Should i be concerned??

[twofourdee]

So i dropped my boat off to get a new block put in on the 1st and when i talked to the guy the first time on the phone he said it would take 1 week to be done then when i dropped it off he then said it would take 2 weeks to be done so i called him today on the 16th to make sure he had not forgotten about my boat and he stated that they had started on it and should be done some time next week so with my suspicions still rising i was in the area tonight of where i had taken it to so i took a drive by and it is still sitting outside with the cover on and the lower unit on as well and to my knowledge i thought in order to pull the engine you had to pull the l/u first.. i am a very patient person and not in a big hurry to get my boat back but don't lie to me... i just had to tell my situation,get it off my mind and get your guys thoughts on it

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

Well, you have determined one thing--this guy has no problem telling you a 'fib'. Now you have to decide if you are ready to believe anything that he tells you in the future.

If this were my rig, I would be researching for any other shop that can do this work. You might want to check with the BBB for any complaints before going to a new mechanic.

Good luck...and keep us posted!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

I would go by tomorrow and pick up the boat.

 

[Bucks45]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

Just stop in unannounced to take a look at the work. See what he says.

 

[koko1]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

I would go by tomorrow and pick up the boat.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[twofourdee]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

yes very true Rocky_Road and bruceb58 & Bucks45 im seriously starting to think about doing so.. the main thing i guess im concerend about is they may be messing with my long block i got from rapido and swapping parts or some thing.. i dont know but its a little frustrating to keep being told something else and then for it to be not even true.. the place is just a little 2 unit gerage shop but they do do alot of boat work they always have alot of boats there year round for sale and to be worked on so i dont know..

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

Does he already have the block? Or any of your money??

Let your fingers do the walking......

 

[twofourdee]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

i left the block with him but no $

 

[twofourdee]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

he did slightly hint on me leaving a deposit when i was dropping it off but i told him no..

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

you can indeed pull the engine without first removing the outdrive (the lower unit is the bottom half of the outdrive) although it is easier with the drive off.

 

[twofourdee]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

even if that is the case i wouldnt think the boat would still be in the same spot i had left it and them doing the work outside.. but who knows i guess.. maybe im just to worried about my boat/getting tackin advantege of lol

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

oh don't get me wrong.... they may not have done a thing..... it is possible though that they backed it in and yanked the engine and then put it back..... they then spend a few hours swapping parts over when they get darn good and ready and bring the boat back in to replace the engine....


There are some really great folks out there but unfortunately there are plenty of liars too.... whatever you do don't warn them that you are coming... Also don't ask vague questions.... Ask things like "what do you have left to do" or "did you notice anything wrong with the...." They already said "they started on it" If you had narrowed that down to "we have the old engine out and Jonny is taking accessories off of it right now" then you could show up and climb in your boat to "look for something" and verify....

If you bought a long block it is possible that the serial number of the engine is recorded on the reciept.... check it when you pick the boat up.


If you do decide that you need to pick it up.... give no warning and catch them in an obvious lie with a witness.... then say... "that's it load me up right now"

Hopefully this is all unfounded concern and you will be ready for the water next week

 

[twofourdee]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

Oh i totally understand the possibilitys but tend to dwell on the bad ones and its very unfortunte you can not trust everyone out there im to the point where i barley trust anyone at all anymore!! but i do want to say i recall him saying they had started swapping but cant say for sure but ill just hope for the best and if i get a chance maybe stop by up there and check it out.. either way ill try to post the out come of it.. Thanks guys

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

I wouldnt worry too much about the "little white lie". If he says he should have it next week I would give him until then...if he doesnt produce then I would start getting agressive....although not a mechanic we fabricate custom metal projects for customers....when you get a little slammed and you run into the customer and says "hey how about my job" , theres nothing wrong with a little "its at the shop, almost done...or waiting on some material" and so on.....of course if I'm real friendly with that particular guy it might be "I've been busy and havent done a damn thing with it, but you are next on my list" . I wouldnt sweat it YET.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

I like the idea of dropping by unannouced to have a peek. You could just say you're interested to see how the work was coming. If it's after the date he said it would be well along he can't really get too cheesed you've popped in. Not that he'll appreciate it though.

It may be a bit of a stretch to assume he's canabalizing your motor for parts, unless you're getting seriously bad vibes about the place. You could always discreetly dab a little paint on your head and pan bolts just like some OEMs do to ensure no one has been inside tinkering...


Generally, I've found marinas terrible for delivering work when they say they will although this sounds like a more specialized shop.

Guess the whole situation goes to support the notion of getting referrals on a shop before giving them work. Even that can fail, though. My '66 Mustang I left in "good hands" on a friend's advice got returned from a shop with very poor paint and incorrect top material installed. So, back it went for a redo. He was definitely glad to be rid of me by the time he put all the mistakes right.

 

[jmfrost]

Re: Should i be concerned??

So i dropped my boat off to get a new block put in on the 1st and when i talked to the guy the first time on the phone he said it would take 1 week to be done then when i dropped it off he then said it would take 2 weeks to be done so i called him today on the 16th to make sure he had not forgotten about my boat and he stated that they had started on it and should be done some time next week so with my suspicions still rising i was in the area tonight of where i had taken it to so i took a drive by and it is still sitting outside with the cover on and the lower unit on as well and to my knowledge i thought in order to pull the engine you had to pull the l/u first.. i am a very patient person and not in a big hurry to get my boat back but don't lie to me... i just had to tell my situation,get it off my mind and get your guys thoughts on it

I would be VERY concerned! Had a similar situation myself after some freeze damage. Finally got it back after about a month. My stupidity was not examining everything before I paid for the repairs. I paid for him to drop in another block and when I went to winterize the following fall something odd caught my eye. When I looked more closely I discovered that it was the original engine that just had the cracks filled and sanded with J.B. Weld. Most expensive mistake I ever learned from!

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Should i be concerned??

I'm afraid i would have pulled in and hitched it up....
That is just the way i am though.....don't lie to me!

I work on other peoples boats and don't lie to them.If i did not have time to get to it as planned i call them and tell them..
Just makes good sense to be honest and those customers always come back.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Should i be concerned??

I would be VERY concerned! Had a similar situation myself after some freeze damage. Finally got it back after about a month. My stupidity was not examining everything before I paid for the repairs. I paid for him to drop in another block and when I went to winterize the following fall something odd caught my eye. When I looked more closely I discovered that it was the original engine that just had the cracks filled and sanded with J.B. Weld. Most expensive mistake I ever learned from!

Man, I'd have lost my mind if that happened to me.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Should i be concerend??

Re: Should i be concerend??

I wouldnt worry too much about the "little white lie". If he says he should have it next week I would give him until then...if he doesnt produce then I would start getting agressive....although not a mechanic we fabricate custom metal projects for customers....when you get a little slammed and you run into the customer and says "hey how about my job" , theres nothing wrong with a little "its at the shop, almost done...or waiting on some material" and so on.....of course if I'm real friendly with that particular guy it might be "I've been busy and havent done a damn thing with it, but you are next on my list" . I wouldnt sweat it YET.

So, you lie to your customers alot then?

Somehow in business lying has become acceptable. I'd definitely stop in and take a look at what they're doing. It's very possible they aren't lying but you never know.

Your relationship with the mechanic requires alot of trust. If he's lying get your rig out of there quickly if possible.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Should i be concerned??

What are they going to do with the old block and parts, pop in and tell them you want it and are going to recycle it, or that you were just curious as to the damage and wanted to take a look at it. It is your boat and new block no reason you can't look at your own stuff.