Anonymous
map-marker Tampa, Florida

80 percent love them, 20 percent hate them. Are you feeling lucky?

I have a 2005 Ford F150 Lariat. The CAM PHASERS were going out and it had 180K so I decided to get it rebuilt as I plan to keep the truck for a long time. I drove the vehicle to them, I showed the mechanic James that I had no engine lights. Then I rented a car, wasn't in a rush to have it back, and just wanted it done right.

2.5 weeks later I got a call that it was finished. I paid ($8600), then they started telling me that they could not figure out some problems with it. Again, I drove the vehicle to them. Besides a lot of noise from the phasors it ran perfect. I was doing this as preventive maintenance as I want a reliable truck and didn't want to spend 50K for a new Lariat. MISTAKE.

Ray and James claimed that they did not have the equipment to test and further diagnose the problems. I just couldn't believe it, what the *** did I take to them for if they don't have proper equipment to fully troubleshoot almost 9K in repairs. I didn't know what to do, I was overwhelmed that I had just spent so much money and they didn't know how to fix it. I took it to a garage near my job and they spent 4 days and a whole lot of my money to not be able to find anything.

I'm starting to have a panic attack now. Ray is telling me the vehicle is perfect and I could drive it to California if needed. In the meantime I’ve got all these engine lights on and getting 9 MPG. I cannot take a loss like this so I put my mechanic hat on and started doing my own internet research.

I figured out that they had done a CAM PHASER LOCKOUT on the truck. For this to work right the computer has to have a special tune done to disable errors related to the Variable Timing System. I took it back to them, gave them another chance. They determined that the custom tune had not taken and bought another tuner. This fixed all but 2 errors and the truck ran a bit better now but still had an incredibly rough idle like it wanted to stall. They kept looking for non-engine related issues to blame things on and expected me to troubleshoot and find the problems myself for me to fix it. I’m not a damn mechanic and I paid them $8600 and I just could not believe they are doing this to me.

So I got the truck back, took it to 3 other mechanics that looked at me like I was crazy for what I was asking them to try and fix it. They all wanted to change spark plugs, fuel injectors, and do work that was supposedly done by the engine shop a week or two before.

So I took it back to the engine shop. Rented another car, they kept it for 4 more days and he said he changed out the plugs yet again and all the injectors. James, the mechanic, took me on a test drive (he drove). He then showed me his hand which was missing three fingers and told me how get got them cut off while helping someone and that it wasn’t work related. He then hit me as hard as he could on my left leg like he was mad at me for putting him through this. I would have punched him back if he were not driving, eventually decided to let it go. It was pretty clear he had some PTSD or other mental issues over the damage to his hand.

At this point I had given up on dealing incompetent-scamming mechanics. I can’t rebuild engines but I’m a decent home mechanic so I started surfing F150 forums trying to get ideas at what to look at. Over the next few weekends I replaced almost every sensor in the engine, found that the Fuel Injector Pressure sensor was bad, and got rid of the last engine error code. Cuts all over my hands, bills racking up, and the truck is still idling like it wants to stall. Rev it up to about 1100RPM and it runs flawless.

I had too much invested now to give up. I decided to change out all the spark plugs and fuel injectors myself. Then I discovered that 3 of the 8 spark plugs had separated inside the engine (James had just replaced the plugs 3 weeks earlier). I can post photos of the plugs. This issue was common in this year of F150 but the updated plugs were supposed to fix it. The issue here was the old style plugs (original equipment plugs were used). I got hold of an extractor and I pulled them all out myself (painful), and put plugs in that cannot separate like that. I retrospect I think James used an air tool to tighten the plugs and seriously over-torqued them.

The idle improved after changing the plugs, at least for about 300 miles, then it came back. Then the AC stopped working, had to pay $350 to get the system recharged and a $3 o-ring replaced. Apparently they had re-used the old o-ring. This was a common them in this rebuild, they don’t test-replace anything as they don’t have proper diagnostic equipment and skills.

About a 2 months later the alternator went out. I replaced that and the rough idle got a bit better. When it’s 75 degrees outside the engine runs smooth. Any other temperature and it gets so rough you would think it’s going to stall, but never does.

I’m very frustrated, I have about 11K into this truck and would expect it to run like new with everything I have done. I don’t want to deal with the engine shop anymore, they are incompetent and don’t seem to do anything but make excuses and make me rent cars for 3-4 days as punishment for bringing it to them.

I have theories but nothing to pinpoint the problem. 2005 F150’s do not have EGR sensors. They recirculate the exhaust gases using the Variable Timing System; however, because they did a lockout this is not possible. I’ve read this can lead to idle issues but I just don’t want to fork out 3K to get them replaced as it might not help.

So take my advice is not do business with this shop. 80% of the time things will go smoothly and you probably won’t have any issues. It’s the 20% where you need to worry as they are not going to have the tools and skills to fix anything outside the context of a rebuild. James is missing three fingers on one of his hands and has to rely on air tools and work arounds to do his job which leads to him either over-torqueing or not fully screwing on things. He has a disability basically and I am so very sorry it happened to him but the end result is he cannot fix what he breaks. He cannot repair stripped threads, he cannot repair broken plugs, and he can only switch engines out and cannot and will not do anything above and beyond.

I would sue them but at this point it would be over a weird idle issue. Once it revs up a little it’s perfect. I just don’t want to go to court over something like that. But I will put my story online.

Sorry for the novel, but this true story needs to be told.

Getting an engine rebuilt should not be this painful.

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elliot Epm
map-marker Tampa, Florida

DONT DO IT!! FIND SOMEONE ELSE

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I have a ford bronco with a 302 engine I had a pully break so at 200000 mil. I wanted to get it rebuilt I had it towed to tampabay eng.

shop because of there rebuild spec. "LMAO" and there time in business. I live about 50 mil. south of the shop so we talked over the phone and like a fool I did not meet ray face to face he tells me no prob.

the job will take about 2 weeks, the time goes by I call him and he gives me a story about a mech. having a bike wreck so its going to be a little longer. ok no prob. I say.

so after a month he says I can pick it up. it starts, and of course I am very happy to get my baby back. on the ride home its missing and stumbling, I pop the hood and thinking lose plug wire or something no its the distributor they didn't tighten it down and there was no timing pointer on it so they just took a guess at the timing. It was smoking and running very rich reeking of raw gas I take it back they have it for anther two weeks.

I go by to check on it and in there normal setting on there *** position smoking cigs ray gives some B.S. about bad injectors and that he dose not have the testing equipment to check it. REALLY your a engine rebuild shop. so I take it to another shop replace injector still smoking like crazy mech tells me bad valve seals.

4000 dollars to rays shop and I have bad anything is absolute *** !!! I found tools in the fan shroud ground wires were they should not be. The trunk runs worse than it ever has. Now I have to cancel a vacation trip because I cant drive that P.O.S.

and trust it.Thanks for ripping me off RAY. DONT GO TO THESE GUYS UNLESS YOU LIKE WAITING ANDTHROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY.

View full review
Loss:
$3895
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

1 comment
Guest

Already received a price over the phone from Ray. After reading this I won't be going there of engine work.

Anonymous

They are rip offs & scam artists!! BEWARE!!

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Tampa Bay Engine Shop - They are rip offs & scam artists!! BEWARE!!
Tampa Bay Engine Shop - They are rip offs & scam artists!! BEWARE!! - Image 2
Tampa Bay Engine Shop - They are rip offs & scam artists!! BEWARE!! - Image 3

After keeping my truck 2 weeks longer than they were suppose to, the owner lying to us over and over (He's waited on parts for over a week, then he told us that he got the parts in one day, being told it would be finished next Thursday, then next Thursday, next Monday or Tuesday, then they called and said it's done on Tuesday but still running rough like when i brought it There, was told i needed a ecm (which i purchased a used one and brought to them, they later said it didn't work and that mine was just a wiring problem down by the transfer case that they found and fixed....AFTER the engine was back in?!?!) They supposedly spent all day on Tuesday going over everything (i was in the parking lot for over an hour and no one was near my truck, They were just standing around and then pretended to look at a vehicle that was just dropped off by a wrecker) then finally on Wednesday they said it's done. After i picked it up the service engine soon light came on about 20 miles later, the air doesn't work due to them ripping out and breaking a connector (prior to bringing my truck to these ripoffs, the air was PERFECT), the crankshaft sensor connector was also ripped out and broke BUT BARELY ZIP TIED BACK TOGETHER (so poorly that the zip tie came off...that's how we found out, it wouldn't start) and it's leaking fluid out of a line near the radiator.

We called the owner and explained all of this only for him to say "well didn't They zip tie it?" SO HE KNEW THAT THEY BROKE THE CONNECTOR, ZIP TIED IT AND HE NEVER SAID A WORD TO US ABOUT IT!!! And he told us to call back on Monday. I have kids and this guy doesn't even care if we get stranded or anything. I Now have to replace over $200 in parts for their carelessness and negligence.

They supposedly spent an entire day going over the work they had done but somehow missed the a/c connector that is broke and just hanging there (that my husband found in 2 minutes) and the leaking fluid?! DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE! DO NOT TAKE YOUR VEHICLE THERE!! THEY ARE AS SHADY AS THEY COME!!

THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF!! FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I PAID THEM TO FIX MY TRUCK, THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING!!

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Reason of review:
Bad quality
3 comments
Guest

thanks for the heads up

Guest

Can’t fix or take care of an issue if the customer does not bring it to me. If we made a mistake we stand behind it and fix it!

Period!

Some people just want to complain and not resolve the issue! Can’t resolve or take care of any issue if they don’t respond to attempt to resolve or repair.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1455600

These guys sound pretty incompetent and a common theme seems to be they don't even have the proper diagnostic equipment to test with. I'm in need of an engine rebuild but wont be bringing it to these guys.

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Michael S Qvf
map-marker Tampa, Florida

Tampa Bay Engine Shop

I took my "RUNNING", but oil leaking boat to the Tampa Bay Engine Shop for repairs. Ray at the Tampa Bay Engine Shop told me I should rebuild the engine and it will be $3000.00. Four weeks later I picked it up and paid $3800.00 and brought it home to start it up and it wouldn't start. Ray at Tampa Bay Engine Shop told me to bring it in and he would look at it.

Four days later he told me he couldn't fix it and I need to take it to a marine mechanic. When I asked who was going to take care of the costs he said that its not his responsability since it was running before I picked it up.

Bottom line is it's worse off now and not running after I paid $3800.00

Tampa Bay Engine Shop was unable to fix my engine and charged me $3800.00 to break it more.

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Loss:
$3800
3 comments
Guest

I do recall watching the Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc. troubleshoot my engine and trying to start it over and over. Ray even corrected one of the other mechanics in front of me to let the starter cool off because it was smoking from being used so much in rapid succession.

I took the boat directly to my new mechanic from the Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc. could not even turn over the engine because the starter was burned up. I also have a receipts for the starter that was recently replaced prior to taking it to the Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc.

I'm guessing the reason The Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc. is not owning up to their mistakes is simply because it would cost too much for them to do the right thing. I am not asking for them to give me anything I do not deserve. I am simply asking them to make things right.

Again, the boat's engine ran before going to Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc. and it has never ran again.

:(

Guest

The ECM and starter were not parts replaced at time of rebuild. The engine ran perfect after rebuild, it is unfortunate the ECM failed, but it is known to be a common problem in these boats.

You were ther with us for several hours and observed what was being done, the starter, as you saw was working, and the ECM was untouched. I am glad to hear that the problem was found, and if I can help you with locating the parts needed, to hopefully save you some money I will do so.

As I mentioned while you we're there I did not have a scanner to test ECM. I have been doing engines for over 20 years, and have never not covered an engine warranty.

Guest

!!!!! Consumers Be Warned !!!!!!!

Let me reiterate the fact that my boat's engine was running before the Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc. took it apart. The day I initially took my boat to them was the last time it ran.

Call me crazy for expecting my boat's engine to function after paying $3800.00. Now I must pay $2300.00 for another mechanic to correct the mistakes and negligence of the Tampa Bay Engine Shop Inc.

ECM=$1700.00 plus labor

Starter=$250.00 plus labor

Life lesson to not use shady mechanics=PRICELE$$

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