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Just my luck.... Need advice


BaBaLoO

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So if you've followed my posts about my engine troubles that I have been having wait till you hear this. So I was having troubles starting my boat and burning ecms, my shop couldnt figure out what the problem was and after spending about 5k they decided(as did Indmar) that the motor should be crated to Indmar for futher inspection. They suspected that the crank shaft was cracked or warped. Indmar said that they had no issues with the engine after doing a major tune up(new cap rotor, plugs, plug wires, coil) Most of which has already been replaced. They said that the crank shaft was fine and that the engine is running great that they didnt have one issue, I was sceptical and still am since I spent 5k already when that was all that was needed??? Anyways after not having my boat since about MAY i was excited to get the boat back..... well aparently when the engine got to the shop the crate was damaged and engine on its side....just my luck..... so the shop refused the shippment and had it sent back to indmar. The shipping company is fed ex. I asked indmar if fed ex would cover any damage, they said fed ex would. I said that I will not accept the engine back unless the whole thing was taken apart and inspected with pictures of the damage and the engine taken apart to make sure that they actually do it to be 100 percent sure that everything is fine, I dont want to be stuck with a broken or an engine that isnt running again,is that too much of me to ask? well no pictures indmar said they will not take the engine apart. the damage that they have found is on the alternator, water pump CRANK SENSOR weird since that was apparenty an issue from before. So Im asking do I have the right to be as anal as I am not after being very patient for the last few months? After all this is done I will be in 8k spent on a new ecm that burned new harness that was suggested by indmar because my ecm kept burning(didnt help) and a major tune up already done by my shop with labor mostly trouble shooting. Let me know what you think.

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Agreed donot accept the motor. FWIW I saw a jet engine refused because it was delevered on a truck that did not have "air ride" suspention. Something about vibrations.....

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The bearings in motors are actually very soft, they will compress if the motor is dropped or had abuse if shipped improperly. Most engine manufacturers or builders that ship engines send them with "Shockwatch" or "Drop n Tell" on the crate they are shipped in. Stand your ground with them and make sure you don't have to worry about having issues next season. I treat my boat like it is a exotic / luxory car and I expect to be treated like a customer that is going to buy a new one next year.

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If an engine has been dropped in shipping, typically what you have to look out for is a cracked block or cracks elsewhere such as in the heads or manifolds. This is other than the obvious stuff like broken ancillaries (alt/WP/etc.) that tend to stick out and take a hit when in such a situation. You don't need to worry about bearings. Also, unless the block is cracked you won't need to worry about a broken crankshaft - a non-defective crankshaft can take a helluva beating, that is, after all, what it does in normal operation.

If it appears from the external damage you can see that the engine was dropped really hard then you probably want to push for a replacement engine. If it looks like it just maybe tipped over and only needs a couple new ancillaries then the basic engine may be fine and you just need it checked and anything obviously wrong put right.

Sorry to hear about your troubles

Edited by CliffB
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No word of a lie wakemehappy 8k in. absolutely disgusted with how things have progress with indmar. They say that the engine was tipped over but im sorry I do find that hard to believe if it was sitting at the very bottom of a shipment. I believe it either fell of the truck or off a fork lift. With all the troubles I have been having with indmar's engine I figured that they would go the extra mile to make sure that everything with the engine was ok but even still there is always that what if now. It is possible that there could be something that they could miss or something that they can see that could cause troubles down the road. I did ask for a new engine considering the crap I've gone through but they said theres no way that would happen. Big surprise. even if it wasnt on their tab. THey said that fed ex would send over someone to exam the extent of the damage but what sort of mechanical knowledge would they have? Honestly "fed" up with all of this. Something should be done not just right but above and beyond in my case. I have all emails saved and all bills saved to show that Im not just making this up to indmar.MLBurns I completely agree with you, I baby the hell out of my boat and to now have it tarnished with this on going crap is just un acceptable. I honestly was worried to hear some ppl say that I am asking for too much, I def appreciate the comments, please keep them coming.

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I'd hate to say this, but in your case, if all is true an you have the receipts to back it, and Indmar won't inspect it to your satisfaction, I would have my attorney send a letter that either the motor is fixed to my likings, WITH a new warranty, or a new engine is sent. If those terms cannot be met, further action will be taken.

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Indmar builds a great engine, sorry to hear the troubles you are having. Indmar is not going to do more than what Fed Ex is going to cover, sorry, but that is the reality.

I think the position you have is Indmar needs to know that if there is trouble with the engine, Indmar will be responsible for that trouble. Once they accept and agree with the Fed Ex position of what will be replaced and what will be inspected, the engine and any problems associated with it (if any) are Indmar's responsibility, ie: Indmar will not be able to say the engine was damaged during shipment and therefore not their problem.

good luck

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I can't believe they went internal on an electrical issue, grasping at straws. I had a similar issue with a Merc engine a while back, the timing module in the distributor was bad and trashing ecms. No one could figure it out, not even the regional MErc rep and his band of merry men. Not saying that is your issue, but just saying these engines are complicated and limited access to qualified repairs is the norm.

As for the damage, I would get a statement from Indmar stating that you will only accept the engine if you can have a qualified mechanic look it over. I would at minimum pull the oil pan to ensure the oil pump pick up is still in place and lift the distributor, the key way alignment shaft on many of these is a plastic tube.

Good luck. As many have said 8k is really excessive for trying to find out what is wrong with the engine.

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No word of a lie wakemehappy 8k in. absolutely disgusted with how things have progress with indmar. They say that the engine was tipped over but im sorry I do find that hard to believe if it was sitting at the very bottom of a shipment. I believe it either fell of the truck or off a fork lift. With all the troubles I have been having with indmar's engine I figured that they would go the extra mile to make sure that everything with the engine was ok but even still there is always that what if now. It is possible that there could be something that they could miss or something that they can see that could cause troubles down the road. I did ask for a new engine considering the crap I've gone through but they said theres no way that would happen. Big surprise. even if it wasnt on their tab. THey said that fed ex would send over someone to exam the extent of the damage but what sort of mechanical knowledge would they have? Honestly "fed" up with all of this. Something should be done not just right but above and beyond in my case. I have all emails saved and all bills saved to show that Im not just making this up to indmar.MLBurns I completely agree with you, I baby the hell out of my boat and to now have it tarnished with this on going crap is just un acceptable. I honestly was worried to hear some ppl say that I am asking for too much, I def appreciate the comments, please keep them coming.

Contact EngineNut on here, I believe he works for Indmar. He may be able to provide some assistance.

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I'd hate to say this, but in your case, if all is true an you have the receipts to back it, and Indmar won't inspect it to your satisfaction, I would have my attorney send a letter that either the motor is fixed to my likings, WITH a new warranty, or a new engine is sent. If those terms cannot be met, further action will be taken.

Will see what they say today, I will keep you all posted but looks like that is the route I will have to go.

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After me stating that I will not accept the return and to hold the engine.I still have no pictures of the engine still refusal from indmar to do the job right. One question that makes me think. They got the enigne on wed. and it is already done and ready to ship does that seem odd or just me? Seems too quick.

It is going back to Bakes. There is nothing wrong with the engine. What we did to your engine the first time it came back here was a gesture of goodwill. You are the second owner of an engine that never had the warranty or registration transferred to your name and even if it had been transferred to your name, is no longer within the warranty period. We are sending the engine back. You will have to deal with any issues at that end.

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Babaloo-

Have you talked to the folks at INDMAR yourself vs emails back and forth? If not, I'd recommend you call direct... I forgot the lead customer service tech rep guy's name....

Contrary to other (cough cough Malibu) customer service depts, I found INDMARs very user friendly and customer oriented.

Just keep in mind a few things: it's not INDMAR's responsibility that you are 8k in, or their fault that it was dropped in shipment. Talk nice to the folks and explain where you are coming from.

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Contact EngineNut on here, I believe he works for Indmar. He may be able to provide some assistance.

Engine nut guy is Larry (I think). don't remember his last name...Try JT at Indmar first, then is no success, try talking to LArry.

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Thanks for all the responses. I agree with you all but at this point im going to stop posting about this as I am going to get a attorney involved. I will update when this is all done. Thanks for the support!

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As an old engine guy I am not going to say much without looking at the engine but. You would not need to take the engine down for a drop unless it showed damage in a critical area.

you can diagnose with tools an amazing amount from the outside. I would not be happy but we must be reasonable.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So just a little update for everyone thats been following this story... Fed ex never got a request from indmar to make a claim.... is that a little suspicious? Fed ex also stated that if someone had gone to inspect the damage of the engine they would not nessasarly have a background in mechanics, they would just show up to see if the enigne is/was damaged and thats it. So now that I have no pictures from indmar or fed ex to prove how damaged the engine was, does that kinda screw me? Fed ex also stated that they also dont bellieve that the package had just tipped over, it was labeled to be placed on the bottom of the carrier. and that think maybe that it dropped off a fork lift? Does this all just seem a little fishy?

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