BEWARE of Power Marine and Blown1500
 

and any and all names used by Power Marine in Charlotte, NC in some fashion or another.

I have had one very negative experience with them and apparently based on some private emails several others have had similar experiences.

Let me start by saying that the technical information these people provide "seems" to be good.

My saga started back in early February -- in my quest to have my boat restored to a like new condition i wanted my motor, tranny and out drive rebuilt. I talked with several members and engine builders and decided to let power marine do my engine and i shipped my tranny and drive down to FL (came back flawless).

I was quoted 4000.00 to turn my 454 330 into a 496 450-500 hp motor. It seemed like a good price at the time. I accepted and took my motor to his shop about feb 12th. Robert received my motor and estimated 2-3 weeks to get it back to me. At the time I told him not to rush because the rest of my boat would take a bit longer than that. Well about a month later -- we'll call it March 12th I called and wanted to find out the status -- He had not done ANY thing to my motor -- not even ordered parts. I told him i was starting to get pressed for time and i needed it back pretty quickly. He then told me it should be in the next week or so. Well since that time I call about every other day and it is one lame excuse after another. He had a boating emergency (not sure what that is exactly) that meant he had to work on other peoples before mine. He then said the parts were on back order. The next week he said he had started on it and it should be done in a few day's. The following week he said he got behind and should be by wednesday. It then became pretty much a ritual that every week i called it would be next week. I finally got it out of him that he never even started on my motor -- and was going to send it to some "other" shop to get the block put back together. Told me last week that he'd have it by friday for SURE. Well i didn't even bother calling on friday -- i just showed up saturday afternoon(this was about may 9th). Needless to say my motor was not done -- hell it wasn't even there. He assured me it would be back and in PERFECT condition by tuesday may 13. Well as you can imagine it was not.

So I went to the beach for bike week came back and called him -- now it is May 19th called him and now he didn't know when it would be finished. I even offered to come down and bolt the thing together myself! While talking to him on the phone i asked who the owner of power marine was -- Robert would not tell me -- but he did say it was supposed to be him -- only that he couldn't legally own a business -- GEE i wonder why.

Well another month went by and still no motor -- at wits end i contacted my attorney and the charlotte police department. My attorney told me to take the money down there and just get my motor back in whatever condition it was in -- then take it as a lesson learned. I talked to the police and they were happy to send an officer over there with me -- if i thought i needed an escort. Well I took my brother with me and cash to get the motor back. I showed up about 2pm on june 11th. Had a few words with Robert Horne (blown1500) about the price of the motor and lo and behold it was almost back together. We waited around another 3 hours while robert bolted on an old power steering pump and put the valve covers on. I then noticed that i didn't have a water pump -- i asked and he said something to the affect that he didn't remember it having one??? I told him i was pretty darn sure it needed to get water out of the lake somehow -- and he found my raw water pump laying in a big pile of parts. He did bolt it back on with the old, used, worn out hoses (i had my boat guy replace those later). I then forked over the cash and loaded the motor up.

about a week later the motor was in my boat and ready to be started -- robert had offered to come up and start it -- so i took a chance and called him. He said he would come up the following day and fire it up -- i was stupefied -- and very skeptical. But he DID show up!! i almost couldn't believe it. He hopped up in the engine compartment and got it fired up -- but it would not stay running. It would only run as long as he poured gas into the carb. He then removed the fuel pump and stated it was bad and it had to be replaced. So he left and said he'd have one the next day and would be back up. Well -- do i even need to tell you what happened the next day?? one story after another about the fuel pump should be here at 2pm -- yadda yadda yadda -- it was obvious where this was going so i went out and bought a BRAND new on with MY own money. Had my boat guy's put it on and fire it up -- it sorta ran -- but would not idle. We called robert and he told us to check the carb and see if it was bolted down -- guess what -- it actually takes freaking bolts to hold a carburetor down!!! and it only had two bolts in it!!!! I couldn't believe he would let a motor leave his shop like this. Well my guy's found some bolts and got the carb snugged down -- and the motor would finally start idling -- got the timing set according to robert and then proceeded to take the boat out for some break in time.

well the weather sucked and didn't get it out until last week -- July 8th. I wasn't even in the water 5 minutes and i heard a bang. Got my boat towed back to the launch and loaded it back on the trailer -- my boat guy's then took it apart monday morning. They found USED push rods in the motor -- and the balls had fallen off of two of them. Also the rockers were not hitting the valves correctly and it was wearing on the retainer pins. At this point i didn't even want to deal with power marine any further -- so i just called robert to find out the Cam in the motor -- so i could get the correct push rods. He then told me on the phone that he would come up there and put the motor back together and bring NEW push rods and a NEW steel shim head gasket. He was supposed to come tuesday nite -- well obviously he didn't show -- he claimed the head gasket didn't show up in UPS -- come on people -- this is CHARLOTTE NC -- RACE CITY USA -- could you not find a head gasket somewhere locally?

I told him -- ok -- we'll wait till wednesday (yesterday). I called at 2pm and he stated the gasket was in and he could do the work - but he had yet another boating emergency (he actually said someone had a gun to his head and he had to get the boat done-- i took it at the time as a joke -- but now i wonder) and he would not be able to come up to do the work -- BUT if i brought him the boat he'd do it in his shop and get me taken care of. Well as i was backing my boat into his shop -- his guy's asked me to unhook -- i was like "why" expecting to only be there an hour or two. I went in and asked robert why would i need to unhook and he told me he didn't have the parts in -- and he couldn't work on it tonite -- it would be a "FEW" day's -- well I went off -- used a few explicatives that I probably shouldn't have and pulled my boat out of there. THERE WAS NO WAY IN HELL THAT I WOULD LEAVE MY BOAT UN-ATTENDED AT HIS SHOP OVERNIGHT.

so now i am talking to another engine builder -- and will hopefully have something running soon.


I talked to STEVE at OSO and he gave me some VERY good advice -- "GO WITH THE ADVERTISERS, at least we somewhat screen them -- do not rely on people who just post various threads and prey on people through PM's and e-mail. We have recently changed some features on the board to stop some of this deceipt."

talk about a hard lesson to learn -- i'm just glad i was not the guy who had blower motors built -- i understand he was taken for a ride as well -- i'm hoping he'll chime in here.


Mark

P.S. -- I have all emails i ever recieved from power marine -- as well as about 8 voice mails robert left -- its quite the story

Where did you get the idea that Bobby Daniels, Budah, or Ambusher had anything to do with anything? That is rediculous!!
Those guys do not work here or own any of Power Marine!! They did not deal with you, talk to you, work on your motor, or anything else!!
You do not even know what was done to the engine because you would not even take a copy of the parts list, and I don't think you would know even then. I do have the list and all charges. I will post it if you like and see what the board has to say. You either give me an honest chance-and we will keep the board updated or I am done with this childishness!!!!!!!!!!!!!:hothead: :hothead:
If you call me, we can work out the details and post them so no one can say they didn't know or understand. If that is not fair, what am I supposed to do? By the way, a broken pushrod does not constitute a "blown engine" by most standards.:hothead:

uh -- i have the parts list that you provided

not sure what that will do posting it -- but feel free to

Ouch, nice reply to a customer that went through hell.

invoice/parts list
 

not sure why he wants this posted


specially since some of the parts listed on here - -turned out to be USED not NEW

It's non of your business, but a loan is just a loan. Is Bank of America part of it too? I got money from them, too. They both helped me get started and this has no part in this.
I am an independent businessman. I am trying to, even though you knew there was no warranty expressed or implied, stand behind the problem and in the other thread I offered several times to fix it if given the opportunity. The board knows me from my past actions. You certainly can't please everybody all the time, but I am trying very hard.

so where were you tuesday nite when you said you would come up and fix it?

WOW,

This is getting more and more interesting.

I was just wondering who Bobby Daniels was on the Tech Q&A board. Lots and Lots of post from this guy and he seems to know is stuff.

However, I just learned that Bobby Daniels is not is name, it is actually Jack Bailey.

He uses all these screen names plus I was told he also uses cessna.

I was just wondering why a guy in the marine industry hides his name to boat lovers. Did not make any sense to me.

Sorry about your problems.

I hope everyone can get this worked out.

Keep us posted.

This is getting good. Hope that your problems are resolved soon.

i'm trying to get page 2 and 3 uploaded -- should be shortly

page 2
 

2nd page

page 3
 

3

With the exception of the pistons and rings the rest of the invoice looks like a tune up parts list.
To get the power you stated above wouldnt there be valves, valve train, head work etc.... Just asking.

Im starting to wonder if there is a marine school somewhere or maybe a chat room where these guy's share TRICKS of the trade. There are several shops up this way that have a similar MO.

Tantrum look at the scaned page 2 in the middle....merlin heads etc

kinda be nice if ip address were displayed eh?

to be honest -- i don't know -- i definitely did not get NEW push rods -- the ones that broke were rusted and had hairline fractures.

doesn't sound like you got the crossover if they needed to bolt a water pump on for you.

Good luck...hope this gets straightened out.

it does have the crossover -- when i said water pump -- i meant the raw water pump with the impellor in it

sorry for any confusion

Oops
The 2nd two pages of the parts list must have been posted at the same time as mine.

Tantrum,
Heads on Mark's motor are Merlin oval port,with stainless HD intakes valves, Inconell exhaust valves. Heads are pocket ported, port matched to the Weiand Action Plus intake, which is port matched to the heads. All of this is dyno tested and proven. Pistons are Keith Black flat top with one valve releif. Heads are angle milled 1 1/2 degree to reduce chamber volume and increase air flow, therefore power. The deck clearance was .025" average so a steel shim head gasket was used to get a better squish clearance. Carb and distributor were set up for the application. Cam was a custom grind I have hadsuccess with. This isnot my first rodeo and I know this combo works. I will never try to go to a customers location to try to help again. I will never try to do the impossible again untill I have another brain fade.
I will gladly help anyone I can. Advise is still free.
There was no charge for the grinder work or the tune up work.

I think the major issue here is ... what happened between February 12 and July ????

Unfortunately, we hear way too much of this ...

JM

======================
Hey I was not going to enter this as it has nothing to do with me
as Robert has said !!!! BUCKETHEAD whats your name and number or is your real name buckhead, are you hiding ??At least I'm helping people on the board and they help me you are not a member and show few post so this would show that you only use this name stirstick to stir trouble ,
I am not blown 1500 ,cessna and my son is Ambusher ,so who's hiding these guys know me ,,again whats your name we can't wait so we can call and verify it . or is it not right to go as troutly or spectreman ect.
I 'm out of this post and back to reading post and as you said posting ,,,,, Bobby :D :D
good luck Mark And ROBERT

Hey Blown,

Do you post under any other name than Blown1500?

Ron

Blown1500,
When I posted there was only the first page. I did not see the second and third pages of the invoice until I went back.
My apologies

As far as the time line......
Maybe there is more to story, there always is, but from an outsider it seems like an awful long time to have someones motor.

just to be clear -- he did NOT dyno my motor -- he indicated with all of his expertise it was a waste of money

that is not saying he never did dyno one of his 454/330 build ups in the past

This is a customer I just cannot satisfy. He took the motor to a person I do not know and I do not know what has been done by other people. I will still fix the problem here and very quickly-not necessarily overnight, but timely. I cannot go to the boat to do the work. My equiptment is here as are all my parts and supplies. I have had many boats much more valuable than this one spend time in my shop with NO PROBLEM so there should be none with his. There are many things I have to check and clean to reassemble the engine properly and I will not do it any other way-not for anybody.

Ron,
I NEVER posted under any other name and don't think it right anyone else should, either.
Mark,
I did not dyno your motor, but the heads WERE developed on a dyno. Your motor is just like one we ran on the dyno, and I usually come VERY close to repeating on such engines, so I did think that dynoing your engine was an unnecessary expense.

then why did you tell me on monday that you would come up on tuesday and put it back together?

come on man -- keep your story straight

i'd also like to know what your definition of timely is??? is 5 months typical for a 454/330 to a 468/450 normal (notice i didn't get the 496 i thought i was getting).

Thanks for clearing that up.

Ron

how many people post out of Power Marines location? and what are their user names?

Now grl's don't fight on the board. thought this was a fun place this look's serious. :-) but i do like the bickering.he he he..isn't this just funnnnnnnnnnnn to read.

Mark, you could call me and get this over with. "Timely" means that if there is nothing to do but clean and reassemble the engine with better pushrods, one whole DAY is enough. I cannot tell untill I see the motor. You can tell the board what I say and see if it is reasonable.

Popcorn please:) :)

please

as i told jack bailey on the phone -- there is no way i will bring my boat back down there -- if you want to come up and fix it - -that is up to you -- but you had better hurry cause i have someone else going to look at it.


so are you going to tell us all who posts out of power marines location? or is that a secret?

FOR REASONS LIKE THIS IT IS WHY EVERY ENGINE SHOULD BE DYNO'ED BEFORE RIGGING IN THE BOAT. BOTH OF MY BOATS ARE DONE THIS WAY AND AS YOU GUYS ON THE BOARD KNOW I DRIVE THEM ON THE PIN EVERY TIME WITH GREAT PERFORMANCE.

gezzzz ,this isn't any of my business but can't you two settle this btween each & move on. i'd like to know how many people with power boat's & motor's that has had work performed on them and got them back in the allotted time it was promised.. ..isn't this the real world of power boating.!! heck everyome make's mistake's & promise's that can't be met even me..:-) promised a colt to someone once dang mare died , kept saying she was "on" ground havin labor. then sucker came to see the birth. was i caught ??

let me just try and sum this up a little bit

this is not about the motor they built -- or the problem i now have with it

this is COMPLETELY about the customer service i have not recieved.

hell -- **** happens -- things brake -- but my experience leads me to believe that the issue will not be resolved

Who wants butter on their popcorn? :D

Pssttttttttt..pass me Big Bucket dat popcorn look's like we gonna be here for awhile..

here ya go....