how long should it take a marine mechanic to service your outboard?

[David B.]

I took my boat to a marine mechanic three weeks ago, all I needed was a new impeller. I've called them and stopped by a few times and they haven't even looked at it yet! I know they are busy winterizing boats but is this normal to wait this long. it just seems like total insanity to me. an auto mechanic could never get away with doing a minor job like this that should only take a couple hours to do

 

[jbcurt00]

Mechanics probably do what the shop manager tells them to.

If they are winterizing boats, then pushing 1 those back a day, or even worse a week or 2, risks freeze damage.

Your impeller not getting done isnt going to risk destroying the motor like not winterizing one would.

Did they give you a time frame to be complete, or did you ask the time frame til complete when you dropped it off?

 

[David B.]

Mechanics probably do what the shop manager tells them to.

If they are winterizing boats, then pushing 1 those back a day, or even worse a week or 2, risks freeze damage.

Your impeller not getting done isnt going to risk destroying the motor like not winterizing one would.

Did they give you a time frame to be complete, or did you ask the time frame til complete when you dropped it off?

No they didn't give any timeframe, that's part of the problem, if they would had told me it would be weeks until they could work on it I could of made arrangement that could have benefitted us both, I could of brought it in in December or January when their business is slow, and I could of kept fishing without interruption. I really thought it would be ready in a couple days at most. Im considering whether to just get it out of there and installing it myself

 

[jbcurt00]

Be honest w shop owner and ASK them when it might be done and ask if they wont get to it in xyz time, you'd like to use it in the mean time.


That implies that the impeller isnt in desperate need of being replaced and you wont risk overheating the motor whem an impeller piece breaks off and gets sucked up into the motor.....

Then decide if you thing the time/cost savings is worth the effort to do it yourself. If you can do it, I'd probably go pick it up and go ahead and do it.

No reason to tell them you plan to do it yourself when you call. I doubt they'd try to track you down if you just never brought it back this winter.

You also must consider how hard it'll be to get a different mechanic if you do it yourself and need other work down the road.

IMO, mechanics are a lot like my wife: they've got long memories....

 

[MH Hawker]

And that's why most people do a lot of simple repairs and maintenance, most boat shops run a 1 to 8 week waiting list depending on the time of the year

 

[Swoosh3]

I would just nicely ask them if they could get on it as it is prime fishing right now.

an experienced mechanic should be able to do the job pretty quick.

I'd never done one before and I was about 2 hrs start to finish on my sterndrive, thanks to iboats forum members posts and youtube.

 

[roffey]

I can change the impeller in my alpha one in half an hour in my driveway. I would talk to the owner and then start looking for a different shop.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Eh... Horse-dookey....

You drop a boat off during the peak winterizing season and give the service manager no indication at all that you are in a hurry... Could be 3 hours or 3 months... If you had any interest at all in using the boat before spring you needed to TELL them that and ask at the time of drop off when it would be done...

Asking us in a forum without talking to the folks at the shop makes as much sense as walking over to the neighbor's house to ask what time your wife will have dinner on the table.

 

[JoLin]

You drop a boat off during the peak winterizing season and give the service manager no indication at all that you are in a hurry... Could be 3 hours or 3 months... If you had any interest at all in using the boat before spring you needed to TELL them that and ask at the time of drop off when it would be done...

^^ This ^^

Winterization is time critical. Boat owners delay it as long as they can so they can use the boats. Marinas and mechanics are slammed trying to protect the boats before the first freeze. Had you asked them how soon you could get it back, they might well have told you not to hold your breath.

We all learn stuff as we go- you'll do it smarter next time.

My .02
.

 

[David B.]

you'd think if they were going to lock my boat on their lot for three weeks without even looking at it they would tell me. To me that's similar to taking your car to get a tuneup and them keeping it without even looking at it for three weeks. but I don't mind waiting if my boat isn't harmed in any way. I just have all kinds of nightmare scenarios going on in my head. I like to be able to look in my backyard and see my boat at all times. I could of put the impeller on myself but I thought this would be more convenient, LOL, live and learn

 

[roffey]

hmm I think you guys are assuming the OP never informed the mechanic what his desire was... He reports its been weeks and he has called and stopped by, who knows maybe he set up an appointment to have his motor serviced. I ran my own computer service business for years and found it was better to set the expectation from the start. It will be one month before I can even look at your motor, it's up the customer if he wants to take it some where else. If you can fix it sooner then your the hero. You would think the marina would tell him what the time frame is as he obviously waiting for the work to be completed.

I say get a time frame and if its not suitable then take it some where else.

 

[roffey]

you'd think if they were going to lock my boat on their lot for three weeks without even looking at it they would tell me. To me that's similar to taking your car to get a tuneup and them keeping it without even looking at it for three weeks. but I don't mind waiting if my boat isn't harmed in any way. I just have all kinds of nightmare scenarios going on in my head. I like to be able to look in my backyard and see my boat at all times. I could of put the impeller on myself but I thought this would be more convenient, LOL, live and learn

yup, I'm with you. Its your boat and its better at home then in some yard and if you want to use it, clean it or just look at it, its right where you want it.

 

[smokeonthewater]

hmm I think you guys are assuming the OP never informed the mechanic what his desire was... He reports its been weeks and he has called and stopped by, who knows maybe he set up an appointment to have his motor serviced. I ran my own computer service business for years and found it was better to set the expectation from the start. It will be one month before I can even look at your motor, it's up the customer if he wants to take it some where else. If you can fix it sooner then your the hero. You would think the marina would tell him what the time frame is as he obviously waiting for the work to be completed.

I say get a time frame and if its not suitable then take it some where else.

We aren't assuming... We asked him and he said he was never given any time frame.... This is very simple... ASK them... If they can't give an answer he likes he simply says nevermind and takes his boat home... No hard feelings and no trouble.

I do all of my own work but a few weeks ago I dropped a couple of engine parts off at my local machine shop and as part of the process I asked him to estimate what the work would cost me and when it would be done... He gave me an approximate price and said it would likely be the following week before he'd be done as he was pretty slammed...

Total price ended up a bit under his estimate but he didn't finish till Tuesday a week later than estimated.

Communication is the key...

Calling is good but you have to ask the right questions....

"When do you expect to be able to fix my boat?" Followed by "Ok good deal, let me know" or "Oh well that's inconvenient for me, I'll just take it home and figure something else out, thanks anyhow"

 

[Grub54891]

As stated, we alway's ask if there is a timeframe you need the boat by, and check the schedule if we can fit it in by then. If not we make an arrangement where you drop it off in the morning of a selected date, and pick it up later in the day. During haulout and winterizing, it get's pretty hectic, not much time for ones that won't freeze the block.I'd contact them and see when it can be done by,and make better arrangements next time. If it's a job we can't do at the time, we'll tell you when it's brought in. Happy boating!

 

[roffey]

I agree with Keven in his last statement, ask when and how much. If you don't like the answer go some where else.

 

[David B.]

I don't really agree that it should be up to the customer to ask how long. I was willing to wait a reasonable amount of time. three weeks for something that should only take an hour seem unreasonable to me. If I order a pizza delivered and three hours later its not here yet, then I call and they say they haven't made it yet, I don't blame myself for not asking how long it will be

 

[jbcurt00]

I'd suggest you choose to move on. This time of year, as stated numerous times, winterizing takes priority for obvious reasons.

Perhaps whoever you dropped off the boat to, forgot to ask or tell you or thought someone else already had.


Miscommunication happened and does fairly often.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I don't really agree that it should be up to the customer to ask how long. I was willing to wait a reasonable amount of time. three weeks for something that should only take an hour seem unreasonable to me. If I order a pizza delivered and three hours later its not here yet, then I call and they say they haven't made it yet, I don't blame myself for not asking how long it will be

You may not agree, but that's the nature of the biz...... Pretty much anything I may have fixed I ask what the time frame is if I'm not told ahead of time........

 

[David B.]

maybe its just the type of work I do, Im a waterproofer and if someones house leaks and I can't fix it soon I will tell them it will take a while, I just don't have them sign contracts then let their house leak for weeks or months. I would consider that unethical. that's the thing that scares me the most, it just seems really shady to do business in that way, makes me think there is some ulterior motive

 

[jbcurt00]

Again, your impeller isnt as critical to anyone but you as winterization is. No where near the example of a house leak.

And again, talk to the shop.

This isnt nearly the big deal you are making it. Talk to them, if you dont get the answer you want, ask to pickup your boat. Then do it yourself, find another shop or let them call you when the can get to your impeller.

Using your house example, who would YOU service 1st:

a house you did last year that they have questions about it but there arent any leaks that they can see

OR

A house that has an active leak?

Your impeller is the 1st 'house' and the boats getting winterized are the leaking house.