Just sharing my own crap of a mess. I read reviews of Mabbco Motors out of Tyler Texas which had mix reviews but after speaking to them I was told by them they ship out over 100,000 motors per year and the claims are minimal compared to what we ship out and reassured me not worry we have Mabbco Quality control which is located on there website, so read it and made the purchase... for a 5.7L roller cam stock replacement for the 89 camaro. Here is what I got from them Rust Rings in 5 of the Cylinders and binding up as you turn it over. Click Here No way it made it through there quality control. Now I have to fight with them to get a refund.

 

wow they sent it to you like that? that is horrible.

 

WOW.

 

Their website says they build each motor to order. Yours looks like it has been sitting someplace for a long time. I hope you can get your money back.

 

So i submitted my claim with photos and a video and this is the response from Mabbco. Are they for real? "Thank you for submitting the warranty claim form. MABBCO has reviewed your submission and has the following requests for information/clarification:

1. The photos of the cylinder walls you submitted were very close-up and somewhat blurry. Please retake these photos. Please include close-up photos, as well as, photos at a greater distance.
2. Regarding the photos of the cylinder walls, specially, what is your concern? What are your trying to depict or show us in these photos?

At your earliest convenience, please respond to the above requests as they are essential to the evaluation of your claim."

Technical Support Team

MABBCO MOTORS

1915 W. Erwin St.

TYLER, TX 75702

903-597-2441

 

Sounds like their warranty dept needs to get an eye exam ASAP.

 

Not good. And now they are going to play STUPID, and you will go crazy trying to make them understand the problem.
I feel for you.

 

I detect a troll.

 

Huh ? OP has been here for 5 years and has no history of trolling that I can see, and has in fact contributed a number of times.

 

They're response about the photos, and/or what your concern is,...are beyond insulting. A friend of mine wanted me to install a motor from one of these e-bay companies recently. I told him, "nope, not interested. Have it rebuilt locally or buy from the manufacturer." He didnt listen. Got 900 miles out of the motor til it flung a rod and punched a hole in the block. I hope the give you a quality exchange or refund

 

sofa is the resident troll, lol.

 

theres nothing wrong with that, run it.

 

Sorry: in one of those, looking at it with what I was looking on at the time, it looked like a block that had a chunk out of the bottom of a cyl and a crack down the cyl wall. I was mistaken, I didn't see what I was thinking I was.

That rust is totally insignificant. It's about that would accumulate on the cyl wall if the block was cleaned in the parts washer and then sat overnight.

I'd run it. Wipe it off if it really bothers you. You can wash the cyl walls from both top & bottom with WD-40 to flush the last bit of it out, if you want.

 

I agree with Sofa! That looks very light. If you let the engine sit for a few weeks its likely to have more surface rust than that on the bore. Worst case I would run it. I have had worse in blocks fresh from the machine shop I built into some nice engines. I have seen them start surface rusting as quickly as you can start to dry them when you pressure wash them.

Will also say I have seen worse in two different brand new goodwrench 350s. Both broke in and ran great. Install the crank bolt and use a socket and breakover bar to spin the engine over. In my experience it did not even start to pit the bores. You are likely feeling the valve spring pressure anyway on the cam as the cam reaches full lift. These engines will always have areas in the crank rotation that are more stiff than other areas. With my double springs and 0.627 lift roller cam it is very noticeable.

 

Agreed...Put it in and run it. Would not worry me in the least.

 

I can't say I disagree with any of the "go ahead and run it" suggestions. As mentioned I've seen worse in assembled shortblocks that I've left uncovered overnight. Somewhat disconcerting? Sure. But an issue worth a warranty claim? Not that I'd pursue.
As suggested, hose it down with WD-40 and spin it over a few times with a breaker bar. Then check the bores again. If it really is bound up when you try to spin it, then it may be time for action.

 

My current 383 had some minor rust in the bores of the machined block before I built it. The bores were rust stained when I put the rotating assembly into it. Broke in and ran fine.

This is what the bores looked like in one of the 5.3s I put into a tahoe I was messing with. $100 junkyard pull from a truck that had an injector/fuel rail fire. Made 320 RWHP when it was done and had nearly 200 psi in every cylinder. The main and rod bearings looked so nice I reused them. It was a junkyard pull with over 200k. I did not pull the pistons out of it. Just hit the bores with some wd40 and spun the engine over a few times. Look at #7 and the top of #3. Honestly why it does not bother me. I beat the snot out of this engine in an 03 Tahoe for 6 months on an 80 mile a day round trip, sold the truck to a friend of mine. He has had it for a year and has put another 40K on it.


This is what the thing looked like when I pulled it. Only pulled the heads to change the valve stem seals and springs. I regasketed the whole thing. Doesn't smoke or burn oil and runs like a scalded dog. ~250K mile bottom end, fwiw.



Point is if the engine will turn 720°, put it in and run it.

 

I concur. WD40 or Automatic trans fluid, crank over with spark plugs out and run it.

 

I'm assuming these pics - at least not all of them - were not taken when you first got it ?? I gotta' wonder; why does that piston look to be full of antifreeze ?? Just my here,......... I've run engines after rebuilding them that had greater crud in the cylinder(s) after a head-gasket fail.

While not something you want to see on a newly purchased block,... I'm betting it will wipe out completely using just a green scrubby pad with a little oil on it.

 

OP, what did you end up doing and how did it turn out? I am Thinking of buying a Mabbco L98. Thanks.

 

I ended up taking it apart, cleaning it up and putting it back together. I haven't had a problem and have about 2500 miles on the car. Good luck

 

Thanks for the update.

 

Coming up on Five years on your engine install. How is it doing? Thanks, Mikeceli

 

it was junk. Do not buy from them. I had to have it rebuilt at a local shop. They said Mabbco used old parts. Stay away from Mabbco.

 

Wow! That is horrible! What used parts did the machinist find? What failure occurred? I know Maabco has a lot of bad reviews and a lot of good ones. You have my sympathies.

 

IT would have been nice to update this thread when the engine became 'junk'..
like pics of the issue
compression test
leak down test
all the stuff to back up the claim of being junk.
im not sticking up for the company, nor bad mouthing the OP, just more info would have been real nice.

 

then don't listen to me. Buy it from them. I don't care. The local machine shop said they put in used parts. It was knocking and I didn't asked him to give me a run down of a leak test, compression etc.