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Thread: The daily driver Marauder needs a rebuilt engine thread

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730

    The daily driver Marauder needs a rebuilt engine thread

    My '03 is a daily driver. She served well for 164K miles. She drives rain, snow, sun... She sits in a gravel driveway in a small rural farming community.



    Then one day, she had enough... The timing chain jumped, and I bent some valves on one head. Time for a new engine, or a rebuild. I was looking for engines, but couldn't find any with few enough miles on them that would make it worth the hassle and expense. I decided to go for a fresh rebuild.

    As you can see, a daily driver that goes on country (gravel) roads gets dirty.

    Last edited by daddyusmaximus; 09-28-2018 at 08:24 PM.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Perspective here.. when I say small town, I mean like 1300 people. Local high school graduating class has around 50 to 60 kids depending on the year. The mechanic shop is a rented quonset hut behind a church where electricity is by generator...

    Last edited by daddyusmaximus; 09-28-2018 at 08:24 PM.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Prices are all over the board, but I found a company in Michigan, just 3 hrs away (Accurate Engines) that was less expensive than most, so I gave them a call. They didn't have a core to match the Marauder. However. I could send in my own engine, and they'd do it, and I'd stay numbers matching... Further, If I was to show up when they opened in the morning, I could take it with me that evening when they closed...

    Well, this seemed like it was too good to be true, but I decided to go for it. I loaded up the engine in my Quartermaster's truck (I'm the VFW Commander) and headed to Michigan.

    Last edited by daddyusmaximus; 09-28-2018 at 08:25 PM.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Didn't get very far before my crap magnetism kicked in...



    Remember this part about me being a crap magnet. you'll see it later.

    Of course the spare tire hoist was rusted and it took FOREVER to get the spare tire down. So long, I had just about fell out in the heat, and ended up calling a tow truck. The tow driver wrestled with it, for quite some time, but managed to get it down. At that point, I just let him change it too.

    See, crap magnet...
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Here I am dropping off my precious engine. I just backed into their building and they offloaded it with the gantry.

    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    It was too good to be true... They got shipped the wrong pistons. (Crap magnet) I would NOT be going home with my engine that night. However, they said they'd ship it to me at no cost since it was their mistake. We shall see...

    It took a week and a half to get the pistons from California, then the production manager went on about how he wanted to switch the timing chain and components out for Cloyes, but they finally shipped it out.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Here's where it gets good... While I was waiting for the engine. The mechanic's shop gets hit by thieves. He loses a bunch of tools, his gas bottles to his welder (but not the welder itself) and his generator.

    Me... I lose my stereo. Of course they tear the crap out of the dash to get it out...










    They tried to get the sub and amp, by prying it out, but couldn't. They bent a couple bolts, got pissed, and locked the keys in the trunk.

    Small town remember...
    not a formal shop remember...
    mechanic not insured...

    Crap magnets have a $500 deductible.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    It finally came today. From the lift gate on the semi, to the bed of my brother-in-law's truck, to the shop...

    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    I was so happy... until we got the plastic wrap off. Two bent bolts on the timing cover, and one broken valve cover. AAAnnndd it's Friday night, and I have a fish fry to run up at the VFW.

    Did I mention I was a crap magnet?











    Pretty sure you're not supposed to see daylight through there...

    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Boy, it sure looked pretty sitting on the pallet...



    Didn't look like anything was damaged inside.



    So, now the fish fry is over, and I'm looking for Valve covers, and whatever those studs are called on the timing cover. Damn, I was hoping to have the car back by Monday, even without lights and music.

    By the way, small town people are generally nice to deal with. (meth head thieves excluded)

    Mechanic felt bad my car was damaged while in his care. Since I have to put it on my insurance, and take the hit for a $500 deductible... no charge for the removal and replacement.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Northeast OH
    Posts
    7,999
    2004 SB Ported Trilogy 48
    Has supporting mods and stuff
    Thanks to Marty O for his help in updating this car.

    R.I.P.
    Rex "SC Cheesehead"

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Thanks.

    I put that set on my watch list before I went to bed last night. I'm gonna look at them better here after I have breakfast.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    KC
    Age
    48
    Posts
    3,511
    I have a Dashboard with wiring harness from a 2003 Mercury marauder still in the car it's not broken busted..
    I cut the wiring harnesses to remove the doors

    I do not have the cluster, dash bezel or dot matrix trim

    Lmk if I can help out

    Sad to hear your car got messed up like that that really sucks

    Or are you going to glue the dash back together and splice the wiring ends?
    The twins2.3 whipple/aluminatorVortech V-2 lots of goodies

    Current marauders
    04 DTR totaled JUST NOW starting to part out 7-21-2021 https://youtu.be/REUxjP1BVpg

    04 Silver Birch Dark Charcoal Hardtop Whipple Supercharger
    04 Silver Birch Dark Charcoal Hardtop V2 Supercharger
    04 Silver Birch Dark Charcoal Converted
    03 DBP Light Flint #122
    03 DBP Dark Charcoal #232
    03 Silver Birch 300b Light Flint Going to fix er up
    03 Black 300a
    04 Silver Birch Dark Charcoal moonroof in the works

    04 Heaton Swapped DTR
    Joe's Wrecked DTR rebuild thread

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Can anyone tell from this photo what the part is called I need to look for in the dash to fix this broken piece?

    Last edited by daddyusmaximus; 09-29-2018 at 06:34 AM.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Remington, IN
    Age
    60
    Posts
    730
    Just ordered new valve covers, and the dash trim vent bezel.

    Also ordered a a drivers side mirror. They pushed it all the way forward either walking between it and the wall, or just out of meanness, and broke it. The car had been moved off to the side while we were waiting for the engine to come in. Got a rip in my seat too... *******s.
    2003 Marauder... the gentleman's hot rod.

    You know what I like best about most people? Their dogs.


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