One Upset Boat Owner

C

Capt Ken

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Had a gentleman come into my shop last week to get an estimate on replacing the engine in his 2006 boat. I gave him a general estimate but then asked what happened to his. He said he got some water in the boat and just thought the starter had locked up but the marina where he kept the boat said it was the engine. So they pulled the engine out and stripped it down to shortblock.
Well he drug boat and all the engine parts in to my shop today and when I looked at the engine, I asked was he sure the engine was locked? All the cylinder walls looked clean and shiny. So I took a splined shaft, stuck it in the couplier, used a big screwdriver and spun the engine over by hand. Wasn't nothing wrong with that engine. So I threw the starter on the bench and sure enough, rusted solid. So what would have been a simple fix for this guy has gotten expensive. I now get to clean everything up and reassemble all while figuring what parts didn't make it in the box. I hate reassembling something someone else disassembled. The owner left heading back toward the marina and wouldn't doubt he goes postal.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

Sad to say, it's shops like that, that give good shops a bad reputation. And every auto mechanic thinks he can be a marine mechanic and hangs out a shingle. Then this type of thing happens.

Same with these mobile mechanics. When they pull up in their truck and it looks like this, you know you have big problems ;)




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WIMUSKY

WIMUSKY

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

I think the bad mechanic in the first post even gives Cooter a bad rep........:facepalm:
 
nwcove

nwcove

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

ahem....thats my truck!! and i will have you know its outfitted with the biggest and best hammers and pipe wrenches money can buy!! :eek:
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

nwcove said:
ahem....thats my truck!! and i will have you know its outfitted with the biggest and best hammers and pipe wrenches money can buy!! :eek:
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Well, at least take the PBR cans off the bumper when you go to a guys boat :facepalm:
 
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Wind dog

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

nwcove said:
ahem....thats my truck!! and i will have you know its outfitted with the biggest and best hammers and pipe wrenches money can buy!! :eek:
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Don't forget the duct tape & bailing wire.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

If I was the guy with the problem, I would have a lawyer, get pictures of everything, and be doing some checking before anything else gets fixed. He very well could get reimbursed if T's are crossed and all the i's dotted.
 
nwcove

nwcove

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

gunna have to wait on torches......trying to get the bank to finance me a 12 pc socket set from wal-mart!
 
coolbri70

coolbri70

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

Don S said:
Sad to say, it's shops like that, that give good shops a bad reputation. And every auto mechanic thinks he can be a marine mechanic and hangs out a shingle. Then this type of thing happens.

Same with these mobile mechanics. When they pull up in their truck and it looks like this, you know you have big problems ;)




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somebody stole my business plan :grumpy:
 
GA_Boater

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

If a mobile "boat mechanic" shows up in an old milk truck be prepared to be milked.
 
nwcove

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

in all seriousness, it makes you wonder how many people shell out huge $$ to fix problems that dont exist. i personally only work on small motors from the mid 1950's to the mid 70's. ...and dont make a dime doing it!! i cant tell you how many motors showed up here being offered as parts for cheap because a dealer told the owner that the motor would cost more to fix than it was worth. a quick compression test in front of the owner to see if its a complete gonner or not, and go forward from there. more often than not....they get their old motor back, running like a champ for less than $100 , which is a far cry from the dealer offering up a showroom model for 20x that!!
 
C

Capt Ken

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

The shameful part was it was done by a major marina. I guess there is no supervision of the mechanics. Still can't believe someone pulled the heads and didn't say, aw crap, when everything looked clean.
 
nwcove

nwcove

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

....how many dealers would admit that mistake.....and eat the cost to rectify??......not many.
 
Yacht Dr.

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

nwcove said:
....how many dealers would admit that mistake.....and eat the cost to rectify??......not many.
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Ive never had a problem with any mechs that I would deal with ...

I guess live and learn .. a mech can screw up things that a novice glass guy cant ..

There are some Real Good Mechs out there .. learn them and trust them ..

YD.
 
Part-time

Part-time

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

I'm a back yard mechanic... I dabbled in anything from weed eaters to railroad maintenance equipment.
I'd honestly hate to see what would happen if one of todays "certified licenced" mechanics would try their hand at being a mobile mechanic like I have done.
Most new techs have no idea how to anything outside of what they have been trained to do.
I know a certified toyota tech that thought his merc ob was a 4 stroke because he didn't have to premix and openly admited to me that he knew zilch about any small engines.
The guy that scewed up the fellows motor could have been a competent ob mechanic but got over his head in an inboard....
I have been told many times by these certified guys that I shouln't touch this or that... Well, I have never screwed anything up so far because when I don't know, I just reserch it on forums like this.
 
Don S

Don S

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Re: One Upset Boat Owner

Part-time said:
I'm a back yard mechanic... I dabbled in anything from weed eaters to railroad maintenance equipment.
I'd honestly hate to see what would happen if one of todays "certified licenced" mechanics would try their hand at being a mobile mechanic like I have done.
Most new techs have no idea how to anything outside of what they have been trained to do.
Well, I have never screwed anything up so far because when I don't know, I just reserch it on forums like this.
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The only reason you get accurate information on forums is because there is a professional certified tech willing to give the information to DIYers, other wise all you would get is "Here is what I found on mine" and you would still be swapping parts to find the problem.
 
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