Engine builder wants $3000 more for Merlin block?
#11
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,733
Likes: 8
From: bel air, md
Yeah sounds like a 1 hour wonder motor. Title of the thread is going to be New Engine misfire under load low oil pressure help! Then there is going to be a bunch of guys telling him to check the obvious. Ignition carb fuel blah blah blah. I'm going to tell him his stuff is blowed up because it detonated and the motor needs to come out. After a month or so he's going to pull the motor. The builder is going to deny the warranty for some ridiculous reason other than he doesn't know what he's doing. The OP will either take it to another builder that's going to blow smoke up his rectum convince him how great he is and continue to take his money and build him another 1 hour wonder motor or the OP will get disgusted and sell the boat and part out what's left of the motor. How many times have we seen this happen?
#12
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,879
Likes: 8
From: Southeast Michigan
1. Right before a notoriously bad plan is about to unfold.
2. Right after one promises not to finish on a Fountain skank's face/hair.
#13
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 89
From: Atlantic Southeast
That's my queue to require all receipts of parts used in my engine from his supplier to him. If I trusted anyone in my biz bridges would fall!
#15
Sounds to me like he's using used parts laying around to build your original motor and the Merlin block would have to be purchased new. Myself I like the newer Merlin blocks. The earlier Merlin blocks had some issues with machining but the new stuff is on point. With that said the Merlin Block are about $800 more than a Dart block and the Dart Block is just as good so why spend the extra money? Myself I would not use a set of lifters in a motor that takes 5 weeks to get unless I bought the lifters in bulk and kept them on the shelf. What happens if there is a failure? What happens if I build a new motor and one set of lifters doesn't pump up? Then your gonna wait another 5 weeks to get a set of lifters? I could be the best part in the world but if it's not available then what good is it? To me it doesn't sound like your builder has much common sense.
He gave me.
#16
#19
13,000 is not out of the realm of reality for a BBC done at a shop.
Parts and hours add up quickly.
You should expect a well thought out and executed engine program with reasonable reliabity for 13K.
Parts and hours add up quickly.
You should expect a well thought out and executed engine program with reasonable reliabity for 13K.
#20
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,733
Likes: 8
From: bel air, md
It cost a builder about $10,000 in parts for a long block. Nice parts. That's with a good set of aluminum heads. Carb and ignition another $1,500. Labor for Machine work $1,000 is on the very highend for this kind of build. This is a bolt together kind of motor and should take no longer than one day to assemble the motor. A day on the dyno $5-600. That's $13,000 roughly. With the use of the Engine Quest heads take $3,000 of the cost of the build. Now we are back to $10,000 this is with new everything... But the builder has to make a living. $1,000 for assembling the Engine (1 day work).



