D.O.A. Recon
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More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 508
Likes: 2
From: Easthampton, Ma.
D.O.A. Recon
A customer brought in an 82 F350 bucket truck (high lift) with a skip. I did a compression check and found 0 psi compression in #6 cylinder. Assuming a burnt valve, I pulled the heads.
I found 1/4 of the top of the piston down to the lower compression ring gone!
What was suprising was this motor was immaculate inside with very little crud build-up outside.
I pulled the motor with hopes of honeing the cylinder and popping in a new piston and rings.
After removal of motor and piston I found the cylinder wall scored beyond re-use.
Also I observed the pistons were .040 over and the Recon rebuild plate #167408 affixed to the side of the block.
This motor was about 5 years old!
Over the years I have seen about a dozen Recon motors self destruct from questionable quality components and shoddy machine shop work!
I even bought one once (It was a rush job)
Burned a quart of oil every 500 miles but ran good, re-did the heads, no change.
Had one with a sleeved journal where the rear main seal rode, chewed the seal after 100 miles, sent it back.
The list goes on.
Rule of thumb, "you get what you pay for!"
Steve G.
I found 1/4 of the top of the piston down to the lower compression ring gone!
What was suprising was this motor was immaculate inside with very little crud build-up outside.
I pulled the motor with hopes of honeing the cylinder and popping in a new piston and rings.
After removal of motor and piston I found the cylinder wall scored beyond re-use.
Also I observed the pistons were .040 over and the Recon rebuild plate #167408 affixed to the side of the block.
This motor was about 5 years old!
Over the years I have seen about a dozen Recon motors self destruct from questionable quality components and shoddy machine shop work!
I even bought one once (It was a rush job)
Burned a quart of oil every 500 miles but ran good, re-did the heads, no change.
Had one with a sleeved journal where the rear main seal rode, chewed the seal after 100 miles, sent it back.
The list goes on.
Rule of thumb, "you get what you pay for!"
Steve G.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 545
Likes: 1
From: Shreveport, La.
Originally Posted by 8 Lugs
Rule of thumb, "you get what you pay for!"
Steve G.
Steve G.
Recon engines bite big time, used to sell 'em, didn't have a choice. I'd cringe when someone wanted to buy one.
Let's just say that over 50% of them came back for various reasons.
Not just Recon, any high volume rebuilder is going to have a QC problem, can't avoid it, how you going to rebuild engines in mass numbers and have quality at the same time.
Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Good to know *gulp* i just put in a new recon 351 in my truck 2 months ago. its only got 2kmiles on it so far. I hope i dont have any problems with it as im not about to strip a motor out of my truck again if it goes. And i do push my truck hard regularly too and it hasnt shown any problem signs yet.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 545
Likes: 1
From: Shreveport, La.
The seller did give you a warranty packet didn't they, and you have written down the production number off the engine tag right?
Keep all paperwork, receipts, etc.
Maybe your the one that got a good one!
Keep all paperwork, receipts, etc.
Maybe your the one that got a good one!
