What Makes For A Good Marine Service?

[LuvBoating]

Get yourself one of these:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Universal-3-Jaw-Oil-Filter-Wrench-HU3JFW/204762449
They work much better than strap wrenches on sticky oil and separator filters

​Bought one of these, but don't have much room to work in. From sitting in front of the engine, which way does the filter turn to come off? The filter goes up and screws on. Yesterday, I was trying to turn the filter clockwise to take off and I think I was tightening it up more instead. It was hot and I was getting tired, so I stopped. Stopped at Auto Zone and bought Self-Adjusting Oil Filter Pliers, with sections of teeth on the inside of the jaws. When we go back to the boat, I will also have a hammer and medium flat-head screwdriver with me. If these pliers don't work, I'll try tapping the filter off. Filter's been on there for approx. 5 years.

 

[oldjeep]

The filters come off counter clockwise using the closed end of filter as the clock . Lefty loosey on the socket wrench you attach to the filter wrench

 

[LuvBoating]

Went back over to the boat on Sunday and, with some help of the Dock Master at dry storage, was finally able to get fuel/water separator off. Actually, the Dock Master climbed onboard and tried his hand at the filter, using the Filter Pliers I bought. One thing for sure, he had more muscle than I did and it worked. The metal ring inside where the filter goes was somewhat corroded, but was able to scrap the corrosion off with a knife. Dock Master filled the new filter with new gas and screwed it on. Snuggly hand-tightened it. Now, all we need to do is put some new gas in the tank. Was able to leave just in time before a cloud-burst of rain happened. Will go over next weekend and gas it up........1/2 tank, that is.

​Gave the Dock Master $20 for helping us. He wasn't going to take it, but we insisted. He is an excellent Dock Master!.

 

[al1026]

WOW = this topic will get some responses .
The few good ones that operate as one man mobile repair guys will operate as a business , take credit cards, have a trailer with inventory , present themselves in a professional manor . Clean , carry Insurance , return calls . Are always busy .
​Ones that ask for parts up front will run with your money
​The good ones seldom run free adds on Craigslist. Most got fired from legit shops

​Then you have marina dealers that I never used hearing bad stuff from my local ones .
​There are boat dealers that don't sell boats only repairs. They are called a authorized
Mercruiser ​& Volvo Penta Dealer & outboards, but really a high end repair shop that does warranty work for all manufactures
They charge 125.00 an hour
​4 week wait just too get an appointment too bring your boat in then it sits weeks before mechanic starts work on boat
​Boating all of my life and now a young 70 I still try too do my own work and when I purchased my 31 foot Regal Commodore I swore off doing my own work. New technology, fat stomach, weak legs , 2 engines packaged so tight
​requires a 19 year old that is skinny ,
Any Volvo Penta part is covered 1 year . IF dealer did install ​covered 2 years .
​Boating industry is not like car dealers , its not controlled and little customer options .
​We all try too save money and get roped into guys that talk the talk, don't walk the walk

 

[LuvBoating]

We remember taking our Celebrity to a non-dealer mechanic for engine problems that ended up requiring a new block and a few additional new engine things. Compared to the Mercruiser Dealer we use now, this mechanic's shop looked terrible, but hourly labor was cheaper. But, the non-Dealer mechanic had us pay upfront for everything he done and replaced. The Mercruiser Dealer didn't have us do that.

Our only choice now is the Mercruiser Dealer shop next to our dry storage. Absolutely nobody else!!

 

[LuvBoating]

With the gas tank completely empty, we put in 25 gallons of new/fresh gas this morning. It was the first time we have put gas in the boat while the boat was on the water. We did it at the pump at dry storage, with the help of a Dock Master's Helper. This gas has no ethanol in it and our boat mechanic likes it.

​So, after putting the 25 gallons in, which filled it up 3/4, we had the Dock Master put the boat back on the Wash Rack. It was so humid and hot, we just couldn't take it out, so we put the muffs on the drive and started it up. Took a little bit to get it started, but once it did, it purred like a kitten. We were really shocked at how the engine sounded with new gas in the tank.

​Now we can only hope that the "purring" continues while the boat is underway on the water. Hoping to take it out tomorrow.