Agreed

It sounds all too familiar to me, since I have been in the same situation with automotive work. Mechanics are wired to fix things, and when you bring one in and show him a problem, that is what he thinks he is supposed to do. They need the work too, so it is a motivation to compleete the task and move on to the next job. Sounds like you could have a fixed boat, and if so, then the $1250 does not sound all that bad to me, considering the work to be done, price of the cylinder head, whatever. As paul noted, it would be best to check into what it is they bolted to your motor. Was it a "good" head, or a rebuilt head? If it was a rebuilt head it will probably look like fresh cast iron. In the end, if it works they will expect you to pay and I don't think you will have much choice on the matter at this point. Hope for the best. The motor may run just fine and if it does, the price may not be all that bad. You may need to call the same mechanic back next year to work on the other motor and in that case you can both agree to get it in writing before the work and dollars start to roll.

James