94 Subaru Legacy (Postal)

Cut and pasted from Roadrunner's response to my claim:

Roadrunner said: Dear Customer: Payment on the above referenced claim is respectfully declined. After a complete review of the records available to us, we were unable to establish carrier liability for this claim. We found that this shipment was delivered without notation of damage. The courts have held that under Federal Law, before a carrier can make voluntary payment of any claim, there must be sufficient legal evidence to establish that the damage occurred while in the possession of the carrier. In this particular instance, we do not feel that sufficient proof of carrier liability can been established. Therefore, we have no alternative but to decline the claim as filed. Request for review of the above finding must be made in writing to insure a complete and an accurate claim file. Responses can be emailed to claims@rrts.com Respectfully, Roadrunner Transportation Claims Department

TL;DR version: We're going to ignore the claim of concealed damage and tell you to screw off.

So, other than requesting review and presumably waiting another two months to get shut down again... what are my options?

Do you have small claims court there?

Up here you don't need a lawyer to file a claim in small claims court. You fill out the paperwork, file your evidence and go in front of a Justice of the Peace.

How would that work with the part where the shipper and shipping company are in different states than myself?
I mean, other than the hope that the threat of impending legal action would be enough to make them settle.

I'd be willing to be that it's standard operating procedure to deny all claims the first time around. Don't give up. Make a lot of noise.

SnowMongoose wrote: How would that work with the part where the shipper and shipping company are in different states than myself? I mean, other than the hope that the threat of impending legal action would be enough to make them settle.

Up here you file the action and they are notified. If they fail to file a statement of defence then the judgement to you is awarded. However, chances are somewhere in the documentation it says you have to sue them in the jurisdiction of THEIR choice. Not yours, but I would consider it anyway.

Rebutted their denial, time to (I'd imagine) wait another month for them to deny me again.

Lesson of the day: buy engines local enough that I can inspect/pick up myself

Have gotten no response from Roadrunner, am going to give them a ring on Monday.

At this point I'm continuing to get my ducks in a row, running on the assumption that Roadrunner is going to tell me to berkeley myself.
Have been in contact with Brian at iWire, it sounds like he has me covered on the harness side of things.
A buddy (trained mechanic, works in IT now) will have the perfect combination of free time, reduced cash-flow, need for Xmas money for his two lovely daughters, and a shop/lift come November, looking like I'll toss the engine and trans in the back of the Scoob and roll out there.

Anyone have thoughts on things to address, preemptive maintenance to do while the engine is out of the car?
New fluids all around seem prudent, ditto for plugs and wires. Was pondering redoing the clutch as I'm unsure of the mileage on the unit in there now.

So, yeah, still need to source a third pedal, rear diff, clutch master, and a clutch cable, along with miscellaneous hoses that were clipped when they yanked the motor.
So much more calm working on a car when you have a backup or two.

Ended up getting their salvage rate for the engine, so basically got a couple hundred dollars off.
Related note, according to Roadrunner this engine and trans on a pallet weighs close to 1400 pounds...
That can't be right, can it?

As far as I can tell, parts wise I need:
rear diff to match (4.11 I think)
Exhaust (obviously)
Clutch pedal assembly (wagon is currently an auto)
Might have to modify the subframe
Driveshaft

Anything I'm missing?

Got a line on some pedals and the diff I need, should pick them up on Monday.

I realize that I'm almost entirely talking to myself on this thread, but just in case someone stumbles in here, probably due to a mis-typed URL....

thoughts on freshening up the JDM motor and trans before I chuck it in?
Above and beyond fluids, plugs, wires, stuff like that.

Do the jdm engines have the headgasket issues like the na 2.5?

I believe if it were me, id check the bearings/headgasket and go.

I'm still watching with interest, I just know didily about Subarus, so nothing useful for me to contribute.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

These engines are uncommon enough over here that I'm not actually sure.
Certainly doesn't help that a fair number of the ones that do make it over end up being abandoned after people fail to use them in LHD applications.
I'm thinking that I'll at least open her up just to visually inspect for anything obvious, play it by ear from there.
From what I've read most of the issues happen later in life (mileage wise) than this engine is likely to have seen.
We'll see!

In reply to bgkast:
That's cool, I don't know anything about Subarus either!

SnowMongoose wrote: Ended up getting their salvage rate for the engine, so basically got a couple hundred dollars off. Related note, according to Roadrunner this engine and trans on a pallet weighs close to 1400 pounds... That can't be right, can it?

No way in hell. They put that weight to screw you.

Swank Force One wrote: No way in hell. They put that weight to screw you.

No skin off my back, the E36 M3-head seller footed the shipping bill

Ah ok, sounds like everyone is having fun!

SnowMongoose wrote: thoughts on freshening up the JDM motor and trans before I chuck it in? Above and beyond fluids, plugs, wires, stuff like that.

You'll have to compare the difference between cost of parts and time to refresh versus having the car down in the future to pull the motor and trans to refresh. I'm assuming you're talking about new pistons etc, if just head gaskets, then do them now. Unless compression check is way off on a cylinder I wouldn't bother rebuilding.

New question!
Since my engine didn't come with the TMIC, I've options!
Find a stock WRX or STi top mount.
ooooooor
use one of two medium sized ICs that I happen to have sitting in my garage and do a stealthy front mount.
I like idea two, partial for sneakiness (no scoop) and partially because I've never had a front mount before.
Downside being a bit of complexity and a bit more piping for the compressed air to navigate.

Fmic for the win!

Dual sidemount

I can always rely on y'all to enable me, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Related note, just took a down-payment on the miata I resurrected...
not only does this open up a parking spot, but said down-payment is almost 1/4th the asking price... and covers nearly all of what I have into the car.
AKA I'm sitting pretty on funding things like intercooler shenanigans.

12 hours later, made it back home.
Most of that was behind the wheel of an oh-so-exciting Toyota Echo (sans cruise control)
Diff: Aquired! V-LSD even, nice perk.
Pedals: Needed just one, got three :P

Also sourced a new drivers (right!) side fender and turn signal housing, should have her a little more presentable by the time the swap happens.

Still need to source clutch cylinders and whatever gaskets/etc I need for the engine and trans freshening.

Re-purposed a FMIC kit that was intended for the miata, I figure between the better airflow and lessened heat soak possibilities, the added piping shouldn't be noticable, especially after I get a properly sized exhaust on her.

Still sourcing the clutch hydraulics and lines, going to buy a walbro to replace the (presumably high mileage, not intended for FI) stock pump...
Hell, other than that and possibly a new clutch, I think I might have everything readyish.

Is there any benefit to making it fulltime twin turbo? I remember mkiv supras you could mod to make them true twins wondered if this is similar

In reply to chiodos:

I may end up doing that, as I'm not entirely convinced that the engine included all the gubbins that controlled the sequential nature of the system.
I don't know how well that would play with the stock ECU though, certainly something to investigate.

Especially since those turbos are so damn small, spooling both at once shouldn't be an issue, even with 'only' 2 liters.

I've collected... almost everything.
Master and Slave cylinders + clutch line + walbro are in the mail to me.
Still need to source something resembling an exhaust, we'll see what turns up.
Replaced the front left CV axle, got rid of some noise, have a feeling that the corresponding wheel bearing might need to happen soon, might save that for when the car is in pieces.