How to verify mechanic (corporate shop) destroyed my engine

[Todd Toddman]

On 1/24/2022 at 1:58 PM, idosubaru said:

Got it.  Failed timing components can't introduce visible, demonstrable amounts of metal into the oil.

Metallic sauce in the oil is usually caused by oil starvation to the affected parts.

I'm still waiting for my mechanic to be able to open this engine up to determine exactly what happened.

Since there were bearing casing chunks that came out when draining the oil after it broke down, I thought that it might be possible that it was just the crank bearing. I went ahead and did a compression test to see if part of this thing was salvageable. #1 tested at 120, so I was hopeful. Then #3 tested at 80. #2 barely moved, so I didn't bother with #4.

If Midas damaged the sump, what would be the likely engine component failure sequence? I want to know what to look for when we finally open this thing up.

[idosubaru]

15 hours ago, Todd Toddman said:

I'm still waiting for my mechanic to be able to open this engine up to determine exactly what happened.

Since there were bearing casing chunks that came out when draining the oil after it broke down, I thought that it might be possible that it was just the crank bearing. I went ahead and did a compression test to see if part of this thing was salvageable. #1 tested at 120, so I was hopeful. Then #3 tested at 80. #2 barely moved, so I didn't bother with #4.

If Midas damaged the sump, what would be the likely engine component failure sequence? I want to know what to look for when we finally open this thing up.

Oil starvation - rod bearings, crank bearings, and oil pump rotor and housing for scaring.  That would be the easiest to check - the oil pump comes off easily in less than an hour with no special tools and no need to remove the engine.

But if we are talking about real proof and not just mechanically inept lawyers talking to mechanically inept judges - that would be barking up the wrong tree. I would want to carefully document *sump damage*, bent, cracked, etc, which would be directly related to them replacing/resealing the oil pan and baffle clearance. 

Documenting oil starvation failure modes is of limited scope since oil starvation from a year ago can cause catastrophic failure tomorrow.  It sort of just proves the engine failed which is already known.

If I run my car dangerously low on oil today, fix the leak and have perfectly oil changes afterwards - it could catastrophically fail tomorrow....or next year.  A shop isn't going to want liability for events from a year ago. We already know the engine failed, compromised oil is the likely culprit....you need to prove what compromised the oil.   At least in mechanical terms that's what's most important.