

ghunt81

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This is 100% the mechanic's fault and he bears responsibility for compensating you. I don't understand why he wouldn't just pull the spark plug tip, it takes all of 5 minutes with the tool!
 

06GT-Red

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That troublesome stuck spark plug tip has a back story that I have fully described elsewhere in the forum. When changing my plugs all but the one by the firewall on the driver’s side came out for me, either with or without the Lisle 65700. The mechanic did all he knew to do to extract this last stuck tip from the top side. Our agreement when I left my car with him last week was that he would try one last time to extract the tip from the top and if unsucccessful remove the head and take the tip out from the bottom. He apparently skipped the last attempt at tip removal from the top. Why he thought there was no risk of the tip falling into the cylinder, after soaking in penetrating oil for 3 or 4 days, when starting the car baffles me.
 
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mrdale14424

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Tell him you want to submit an insurance claim against his "Garagekeepers Liability" policy. A reputable garage would have this type of insurance coverage. It's his liability for the loss as he meets the three "c"s for determining liability; was the vehicle in his Care, Custody and Control? Namely, this loss is his responsibility, not yours.
I am a former property & casualty insurance agent, I hope that this can be of help to you.
 

06GT-Red

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Tell him you want to submit an insurance claim against his "Garagekeepers Liability" policy. A reputable garage would have this type of insurance coverage. It's his liability for the loss as he meets the three "c"s for determining liability; was the vehicle in his Care, Custody and Control? Namely, this loss is his responsibility, not yours.
I am a former property & casualty insurance agent, I hope that this can be of help to you.
Thank you for this helpful information!
 

06GT-Red

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Went to see my Mustang today. What a sorry sight. The cylinder head was upside down on a workbench and the area available for the spark plug tip to impinge upon was badly disfigured, dented and nicked - the valves did not appear to be too bad, though. The top of the piston was beat up like the head. The cylinder wall was distinctly cracked with obvious displacement between adjacent surfaces of the wall. A mechanic told me that coolant shot out of the empty spark plug hole when the block cracked. The troublesome spark plug tip was flattened like an expanded bullet. I will be meeting with the owner, who is an ASE Master Technician, about this mess early next week after he returns from vacation.
 

06GT-Red

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My options for engine replacement are becoming clearer. Am weighing pros & cons of these:
  1. Remanufactured engine from a reputable source. Who locally to install it is a question.
  2. A 4.6 liter from a late model S197 with low miles installed by a company with a very good reputation.
  3. A significantly modified 5.0 liter that began as a 4.6 and develops somewhere between 400 and 450 hp, installed by a company in which I have confidence. My concern with this engine is compatibility with my 5r55s auto transmission.
Helpful comments/suggestions encouraged.
 

01yellerCobra

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Usually if you order a remanned engine the company has local installers they deal with. It allows you to keep any warranty as well.

You might want to look at your budget before doing anything. The engines you've mentioned vary widely price wise.
 

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