wow, i can't believe that it's been almost a year since i started this post. i really can't believe that i haven't looked at it in forever!
FanMN, i apologize for not answering your q's. one, i had bay shore marine doing all of the work, and Mack Boring (the Yanmar distributor) never wanted anything to do with the engine. i actually got them to submit a request for assistance, but it got denied. the answer i got was that the folks at corporate in japan were rather hardline on the warranty claims, and since my engine was out of warranty, they'd want nothing to do with it. MB did offer to purchase the block back though...so i'm working on that.
my insurance has a few neat lines that apply to this scenario. it states that it is not responsible for any mechanical defects, but that it will cover any subsequent damage caused by the mechanical defects. so, my best hope was to prove that the bolt that failed was indeed a mechanical defect. if that had been the case, then insurance would have covered the cost of the engine less the cost of the bolt. so, the insurance company worked diligently to prove that the bolt was improperly torqued. this means no mechanical defect, and no coverage for subsequent damage.
to wrap this up...i looked into legal action. my best option would have been to get my own metallurgist, and engine specialists to argue against the insurance company. after looking at their fees, lawyer fees, etc...i didn't know if i could even break even. so, i decided to concentrate on enjoying my boat.
good news is that i have over 100 hours on the new engine now...did i ever mention how much we love using the boat???
everything is going well with both engines, and i'm confident we'll be just fine. thanks for all of the help getting through this, as it was a royal pain. i got calls from several of you guys, and i appreciate all of the advice and support.
looking forward to seeing all of you on the water this year!
todd