1962 Cadillac OEM Engine HELP

The question:
Engine Shop #2 says that there was more than one engine offered to 1962 cadillac, and it's my fault that i didn't specify which one i wanted. How can i find out if that's true?

The Back Story:
So, i am the proud owner of a 1962 Cadillac Coupe De'Ville. A little while ago, the engine sprung a cooling system leak, which spewed steam rather profusly out of the top, after about a minute of operation. (later i found out it was a baked and cracked hotwater return hose) anyway, i couldn't find that out until i REmoved the engine from the car. I decided that i was just send the core out to be remanufactured. So i sent it to Engine shop #1, waited a week, they called me back and said that they couldn't find any of the parts for it, and over all they didn't want to deal with it, so they're gonna send it back to me free of charge. Fine, whatever at least they were nice about it. So i called around, and found Engine Shop #2. Engine shop #2 told me that they have an already remanufactured 1962 Cadillac 390, sitting on a shelf in their warehouse. I'm thinkin, great! that takes a couple weeks out of getting my car back in working order. So the engine arrives at my house, to discover that it's not... what i beleive to be a 1962 cadillac engine. It's pretty close, but it doesn't take an expert to figure out that it won't be a simple swap in. The distributor was on the front, instead of the back, and it completely lacked the very unique Crankshaft vent system that i've had so much trouble with in my engine. I decided that i didn't really care about that, fine it's not the same engine and i'll be ok, if it fits. But i measured it, and it won't even reach the crossmember where it's supposed to be mounted to. Ok so it sounds to me like i get a refund, i didn't get what i paid for. Oh no, not according to Engine shop #2. They say that there was more than one engine offered to 1962 cadillac, and it's my fault that i didn't specify which one i wanted. How can i find out if that's true? I own a replica of the original shop manual for my car, and it describes in very fine detail (with exact pictures) of my engine, and makes no maention of a different engine. The pictures match tho one that i have, to the finest detail, and in the end He wants to keep my $3500 and says that i have to deal with it. I'd really like some help as to what to do, that's 80% of my life savings

It seems to me that the 390 caddy motor is in the same family as the earlier 365 and the later 429. The 365 came out in 56,57; the 390 in 59, the 429 in 63-64. The later 472 500 motors which came out in 69 had the dist in front. I'm sitting here trying to remember if the dist is in the back on my friends 64 vert and 58 coupe. I haven't worked on either in about 18 months. I will dig out my 62 issue of Motors manuals to see if how you describe your engine is different and get  back to you.  

Thank you very much, I'm starting to think that i'm going to have to threaten the engine shop with a lawsuit in order to get my money back, so any kind of proof or second opinion would be greatly appreciated. If it helps you help me, i can email you pictures of my engine and the one they sent me, just send something talking about pictures to SixtyTwoCoupe@hotmail.com and i'll reply with some pictures. Thank you again  

Saw your post over on the Hot Rod board. It's been down for about 24 hours now though, so I thougt you might be here.

My friend, you are being *** on from a very high tree.

The 390 Cadillac engine first appeared in 1959  and like it's earlier brothers, the 331 & 365, the distributor was at the back. In 1962, the 390 was the only engine available in a Cadillac. 1963's also used the 390, albeit with a lighter engine casting. The 429 first appeared in the 1964 models, and all my sources say that it's the same family as the 331/365/390, but with a larger bore and longer stroke. It wouldn't seem logical to move the distributor from the rear to the front unless it was a new design, but you never know.

Here is a picture of a 390 as produced in 1962: http://users.tkk.fi/~iisakkil/caddy/engine.jpg  Note the exhaust manifold design - one branch at each end and the two center ones combined. Is that what yours looks like? Or does it have 4 seperate branches, evenly spaced? If so, it's a 472 or 500 from much later. Assuming that the jerks even gave you a Cad engine at all!

Here's a list of specs for the post-war Cad engines: http://www.raceseek.com/cadillac_engine_specs.htm

Now this is where it starts getting odd. This page lists the engines, with illustrations: http://home.wanadoo.nl/shaul/cf/mot.htm  but note that the 390 now appears with the distributor at the front! At least for the 63's.

Just to muddy the water further, if you look up parts for those engines, they seem to divide them at 1962 and earlier and 1963 and later. http://www.kanter.com/p17-can.html#ca4  http://www.egge.com/  http://www.rockauto.com Compare the listings for a 62 and a 63: The part numbers for things like pistons, crank & cam gears and camshaft are different.

AND, if you check the specs, http://www.carnut.com/specs/gen/cad60.html although the 62 & 63 engines appear to be identical, please note that they have different firing orders! Very strange. So, apparently there is a diff between a 62 and the later engines. However, contrary to the engine shops statement, there was onlt one engine offered. If they sent you the wrong one, that's not your fault.

Thank you soooooooo much, you helped me ALOT. Though it seems that the more and more evidence and strong points i present, the longer it takes for them to get back to me, i'll post what else happens from here on, just in case you care  

if you can, post a picture of the "390" you have. Someone here might be able to identify it as something else, and then you could really stick it to the engine shop.

And you could help us all out by naming the shop that's trying to rob you.  That way we can all steer clear of their poor service.  Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful form.