Mechanic broke my dizzy installing a Pertronix

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calixto

calixto

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Threads
58
Messages
798
Location
Leucadia, California
So being really a little confused with the wiring going on in my 73, I got a local mechanic to install my Pertronix electronic ignition. I know the install is simple but I have some strange wiring going on between the distributor & ignition & coil so I wanted to get him to do it since I don't have any tools right now & I needed them to set the timing for me anyway. I checked prices on 3 places I have used before and got quotes all for a lot of money considering how simple the job is....$120 but the mechanic I ended up going with said for that amount he was going to pull the entire dizzy & check the shaft for wobble & correct if needed. I was sold. So I go to pick up the rig yesterday & he lets me know my vacum advance was not hooked up properly & with that corrected I will be getting more power/gas milage....great, money well spent. I go to take the truck for a test drive before paying & notice that the oil pressure gauge is not registering and performance is worse than before. When I take it back to the shop he is super helpful & spends the end of the day with me trying to figure out what's going on. We figure out it's not the gauge & I am actually getting no oil pressure. He finally pulls the dizzy out to find out that he broke the oil pump drive off with the dizzy shaft. s***!! Turns out he "never pulled the dizzy all the way out" like he said he was going to & he also said "he gave the dizzy a small hammer tap to advance the timing forward".....and that the dizzy wasn't probably sitting all the way in so when he advanced it (with a hammer!) it broke the oil pump which then pieces probably fell down into the pan. s***! I'm glad my engine didn't blow on my test drive. Anyway now my truck is a mess and down for a while till he can get new parts in. He said I'll probably need a new oil pump, pan gasket and possibly a new dizzy shaft. I'm not wrong in thinking that I'm not going to pay for any of this guys f-up's? He seemed to admit that it was his fault but it's a small shop & I wouldn't be surprised if the guy tried to nickel & dime some responsibility on my part since the truck is so old. It may be old but it ran perfectly when I took it in. What do you think.
 
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Sounds pretty crazy to me but the end is definitlly broken and I'm not getting any oil pressure. Not sure about the gasket or seal but he thought their might be one where the dizzy enters the oil pan. We didn't have a service manual on hand at the end of the day to check. Believe me I'm not going to pay for any of this so he can make all the crap up he wants as long as it gets fixed properly.
 
X 2 what Pinhead said. The dizzy has to be all the way down to engage the oil pump. The drive slot to the oil pump has to be prealigned to engage the dizzy end. The oil pump is driven like a slot screw driver drives a screw. Bet you can tell on your own. Stick your head down there so you can see the dizzy column. If you can see the O ring on the dizzy column then the diz has not been fully seated. Could be grim, obviously the dizzy drive gear has engaged the camshaft because it runs but if it is not fully engaged there could be some damage (most likely the dizzy drive gear). Any Mechanic worth his/her salt would stand behind their work. Your problem then becomes figuring out if it was the mechanic or the worn out part that is the root cause.
 
Thanks RSB, that gives me a clear picture of what is going on!
 
That sounds very, very fishy. Do you have the stock '73 dizzy? (which does not have a vacuum advance) or an earlier (pre-'69) which does? Not that it matters much now, but I've got a couple '73ish dizzys if you need one.
I do not see how anyone could break off the tip of the dizzy. even with a hammer. And I can't imagine anyone using a hammer to adjust timing.
I would not let that person work on my 'Cruiser again.
We need pics.
 
Thanks Pighead, will let you know about the dizzy. Wish I had gotten some pics. I think the mechanic is pretty legit and will get it all sorted out. I know he has built some great race cars in the past and specializing in old cars & hot rods. Guess I am still really looking for a good Land Cruiser mechanic down here in San Diego. Pro Trux is too far for me to drive for simple things. Wish I could provide you guys with more info but my mechanical skills are pretty lacking......I'm learning little by little though. Thanks again for all the advice.
 
calixto said:
Thanks Pighead, will let you know about the dizzy. Wish I had gotten some pics. I think the mechanic is pretty legit and will get it all sorted out. I know he has built some great race cars in the past and specializing in old cars & hot rods. Guess I am still really looking for a good Land Cruiser mechanic down here in San Diego. Pro Trux is too far for me to drive for simple things. Wish I could provide you guys with more info but my mechanical skills are pretty lacking......I'm learning little by little though. Thanks again for all the advice.
Click to expand...

I'm in Solana Beach. Come down and we'll figure it out ;) I am kinda mechanically inclined... still learning about these trucks tho!!

As for a good mechanic, I haven't found one for our rigs. I do keep hearing about Bill Smith Auto which is right here in Solana next to the train station. Look him up. Mike Apple is the man over there i hear.

Would like to see your rig sometime.
 
IMHO, do not let that jacka$$ touch your rig again. Get it towed to your house or to someone's place of reptuable business. Really sounds like your thriftyness screwed you. I cannot even image that someone with skills would: A. Use a hammer to turn a distributor, B. charge $125.00 for a few hours work.

Make sure the missing piece of dis is found and taken out.


edit: I was thinking it was too cheep for good work...... figure 1hr screwing around with funny wiring, 1hr assembling 1hr tuning/fiddling/ clean up. 3*80=$240.00.
 
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Sorry been away from the computer for a couple days. Thanks for all the comments. Talked to the mechanic today and all that is going to have to be replaced is the oil pump and oil pan gasket the distributor itself is actually not damaged like I thought....just the pump. He found a decent oil pump for it for $75. SOR doesn't carry a pump for my year anymore. We are splitting the parts & he is not charging me for the labor....I am going to be adimant that I am not charged for the intial Pertronix install labor also since he has had my truck for over a week now & all the hassles that went along with it. I'll let you know how the whole thing pans out. Big Green definitely like to check out your rig too. give me a couple days to get back up & running. I'll PM you.
 
Calixto-

Saw your rig parked at the shop this morning on my way home. Very clean. Sorry about your troubles. I spoke with the guy this morning about your situation and he seems like a very good guy.

I've always had really good luck with Rob's Auto Repair in Vista but that's a bit far for you as well. Small family shop and very good people. Not specific to Toyotas but as fair as I've ever found. He worked on my 71 and occasionally on my 73.

Good luck,

Dom
 
Wow, thanks Dom, really appreciate it! Pretty crafty of you to figure out where it was since I didn't list the shop name. I've also got a lot of stuff pulled out right now for paint eg. jump seats, roll cage, seat backs, rear view and seat backs so it looks a lot better all together. Thanks also Pinhead for the heads up. I am going to give the engine a proper rebuild when I get the funds together and find the right mechanic. Just trying to keep it running until then.
 
Well, calixto, it sounds like you've got a handle on the problem, and a good working relationship with the mechanic. I withdraw my previous recommendation.
Perhaps show your mechanic this site. or don't (and appear to be a LandCruiser genious).
But do look over his shoulder as he replaces your oilpump. and oilpan. and dizzy.
Perhaps show your mechanic the oilpan gasket threads, just so it gets done right.
PS. there is no mechanic to rebuild your engine like yourself. what you do need is a competent machine shop. And an engine stand. And a FSM. and 'Mud.
 
Calixto-

Just dumb luck here. Drove by and stopped to check it out. The guy came out to make sure I wasn't looking to swipe the thing I think. Once I told him I had one he dropped his guard and chatted with me. He mentioned the petronix and the bad luck and that's when I remembered seeing a post here.

Drove by again today... still there with the hood up? :confused:
 
Got it back today. I paid for the parts and he got all the labor so it ended up being only a $100 extra including oil & filter. He also fixed a few things that were weird that the PO probably did while he was in there. SOR doesn't sell pumps for my year anymore. The guy at SOR had a really good used one randomly for a decent price and the mechanic said it look brand new when he got it...& it had great pressure so he felt confident in it. Kinda glad because MAF pump is $300+. Thanks again for checking out the rig. Would love to take a look at your project when I get mine all back together. I'll PM you next week.
 
Oh one more thing. He said the oil pan gasket was really hard to install (thick) and hadn't ever seen one like it. They actually had to re-tighten the bolts quite a bit after the first install because there was a little leaking. All sealed up now.
 
Thought about this a good long time. Fire your mechanic and have him pay a better one

I wrote this after you got your truck back. I am glad it seems OK, but I have serious concerns over his abilitites and honesty, given your initial post was accurate. My feelings are below:

Your current mechanic has proven himself 1) incompetent and; 2) a liar.

This is why I NEVER use independent mechanics unless they have been former employees of the make car I drive. I used to pay top $ for my Saab in Canada when I had no time to do the work myself. It was a Saab/GM dealership. Once or twice there was a problem and they covered it under warranty. No muss no fuss, and once there was an expensive problem. They just ate it without even telling me until after they paid and fixed the problem (they were an unexpected touch of class - I miss them).

Now fast forward to Toyota. A Toyota dealership will charge top dollar, but if they screw up they are liable and they will have to make good. An indy will need to be taken to small claims court. If you cannot DIY, then I suggest saving up the $ and using mechanics who know their asses from their elbows and who are insured.

My humble $0.02. Your mileage may vary.
 
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