$200 more when you only have $380 in it, is nearly another 50% added. Plus what you all describe is a lot of labor. And if he disassembles the motor, and doesn't reassemble it correctly, he'll have a failure anyway. So why not try it now, and if it breaks, then spend the $200 and all the time to tear down the motor?
....then you are in a money losing situation. Just cause you want it to be perfect doesn't mean it has be. Throwing good money at a loser still makes it a loser...
There is nothing wrong with the engine. It just spent some time under water.
Would it be better to
A) Leave the rod, main bearings, and pistons alone and make sure everything is clean and put it back together.
2) Pull the rod and main caps, pull the pistons and lube and reinstall the SAME bearings and pistons with the same rings.
Big Boat you can dislike number crunchers all you want. But when you start talking additional hundreds of dollars ( and a lot of time that a qualified mechanic should be performing) being spent on a sunken Bayliner, then you are in a money losing situation. Just cause you want it to be perfect doesn't mean it has be. Throwing good money at a loser still makes it a loser.
Also Big Boat, read the first post, he has cleaned the cylinder walls... so that means the rings are not frozen.
I have been an aircraft mechanic for 20+ years so I know what a bad bearing looks like.
Wow, that's purdy! I doubt mine will be that nice because I don't plan on hot tanking the block.
I will take the caps and mains off and use plasti-gage on them. I have been an aircraft mechanic for 20+ years so I know what a bad bearing looks like. I just don't rebuild too many V8s. Since I am pulling the caps I will probably pull the pistons and knock the glaze off the cylinder walls.
Of course I would never do this to an aircraft engine but I always have an oar in the boat and the lakes around here aren't terribly big.