boat motor gone bad!!!
 

I have a 1994 Mach 1 2900 Endeavor with twin 454 mags (365 carb). I bought it last year for 18,500 and still owe 16k. its in good shape (except the engine). The shop is telling me that water is getting into the cylinders both sides and I probably need a new engine... The shop has told me that the cheapest they have found so far is $7k; they are going to keep looking a bit but its not looking good for me and my wallet. I have already conceded to the loss of this boating season. So, 7k and im back on the water next year with the shop doing all of the work... or is there another route to take? This is the thing... the both motors have almost 500 hours on them and I am afraid that even though the other motor is running fine I don't want to loose two seasons in a row... also I would like to go much faster than the 65 mph I'm running now at 4250 rpm. should I repower? or just replace the one engine.... maybe rebuild the other? I want to go faster but I know I have to pay for it... I have a little knowledge about mechanics(nothing to brag about) and have alot of time (obviously none will be spent on the water) and plenty of desire to learn as I would love to do my own work... Please!! any and all advice would appreciated! If you have a idea... lets hear it! even if you think I should sell the boat the way it is and find another boat tell me what you think.

Welcome to the club! And get ready for an expensive hobby/pastime. Most of us here have been where you're at and there is no cheap, easy fix for repowering.

Your engines have 500 hrs, one is bad and the other probably isnt far behind.

The least expensive way (but the most time consuming) is to rebuild them yourself. You will need to find a first rate machine shop and someone experienced in building marine engines to help you along.

Option 2: Buy remanufactured longblocks or new ones if you can afford it. This is one of the quickest ways to get back on the water. This gives you the option to sell your old engines to offset some of the cost or rebuild them and have a spare set of engines. (see the link)

http://www.perfprotech.com/store/cat...nder,5982.aspx

Option 3: Buy low hour takeouts. This is what I did. I found a pair of 496HOs (420hp) with 64 hours for 6300.00 each. This will also get you the power increase you mentioned and also have the old motors to sell/rebuild. Initial cost is higher but long term reliability and operating cost due to modern efi setup will offset that.

Once you get solid, dependable power, your outdrives will probably explode. You should have those looked at while your engines are out.

The first thing to figure out is where the water is getting into the engine. There are only so many ways for water to make its way in. Could be as simple as head gaskets. Maybe intake manifold or exhaust manifolds? There are other options than just throwing another engine in there.

where are you located? I ask cuz i just saw one of those out in my pool. had never seen it before. just curious

Exactly what is the shop talking about doing? Pulling the engine and rebuilding it or longblocking it? What is the name location of the shop and are they a marine shop? Have you used them before or know anyone else that has? Anytime someone else does the work, you can double or even triple the price.

The option that run em hard mentioned would be the cheapest fix (initialy) and one of the three things he mentioned is most likely the culprit. BUT, merely finding the leak and fixing it without a teardown and inspection could be disasterous. Do a compression/leakdown test on the other engine. If it seems to be in good condition with many more hours left, then leave it alone. (I would still replace the riser gaskets for peace of mind)

Do a top end teardown. (this can be done with the motor still in the boat) Have the exhaust manifolds pressure tested. Have the heads checked to make sure they arent warped. Reassemble and Roll the dice because thats what you will be doing if a teardown/insp wasnt done. It's been my experience that the cheapest fix can often wind up being the most expensive. Even if the oil was contaminated, that doesn't automatecly mean anything else was damaged. You could get away with doing the fix I just mentioned, but if you're wrong........ Hopefully some more experience will chime in. Lotta smart guys here. BTW, put your location on your avatar because there might be someone near that can help.

I think you have all the right ideas right in your questions. I've rebuilt a big block for $2500 myself after a 10k rebuild quote. Get friendly with your local engine machine shop not a rebuilder or performance shop unless they do all their own machine work. Ask lots of questions at least one of the guys is going to know a lot about engines and will likely come give you a hand every now and then for a 12 pack if you need it. In the process you will learn a ton about marine engines and make boating much more affordable for yourself in the future. As long as you have the time it can be done.

And hopefully I cover everyone elses questions... I updated my profile to show my location.

The shop I am using is Smithville Marine in Smithville MO. There are very few "go-fast" boats in my area (I see maybe one or two others anytime I go out) They primarily cater to anything with an outdrive but there are several sterndrive runabouts there anytime I go in... They stay very busy since our options are limited in this area, If anyone knows of a good place to take my boat within 100-200 miles of Kansas City PLEASE let me know as I am not very happy with this shop right know.... It started last year about a month from the end of our very short boating season when I got spanked in a race and the engine got hot (really just warm, around 185 according to the gauge) and died after I came down off plane. It subsequently did not start and I then took it to Smithville Marine. They told me I needed a new starter on the portside engine. (same engine as current problem) I figured the engine dieing was a coincidence and the boat shop knew what they were talking about. The engines are not staggered... I guess that goes without saying, being that its a 1994 boat. (at that time I believe Mach 1 was built by Baja Cruisers) Anyway in order to change the starter they had to pull the motor to get to the starter. I had it winterized in the same visit. (probably my first mistake) It took them a full month to get it done and cost me $1,200 (300 for winterization for each motor with no oil change because they wanted $100 to change the oil [I'll do that my self, thank you very much!]) meanwhile its getting colder and colder outside dropping below 32 degrees several times at night... Luckily, it was winterized prior to a severe cold snap when the temp dropped to 25 degrees for a couple nights in a row and barely breaking mid 30s during the day. Anyway it sat from Oct till the 1st of may this year when I took it out to shake out the cob webs and get it cleaned up for the season. I backed it into the water and the starboard engine fired right up. The port side sputtered and coughed a few times but eventually started. I have never heard a sound come from an engine the way it sounded starting... it sounded like it was missing spark plugs... as in... not there at all.... not fouled... not burnt... not detonation... not there... it sounded like a freaking pogo stick! But it started... idled slow... sounded fine... just slow... I feathered the gas to see if that would bring it up to normal idle and noticed the boat moved... it was in gear... forward to be precise... "strange" I thought to myself. I pulled the throttle back and tried again to put it into neutral. Nothing happened... except when I thought I was in neutral and feathered the gas again the boat pushed forward. "well thats not right!" I thought to myself. So I pulled the throttle back and tried to put it in reverse and feather the thottle. The boat pushed forward and I realized that no matter what I did I was stuck in forward. Just then my wife who was standing on the dock beside the ramp asked me "How come water was only coming out of one side of the back of the boat?" I immediately killed both the engines. I asked her which side water was coming out of and as you can probably guess she said the starboard side.... well she said "that side" and pointed to the starboard side. I took out my phone and called Smithville Marine. They said "bring it in and I'll see what we can do to get it looked at." Five days later they called me and said my boat was ready and they replaced a shift cable and impeller. They didnt charge me anything but they did say the impeller looked like it had been run dry. So, I take it out and it starts up (still sounds like a pogo stick starting up) and once it fires sounds good and with a steady idle. The wife and I take it over to the dock, and spend the better part of the afternoon cleaning it out at the courtesy docks there at Camp Branch Marina on Smithville Lake. We finish up and take the boat over to the restaurant for dinner. On the way over there I pretty much babied the boat but felt as though it was running a little slow for the rpm I was at but thought maybe it was just in my head... We pulled up to the dock and went into have a nice meal as the sun set. After paying our bill, we got back into the boat started up (I let my wife turn the keys, she was excited to do that) the starboard engine (to mask the sound of the pogo stick that I knew was coming when she turned the port side.) She turned the key and the engine made the pogo stick sound a few times and then stopped. The gas gauge usually turns on when that key is turned on but it stayed pointing at the E which I knew for a fact was incorrect. There was no way the tank was empty. The cabin lights didnt work, the cockpit lights didnt work, the lighted gauges didnt light, the only thing that worked was the starboard engine, associated gauges, and the nav lights. So me and the wife spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out what was going on... I pulled out the ignition cylinder and tried to hotwire it thinking that if the gas gauge didnt turn on maybe it was the ignition switch. Nothing happened so I jumped the wire leads from the other ignition which started the gas gauge up but not the engine. Me and the wife then idled accross the lake to the truck and trailer over the course of 45 minutes. Ha! good thing the Nav lights worked.... because it was thoroughly dark by this time. So, Back to Smithville Marine! They tell me this time the connector from the battery lead that attaches to the starter corroded and fell apart dropping the battery lead off the starter, thus causing my problem, however, now they are only getting the motor to turn half way either by wrench or under power by the starter and then stop abruptly. They told me they had to back it up with a wrench in order to try it again. So they wanted my permission to pull the engine and start diagnosis... I assume this is where they will start charging me for parts and labor. So they pull the motor out and get it to turn over. They call me, mind you, its been a couple days; anyway, they tell me they are getting it to turn all the way around now and dont know what the problem was, but they are going to put it on the floor and run it tommorrow morning. The next day I call them about 20 minutes before they close (I assume they were probably not going to call) but they tell me the motor has good compression however water is getting into the cylinders. They tell me they are going to break it down and try and find where the water is coming from. They tell me a few days later that they I am going to need a new engine due to a crack in the block that they cant find unless they send it to be magna-fluxed, which would cost $1,700 and I would then know where the crack is and still need a new engine. The service manager (the guy I've been talking to this whole time) is going to look and see what he can find. Now, its been a week and I spoke with him yesterday before making my post. when he told me the cheapest engine he has found is 7k I think thats the complete engine because its cheaper to buy a complete engine than to pay for the labor to move the accessories over to a long or short block. I called him today and told him there was no way I could afford to pay 7k for a new motor and the labor to put it in with in a reasonable amount of time and I needed some other options. He told me if I could procure the engine (short/long/or complete) and put it together, he would drop it in for me. I feel as though with the right advice I could accomplish this, he said I could come get the motor and do whatever I could and he would do the rest. So I am glad he is willing to work with me. I am willing to do the work. As I said before, I am not a very experienced mechanic, however, I feel as though this is something I can handle... especially if I have a checklist of things needed... I can buy a repair manual and follow directions... I truly believe this is something I can do. I also have a friend who has a friend that is supposed to be into marine mechanics on the side and works out of his house... I have not met this guy yet but my friend tells me he is going to charge me $20 an hour. Which if its true, its a steal! compared to the $105 an hour Smithville Marine is charging me.

Thats every detail I can think of since I started having problems... I hope that answers all the questions you have... It would only let me quote one post at a time...

A few new questions...

True or False? With water getting into the cylinders due to cracked block therefor I should replace with a long-block because its cheaper than having the top end moved to a short block.

True or False? With a cracked block I should replace the rotating assembly due to wear caused by the water.

True or False? The new engine should be exactly the same as the other engine ok... but can it be a few hp/torque off? like 10 or 15? I realize the engines need to be the same size but some 1994 454 short/long blocks are rated at 375hp at the prop (same year) where as far as I'm aware my engines are 365hp.

I know this post is darn near a novel, but I was trying to incorporate every detail that I could think of so you would have as much information as I could possibly provide at this point in a forum. As I get more information, i'll post it.

Anyone have a resource suggestion for me to find a replacement motor? things to keep in mind... things that are required/optional... so on and so forth.

Thanks to everyone who has already offered advice, opinions, and direction!

Put the engine on a stand and call that marine mech. He will start you in the right direction. Disassmble yourself and send all major components to a machine shop for inspection and pressure testing. (to see if it is a cracked block) Have the heads rebuilt. Call the marine mech dude to advise on reassembly. You should be able to do this for under 3000 even if a block has to be replaced.

Good luck

That is the longest post I have ever seen on OSO.

I can feel your fustration reading it.
There is always two sides to a story but something dosent sound right. I have been building marine engines for over 20 years. I would take it to another dealer, it sounds like you are getting screwed big time.

If you are interested, I am selling my spare 454 that I put 30 hours the end of last summer. Send me a PM we are only a few miles apart.

ALso a member Griff on the boards probably could point you in the right direction to a good mechanic in your area.

Watch the "friend of a friend" deal I've seen several of them go bad with poor work and whole engines missing. A lot of time the lower priced guys don't have the experience, take longer and you spend as much in the end.

First, not trying to spend your money. However, what sandcraft wrote is one of the best pieces of advice I have seen on OSO relating to someone in your position. I know it's another 12k, but you can boat with confidence with those motors. You can also get some value (something is better than nothing) out of the motors you are replacing. Remember it's a BOAT. Break Out Another Thousand.

Gonna go out on a limb here, and say I have to disagree. He spent $18,500 on the boat...and still owes $16,000. That means he FINANCED it. There is no way he should take a chance on another $12,000 in motors. What happens if he spends the money on these "low hour motors", then something mysteriously happens to one or both of those ? I say pull the motors yourself. DO ONE MOTOR AT A TIME. Have a friend or two help you. Get good advice from numerous people (dont just tear something off cause uncle bill told you to). Ask 5,6,8 people about what you run into, then take a general consensus. Get info from the internet on what your working on that day. Work SLOWLY and mark everything. Put parts in zip lock bags and mark where they came from. Mark wires and hoses. Take pics with your phone. Keep a computer diary.Then find a reputable engine shop in your area, and ask questions. They want to help so you'll tell others about them. You should be able to rebuild both motors for less than one of the used ones. In the end, you'll have two new motors that YOU built, you'll know whats in them as far as parts and machine work, and you'll have learned something new. There is no feeling in the world like building a motor yourself, and firing it up for the first time. Remember I said this when you and your wife are cruising and listening to the sound of those big blocks that YOU built. Take your time...and get good solid info. I think you can handle this. I really do. :drink:

I would rebuild as well. Since this unfortunatly happened in the summer you have pleanty of time until next summer to rebuild. I rebuilt 2 small blocks in the matter of 3 months only working on the weekends and some nights. It's really not rocket science to rebuild
either. A couple of good books and some local advice from the machine shop helped out big time. In also got the video from boxwrench.net and it helped great for those steps you can't visualize from
a book.

Tinman is right, the satisfaction from building your own motors is great. And if anything goes wrong you know the motors inside and out.

At this point I would pick up the motor myself from the marina. You don't seem to have good results with them anyhow, and it doesn't sound like they're all that competent.

I would try to pressurize what you can of the cooling system and see if you can get water to leak into the block from somewhere. I guess you could have a crack somewhere that only opens when the motor gets hot, or when it's under power, but to assume that the block is junk just because water is ending up in the cyls or oil to me seems irresponsible. I would want to make sure I needed a block before I went out and did a ton of work swapping everything out.

If you can't get water to leak into the block with hose pressure or otherwise, I would rig the motor to run on a cradle in the garage with a garden hose supplying water to the motor. I would do everything that I could to make sure that it WAS a cracked block before I did all that work swapping blocks.

I would try to borrow some car headers and mufflers to run the motor in the garage. It will eliminate the possibility that a cracked exh. manifold is giving you problems, and help to isolate the block as the problem, if you end up finding a problem.

Regardless of the outcome of your water investigation plan on sending the heads off to a local machine shop to have them rebuilt. Have the valves ground, new guides put in place, and new seals installed. It shouldn't cost all that much to have this done, and at 500 hours you're ready for some valve work.


Don't count your boating season over yet! There's still a few warm months. There really isn't any reason that you shouldn't be able to get this thing back together reasonably quickly.

If you are truely taking in water, first check the oil and see if it is milkshake.

I'll be on my toes if I decide to go that route... Thanks for the advice!

BTW... what does dry piped mean? obviously the water doesn't exit the engine through the exhaust but, what the reason for doing that?

I'd scrap the whole boat, save up for a year and buy something with lower hours next year. Though I know it would suck to do that, it doesn't make sense investing $12,000 that you don't have into a boat that is only equally worth that amount. You'll be $24,000 deep into a boat that's only worth $12,000-$15,000 (guesstimate).

I like the idea, however coming up with that sort of money is going to be very difficult for me... and I would feel like I purchased a 15/16 year old hull for $18.5k and thats hard for me to stomach. This was my first boat aside from a bass boat I had just prior to this and thought of it as a starter boat.... so far I'm not off to a good start however I feel that I'm ready for faster/bigger. I dont want to put myself so far upside down and take such a loss when it comes time to upgrade. If my boat was bigger and in as good of condition I would definitely lean this direction but I think I have ruled this option out as I plan to trade up in the next couple years.

Thank you very much for your advice! And thanks to sandcraft for 3 very viable options!

My wife agrees with you fully about Smithville but I think technically it did drop below freezing (not much-and only for short periods of time just prior to dawn) before I got the boat to Smithville marine.

Marine exhaust manifolds have water jackets that allow water to flow through the manifold. At the head the water and exhaust are kept separate, after the riser the water mixes with the exhaust and heads out of the tail pipe together.

You could be getting water into your block through a leaky exhaust manifold, which is why I suggested doing everything you can to make sure it is a cracked block before you go and buy a new one and swap everything over.

You are exactly right about the boat being financed. And you have an excellent point about a 12k gamble. Of course, I know its all a gamble when there is no warranty. Not that I could come out of pocket 12k anyway.

Do you feel that the engine shop needs to specialize in marine engines? or would any "reputable" engine shop be capable of assisting me in a rebuild. I would love to build my engines myself and if I get one done and be back on the water for the late season I would definitely have the modding bug by the time its too cold outside to be on the water.... and wind up getting subpoenaed by my wives' attorney while holding a wrench hovering over another new top end kit in the garage all while feeling "this is totally worth it!" haha! But, your right! I do as much of the work on our vehicles as I can convince my wife I'm capable of doing.... and after doing that I always feel that the cramping back is just a reminder that I'm awesome! haha! I love the feeling of accomplishment I get after spending an afternoon turning a wrench!

Thank you so much for your advice!

Do you have any specific books you would recommend? 3 months for two engines tells me I might be able to do 1 in that same time period... lol ... how much experience did you have at that time with mechanics?

Thank you very much for your advice!

I think I am going to pick up the engine... actually the whole boat... I think that after reading post after post after post with what seems solid and encouraging advice without one single reference to letting the shop I'm currently using finish what they've started, (aside from it costing me 3 times what it could) I am done with them... and when it comes time to put the engine back in after having it rebuilt or rebuilding it my self or a combo job or half new half rebuilt and 1/3 magic, I think I'll either find some way to do it myself or find another shop to do it! As far as running it in the garage... I dont have a cradle, hell, I dont even have an engine stand, (and I'm not sure I know the difference) although I've wanted one for a long time and they are relatively inexpensive. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON AN ENGINE STAND? brand/store/features.... so on?

Thanks for your advice!

That will be one of the first things I do as soon as I get my boat and engine from the shop! Come to think of it.... Travis (the service manager at Smithville Marine) never told me anything about HOW HE KNEW water was getting into places it shouldn't be.... just that it was... and he couldnt find "the" crack. hmm... Ok, now I'm just getting paranoid! haha... anyway... I have decided that I am going to get my boat and motor thats out of the boat, and settle up with Travis whatever I owe him for whatever they have already done in their so called "diagnostics" that resulted in "we think there is a crack that we cant find and you need a new engine" I'm sorry, your right in your other post... I am very frustrated and but shouldn't rant and bag on Smithville Marine... anyway.. I did send you a pm inquiring about your spare engine, and I havent ruled out buying one take out to replace my broken engine... but as you may have read in one of my other responses I have ruled out buying newer engines to replace both of mine at this time anyway... who knows what will happen down the road... maybe i'll rebuild this one, feel proud and rebuild the other, then sell them and buy new engines.... but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Thanks again!

I agree that 12k is too much for me to spend on this boat right now! but I dont think scrapping it would be as much fun as rebuilding the engine.(which from what I'm told could be as cheap as $2.5k if I did as much of the work myself as possible) and I dont believe I could get even what I owe out of it with the one engine wasted.... It would take me a year to pay off the remaining balance and another year to save up a down payment... I appreciate your advice and reasoning however I simply (maybe out of sheer pride) CAN NOT just throw in the towel on this.

Thanks again for your advice!

Oh, Ok :) thanks for the explanation on dry pipes... I am definitely going to take the motor somewhere else for a second opinion.. although with the previously described pogo stick sounding start ups, I think there is definitely something wrong... or maybe not quite right... somewhere.... I have an auto mechanic that I trust with anything auto related (if I were a car I would trust him with my life) as do 40 or so other people I work with.... do you think that it would be ill advised to ask him to take a look at the motor and see what he thinks? or are marine engines similar enough to automotive engines that he should be able to tell me the thick n thin of it?

Thanks again for the advice!

I really do not know of any good shops in the KC area. To my knowledge there really are none. Your best bet would be to haul the boat to LOTO. I would call Brett at Performance Boat Brokerage. The problem is your limited budget. They will give you straight answers on what is wrong and you can go from there.

If you were only turning 4250 rpms, then boat was propped wrong to start with. 454 mags should be propped to turn 5000rpms. The props were 2-4" in pitch to big.

There are a lot more ways for water to get into an engine than because of a cracked block. I agree with what was said about your current mechanic winterizing it. If the block is cracked after they winterized it in the Spring, then it is their fault. Also, the water mixed with the oil sitting in the engine is no doubt causing more damage. Exactly how did they determine that the block was cracked???? Unless they can see the crack, then its a guess.

Water can get in through bad exhaust riser gaskets, bad inatke gaskets or bad head gaskets, or cracked exhaust manifolds.

The biggest thing is the original stalling of the engine. Why???? 185* is not that high. It sounds like the original issue was caused by you backing off the throttles too fast and the engine ingested water through the tail pipes. Then the mechanic did not diagnose or correct the problem. This lead to more issues and wasted money.

I would cut your losses now and go pick up your boat and engine. You have plenty of time to figure out a solution. It really does not sound like they know WTF they are doing.
You can always start taking the engine apart yourself, but if you don't know what you are looking for, you probably won't find the problem.

try craigslist for used blocks, look at rebuilding etc. Get a second opinion on things. Remove the Block and send it to an auto mechanic. Cruise the internet for rebuilt blocks. Just do some shopping around.

You sure it is not just the exhaust manifolds cracked or leaking? Sounds to me like your mechanic may not be tops.....

An engine cradle is only about $50, an engine stand is a little bit more (spend the extra $20 and get a 4 post stand rather than the three wheeled version...).

Your auto mechanic should be able to look at your motor for you. It's kind of hard because the issue you're having is most likely a marine issue (it has everything to do with a marine cooling system, rather than an auto cooling system).

I wouldn't worry too much about the "pogo stick" sound. You're going to get funny noises when you have water in your cylinders. Something may well be broken, but cross that bridge when you find out what.

If you drain the oil, borrow a set of auto exh. manifolds, and get it to run in your garage you should be able to tell (a) if your block is cracked, and (b) if there's anything wrong with your block as it stands. At that point your motor will basically be an automotive motor, except for the brass freeze plugs and cam.

I agree with Griff that your issue was likely caused by water entering in through the exhaust, possibly from stopping too fast. Does your exh. have the rubber flaps on the tips (or should it?) and if so, are they in decent shape?

IMO an exh. issue is much more likely than a cracked block, given the series of events (it worked for a while this spring).

could be exhaust gets my vote
 

Having done the old boat purchase myself twice now, I can say that it really, really is sad when you come face to face with the fact that when dealing with performance boats the $$ drain never ends, and I am not talking about fuel, insurance, or other operating expenses. Doing all my own work, except for actual machine shop stuff, I have blown at least the cost of my boat $33,000 since 2002 in keeping it running and upgrading it for more performance, in my quest to go from 65 mph to 80.

I also know that no matter what, it will NEVER be worth what I paid for it unless I install Factory Merc stuff with 6 drives, and then sell it as a parts boat, then I would expect to only be able to get about 30% of the cost of the new merc stuff even if it is in perfect condition. Once you start down the performance road, you gotta have deep pockets and an understanding SWMBO. Just sayn



I do not like to be passed by any fishing boats, even with four engines, and 80 seems to be about 2 to 3 mph faster than most all of them.

Best of luck with your project! Take your time, read all you can, and don't be afraid to ask questions. After you build your first motor, the sense of accomplishment is huge, and you will look back on it and realize there was nothing to be afraid of. They're just simple motors! :cool:

Not usre how far away you are, but I have a really good friend in Topeka that would be a great resource if it's not to far away. He's actually new to the area, I'm sure he wouldn't mind lending a hand. All his toys / projects are still in Ohio, so he has nothing to work on, I'm sure he's bored! PM me and I can put you in touch with him.

-Artie

My buddy has a 454mag EFI, complete drop in forsale here in the Tulsa area for 5k - I believe. I can get the exact hours ect if you are interested..
Good Luck BTW

Dry piped means the water doesn't mix with the exhaust. The exhaust is double walled all the way to the exit. The only reason to run a dry pipe is so you can use a cam with more than normal overlap for a marine engine.

I think this is decent advice however I would still keep the engine I pulled rebuild it for the experience and either keep it as a spare or sell it as a good engine.

I have heard some of the worst advice ever in this thread. Sell the boat, buy two drop in used motors, it goes on and on. This is not rocket science guys, its a big block GM motor we are talking about. All internals can be checked, replacing pistons, rings, bearings, grinding the crank if needed and assembled for about 2 K at any reputable shop. All he will have to do is pull the motor, maybe tear it town, and drop it in. Obviously a few other steps but the prices I have heard people throw around are crazy. The guys who want to charge you double or triple what im talking about are out of there mind, or have way to many people with lots of money to give them where they can charge this. Do your homework, you will find this can be accomplished without going bankrupt.

what Sun-Chaser said!

Get ahold of SMITH POWER in Joplin. OSO member bigyellowcat.

Hi balinsteadt. I am going to give some advice no one has covered yet.. Regardless if you re-build or have it re-built by someone else, buy a new oil cooler.. Dont have it cleaned, inspected,or anything else.. Replace it with a new one and also the hoses that go to it. Also either buy new, best option, or have inspected by a qualified mech, the exhaust manifolds and risers.. Gil marine or sierra marine parts are fine..Sierra also sells an oil cooler I think.. These brands will save you a ton over mercruiser. Most people can rebuild an engine but forgetting to change the exhaust and oil cooler can cripple an engine of any price..

Chris