Hello everyone.
I wanted to update an old thread and found there was some changes while I was away from the site, and I thought I would start a new thread.
Link to the original http://www.marineengine.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?12486/84984
First thanks again to everyone for their time and suggestions!
I have finally managed to figure out what the cause of the problems was, and it is beyond interesting.
One thing is for certain, and that is the value of having someone who knows what the frig they are doing and is willing to do the right thing and support their customers when doing an engine swap. Believe me I know how hard it is to find this type of person or place as I seemed to have found nothing but with this one.
After all the years and dollars that have passed with what was discussed in the original thread I finally decided to work with a local mobile service tech who is friends of friends, and nearly related (hope all that helps lol) and pull the damn engine again, and bring this rebuild with 2 hours max to be gone through and basically rebuilt again.
Upon tear down and inspection the rebuilder found that this engine had all kinds of problems that were most likely if not specifically due to Hesco not properly setting up the engine in the first place. Most notably is that all eight pistons had marks from when the exhaust valves were hitting them.
So low and behold if the original mechanic/boat yard who did the install would have not forced me to take this engine that was not right, and worked with me (heck he should have after soaking me for an additional $1900 over his original estimate) it would have gone back to Hesco while it was still under warranty and even before their local dealer went belly up and they refused to fully honor the warranty (basically alerting me to sue them).
Anyhow it seems that the valve-train being out of time was what was behind the power loss and rev up problem, and then also had allowed sea water to revert back into the engine basically washing all the internals and rusting them up pretty good over the last 2 years as well.
I am not sure if this or just running it for the two hours that way caused the push rods to bend, but I know that the seawater was what lead to the corrosion on them, and also on the rockers, cam, cam bearings (also out of line) and valve stems.
Sure wish I had removed the heads back in 07, but after finding the valve adjustment was so far out, and seeing how perfect everything looked from the bottom when changing out the leaking oil pan gasket (that one was installed by the yard so shame on them for what looked like an entire tube of silicone used on the pan), just would have saved a couple years if it was checked out in 07.
The engine is due back soon, and I hope everything goes smooth from here (doubtful though as the rebuilder seems to have found a way to misquote his estimate by $600) or at least that it runs like it should.
At least the damage to the pistons was superficial and did not do any real damage so they were reusable, but still it was needing a re-hone, all new main and rod bearings (due to the corrosion from sea water etc) resurfacing, new rings, push rods, lifters, guides and seals, valve job, about half of the rockers (due to corrosion) a new cam (more corrosion, and cheap insurance), cam bearings, re ring the flywheel, mill the balancer (lots of rust), and a good amount of hardware.
Does $1500, or the new $2100 sound right for this??
I mean the higher "new" number is only $1000 less than I paid for the original rebuild without a core. Just been a while since I had a big block rebuilt so I have no good info to judge by etc.
I will update once it gets installed etc, but just for fun I found a pic of the original engine that was delivered to me by the boat yard in 05 (the one they screwed me out of 2000 to install and screw up, oh yea and to sink my boat at their dock apparently) after it was pulled to be gone over in 07 after all attempts at getting help through the manufacturer through warranty were exhausted.
Here are a couple pics, notice all the nice rust on my new engine (way to go Whitey!! thanks for taking such good care of her) and I will not even get into all the other crap on the boat that had to be fixed due to the combination of such nice handling by the yard and cutting corners by Sea Ray. This was the condition it was in when originally received from the yard when still a new rebuild etc, and strangely it did not look anything like these after it was removed this year for the current rebuilding and it was in for two years longer. I mean do we have to do everything ourselves????
And check out the professional custom mod to the bell housing by the yard
I wanted to update an old thread and found there was some changes while I was away from the site, and I thought I would start a new thread.
Link to the original http://www.marineengine.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?12486/84984
First thanks again to everyone for their time and suggestions!
I have finally managed to figure out what the cause of the problems was, and it is beyond interesting.
One thing is for certain, and that is the value of having someone who knows what the frig they are doing and is willing to do the right thing and support their customers when doing an engine swap. Believe me I know how hard it is to find this type of person or place as I seemed to have found nothing but with this one.
After all the years and dollars that have passed with what was discussed in the original thread I finally decided to work with a local mobile service tech who is friends of friends, and nearly related (hope all that helps lol) and pull the damn engine again, and bring this rebuild with 2 hours max to be gone through and basically rebuilt again.
Upon tear down and inspection the rebuilder found that this engine had all kinds of problems that were most likely if not specifically due to Hesco not properly setting up the engine in the first place. Most notably is that all eight pistons had marks from when the exhaust valves were hitting them.
So low and behold if the original mechanic/boat yard who did the install would have not forced me to take this engine that was not right, and worked with me (heck he should have after soaking me for an additional $1900 over his original estimate) it would have gone back to Hesco while it was still under warranty and even before their local dealer went belly up and they refused to fully honor the warranty (basically alerting me to sue them).
Anyhow it seems that the valve-train being out of time was what was behind the power loss and rev up problem, and then also had allowed sea water to revert back into the engine basically washing all the internals and rusting them up pretty good over the last 2 years as well.
I am not sure if this or just running it for the two hours that way caused the push rods to bend, but I know that the seawater was what lead to the corrosion on them, and also on the rockers, cam, cam bearings (also out of line) and valve stems.
Sure wish I had removed the heads back in 07, but after finding the valve adjustment was so far out, and seeing how perfect everything looked from the bottom when changing out the leaking oil pan gasket (that one was installed by the yard so shame on them for what looked like an entire tube of silicone used on the pan), just would have saved a couple years if it was checked out in 07.
The engine is due back soon, and I hope everything goes smooth from here (doubtful though as the rebuilder seems to have found a way to misquote his estimate by $600) or at least that it runs like it should.
At least the damage to the pistons was superficial and did not do any real damage so they were reusable, but still it was needing a re-hone, all new main and rod bearings (due to the corrosion from sea water etc) resurfacing, new rings, push rods, lifters, guides and seals, valve job, about half of the rockers (due to corrosion) a new cam (more corrosion, and cheap insurance), cam bearings, re ring the flywheel, mill the balancer (lots of rust), and a good amount of hardware.
Does $1500, or the new $2100 sound right for this??
I mean the higher "new" number is only $1000 less than I paid for the original rebuild without a core. Just been a while since I had a big block rebuilt so I have no good info to judge by etc.
I will update once it gets installed etc, but just for fun I found a pic of the original engine that was delivered to me by the boat yard in 05 (the one they screwed me out of 2000 to install and screw up, oh yea and to sink my boat at their dock apparently) after it was pulled to be gone over in 07 after all attempts at getting help through the manufacturer through warranty were exhausted.
Here are a couple pics, notice all the nice rust on my new engine (way to go Whitey!! thanks for taking such good care of her) and I will not even get into all the other crap on the boat that had to be fixed due to the combination of such nice handling by the yard and cutting corners by Sea Ray. This was the condition it was in when originally received from the yard when still a new rebuild etc, and strangely it did not look anything like these after it was removed this year for the current rebuilding and it was in for two years longer. I mean do we have to do everything ourselves????
And check out the professional custom mod to the bell housing by the yard
Last edited:
