Help 8.1 Engine Failure

[Lofin]

Anyone having a Workhorse 8,1 motor with #5 spark plug or piston
failure PLEASE send me an email and tell me all aboutmit.
When it happened how many miles and results to repair.
If you would make a LEGAL STATEMENT

Thank You
email lofin2@gmail.com

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lofin Anyone having a Workhorse 8,1 motor with #5 spark plug or piston failure PLEASE send me an email and tell me all aboutmit. When it happened how many miles and results to repair. If you would make a LEGAL STATEMENT.

What's your year make and model? What were the events that preceeded your failure. Has the piston in the #5 cylinder failed? When was the last time you looked at the spark plugs before the failure?

[94-Newmar]

Driver: I did a quick search on all 8 of his previous posts, dating back to last year were 8.1 spark plug related issues and one post where he lost #5 piston in the pan to the tune of $18,000.00 from his comments.

Lofin:
Sorry to hear your problems continue :-(

[max49]

Interesting; since all my SP wire problems were with the #5 wire and then my 8.1 blew at about 24,000 miles.
No SP problems yet with the new engine with about 2000 mi. on it.

Lots of people thought I was getting ripped off for $14,000 and now we hear WH wants $18,000.

What good does it do to look at the spark plugs and how could that cause or prevent an engine failure? Is that in the maintenance schedule? My old engine ran perfect right up til it blew.

[Midniteoyl]

Quote:

What good does it do to look at the spark plugs and how could that cause or prevent an engine failure?

You can see signs of impending damage to the plug that might cause pre-ignition. Pre-ignition is NOT 'spark knock' or ping, but a catastrophic event that puts very big holes in pistons and breaks rods.

[mick]

Here is what happens. The inner valve spring breaks, leaving a part laying on the head. It works it way down the oil galley and falls in the intake side. It works down, hits the spark plug, bends it and hits the piston.

Hopefully your piston did not fragment. Good luck!!!!

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 Lots of people thought I was getting ripped off for $14,000 and now we hear WH wants $18,000..

Not sure how you got ripped off since your after market insurance company covered the majority of the engine repair.

[max49]

I could dig up the old posts where some here on the forum said they could replace my engine for 5K, but of course talk is cheap . Now tell me what having an ESP has to do with how much a shop charges. So who gets the better price?

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 I could dig up the old posts where some here on the forum said they could replace my engine for 5K, but of course talk is cheap.

Max, That would be a miracle, wouldn't it. The cheapest that I believe that we saw that we could believe was somewhere around 13K. Remember Workhorse does not bid for engine replacement jobs. One will find that prices are as varied as the amount of service centers that are available to do the work. Early on, your writer didn't even give you any confidence that they knew how the engine came out of the motorhome but I found out for you.

Quote:

Now tell me what having an ESP has to do with how much a shop charges. So who gets the better price?

I'm not sure what your point is but my point was that you did not go out of pocket severely as some others did. So "Lots of people thought I was getting ripped off for $14,000 and now we hear WH wants $18,000." .... Why go through the trouble of making that statement? Just curious. Why would would anyone state that you are getting ripped off and exactly how does that matter in the relative scheme of things since your ESP paid the bulk of the cost.

I would think that $18,000 is a lot of $$ given that we've seen better pricing but as anyone would suggest, "Caveat Emptor" and shop until you drop is what I would do. Now if the OP already paid 18K and is looking for remedy via legal channels I would offer that I hope he can make progress and come up with a resolution that he can be happy with.

Under warranty WCC would have replaced the engine for NC. Out of warranty it becomes a challenging endeavor to seek financial compensation for a failed engine.

[max49]

Driver am still dazed at at the $14,000 and I thought the price was outrageous and alot of others on the forum seemed to think so too. However, there wasn't any thing I could do about it. After hearing about an $18,000 8.1 engine, I now know that I may not have the most expensive 8.1 around.
Instead of bidding more competetively in this tight economy, I think the new business philosophy is to squeeze every last dime they can, when they do get a customer to make up for slow business

[Topflite51]

I would think the price will only continue to rise until there is not one available "NEW" 8.1 engine left in captivity. The old supply and demand trick. I wonder how much a replacement will be when they start using rebuilds.

The original poster certainly has an uphill battle seeking financial renumeration for an out of warranty engine. Did the failure of the plugwire have anything to do with the failure, probably. Can you prove it? Highly unlikely. Since, as I understand it most who own 8.1's do not suffer plugwire failures, then one has to look at causal effect. Primary cause appears to be airflow and since MH manufacturers are known to not give that an inch of concern, one would have to look at them. Now you are really into a " He said, She said" kind of situation. I can only wish the OP'er the best of luck in what he is after.

[Jeff Webb]

I replaced the 8.1 engine in my coach last year at 48,000 miles. It cost me $17,200.The list of parts was enormous. When workhorse replaces the engine and gives you a year warranty they replace about ever part.I really never knew what happened to it. I was driving to Tucson from Dallas when about 200 miles into the trip I started hearing a tapping noise from one side of the engine.I contiuned on and the further I went the more oil it used and blew out of the oil dip stick. I made it there but the engine was toast when I got there is was using about a quart ever 10 miles.

[TrekPR]

A couple of things come to mind: If you hear the engine start to tap pull over and get it towed. 14K-18K is a lot of money but it doesn't mean you are getting ripped off. Doesn't matter if the engine goes out the bottom or through a window it is a lot of work and the shop takes on a lot considering the mess they are making in and out of your house. I don't quite understand the insistence on a "new" engine when a rebuilt comes with a warrantee equal to or better than the "new". Have a friend with over 100K and going strong. Sorry, that is more than a couple.

[Mekanic]

after reading aout these failures i wonder if the book value will start dropping on units equipped with the 8.1 engines ?