Replacing Powerhead on a 2003 200 DFI 2.5L OPTIMAX M2, what gaskets?

[shep]

Hey guys:

I'm swapping out the powerhead this week on my 200 DFI 2.5L OPTIMAX M2, as I blew the old one, and I want to order the gaskets that I'll need for the powerhead. I think it is these two, but can't confirm, can anyone help? I'm not sure that I have the right ones, or if it's even these 3, and I'm not touching the jet, just pulling the engine to put a new one in:

880738 GASKET, Exhaust Expansion Chamber To Adaptor Plate
823142 3 GASKET, Block To Exhaust Expansion Chamber
859398 GASKET, Engine Adaptor To Housing Cover




Any help would be appreciated, the Engine SN# is 0E415782

Thanks

 

[RiverPro]

Is the replacement PH fully dressed? IE: Ready to drop on the jet pump. If so, you need #19. And, if you are careful many times you can re-use #19. If the PH is not ready to drop on, what level of accessories in on the replacement? Pictures would help...

 

[shep]

Thanks RiverPro! I should have mentioned it is dressed and will be a drop in. I was looking at #19 also:

859398 GASKET, Engine Adaptor To Housing Cover

Would I not need the Expansion chamber ones also, and if so, which one? My expansion chamber will be re used and put onto a remaned powerhead. Out of curiosity, I'm looking at Blackbird Motors for the remaned powerhead:

http://www.blackbirdmotors.com/

Has anyone ever used them before, or heard of them?

Thanks!

 

[gioakjoe]

When I was buying my power head I did research on them They had one guy who blasted them back in 2007 but there ebay user name is pretty well liked so im sure there are pretty good now

 

[RiverPro]

I have never had "direct" dealings with the vendor, however I have dealt with half a dozen or so folks who have. Per these dealings, 5 were fine, one not so.

I've researched a ton of SJ rebuilders. The best was a fellow out of Washington state, however he retired. No one is perfect and I have read several "unpleasant" outcomes with the above mentioned vendor. Repeating what was said, there is a highly regarded poster/eng tech that offered up first hand knowledge of the vendor.

 

[shep]

Thanks RiverPro! Well, I got back EARLY Saturday AM after making the long drive down to PA from Canada ( 8 hours there, 8 back ). Here's a quick review of blackbird motors if anyone is interested.

The Shop: I rate the shop for the quality and tools / equipment they had readily available. Definitely a 10/10, they have everything here, ample equipment to do just about anything.
The Techs: Again, a STRONG set of techs that work here. My Engine was completely ripped apart in roughly 45 minutes. I did watch them undress it, ( one guy undresses it, tears it down, and another re dresses after the powerhead assembly is all back together ). Re dressed, it looks brand new. Techs did a great job of cleaning everything, replacing every single seal, plugs, gaskets, serpentine belt, hooking it up to the DDT, and reading the history of the engine. Compression test after repair were provided, and I got to see a tank test before I was sent back on my way. All fuel injectors were cleaned, and really, the guys did a GREAT job of making it look good and run. Definitely another 10/10
Customer Service: This one is a bit unique. I dealt with Mike Dameyo, He is the owner’s son. Mike Senior is a nice guy to talk with, and from what I could tell, really knows his stuff. Mike Jr could definitely learn a few things on the customer service side, but let me explain…. I may have just caught him on an off day, as he was getting ready to go race his car in California for 2 weeks, and was really trying to get his car ready, so didn’t have ANY time for me at all. That being said, they got me in and out of there in 1 day! I was there at 9:00 AM, and back on the road at 5:00 PM, so that is really great, and Mike did help me out, as when I got down there, apparently my core was no good ( block and crankshaft ). To turn things around that quickly is great, and really it is the quality of the techs that make it possible. I imagine most people either ship the engine, or leave it there for a few days to get rebuilt or repaired. I was there for 8 hours, and kinda “hung around”, and can understand that can be a pain in the ass for some people, so fair enough, but I really just wanted to know what was going on with my engine, what was being replaced, etc… Long story short, could have just been an off day for Mike Jr, but 5 minutes of his time to answer a few questions would have been great, but to no avail that day…
I won’t be firing this engine up until next summer, so I’ll edit this post then to let you all know how it runs! From what I saw, I don’t foresee any issues, and if I were asked, I would recommend blackbird engines, particularly if you are shipping your engine down, but they do offer the one day turnaround, and I think that’s great.

 

[gioakjoe]

If you don't mind me asking how much was the whole thing?
was it free to have it dressed?

 

[shep]

It was about $5K, and that included the undress and re dress of the rebuilt powerhead. Honestly, the techs there had it in pieces within 45 mins, I imagine the re dress was longer. I'll try and post pics this weekend, but they did a decent job of making it look nice!