Ok throw an idiot toe tag on me and call it done. CSF has a SMTP port settings feature and i read it all wrong. When it said port settings i put 25, 465, 587 assuming it was the SMTP ports to use. But duh if i could read its the ports to block. So all this time i was actually blocking 25, 465, 587 when the SMTP_BLOCK was enabled. I am so freaking embarrassed and i sincerely apologize. Its working fine with it enabled now. I was so sure i had it right, but the failure was not CSF or PHPBB, the faillure was my stupid idiot self.... Sorry....
Dave