You mean to tell me Merc dose not put together the ones that are not blue ? Where on earth do they come from?

:eek: Noooo, say it ain't so! :drink:

Nope, fresh from GM.

Black Merc motors are GM crate engines marinized by Merc. Same with Volvo.

gm
 

GM brings them over one at a time in the back of a colorado on a test drive

I know Joey builds some great engines. I was there last week and he has four 1500 hp, two 1350 hp, four 1075 hp, and about twenty other merc 600/700 hp engines waiting to be built. I hear a lot of talk here about his engines. You need to hear both sides of a engine rebuild story before you make a judgment call. I know serveral people on here that have had engine problems, Joey told me he has never ordered an Eagle crank or rods to install in a engine. He has never built an engine for Schogen post # 7. You bring two engines to a engine builder to have rebuilt, they bore it out, replace pistons, rings, bearings, they use your same internals unless there is a problem. If you had a bad rod are you going to tell him to replace all sixteen rods to have a matching set in both engines or to replace the bad rod in the one engine? Think about it. What difference does it make if you have different rods, as long as they are equal or better. A lot of people start to poor mouth as soon as they hear they will have to pay extra because the builder has found problems in their engine. Now this is no longer just a rebuild with bearings, rings, pistons. Some will say don't you have something laying around you can replace it with, I can't afford a new crank or what ever. Let's say you have twenty hours on a rebuilt engine and you have a ticking in the engine, you bring it back and it has a bad lifter, did you tell the engine builder to replace all the lifters? If you did, and he replaced the lifters, the warranty will be with the lifter manufacture not with the builder. Most engines rebuilds use the same push rods, lifters, valve springs. This is the case on most hp 500 thru 700 engines. When you get into the merc 850, 1075, mercury recommends 40 to fifty hours before overhaul. They get $ 30,000 to rebuild, but they replace everything. The people on here that have had engine problems should explain what the terms of their overhaul was. What was expected to be replaced at rebuild,and what failed? Did the engine builder offer some free labor? Did you expect him to rebuild the engine free because your used lifter broke, or a new lifter from Crane broke. After forty or fifty hours you get water in your engine and the builder tears it down and the head gasket is rotted out, is that the engine builders fault? Maybe the engine wasn't flushed after each use. There are many variables that should be considered before we bad mouth some one. Let's hear all the facts from both sides before we form an opinion. Sorry the post is so long.

I have receipts stating certain brand / part # was installed - it wasn't.
Have you talked to Jon B? How about me or Andy D? Too many of us here in the local area got burnt. YOU know how I care for a boat, and I dont run hard either.
I got heads that were not from my engine. They were old, rotted out heads which caused hydrolock at Chippoakes. Btw, I have pictures of MY heads at Griffins, they were like new. The set that failed were extremely rotted out. The other motor had MY heads and they looked like new. Same boat, same maintenance, same owner one set like new - one set completely rotted out -that just doesn't happen.

About 7 or 8 years ago I went on a "road trip" with a friend that was delivering a Top Gun to Ocean City MD. On the way back we were to stop by Joey's shop and pick up 2 rebuilt supercharged engines. I don't remember exactly what horsepower they were claimed to be but once I saw them with the twin Weber/Cater carbs on top I became very skeptical ot the claim. When we arrived there we could not find anyone. Walked through 2 or 3 of his buildings not seeing anybody. Left and went and did a tour of the Fountain factory. Hey I was that close why not?

When we did return to Joey's and found him he wrapped one engine in plastic wrap for the long trip. On the second he ran out of wrap about half way complete and said "that would be good enough to get you far enough down the road you won't come back". When he load the second engine into the back of my friends F350 Dully he continued to push it in on the pallet even after being told to stop. He looked at where the second engine pushed the first engine into the front of the bed of the truck bending the bed front to the cab and asked "was that like this before". My friend told him no it was not. Joey got on the forklift drove into his shop, closed the door and never came out while we were still there tying the engines down. My friend took it a whole lot better than I would or I may still be in NC.

Take this for what it is worth -- true story. I would not let Joey Griffin work on any thing of mine.

This does not even take into account the condition (at least on that day) of the engine building. It was not particulary clean and had numerous engines in pieces on pallet side by side with parts overflowing from pallet to pallet. Not sure how they kept up with what parts went where!

Mark

Hi Jeff,

The black motors come straight from GM Powertrain. But no one in your league would really have any reason what so ever to know that.

I'd be curious to know how many people on this forum run and drive a boat like you do? I know I could never do it but I'd love the opportunity!

I'll just take a stab at it and say maybe 4 or 5... Out of how many of us??

Maybe my number is low but just sayin'. I think you've broken more engine mounts and stringers completely out of boats than most guys have ever owned in their lives.

Did you get that bottom done on the 38 yet?

Get to work!! :signs069:

for Harvey, the boat was built new in 2000 with tripple 750 Griffen engines for fountain ,I guess he built he built some engines form them at the time , in late 2008 removed one engine , rerigged to a staggard twin by schogren thats when I baught it , so any way mismatched flywheels, poor machineing,rods had been touching the bottoms of cylinders, the internals were not at all what he verbally told me what was in them ! just sayin .

Harvey, i am not joey griffin or anyone of that caliber.....but i can tell you this if one rod is bad and you cant get a exact replacement and balance all of them..... then yes you must bite the bullet and buy a set of new rods for that motor---me i would have 2 identical motors built the same so it would end up being 2 sets of rods 16total new rods if need be!!! Its amazing people would even think to run a mis-matched set of rods!!!:lolhit:

Good post

Kilrbusa, I agree with you, I would want matched rods also, and balanced. There are always two sides to every story. Some people get on the cheap when a problem pops up during a rebuild. Some people stand tall and say fix it right, order what ever it needs. I'm not saying anyone on here is not telling the truth. Some may make a statement but don't take the time to explain all the facts. I would be upset as well. I had a blower motor built three times in one season, 12 hrs first run, three hrs the second time, leaned out both times. Sure I was upset. The third time it lasted, had around two hundred hrs on it when I sold the boat. Joey has built some record setting engines. He has the cat killer engines in the shop waiting to be rebuilt now. I hope everyone thats having engines built over the winter have a great boating season. If you can make it be sure to sign up for the Jammin on the James and the Norfolk Cancer Society poker run. I will miss the Jammin on the James this year, I have to Dee Jay that week end. I get back from a two week cruise on the Friday night of the Norfolk Poker run on that Saturday. I may have to bum a ride for that one. But everyone come on to the run, I would like to meet all of you.

Lamberti
 

SO LAMBERTIS ENGINES ARE AT JOEYS?????? CAN YOU SEE THE FLAMES COMING OFF MY HEAD . ANOTHER KEY WEST DEAL LAMBERTI BACKED OUT OF... I THINK AS DUMB AS I AM FOR GIVING HIM ENGINES IN KWEST I UNDERSTAND WHY STERLING SOLD A SET OF HIS ENGINES, AND YOUR RIGHT JOE YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD BENNY WITH YOU BECAUSE I CAN PROMISE THE MOTORS, OIL AND FILTERS, THE DRIVES, AND ALL THE S HIT YOU GOT FROM ME FOR NOTHING WOULD HAVE NEVER COME OUT OF OUR TRUCKS AND YOU WOULD HAVE SPENT ABOUT 200K VERSES WHAT YOU HAVENT PAID YET.. ABSOLUTLY NO REFLECTION ON JEFFREY MCCAIN NOR HIS GREAT WIFE KERRI THEY ARE THE ONLY REASON THAT THE WAS BOAT RUNNING ON SUNDAY.............

I've been to his shop and the swapped parts may be due to sloppy housekeeping, it's definetly not the most organized shop I have ever been in,

he rebuilt an outdrive for me and I had no issues

go to sonnys in lynchburg,va. !!!!!!!

Local shop here that does top notch, fantastic and honest work. Many references. Much cheaper than the big name shops.

Pm me for contact.

I would stay away from Joey Griffin.

Hope your not mad at me. Now i uderstand the two text i just found. Hope everyone will do what is right on all ends. Thanks for the wife comment, she is great, and she did tell me so.

I emailed Fountain, was told to call, I saw him in a FB photo. Found this post on Google. Interesting, and I personally know all involved in the bad reviews, but want to base my own opinion. Email response was good, all looks well in photo's but the proof is on the water and who recommends you. Still looking, my friends in Hampton Roads have been helpfull, 281 actual hours on my 2003 33ZX, awesome Donzi. It will be on the computer tomorrow. Thanks to all for their opinion. Bryan Tuvell

+1

joke
 

great... time to switch to rail!!! :lolhit:

110% not true, just saying!

i got engines done from fountain / joey griffin . all i can say as they ran great . only had 20 hrs or so on them though .

Just to add my two cents... Lots of folks in the area have had good results with the engines he's built them. I've only had a stroked small block built there, had it built a little loose to run hard and I've literally run the piss out of it with for the past 5 or 6 years with zero problems. couple hundred hours, probably a lot of it over 5500 rpms.under a heavy load without a bobble... and that's after my further upgrading heads, intake and so forth over time. I can't speak for some of what I've seen above, but I can say from a lot of years paying different machine shops, that it's really hard to find one that doesn't have some complaints once in a while... and who knows, I'm guessing that there was a period a few years ago when things were really tough in his world, and could have been a time when some things slipped. That's no excuse, and certainly if there were lies and misleading that's inexcusable. All I can say that Joey and the guys that worked for him dealt with me a a straight up fashion and that he and Chris showed me the internals of the engine they put together for me as it went together once or twice and the machine work flawless (i was trained as a machinist in another life). piston height variation between cylinders was damn near perfect as was bore spacing, etc... Just saying...

I'm pretty sure he is out of business / done. Heard even the Fountain boys kicked him out of his buildings.

You heard wrong, i was just at his (NEW) shop yesterday, and the Fountain boys did kick anyone out. But i can tell you this, the Fountain boys are getting there but kick out by the court for unpaid rent. you might want to get you info from a diff. place.

You might to tell the whole story, not just a tidbit of information that factually misleading, I did a little research I know know what you are saying is the plaintiff's version, but why did Fountain Brothers, LLC and or RF Marine not pay rent? Tell that side of the story too, before you post some bullsh*t. If you tell that part of it then Joey Griffin will be exposed, won't he....tell it like is full disclosure.

I am not affiliated with Fountain, Fountain Brothers LLC, Real Fast Marine, nor am I friends with the principles of those companies, nor have I ever owned a Fountain, I am neutral as neutral can be, but I will not tolerate half truths, that defame another's man's reputation or business. That is just f*cking bullsh*t, after some investigation I am Fountain backer in this case

Stephen R. Jones
Attorney-At-Law

I know what your saying, i am neutral as neutral can be as well. To tell you the truth i dont know the whole story but i do know there is a lot of drama there. Im not affiliated with Fountain,or RF Marine or joey. i was just saying he was still around and building good power. And im not saying that cause he is my motor builder cause he is not i cant afford he price lol but he has always been nice and very helpful if i had any ?s. But is does sound like you know something so can you feel us in? I have never owned a Fountain either nor would i lol to many of them around here lol.

I once posted on this topic when someone was bad-mouthing RF Marine, then the thread was deleted. Storage and rent are the issues, and who is entitled to what. The case is the in North Carolina courts. That sums it about without typing a legal brief on the issues and facts, which I have limited information, but did speak with an involved party in this case over a month ago, and out of respect to the defendants I am not going to put forth this case on OSO, as it would not be appropriate with the case now filed; PM me with questions, if you need further information.

Stephen

Very old thread.. I was also thinking believing an Attorney is a bad thing....

Yes it seems this is the first thing that comes up when you search the shop. just wondering because he is still building motors.

personally someone will always be in business if he can indeed capable of building a decent engine .. jts proven joey can do this . why he hasn't done this all the time is the real question . my joey griffen hp 500 s have been perfect to this day , just talked to the guy that baught them 375 hrs into them . after I pulled them . for my pfaffs

I don't post on here very often, but I am part of the Lilly Sport Boats (LSB/Hurricane of Awesomeness) Offshore Race team. I know there are some people on here that have had a bad experience with Joey's engines. However, I can tell you that Joey has built several engines for Art Lilly and Lilly Sport Boats over the past 20 years. Joey has always been an awesome engine builder. The engines that we have for our 29' Extreme Super Vee, have gotten us the following titles:

2018 SBI National Championship, Florida Championship, and 2nd place at the Worlds
2017 SBI World Championship, National Championship and Florida Championship
2016 SBI World Championship and National Championship

At the 2017 Key West World Championships, the night before the final race, we noticed something was wrong with our drive. Joey happen to be there that weekend, and helped Brit take parts from 2 other spare drives we had, to make one good drive. The next day, we went out and won our 2nd World Championship.

Lilly Sport Boats and LSB Racing will continue to use Joey Griffin for all of their engine needs.https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ef3aabdf3f.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...51c3442784.jpg