Engine Builders (So Cal & AZ)

[RiverDave]

Jasper offers a 1050 motor with a 2 year warranty

View attachment 1245994

Lol.. that would hurt a lot of feelings if it was true

 

[RiverDave]

I love it.. the Merc engine won’t be blue anymore , and the boat will be worthless unless Teague fixes it!!

That is exactly what I said in the first place. If the engine is still outwardly identical to stock, there is not going to be a meaningful change to the resale value of the engine is healthy. These 525s need work at 250-300 hours, that is common knowledge.

They are not all fixed at Teague.

 

[H20 Toie]

They were 600’s and I think Mario did the work

Sure. I agree on forced induction applications, and buyer beware, but we are talking an NA big block here. These 525s have well known top end weak points. So having those addressed and adding a little power makes them full custom and to retain resale value these well documented and needed modifications can only done by a Teague?

Didn’t H20 Toie just rebuild one or both of the 525s (edit 600s) in his cigarette? If I followed that story correctly they were not rebuilt by Teague and magically he somehow made money on that boat and didn’t destroy the resale value.

Actually they were 700's and yes they were both rebuilt by Mario, if someone thinks the boat would have been worth more if rebuilt by Teague i totally disagree,

Fyi the guy that bought it hauled it straight out to Texas and ran the Cig in Texas outlaw challenge and won its class, so yeah Mario did a good job on those motors

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Is your intention to keep it a 525? Or are you looking for more power?

Before the cheer leading starts on which shop that is an important question.

I want to keep the 525. Not looking to do anything else but rebuild it so it runs for another 300-400 hours +

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Actually they were 700's and yes they were both rebuilt by Mario, if someone thinks the boat would have been worth more if rebuilt by Teague i totally disagree,

Fyi the guy that bought it hauled it straight out to Texas and ran the Cig in Texas outlaw challenge and won its class, so yeah Mario did a good job on those motors

That was a tough situation, and I agree. I’m glad you did well on the boat.

 

[H20 Toie]

I want to keep the 525. Not looking to do anything else but rebuild it so it runs for another 300-400 hours +

Thats the smart thing to do, same thing i did with the motors on the cig, just want them dependable, i wasn't planning on selling the boat when i had them rebuilt

 

[counterpart7]

A Blueprint 632 775 HP marine engine is $16.5k with a 1 year warranty. Complete from carb to pan.

Not bad..

BluePrint Big Block Stroker Marine Crate Engine - Throttle.News

BluePrint Big Block Stroker Marine Crate Engine | BluePrint has a lineup of crate marine engines with prices from $4,499 to $13,799.

throttle.news

I wanna see someone actually use one of these!

 

[gqchris]

A Blueprint 632 775 HP marine engine is $16.5k with a 1 year warranty. Complete from carb to pan.

Not bad..

BluePrint Big Block Stroker Marine Crate Engine - Throttle.News

BluePrint Big Block Stroker Marine Crate Engine | BluePrint has a lineup of crate marine engines with prices from $4,499 to $13,799.

throttle.news

If the motor shits the bed in my HTM id be half tempted to throw that in. Not bad at all!

 

[gqchris]

Actually they were 700's and yes they were both rebuilt by Mario, if someone thinks the boat would have been worth more if rebuilt by Teague i totally disagree,

Fyi the guy that bought it hauled it straight out to Texas and ran the Cig in Texas outlaw challenge and won its class, so yeah Mario did a good job on those motors

Mario has worked on my lil family Deckboat the last few years and treated me like a DCB owner. He now gets my HTM work and I am sol glad I found him. Great group of folks over there.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

If the motor shits the bed in my HTM id be half tempted to throw that in. Not bad at all!

Seriously. I can think of a couple guys I know that should have just bought one of these instead of all the messing around building engines and waiting for engine builders the last couple years.

 

[n2otoofast4u]

My new to me HTM has a brand new motor from Todd. What impressed me was that he graciously spoke with me on the phone when I called him asking about his motor before I bought it. He was so helpful and accomodating. He has my business from here on out.

I have a gift card in the mail for him since I know people calling for "free" advice is never easy or free.

Did you buy the white one from OD1?

 

[240Hallett]

I think Joe has been through a few bitchin boats and has finally found one that fits his family. Hey Joe, are you planning on selling this boat anytime soon? Most of this talk seems to be about resale value, I would say just build it for you.

 

[RiverDave]

I want to keep the 525. Not looking to do anything else but rebuild it so it runs for another 300-400 hours +

Todd’s performance

 

[Bajastu]

Todd’s performance

I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Todd’s Performance.

 

[hallett21]

Just put a 1100 in and stop being poor .

Sorry to hear you’re dealing with this. It’ll be worth it in the end.

 

[mjc]

I wanna see someone actually use one of these!

I would do it in a heartbeat, these other motors are just that motors. I have rebuilt my own with no problems. It is not like merc really does that much special to a 525 over what gm sells them.

 

[Meaney77]

As I stated in my other thread yesterday, we are going to be doing a full rebuild of our Merc Racing 525.

I am looking for engine builder recommendations between Phoenix and So Cal. I know the regulars like Teague, GT, Paul Pfaff, etc. Looking for someone that I may not have heard of that is reputable.

My buddy works at Jim Grubbs, so will be reaching out to him today.

Who else should I know?!

Jim at Jim Grubb (JGM) rebuilt my HP 500 back in 2005 and I never had an issue with the motor until summer of 2021. I think I had 350 hours on the motor since they rebuilt.

I had Steve at Savage pull the motor out of the boat and then dropped the motor back off to Ryan at JGM. When the motor was complete Savage did the install and got it running. JGM did a full rebuild and after almost a year I was back on the water last October 2022. Like everyone else last season JGM was dealing with supply chain issues and staffing issues related to Covid. I am sure you wont have the same challenges now.

Ryan was great to deal with and provided weekly updates- I wouldnt hesitate to use or recommend JGM for a full rebuild on any motor.

 

[Motoxxxloak]

Few things I’ve noted here. Keep my 525 stock and it’s almost time for a top end. However, recent scan and leakdown say I might have another season or so…


Editing to chime in on the actual post. When I bought my last boat, it had a fresh rebuild from Pro Marine. Between when I bought it and not long after, I had issues. Took it to two shops, both said it was fine. I was having issues getting on plane and I was told to buy the whale tail, try a different prop etc.

Took it to Mario at so cal speed and marine and he instantly said it didn’t sound right. He said to the untrained ear ( I assume me) it would sound normal but to him it didn’t. He was right. While I had my own issues with the timeliness of things and a few other things that don’t need discussing, he did what I paid him to do. I no longer had any issues and the boat ran fantastic for the few trips I kept it before selling.

When the time comes, I’m not sure who I’ll have refresh my new (to me) boat. But, I would not count him out of my top 5 on my list.

 

[Bigbore500r]

As I stated in my other thread yesterday, we are going to be doing a full rebuild of our Merc Racing 525.

I am looking for engine builder recommendations between Phoenix and So Cal. I know the regulars like Teague, GT, Paul Pfaff, etc. Looking for someone that I may not have heard of that is reputable.

My buddy works at Jim Grubbs, so will be reaching out to him today.

Who else should I know?!

Jim Grubbs does a great job.
Check out QMP in chatsworth as well, not sure how backlogged they are.

How many hours, needs a FULL rebuild?
That boat is haunted!

My BBC guru recently moved from SFV to Fort Mohave and has been setting up shop slowly. Not sure if he's taking motors yet, but he is excellent and is "the man behind the scenes" for alot of shops that do marine engines. He builds and ships BBC's across the US, lots of offshore customers. I can reach out to him if your interested.

 

[Bigbore500r]

If you’re getting a Mercury Racing engine rebuilt and you’re interested in it holding value you need to use an engine shop that is also a Mercury racing certified service center/dealer. That should narrow the list down. There are a lot of engine shops that do really know what they are doing, but you want one that has a lot of experience with particular Mercury packages that can give you a complete engine back in the boat better than factory new.

@OldSchoolBoats this is an excellent point.

The first question I would ask when paying the premium for a "blue motor merc" powered boat is "oh it's been rebuilt......by who?"

There's people im comfortable with, but thats my opinion. For the masses, non gearheads....the only names that seem to matter for resale are Merc themselves, and Teague.....at least on the west coast.

 

[poncho]

I wanna see someone actually use one of these!

I've seen talk on Yellowbullet about these motors and it seemed mostly positive.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I've seen talk on Yellowbullet about these motors and it seemed mostly positive.

The factory tours I’ve seen on YouTube in past are pretty awesome. It looks like a solid operation.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Try Blair’s speed shop Pasadena

 

[Done-it-again]

Try Blair’s speed shop Pasadena

Didn't know Blair's did boat engines... I had a 400hp 302 built by them back in the mid 90' for my 65 mustang....

 

[River Dirt 2]

Go two blocks further and visit Carson Brummett

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Go two blocks further and visit Carson Brummett

Is he Mercury Racing Certified?

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Talked to Todd at Todd's Performance today. Sounds like that is the direction we will go. When I thought about the logistics of getting it from Havasu to California and back, decided to just keep it in Havasu.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Is he Mercury Racing Certified?

Blair’s builds engines and one of the best out there

 

[timstoy]

Whoever you use be sure to ask who is doing the machine work and engine assembly. The end results are only as good as the person doing the work!

 

[Ballyhoo]

Just want to rebuild and get back on the water. From what I have heard, the new parts to rebuild will increase HP. Not looking to do anything as far as going bigger.

Call Carson Brummett in Pasadena - 626-792-6410. He rebuilt my Merc 502 years ago. He will sit down with you and figure out what type of boating you do and what you are looking for. He won't be finished in 3 weeks or a month but it will be done right. He does everything in house including dyno testing/break in.

 

[Ballyhoo]

I want to keep the 525. Not looking to do anything else but rebuild it so it runs for another 300-400 hours +

I am pushing 600 hours

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Call Carson Brummett in Pasadena - 626-792-6410. He rebuilt my Merc 502 years ago. He will sit down with you and figure out what type of boating you do and what you are looking for. He won't be finished in 3 weeks or a month but it will be done right. He does everything in house including dyno testing/break in.

That sounds like a great idea but I just don't have that Brummet scratch. Logistics will be better to stay in Havasu.

 

[ltbaney1]

Bostick Racing Engines (nikki the insurance agent I use's husband). If and when I do a jet boat down the road he's going to be my call.

careful with that one, after 3 weeks of not being able to get ahold of him after he had my engine for 3 months, i showed up at his shop and loaded my stuff. i know alot of guys run his engines, but i know more than a couple who have had the same experience i had.

 

[sintax]

careful with that one, after 3 weeks of not being able to get ahold of him after he had my engine for 3 months, i showed up at his shop and loaded my stuff. i know alot of guys run his engines, but i know more than a couple who have had the same experience i had.

Thats a really bummer if its true. James was always super easy to get a hold of when he built my engine.

It did take a while, but in his defense, I went in there and told him I was not in a rush so I'm sure I got pushed to the back of the line a lot.

 

[Good Stuff]

Talked to Todd at Todd's Performance today. Sounds like that is the direction we will go. When I thought about the logistics of getting it from Havasu to California and back, decided to just keep it in Havasu.

Especially after the ordeal Matt and Des went through last year. Weeks worth of extra BS to try and get the boat and engine back and forth for warranty work with no real local support.

 

[Ballyhoo]

That sounds like a great idea but I just don't have that Brummet scratch. Logistics will be better to stay in Havasu.

I f you are looking for big HP, turbos and the like, yes it would be $$$$. For the average rebuild he is competitive.

 

[farmo83]

Clearly this thread is why teague outs his own stickers on a 525

 

[altoun40]

Does anybody have Berry (obnoxious) contact info they can send me? Thanks.

 

[JFMFG]

Does anybody have Berry (obnoxious) contact info they can send me? Thanks.

@obnoxious001

 

[altoun40]

@obnoxious001

I am fairly new to the forum. But I tried to send him a private message but didn't see an option. So I started a conversation. Not sure if I did it correctly.

 

[obnoxious001]

I am fairly new to the forum. But I tried to send him a private message but didn't see an option. So I started a conversation. Not sure if I did it correctly.

You got it right, will talk to you in 10 or 15 mins.