If I were steve660, I'd bring this public discussion to a close, and deal with MM on a one to one basis. There's nothing more to be gained by playing out this saga publicly.
I originally posted to send it to Best or another Mopar shop, but after reading Mikes response you have to give him a chance to fix it. This is his bread and butter hear, not some used car deal that went sour. Also diagnosing what is wrong with a big project like this isn't easy. There may be many things a novice misses that an experienced engine builder would know. As far as the time line, a custom engine is always going to be hard to deliver on time, and almost never on budget. OP, good luck with this deal, and I hope it turns out the best for both.
