5 months to build a motor?????

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Aug 23, 2002 | 12:40 AM
  #1  
How Long to build a motor????
I am looking for someone to share with me any horror stories with me on how long it took to get an engine built after ordering it. I chose to order a motor from what I investigated to be a reputable engine builder. The name of the engine builder will remain unknown at this point, as I feel no need to slam them on this board, if the amount of time it has taken to complete my job is within limits that others have experienced.
I ordered my motor, custom built to my specs, back in March of 2002. I gave them $2000 down, which they charged to my account in the first week of April. It is now ending August, and all the builder tells me is "two more weeks, we should be done"
I am thinking "BIG DISCOUNT" or I am refusing shipment and disputing the credit card charge.
Am I being unreasonable?
Thanks for the input....
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Aug 23, 2002 | 01:26 AM
  #2  
Id start complaining. My motor only took a few days for the machine shop to put together once all the parts had arrived. and 4 months for parts is outrageous unless you're having every simgle part completly custom built to some strange spec. The build time for a good machine shop should be 1 week or less. The local machine shop can build race engines in 1 week, thats includes the fact that they have another 6 or 7 engines to do that week as well. So 4 months means either they dont care about your business or they screwed something up and dont want to tell you about it.
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Aug 23, 2002 | 01:44 AM
  #3  
Before you go off half baked have you asked the builder what the hold up is?
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Aug 23, 2002 | 04:30 AM
  #4  
Mine is taking a long time, already 4 months, but I am doing it myself and I am buying parts for it whenever I can.
1-2 weeks is the norm from what I understand.
5 months is a long time, sounds like they are putting in one bolt per day.
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Aug 23, 2002 | 07:35 AM
  #5  
Before you go off half-cocked, find out what the holdup is...

For instance, "retrofit" roller lifters have mostly only been available in the version forged in the fiery furnaces of Hell from purest virgin nonobtanium for about a year now. So if you're using one of those cams, they may be having real trouble getting the lifters. That's just one example of what can happen.

On the other hand, they may have just set you aside in favor of customers whose "needs" are more "urgent" than yours, in their opinion.... if that's the case, you have a legitimate complaint, and I'd do something like charge them credit card interest on the deposit by deducting it from the balance. People wake up when you talk to their wallet, a bunch of whining is usually ineffective.
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Aug 23, 2002 | 08:26 AM
  #6  
Always get in writing how long it will take. It should take 5-7 business days to build a stock motor. cust i lil longer but if parts are b/o they should tell u that. I think its at most it should take a month. I would dispute the bill if they dont get u the engine in 1 week from today. Well thats what I would do. Then again I wouldnt wait that long for a motor that put up $2000 for as a good faith deposit. What was that 1/2 the cost?? good luck call some local shops and see what they say.
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Aug 23, 2002 | 09:58 AM
  #7  
when did they say they'd have it? for a builder of race engines in the off season 5 month delivery isn't unusuall. i've had engines here for 5 months or longer because of differant little delays and problems.
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