A serious problem at my local parts store...any advice?

[pencero]

If you were really going to pull out the 260 and do an engine swap than who cares about pursuing a small gripe over a ruined engine you were supposedly going to throw in the trash? There is nothing you can do with the 260 engine except wait for all that oil to evaporate for a few weeks put the correct plugs back in dump some fuel system cleaner booster in the car and see if it fires back up / burns off... if it doesn't then you will have to just admit defeat and pull the engine. Do you really think the shop is going to pay out 'damages' to an early 80s carburated engine of undetermined mileage with an ambiguous value somewhere below the $350 dollar range? Even if they had came to your house with hammers and destroyed the engine in the middle of the night on purpose it is still worth so little money their vandalism would not even qualify as a felony... How impatient still do you think a small claims court would be over a matter so financially trivial? Only the smallest claims courts in the entire country would even hear this case at all ... the court costs would probably exceed 50% of the value of the engine - if it had been in mint condition which it probably was not , based on your description... When I was standing over the 307 with spark plugs the other day I had a bad feeling mine were the wrong size so I put them back in the box and walked away. That's what you should have done too - b/c the parts store is just a vendor and not a GM dealership. Also, most parts stores are actually 'limited liability corp' s if you look them up so any attempt to collect a claim would be thrown out automatically in that case. My advice would be to definitely not try starting the 260 up for at least 2 weeks and leave the hood open in the garage until some of that oil evaporates before you try anything else or you could make it even worse now

 

[King_V]

The average consumer isn't meant to be a walking catalog of parts.

You are not an average consumer if you are doing your own repairs. If you feel you are qualified to do the repair then you assume the responsibility of installing the correct part.

Maybe I should've said "The average consumer at an auto parts store" then? It seems that in general, such are much more likely to be doing their own repairs... else why are they in an auto parts store?

 

[King_V]

Hmm . . well, before going ripping into the original poster, we should keep in mind:
- They sold him the wrong parts
AND
- The manager said they'd make it right

I don't see the OP actually talking about it, saying he's really owed, etc . . that was more speculation from the rest of us, actually!

Though I would certainly understand him feeling upset, since he planned to use the 260 for a while . . the swap was for the future.


Ah well, let's see what the true damages are, and what the parts store really does... I'm certainly interested in hearing.

 

[pontiacgp]

The average consumer isn't meant to be a walking catalog of parts.

You are not an average consumer if you are doing your own repairs. If you feel you are qualified to do the repair then you assume the responsibility of installing the correct part.

Maybe I should've said "The average consumer at an auto parts store" then? It seems that in general, such are much more likely to be doing their own repairs... else why are they in an auto parts store?

I give up...of course no one should be responsible for thinking some stranger in a retail store could have given them incorrect parts. And no one should be responsible if they fail to check the parts before installing those parts or any damage that occurs to an engine that is probably past it's life expectancy, after all engines should last forever. Big brother needs to protect us all.....caveat emptor should always be irrelevant

 

[jacobdavis1979]

First off to the OP i just wanna apologize. Its rough when the parts store gives you the wrong part ive been there and it sucks. But I dont feel its anyones fault at all not yours not the parts guy mistakes happen some minor some large. He probly saw in the computer that its part X and item number Y if you get what im sayin when it the package could have been marked wrong or computer failure etc. Now im not trying to defend the parts store either im just saying couldve been that simple. As for the OP i dont feel its your fault either like i said mistakes happen. All i wanna say is unless this is a local owned parts store with a reputation to worry about i wouldnt rely on the parts store financing a new 260 or 350 unless you have a log or something showing that motor ran before plug change because they could easily say installer failure even if it is the wrong part that ruined the motor. Or they could just say well we wont replace an already done for motor that someone was trying to fix on our dime.
I hope i didnt sound like a dick or anything cuz im not trying to be lol

Anyway long story short i think you just got a new project on your hands lol

And just for giggles did you try putting the old plugs back in and starting it?

 

[565bbchevy]

What I will usually do depending on what I need from the autoparts store is look up the part online, check pricing, stock etc. (sometimes even calling to check stock) and go to the stores site I plan on purchasing from (many to choose from around here) and then print out the page with the part's picture, part number and price and bring that in along with the part if it is removed and then verify everything is right before I leave the store and sometimes online pricing is cheaper and they will match it.

 

[cwp2]

First off, sorry that a routine job turned into to a mess. I have had my share of those projects.

As a parts counter veteran the best advice I can give is to stay calm and polite. Manager's and employees will be more willing to work with you if the conversation is reasonable. Now once your shop determines damage and cause take documentation to the store and ask the store what they will do to compensate you for the damage.
It sounds like you have a decent Parts Manager, but if he does not want to follow through (afraid of what it does to his bonus, cost more than he thought, whatever) do not be afraid then to walk up the chain of command to the owner or District Manager. Firm and reasonable will get you farther than loud name calling.

Mistakes can be made even with good parts pros and while it is a good practice to check parts I think the ultimate responsibility for damage from incorrect parts falls on the store for selling (or company for cataloging) the parts as correct.

 

[King_V]

I give up...of course no one should be responsible for thinking some stranger in a retail store could have given them incorrect parts. And no one should be responsible if they fail to check the parts before installing those parts or any damage that occurs to an engine that is probably past it's life expectancy, after all engines should last forever. Big brother needs to protect us all.....caveat emptor should always be irrelevant

I didn't think we were in a battle, I was just giving my view on things... I don't think that a parts store giving you the incorrect items, telling you it's correct, but being held completely blameless for any of the consequences of it, is a viable way for things to work. That shouldn't be the new normal, so to speak, at least in MY opinion.

And while I'm sure there might be several of us here that fit the category, I am also speaking as a past parts counter person.

 

[pontiacgp]

I give up...of course no one should be responsible for thinking some stranger in a retail store could have given them incorrect parts. And no one should be responsible if they fail to check the parts before installing those parts or any damage that occurs to an engine that is probably past it's life expectancy, after all engines should last forever. Big brother needs to protect us all.....caveat emptor should always be irrelevant

I didn't think we were in a battle, I was just giving my view on things... I don't think that a parts store giving you the incorrect items, telling you it's correct, but being held completely blameless for any of the consequences of it, is a viable way for things to work. That shouldn't be the new normal, so to speak, at least in MY opinion.

And while I'm sure there might be several of us here that fit the category, I am also speaking as a past parts counter person.

I just get tired of people trying to pass the buck all the time....for a plug to be 1/2" longer why was that not noticed by the installer, plus I can't figure out why he didn't notice the extra number of turns to install the 1/2" longer plug compared the plug he just removed. I always double check what a stranger sold me and if I don't that's my problem. How do you know that the guy at the store even heard the buyer correctly when the part was ordered.

 

[DoubleV]

I will put money on the store NOT covering any of the cost of repairing the damage even though they claimed they would.