Well here is the deal i bought a 500 HP from a guy on here in the classifieds about a month ago. I get the motor and all the serial #s are ground of and painted plus looks like motor was in salt water. Was told the motor had 80 hrs and now i know this is total ****. I mean the casting # is gone ground off and painted black. I payed 8,000.00 for this motor and i am not sure what route to go with this.

So can some one please steer me in the right direction as this guy has a boat and a out drive listed on here for sale write now.

Real 500hp'S were blue not black, forged crank, forged pistons, carb motors had aluminum intakes with brass water jackets and a holley carb. and the one I had had the oil filter mount on the rear of the port head. First think you need to do is make sure of what you have or don't have.

If your transaction is well-documented, you could sue him. You're going to have to hire an expert to examin the engine, then come to court at conferences and the trial, plus you're going to have to pay a lawyer. And this is going to have to occur in the state you bought the engines in. Probably not worth it- you'll spend well over the 8 grand and even if you win, all you have is a judgment. you have to collect it- not easy, even when you're in the same town.

If you've spoken to him and he's told you to pound salt, you can feel free to post pics and details of the story and we can see about an OSO beat-down for him.

Nobody likes crooks around here. Or anywhere else. Maybe when confronted with the reality of everyone at his boating hangouts knowing he lied and f'ed someone on this deal, he may straighten up.

I could be wrong ,but I thought the blocks are black and the heads,water pump and intake manifold are blue.

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. The block is black The valve covers and the carb and intake all is blue along with the pulleys. I mean i am no expert but i am pretty sure this is a 500. I am just starting to think the motor is one of the ones out of a boat from hurricane Katrina or maybe Stolen. When i pulled the valve covers the lifters were crane and the motor has good compression all 8 cylinders fired and the thing has a ton of lift it seems. Like i said when it comes to motors i really have no clue. I am gonna go down to marina today and take a bunch of pictures and will post them on here.

Like i said before this guy has a boat for sale on here and a out drive i don't want anyone else to get in the situation i am in.

When i first seen the ad he had two motors and said one went south to like louisiana or Alabama and then i bought the other one. He also keeps saying the motor was made in 2001 and as far as i new they stopped making the carbed gen 6 in 1998? He said to run the serial # on the flame arrest er and there is not one.

I am so pissed about this write now here i spent all the money i had saved 8000.00 to do a engine upgrade and now feel like i bought one that i already need to gone through.

As far as the money i sent via bank wire transfer so is well documented and he also signed the bill of lading from the shipping of the motor.

On documentation, I meant that you have a purchase agreement. Bottom line, you have little legal recourse- at least anything that makes economic sense.

Did these motors come out of Texas?

No new jersey. The ad was run here so i would think that for as to what the guy said he was selling me they would have record of it all that i have is phone # and were he is located. And what has been told to me over the phone. What if the motor is stolen. Then i should have a leg to stand on shouldnt i?

I too got screwed by a member of oso,i bought a complete engine with dyno papers,build sheets etc.,took his word because he seemed really cool,put it in the boat and complete junk,already sold my stock motor so what was i to do?had to spend another $6000 and get it rebuilt,all he said was he doesnt understand how this happened and he has no money,WHATEVER man,this has made me not ever buy used stuff again.

Who...do us all a favor and get the name out there. Save someone else from getting screwed.

Unless you have a written agreement of exactly what you were buying, you've got nothing. Your word and evidence of a call placed to another phone number is nothing. And even if you did have absolute bulletproof evidence, all you can do is spend a bunch of your own money- only to get a likely-uncollectable judgment.

Have you spoken to this person about these issues?

Have you had the motor looked at by someone knowledgeable on HP marine engines?

By the way, there are no serial numbers on the block. Merc places a tag all the way in the back, at the bottom of the bellhousing flange- it's riveted on. At the least, there should be the original holes for the rivets.