Looking for a new block? Here is a Warning

[Duvall]

I rolled the dice on an import block. I am satisfied with the block itself, the seller is a shyster. The say the block is inspected before shipment, yet the bores are .002" over max. They wanted me to return the block at $400 in shipping. I tried to reason with them and they made it sound like they were willing to pay for the boring cost, then nothing. They just want you to go away.

I had my machine shop fill out their paperwork, I made a video they requested. I jumped through all their hoops

MABBCO motors.

They are on Ebay, which is where I found them. I called to get more info and ended up buying directly over the phone and saved $200.

If anyone wants the email trail I will be happy to send it. Just PM me your email address.


I can't say that all import blocks would have a bore size issue. MABBCO said they bought a bunch of these blocks several years ago. I would say that is a true statement because it looked like it had been sitting around and there was surface rust in the lifter valley.

 

[Will L.]

Imo, You should also post pic of how they “sealed” the oil supply to the center mount turbo here for people to see.

 

[Duvall]

Imo, You should also post pic of how they “sealed” the oil supply to the center mount turbo here for people to see.

Here is the nonsense that Will is referring to.

I didn't think I put this in the Performance section.

 

[MrMarty51]

Imo, You should also post pic of how they “sealed” the oil supply to the center mount turbo here for people to see.

And so a plate needs to be made to plug this hole ? Oh wait, the small hole with the messed up plug looking device must be for the oil supply, large hole for oil return.

 

[Will L.]

And so a plate needs to be made to plug this hole ? Oh wait, the small hole with the messed up plug looking device must be for the oil supply, large hole for oil return.

Yes, that is correct. the seal is a 1 piece rubber oring. the bottom of the turbo that mounts there is surfaced flat. so just the oring seals the pressure side apart from the drain side all the time. The bearing seal was not needed.

 

[Husker6.5]

By going "off eBay" and completing the transaction via telephone to "save $200" instead of doing the purchase transaction through eBay's purchase portal, you forfeited your buyer protection rights through eBay and the ability to get a refund on your money/resolution of the issue.

There was a vendor out of NC, Bostic Motors, on eBay that was selling what they claimed were "Brazilian" 6.5 blocks with "superior" alloys, engineering and machining for a premium price that were just junk CKO blocks. There was another place that was in a suburb of NYC, International Diesel, that was supposedly selling completely remanufactured and dyno-tested drop-in and long block 6.5's but were in actuality selling used military surplus 6.5's that had been pulled from service in Iraq following the Gulf War that they just power washed, painted, and slapped p/u heads on and used turbos/ip's, according to application ordered for long blocks/drop ins. A person I know from another forum bought a drop in reman from them and it failed in 13 miles. International tried to claim that since the head heat tabs changed color, that he had overheated it and the warranty was void. A professional tear down and inspection, as well as casting numbers, showed that the block was never overbored, had hairline main and cam web cracks and a crack in the wall of cyl #8 into the coolant jacket and had only p/u heads bolted onto a toasted block by International. The guy was an eye surgeon in Pittsburgh, he got the NY Attorney General involved and also the PA AG. This was back in around 2007. The last I had heard a few years later, International Diesel declared bankruptcy, the owners avoided prosecution for fraud and violations of the Interstate Commerce Act because of the bankruptcy, and International continued business from the same address under a different name.