New Gm 454 Ho Motor Advice
08-27-2004, 05:49 AM
#41
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Re: New Gm 454 Ho Motor Advice
Electrical1 you commented that you bought the motors from a non authorized dealer!
Are you sure you got what you paid for? Did the motors arrive in their pop up type crates on a small skid, with a small welded bracket holding them in the vertical?
I did use these motors in a 29 formula, did get one trouble free season out of both, then in the middle of the next season I lost one motor.
Tore the motor down, crank fine, pistons fine, my problem was catastrophic ring failure globally throughout the entire motor. Went back to GM, they asked to see the motor, I brought it there and basically had to wait six months before I finally got some action out of them. It was beyond the time frame for thier warranty 12 months. I did get the motors though a friend of mine who has a good size account with the dealer regarding body shop parts. I kept calling and calling and finally I did get a bare ass block only out of them. I reused all the pistons, installed the same type low restriction oil rings, hand filed in each one, lapped in the valves, new oil cooler, and ran it on the ground for an hour or so to inspect for leaks etc, and I am running fine. Still do not know what caused my failure.
It is the same old story, once someone has your money, it is hard to get them to do something, especially when they specifically state in their advertisement brochure" THIS MOTOR IS NOT INTENDED FOR MARINE USE"
Good luck, keep us posted regarding what you find out was the cause.
Brian
Are you sure you got what you paid for? Did the motors arrive in their pop up type crates on a small skid, with a small welded bracket holding them in the vertical?
I did use these motors in a 29 formula, did get one trouble free season out of both, then in the middle of the next season I lost one motor.
Tore the motor down, crank fine, pistons fine, my problem was catastrophic ring failure globally throughout the entire motor. Went back to GM, they asked to see the motor, I brought it there and basically had to wait six months before I finally got some action out of them. It was beyond the time frame for thier warranty 12 months. I did get the motors though a friend of mine who has a good size account with the dealer regarding body shop parts. I kept calling and calling and finally I did get a bare ass block only out of them. I reused all the pistons, installed the same type low restriction oil rings, hand filed in each one, lapped in the valves, new oil cooler, and ran it on the ground for an hour or so to inspect for leaks etc, and I am running fine. Still do not know what caused my failure.
It is the same old story, once someone has your money, it is hard to get them to do something, especially when they specifically state in their advertisement brochure" THIS MOTOR IS NOT INTENDED FOR MARINE USE"
Good luck, keep us posted regarding what you find out was the cause.
Brian
08-27-2004, 07:22 PM
#44
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Re: New Gm 454 Ho Motor Advice
Well Nothing Yet. As For Some Of Your Questions Piston #7 Is The Worst The Other Damaged Piston Is 3. What Ever The Reason For Them Letting Go The Dealer Who Supplied The Motors Refuses To Even Look At Them. He Has Wasted Alot Of Are Time Pretending He Would Do Something. Made Us Take The Motors To A Machine Shop And Pay To Have One Torn Down And When He Didn't Like The Answer He Said The Machine Shop Didn't Know What They Where Talking Aboutand We Where Running Them Lean. So I When Out And Had Brand New Holley 800's Flown In Over Night And We Put Them On The Second Motor And That Blew With In 10 Minutes. Then He Wanted To See Some Pictures So The Mechanic Drove Up To Hollister Ma. To Show Him The Pictures He Said No Way This Is Detonation. I Don't Know All I Know Is I'm Out All Kinds Of Money And My Summer Is Gone And No One Cares Just Pointing Fingers. I Wish Someone Could Give Honest Answers, The One Thing I Noticed About Boats Is You Ask 10 Different So Called Professionals The Same Question And You Get 10 Different Answers.
All I Know Is The Mechanic Has A Going Boat Buss. So I Trust He Knows What He's Doing. The Motor Sales Says These Motors Are Warrantied But When Something Happens They Don't Want To Even Look At It, They Just Rattle Off Reasons Why Its Everyone Elses Fault. For Those That Want To Know The Dealer Is Now Under The Name Power Train Distributors 41 Pope Road Holliston Ma. 01746 But He Realize Now He Uses Different Names
All I Know Is The Mechanic Has A Going Boat Buss. So I Trust He Knows What He's Doing. The Motor Sales Says These Motors Are Warrantied But When Something Happens They Don't Want To Even Look At It, They Just Rattle Off Reasons Why Its Everyone Elses Fault. For Those That Want To Know The Dealer Is Now Under The Name Power Train Distributors 41 Pope Road Holliston Ma. 01746 But He Realize Now He Uses Different Names
08-27-2004, 08:43 PM
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Re: New Gm 454 Ho Motor Advice
Electrical1
Are these motors Brand new or are they reconditioned motors?
The season is about over any way.
Take your time and try to get to the route of your problem.
Things do happen to marine motors, everything has got to be on the money especially when you are dealing with salt water, water cooled manifolds, rubber impellas to feed life into the cooling system.
You mentioned the dealer did not like the answer that the machine shop gave him after the tear down.
WHAT WAS THAT ANSWER ??????
Keep the thread going people hate to see anyone in your situation, because we have all been there and want to offer suggestions to hopefully help you in some way!
The boating community does stick together for what ever reason!!!
Keep us posted.
Once you have difined the problem, it may be your problem, an installation error, but if is not something you did, you can go to small claims court and try to regain some of your losses. $$$.
Good Luck
Brian
Are these motors Brand new or are they reconditioned motors?
The season is about over any way.
Take your time and try to get to the route of your problem.
Things do happen to marine motors, everything has got to be on the money especially when you are dealing with salt water, water cooled manifolds, rubber impellas to feed life into the cooling system.
You mentioned the dealer did not like the answer that the machine shop gave him after the tear down.
WHAT WAS THAT ANSWER ??????
Keep the thread going people hate to see anyone in your situation, because we have all been there and want to offer suggestions to hopefully help you in some way!
The boating community does stick together for what ever reason!!!
Keep us posted.
Once you have difined the problem, it may be your problem, an installation error, but if is not something you did, you can go to small claims court and try to regain some of your losses. $$$.
Good Luck
Brian
Last edited by Big Boys Toys; 08-27-2004 at 08:45 PM.
08-27-2004, 09:40 PM
#46
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Re: New Gm 454 Ho Motor Advice
"Name Power Train Distributors 41 Pope Road Holliston Ma. 01746 But He Realize Now He Uses Different Names"
That different name thing would make me ask a lot of questions. Also the deal where he questions the machine shop that did tear down (after his failure to step up) for you. Okay and I would question this too (but could be easily wrong) if you ran motor lean enough to break it in 10 minutes wouldn't more than 2 cylinders show major problems. I have been in similiar situation with marine and street engine builders & mechanics so hate this stuff... 2nd motor in my Powerplay that blew up got real ugly until I let the shop owner know how many people would hear about it, then got same response. Part that bites is not knowing what caused it, really hope it works out for you somehow I feel the pain of missing half a season and being out bucks...
That different name thing would make me ask a lot of questions. Also the deal where he questions the machine shop that did tear down (after his failure to step up) for you. Okay and I would question this too (but could be easily wrong) if you ran motor lean enough to break it in 10 minutes wouldn't more than 2 cylinders show major problems. I have been in similiar situation with marine and street engine builders & mechanics so hate this stuff... 2nd motor in my Powerplay that blew up got real ugly until I let the shop owner know how many people would hear about it, then got same response. Part that bites is not knowing what caused it, really hope it works out for you somehow I feel the pain of missing half a season and being out bucks...
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