Hello fellow boat gear heads. I have a small issue and I could really use some opinions. I have come here to offshore only because while building my 21’ mirage I had lots of questions and by using the search I found almost all my answers. I found that in all the English interwebs this forum consistently has the best most accurate advice and also the least amount of boneheads. So enough of the brown nosing and on to the issue.
To give you the background I got a 1996 21’ mirage trovare from a friend. It had no motor or accessories as the 5.0 mercy that was in it had been frozen as in not winterized. Long story short a buddy that owns a machine shop built me a 5.7. Nothing crazy just upgraded to a one piece rear main and a factory roller set up. I bought all new accessories and put it together an in the boat. We had a great summer. Last year I put it in the water in the spring and had issues right away. Long story short both heads cracked from heat and the motor ended up a core in the end. Sad and true. This year I decide to buy a marine engine from a reputable machine shop that knows marine engines. I also decide to move up to a vortec head motor. I sent them money they sent me a motor. Just after I started to dress the long Bloch I found they sent me the wrong motor I that I didn’t have the mechanical fuel pump boss. I specifically asked for the mechanical boss block so they sent me the correct motor and I sent the first one back.
Now to the issue I unwrapped the new motor and I looked ok but upon closer inspection getting ready to install the harmonic balancer and water pump I noticed a few things. 1. The block has rust inside already and not just a little a significant amount. I realize it is a raw water cooled motor and it will have rust in the water jackets but from brand new rebuilt?
2. The supposed rebuilt vortec heads have rust in them too. Not as bad as the block but still rust. 3. There is oil in the valley ondicating that thins engine is not new. It is clean oil but the original long block did not have oil it just had assembly lube. 4. The machine face of the sealing surface of the head to the intake does not look fresh it doesn’t look bad but it surely doesn’t look brand new. 4. The bypass hole in the block for the water pump has a plug in it and it have a short pump with the bypass and v belt set up like the original 5.0 had. I believe if I leave that plug in it will cause cooling issues because as I understand it that plug is for newer style reverse rotation pumps which don’t need the bypass. So if I left it as they sent it I could be right down the same road if it overheated.

Now my question is do you who know think this is par for the course or is this bulls**t. I have been trying to come to terms with it but I can’t seem to justify it in my head. I paid $4300 Canadian for it which roughly works out to $3000 USD. Should I send I back or ?

Hey thanks a lot for the reply. I have pics if I can figure out how to post them. I hear what you are saying. The first motor I got was clean. I have a suspicion that the engine they sent me was the core I sent them. Which is not a bad thing but it is not as advertised. The heads are supposed to be fresh rebuilds. I am asking because I see that I can get a new long block from Michigan motors for close to the same price and it will not be rusty and I know it should be right. Also the motor from Michigan comes with plugs and the dampener which this one did not. I am just struggling with if I should send it back.

I guess spending all my time reading the threads doesn’t help. Apparently you need 10 posts to post pictures. Unless I got that wrong

Three more posts and I can post pictures? I hope that’s how it works. Either that or I look like a dumb ass.

Will do

Oh snap it worked