Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

[01somta]

So I took my boat in about a month ago to get winterized and get some maintenace stuff taken care of. I just got a call that the lower unit had a large crack in it, I asked if it could be welded and he said that because of the size and location of the crack, and stress put on that area of the lower unit that he would not weld it and I would be asking for problems down the road. He said that water had gotten into the the lower unit and froze which resulted in the crack. I'm wondering how the lower unit filled with water, bad seal? Could he of some how got water in the lower unit when winterizing it? I would think that if it was a large crack then it would have taken alot of frozen water in the lower unit to cause the crack. He was taking the lower unit off to do some matienance work and I am just wondering if he dropped it and that is how it cracked? He also quoted me $1900 for a rebuilt lower unit and said that a new one would cost me around $4500, this is for a 1997Volvo Penta 5.7L. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[paw2000]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

Was it running when you took it to him? If you had used the boat this season, then the crack could have been there for a while. Where is the crack?, they can be welded, but has to be done right, the oil in the unit contaminates the weld.

Has it been cold enough where you at to freeze cold enough to crack it?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

I'm wondering how the lower unit filled with water, bad seal? Could he of some how got water in the lower unit when winterizing it? I would think that if it was a large crack then it would have taken alot of frozen water in the lower unit to cause the crack.

Howdy,


It's unlikely that the drive is cracked due to anything the mechanic did unless it was left outside long enough for it to rain with the drive up.

Water that could collect in the drive can sometimes cause cracks if it subsequently freezes. It doesn't take much.

On the other hand, you may have had a leak that allowed water to enter the drive and pool in the bottom.

When the drive was exposed to freezing tempos, the water froze, expanded and cracked the housing.

It's possible that the mechanic left the boat outside and it rained and water ran into the drive (if it was left "up") but I think most shops in areas where it freezes will know this and try to prevent it.


If you didn't drain the oil after last summer, there may have been enough water in the oil, or If you allowed the drive to stay "up" after a rain, and it froze, it's going to be all on you. And if you cannot prove the mechanic did it, it's going to be on you anyway.....


Sorry about that,


Rick

 

[billder62]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

Around my area a outdrive lube change is included in winterization....

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

Around my area a outdrive lube change is included in winterization....

This is the main reason that all sterndrive manufacturers recommend changing the drive oil during winterization (prior to freezing temps)

 

[01somta]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

This is the main reason that all sterndrive manufacturers recommend changing the drive oil during winterization (prior to freezing temps)

So he should have changed the oil in the outdrive when winterizing it? If that was the case then there shouldn't have been any water in the outdrive just fresh oil which would not have froze!

 

[Don S]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

There is no set rule as to what is done during winterization. Some shops consider fogging and draining as winterization. Some shops do it like this http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=178695
Some offer both options and you choose which you want. It's up to you to find out what is included in the winterization before you get it done.

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

I have seen many lower units with nothing but pure water in them due to leaky seals and customer neglect, so freeze cracks can happen

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

So he should have changed the oil in the outdrive when winterizing it? If that was the case then there shouldn't have been any water in the outdrive just fresh oil which would not have froze!

That may be true.


Everyone should follow Mercury's recommendation and change the drive oil at the end of the boating season. (once a year or 100hrs which ever comes sooner) So it doesn't sit all "winter" with possible water contaminated oil in it.

 

[01somta]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

So I talked to the guy and he said he does change the oil in outdrive but at the very end right before it is pickup, he admitted that he feels partly at fault but that Im at fault too because of the seal. He said that he would eat the cost of the labor and that he would sell me the outdrive at cost, my question is; does $1900 sound fair for a rebuilt Volvo outdrive with a one yr warranty?

 

[sethjon]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

So I talked to the guy and he said he does change the oil in outdrive but at the very end right before it is pickup, he admitted that he feels partly at fault but that Im at fault too because of the seal. He said that he would eat the cost of the labor and that he would sell me the outdrive at cost, my question is; does $1900 sound fair for a rebuilt Volvo outdrive with a one yr warranty?

A decent price, but if he is willing to eat all that profit and do the labor for free it sounds like he has a guily conscience which you can't ever know for certain.

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

WOW! Blind leading the blind here. First off, Your right Don about all shops offer different variations of what they include when winterizeing. However, if a customer brings a boat to a shop to be winterized it is most likely because the customer doesn't have a clue or know how to and how to do it. In which case the service center should atleast list the options on what can and be done and why and then let the customer decide. It takes longer and is obviously more costly to replace the drive oil during winterization, IMO the service people should offer the service and an explination why it's recomended to do. Then there's no faults if the customer opts not to do the oil change durind the winterization. P.S. --- Communication!

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

Ok, so their saying the housing cracked before they got around to changing the oil? So thats saying they do include the oil change in the winterization process, bad or good seal. That being said, I'd say if the boat was there to be winterized before it got below freezing, then they didn't get to it in time. Who's responsible now? IMO if the boat was in the boat owners possesion and it froze it's the boat owners, if it was at the service center then it's the centers responsibility.

 

[01somta]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

Ok, so their saying the housing cracked before they got around to changing the oil? So thats saying they do include the oil change in the winterization process, bad or good seal. That being said, I'd say if the boat was there to be winterized before it got below freezing, then they didn't get to it in time. Who's responsible now? IMO if the boat was in the boat owners possesion and it froze it's the boat owners, if it was at the service center then it's the centers responsibility.

I agree and I brought up that point, but he is saying that there wouldn't be any water in the lower unit if the seal was good and the bad seal is my fault. Also I'm looking at the oil change as a "maintenance" part of the winterization not a "winterize" part of the winterization, because in theory there shouldn't be any water in the oil.

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

I understand the point but, my point would be thats why it's recomended to change the oil as part of the winterization because of the possibility of water in it then it should be done before the freeze regaurgless. To me they took the chance that it didn't have water in it but it did.

 

[GLENN M]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

being the mechanics they know what to look for,boat was in thier possession to be winterized.they took on the responsibility,you are paying for thier knowledge and skill.they know all the pitfalls thats how they make money.they screwed up plane and simple you can bet if they wernt responsible they would offer you nothing.

 

[billder62]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

I agree and I brought up that point, but he is saying that there wouldn't be any water in the lower unit if the seal was good and the bad seal is my fault. Also I'm looking at the oil change as a "maintenance" part of the winterization not a "winterize" part of the winterization, because in theory there shouldn't be any water in the oil.

So you contracted them to do winterization ,including the drive . Id say its on them , Ive seen alot of drives that have water in them , hence the need to have the maintanence done in the fall ... they didnt finish the job, the boat was in their care and they allowed it to freeze..

 

[Don S]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

It's amazing that people like GLENN M and billder62, without any first hand knowledge of what was done, talked about, or anything else that happened, just happen to KNOW that it's the dealers fault.
And you wonder why dealers charge so much.

 

[billder62]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

whatever.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Took boat to get winterized now have a cracked lower unit

So you contracted them to do winterization ,including the drive . Id say its on them , Ive seen alot of drives that have water in them , hence the need to have the maintanence done in the fall ... they didnt finish the job, the boat was in their care and they allowed it to freeze..

If there was water in the drive when the customer brought the boat in, how can that be the maintenance shop owners fault?

Water in the drive IS DUE TO A PROBLEM IN THE DRIVE (leaky seal, etc) NOT because the shop didn't change the oil "fast enough" or immediately.



Now if the boat was brought in to be winterized, the boat sat outside (at the dealer) and the shop didn't drain the water out of the block and the block cracked while the dealer had the boat, that would a different situation!!


But it's not normal for a drive to have water in it. IT"S NOT THE SHOPS FAULT that the drive has a crack in it whether the drive had water in it or not......(unless you can prove the drive WAS NOT cracked, AND you knew it had water in it, AND TOLD THEM to drain the water out of the drive.........)