I got Ripped Off! I need your Help!

[Goad]

I need some people to do some investigating for me, and who better to do it than some great people on the internet.

Here is the back story:

I have a 2004 LB7 Duramax and the motor went bad at 210k miles, so I was on the hunt for a low miles used motor. I found myself super frustrated in this search. It seems like there is a tons of places that just have an inventory of used motors across the country. I filled out a form on a website inquiring about a used LB7, and the next thing I knew I had 10 emails, texts from 5 people, and my phone rang 12 times within the next hour about used motors all these various brokers had.....but none of them could provide me pictures, carfax reports, etc. They just expected me to send them $4,000 to $6,000 for a motor sight unseen and just hope something decent shows up. Most of these companys had horrid yelp and google reviews....and F ratings with the Better Business Bureau with horrid marks....

Then I found one company located in Florida. They claimed to have a 80k mile Federal LB7 for $3400. The price was much lower than these other brokers so I gave them a call. I was told the reason the price was low is because this company had their own yard there in Florida and they weren't a broker. Brokers tend to add several hundred if not thousands of dollars to the bill. Also, they had an A+ rating with the BBB, along with decent Yelp and Google reviews. I asked several questions and I was told the following:

• The motor is in a truck at their yard in Florida. I had mentioned this was a plus because I didn't want some rusted out motor from the north.
• The truck the motor is being pulled from has 80,000 miles on it
• The motor will come with the Carfax report from the truck as well as a bunch of other supporting documentation.
• The motor will be ran for an hour before being pulled from the truck
• Pictures of the motor will be supplied once the motor is pulled and before its shipped.
• The total price I was paying included shipping to my residential address

Here is a timeline of the events

• The order was placed on 2/11/2020
• The order tracking info stated the part was being pulled until 2/18/2020 where it then stated it was 'Ready to Ship'
• It stayed in the 'Ready to Ship' status until I called them on 2/21/2020

Red Flag #1
When I called, they said "yeah, it hasn't shipped because we need a business address to ship to with a loading dock. If you want it shipped to your house, its an additional $175" I explained this wasn't what was agreed to, but they told me they could send it to my local UPS Freight center and I could go pick it up. Again, this was not what we agreed to, but I said fine, ship it to the Freight center.

At this time I fault myself for also not saying "hey, wheres the pictures you promised and where is the carfax and other documentation you promised to provide". I was just excited it was finally shipping and anxious to get my truck back on the road.

Red Flag #2
The following Monday 2/24/2020 I finally got tracking info via email. It had been shipped on 2/21/2020 from New York. Not Florida as I had been told where the motor was being pulled from.

Well, the motor arrived yesterday (2/28/2020) at my local UPS Freight center.

The motor looks like it sat on the bottom of the ocean for its whole life. I was devastated. I had been had. I felt violated and taken advantage of. Completely ripped off.

So I am not just a person to roll over without a fight. I need answers. I called the company in Florida and got their voicemail. Of course, its Friday. They are in Florida, I am on the west coast. It's nearing closing time for them....but I was stewing.

So I look on the consignee memo that I received from UPS when I picked up the motor. It has the company name from the Florida company as the shipper, but the address is in New York. I googled that address and another company name shows up as being associated to that address.

I look up this company's website and do a motor search for a 2001-04 LB7 Federal Motor.....and this pile of shit truck shows up as the only LB7 available. It's a 2001 2500 LB7 that is all rusted out and has 315,000 miles on it for $1850

Here is where I need your help!
So I need to figure out what identifying things on the motor I have can be used to prove this motor came out of that truck....other than they are both rust buckets lol

The truck pictured is a 2001 LB7 Federal motor truck. The motor I got is an LB7 (unknown year) federal motor.

Here are some thing's I've learned this morning, some may or may not be true, but maybe it can help narrow this down.

• The motor I got has glow plug rails. Is this something that was only on 01-02's? Someone on a FB post said they have a federal '04 that has rails. The dead motor I am pulling out of my truck is an 04 without rails.
• The oil pressure sensor is screwed directly into the block back by the oil cooler. It is not screwed into the adapter by the water pump. I was told that this is a difference between 01-02 and 03-04
• The Y bridge seems to be of the 03-04 era, as the 01-02's didnt have the 45 degree bend in them

Help me build my case to prove that what they sold me is not what I got, so on Monday I have hard facts to prove my case when I call them and they have no wiggle room to say I am wrong in any way.

 

[2004LB7]

Engine looks like an 03/04, truck looks like an 01. Can you provide use the vin stamped by the oil filter?. Either way that is one ugly motor and no way I would pay that much for it. Maybe $500 no more

I would have rejected the shipping and had it sent back. Now you may have to foot the bill. Hopefully you can get them to refund the cost, if not get on the phone to your bank/CC company and start the ball rolling

I've seen plenty of engines over the years on Craigslist on the west coast, or even here if you are willing to look. Most where less then what you paid and in much better condition

Also, is there any reason you couldn't get your engine rebuilt?

 

[Goad]

What I should have done is irrelevant at this point. It was hard to tell what the actual condition of the motor was before I got it home and unwrapped it. I am here in this situation trying to figure out what to do next with some facts of what year I think the motor actually is and where it actually came from.

Yes, I shouldn't have paid a dime over $500 for it, but whats pictured is not what I was sold.

As far as rebuilding my motor; I had weighed all my options as in rebuilding vs replacing, vs scrapping the truck. I only plan on keeping this truck for another 1-2 years. A rebuild was going to cost me 5-6k just to rebuild the short block ...if not more depending on what was wrong inside of it....and wouldnt be worth it if I didnt plan on driving it for another 200k miles.

 

[DuramaxRamRod]

Is your dead motor a Cali emissions motor? Glow plug bars are on the Federal emission motors where as the Cali emission ones use individual wires.

 

[Goad]

Is your dead motor a Cali emissions motor? Glow plug bars are on the Federal emission motors where as the Cali emission ones use individual wires.

Yes it was - now that makes sense. Thanks for the info....

 

[TheBac]

Really isnt our responsibility to help you fix this, but IMO it is an 03-04 LB7. Rode hard, put away wet. They even stripped all the wiring off it, GPCM and all the GP hardware. Should never have accepted it when you first saw it.

99% of shipping companies will charge more for home delivery needing a liftgate, so there's your extra cost there.

Dont know why you wouldnt have hit car-part.com and bought local so you could inspect the engine first.



Get a lawyer. Call Florida BBB. Start doing the work.

 

[Goad]

Really isnt our responsibility to help you fix this,

Did I say it was? I was asking for help. Dont be a dick.

but IMO it is an 03-04 LB7. Rode hard, put away wet. They even stripped all the wiring off it, GPCM and all the GP hardware. Should never have accepted it when you first saw it.

as pointed out before, what I should have done is irrelevant. Dont come here looking down your nose wagging your finger.

99% of shipping companies will charge more for home delivery needing a liftgate, so there's your extra cost there.

This wasn't a question about the price. The fact is they said a residential delivery was included in the price, but when it came time to ship it, that agreement went out the door.

Dont know why you wouldnt have hit car-part.com and bought local so you could inspect the engine first.

I was working with what I had available to me. I had not known about this car-part.com website. Sorry I am not a know-it-all like you. You sure are pompous.

Get a lawyer. Call Florida BBB. Start doing the work.

I am doing the work. I am trying to get my facts straight on identifying this motor before I proceed.

 

[RMJ_LB7]

WOW! I am so sorry that happened to you!

I have both a 01 and 02 LB7 Duramax. one is california emission and the other is federal. I can take pictures of both for you if you would like so you can compare. Did they send you a bill of sale of any sort?

 

[jrkrace]

Nice attitude...

You got screwed and other than doing a VIN match, there's really nothing anybody here can do to help....

Best of luck to you...

 

[Hoser]

First off, I’m sorry this happened to you as well.

But secondly, you need to settle down and show some respect. There are a lot of great, smart, experienced guys here (I’m not one of them) that can offer you help, but with your attitude that’s not going to happen. You made a lot of poor decisions and stupid mistakes and you don’t expect anybody to make mention of them??? Nobody is “looking down their nose wagging a finger at you”, we are just a bit perplexed by your actions, even more so now that you have this attitude towards those that are trying to help you.

Settle down, realize that if somebody is a bit curious as to why you did what you did that they aren’t calling you an idiot or shaming you, and then maybe more will chime in and help you. Otherwise I’m sure you will soon see a “Banned” tag under your name. . . . .

 

[Mike L.]

Did I say it was? I was asking for help. Dont be a dick.



as pointed out before, what I should have done is irrelevant. Dont come here looking down your nose wagging your finger.



This wasn't a question about the price. The fact is they said a residential delivery was included in the price, but when it came time to ship it, that agreement went out the door.



I was working with what I had available to me. I had not known about this car-part.com website. Sorry I am not a know-it-all like you. You sure are pompous.



I am doing the work. I am trying to get my facts straight on identifying this motor before I proceed.

You are an asshole.

 

[Burn Down]

Lol good luck...

 

[2004LB7]

Maybe he talked to his supplier like he did us and so they gave him the shaft:roflmao:

 

[Hoser]

Agreed lol. I don’t believe in karma, but this is a good case for it!

 

[TheBac]

Yeah, maybe I came off a bit harsh, but thats the incredulous person/dad in me. I do that sometimes. Yeah, it sucks it happened to you, and its understood you're upset...but geezus. We'd have helped you with any info to fix your truck in a quick second if you'd have come on here to ask when you first had problems. A lot of guys here would have the parts or knowledge to help you make short work of a rebuild or replacement.

Oh well, whats done is done. Now you know what the engine is and our opinion on it. On to the next steps.....

If you didnt already do so on Friday, first thing Monday, call the POS company (whats the company name?) you bought that from and demand your $$ back. Make them pay return shipping (not out of your refund). Let them know you're prepared to go even further (lawyer, police (file fraud report), etc. They sold you a junk engine. Dont do anything more with it. Take more pics than what you have already. Document everything.

Wish you nothing but Good Luck.

 

[Ne-max]

Better Buisness Bureau is a HUGE SCAM fyi.

Make a Visa claim.

 

[Benny315]

I am going to look in my barn today see if I'm missing an engine, I'd swear mine was alot less rusty tho. OP may be right, looking at the palletizing, they did pull it from the ocean drop it a couple times then found a pallet on the side of the Rd to send it on. :rofl:

 

[ChrisPerry]

Looking at the pic of the engine bay of that 01, shows the cold side intercooler pipe and boot leading to a 45. The motor on the pallet has an 02 and newer y-brigde. If there isn't signs that the y-bridge was changed, then it isn't the same motor.

I'd contact your credit card company and file a fraud claim (assuming you didn't make the mistake of paying by money order) Hopefully you used email to deal with them so you have some sort of proof as to any claims they made about said condition of the motor, if not you may be out of luck.

Please give us the name of the supplier so other people can keep from making the same mistake.

 

[Mikey52]

I live I Florida. Please post the name of the company.

 

[Goad]

Sorry things got a little heated yesterday. I am a bit distraught over this and adding insult to injury just left me feeling to lash back. Apologies.

Looking at the pic of the engine bay of that 01, shows the cold side intercooler pipe and boot leading to a 45. The motor on the pallet has an 02 and newer y-brigde. If there isn't signs that the y-bridge was changed, then it isn't the same motor.

Good catch

I live I Florida. Please post the name of the company.

I am going to hold off until I give them a chance to correct this situation.

I am first going to call the NY shop to ask some questions without alarming them....say I have some questions about the truck it came out of for compatibility reasons...see if I can get them to open up and let me know details like a VIN or better yet the mileage; as 80k is quoted in the original quote given to me, which has a reference number that matches the reference number on the receipt they emailed me. If the mileage is different, that's blatant fraud.

Then I will call the FL company with the info (if any) I get from the NY company to see if I can get them to make the situation right.

If I get push back, then I will escalate with my bank and seek a lawyer, then post the name of the company.

As of now, the motor remains untouched on my driveway.

This is one of many kicks to the gut that life has given my wife and I. This truck is my daily driver and has been down since June last year and been chasing head gasket issues since then. I figured just getting a low miles used motor was going to put these issues behind us, but now we just blew $3600 on a motor that we didn't really have a means to afford right now. Wife is understandably pissed. I am just here looking to get help with technical information to arm me with knowledge going into this battle come tomorrow morning to better my chances to get out of this situation without being completely screwed, as I am now.