Good Day to be on the Lake, bad day on the lake...

[ronb]

Just got a call from the mechanic, $2700.. he only gave me $200 for my powerhead for a core. The original quote was $2500 for the powerhead installed (parts and labor)

[skip this part if you don't want to be bored... just thinking out loud and writing it down as I go so I can re-read it later]
If my core was 'good usable/rebuildable' he would have given me a maximum of $400 bringing the bill down to $2100.
So he went over his 'high estimate' by 12% (Not sure on your state but in ND we were allowed 15% without getting customer approval)
I am going to have to find out what the other $400 went to...
$2700 + $200 (core) = $2900.
I know they replaced the impeller and had to clean up a goopy silicone mess
I know they replaced a temp sensor switch
I know they installed 1 gallon of the Optimax Synthetic 2cycle oil
There must have been a gasket set that was ordered (fuel rail, reed valve block, powerhead to lower unit, etc)
Plugs? (damned things were iridium coated and $10/each x 3 = $30)
I suppose there was some diagnostic fees in there somewhere

I may ask to keep the original powerhead and pay the core charge and then rebuild it on my own in my free time, I feel like I need to learn how to work on this boat if I am going to keep it and there isn't much of a chance that I will get another 'cheap' powerhead to learn on, from what the mechanic said, I should be able to rebuild it by cleaning up the combustion chamber and putting in a replacement rod/rod bearing/piston

FWIW, here's a link to a current auction on ebay for just the crank.. $499.99 (ouch)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2008-90-Hp-Mecu ... be&vxp=mtr

If my rod assembly checks out 'ok' looks like I can replace the one piston for right around $115
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wiseco-Piston-K ... ar&vxp=mtr

The mechanic saved us a quart jar of 2 stroke oil plus water as the source of this failure. They were able to scan the computer with no problems, turns out the old motor had more like 1000hrs, not the 530 shown on the console mounted hour meter. The ECM is fine so I am going to be running 90hp for a while now..(I will keep on the lookout for a 115hp Optimax ECM, but that is very low on the priority scale)

So the plan will be to put this repair on the credit card and present the bill to the dealership to see what he wants to do with it. Hopefully he will be willing to make some sort of reasonable compensation.. (I am really getting bothered by the fact that I have a 10yr loan and within the first month I have a bill that is more expensive than a years worth of my payments) and now I am going to have to troubleshoot the hour meter (wiring problem? gauge problem? unhooked by crooked Previous Owner with hopes that the next owner would not scan the motor?) when we originally bought the boat we thought 530hrs for a 5yr old boat (4 summers) was high, about 130hr/yr. But our friends said that anywhere from 50-120 was average unless the person lived on a lake then chances are they used it a lot more. Had we known it was double what the hour meter showed, then we would have had more reservations about buying it, and the 'overpriced' 1 year warranty may have been more enticing. (this is starting to piss me off also, if he had performed an engine evaluation before selling it to us, as we had requested, the dealership/mechanic that he normally uses for his repair work said that an ECM scan/history is part of their 'normal' $50 inspection)

He said there weren't any special break in processes to worry about since he installed a good used powerhead, they filled the 2 cycle oil tank with new synthetic Optimax specific oil after draining the contaminated stuff.

I should also ask for a printout of the ECM scan (number of hours run and how many hours at each RPM range and whatever else it can tell me)

after a few failed attempts to get an invoice faxed over to me, I will be headed to get a bill from the marine shop, then stop by the dealership, then back to work for a couple hours...
-ron

[curtiscapk]

That sucks Ron. I just had mine rebuilt with a used crank for 1700!

Runs like hell now!!! I would definitely force the issue with dealer.

[ronb]

Just got back from a long round trip to the boat mechanic to get a copy of the invoice, then over to the dealership to present the bill and let him make an offer to pay, after about an hour he offered to split it and pay $1350, I called my wife to get her feelings on it and faxed her the info. She called over and told him that she needed at least $2k toward the bill or we would be talking to the BBB or an attorney. He started to back pedal that if she feels we want to go that way maybe he won't pay anything now and we can settle this later, then she convinced him to pay the $1350 today and she gave him the weekend to 'think about' paying the rest (at least up to $2k), and whether or not we want to pursue the remainder of the bill.

Well its going to be beautiful here this weekend so enough of this BS, I'm heading over to pick up my toon. Tomorrow, Sunday, or maybe both will be spent on the water on my own boat!

adios..
-ron

[badmoonrising]

I wouldn't pay a damn red cent. They screwed you over and every court would decide in your favor. But that's just me....