If you are considering purchasing a rebuilt engine from NAPA, you might want to reconsider.
I like to buy local when I can even if it costs more. So, in March 2019, I paid the Westbay NAPA store in nearby Poulsbo, WA, $3,290.70 for a rebuilt marine GMC 5.7 L long block to go in my 54-foot, 10,000-pound houseboat. My mechanic swears he told the salesperson that it was for a jet drive powering a 54-foot houseboat when he ordered it. When I came in later to pay for it, I recall mentioning what it was for, too.
The NAPA engine failed after less than 20 hours of run time.
At first, we thought it was a bad starter. $1,700 in mechanics' fees later, having tried everything from new starters to Miracle Oil to get the engine to turn over, I had to face the fact the brand-new NAPA engine was totally frozen up.
The mystery was why? Why would a newly rebuilt engine fail so suddenly and catastrophically?
I rented an expensive crane boat and had the engine pulled. Then, I had another, impartial professional mechanic (not the one who installed it) disassemble the motor. Another mechanic and a certified ship's captain with decades of experience with small boat engines served as witnesses. I also took photos.
The mechanics concluded the engine seized up because at least one of the cylinder walls had cracked due to overheating. However, the overheating sensor on the freeze plug was intact. Further investigation revealed the engine had been bored out to 60 over, leaving too little metal between the piston walls and the water jacket to properly dissipate the heat created by an engine under constant heavy load. It was also noted the camshaft was more suited for zipping along a small speed boat, rather than a pushing a lumbering 54-foot long houseboat. The 10,000-pound houseboat requires an engine designed for torque, they explained, not speed (think an ocean-going truck as opposed to a sports car).
"It looks like this was an engine they had in the back of the shop and wanted to get rid of," said the lead mechanic. "A small-block like this, being bored out to the max like it is, you can't even turn it in for the core charge on another engine. It's junk."
Armed with this information, I went to see the manager at the Poulsbo NAPA store (www.westbayautoparts.com/poulsbo.html). He informed me NAPA (napaonline.com) had outsourced its engine rebuilding work; my engine came from KP Automotive Machine (http://kpautomachine.com) located in Spokane, Washington. Together, the manager and I spoke to a KP representative.
The outcome was disappointing, to put it mildly.
Westbay NAPA says it doesn't have any liability -- even though they took my $3,290.70 and ordered the engine -- because it was KP's responsibility to deliver a sound engine. However, KP says it isn't their fault because the Westbay NAPA folks didn't tell them what kind of boat it was going into.
The only thing they both agree on is that it is all my fault because my original mechanic didn't send in the warranty.
Right....
The manager at the Poulsbo Westbay NAPA store did agree to give me spark plugs and antifreeze, gaskets and other things for a new engine that he valued at $200.
In the meantime, I was out $3,290.71 for the bum NAPA/KP engine, some $8,000 in mechanics' fees, the price of another engine, and another crane boat rental to put the new engine into my boat.
This time around, I did not buy a replacement engine at a NAPA store. I also paid a lot less for a solid engine that hasn't been bored out and has the proper cam.
I have been a NAPA customer for 58 years; always considered them the epitome of parts stores with the best quality parts and customer service.
No longer.
T. M. Asla, Ph.D.
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