$400 oil change

[lakegeorge]

Well I checked with my Marina for an oil change/ lower gear oil change on my Pontoon with 60hp 4stroke Yamaha and they wanted $400, that didn't include pressure washing the logs. They said they had to pull the boat in order to change the lower gear oil and I don't have a trailer to put it on in order to do it myself.
I'm wondering if I can go into shallow water and tilt the eng and still do it? I called other Marinas around and most charge $150 just to put the boat on their trailer and take it back to their shop for service.
Has anyone changed their lower gear oil while in the water?

 

[robert graham]

Re: $400 oil change

If you can find a beach or sandbar to back your boat up to, you should be able to service the lower unit without much trouble. If you're anywhere near a tidal river or creek, you can pull your boat up at high tide and wait for the tide to go out and leave you "high and dry" for a while to do boat/motor maintenance. Good Luck!

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: $400 oil change

In my feeble little mind I'm trying to picture changing the gear lube with an engine tilted up. I keep seeing two issues, you won't be able to get all the old lube out, and the overflow hole will be at the wrong level when you fill it. The first might not be a big deal, so long as you get a good portion of the old lube out. The second you may be able to overcome by putting the engine back down once the fill plug is in and slowly topping it off through the overflow hole.

Oh, there's also the issue of making sure not to let oil get into the water.

But dam, for $400 I'd sure be looking for other options too.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: $400 oil change

Ask the marina to put is on their trailer and then do it yourself and relaunch. Of, if you do not want to spend the $150, try to borrow a freinds trailer while they have their toon in the water...

 

[Charlie in TX]

Re: $400 oil change

Anyone you know have a boat lift?

As was said, the motor should be plumb.

 

[allpoints360]

Re: $400 oil change

I called other Marinas around and most charge $150 just to put the boat on their trailer and take it back to their shop for service.

Carpetbaggers.

 

[surge006]

Re: $400 oil change

now my manual tells me to empty my lower unit with it up but obviously makes more sense down. Whierd !

 

[Capt'n Chris]

Re: $400 oil change

You could drain it tilted, but filling would leave it unfilled and you don;t want that.

 

[Mark42]

Re: $400 oil change

You might be able to beach the toon backwards, then dig a hole to set a bucket/oil pan in and let the motor down to drain into the bucket.

 

[scipper77]

Re: $400 oil change

To save $350, I'd almost consider pulling the motor and doing the work on a stand. That price is RE-DIC-U-LOUS. Pay that for 2 or three years and you could have bought a trailer!! I'm sure there is a better way to do it right.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: $400 oil change

I'll come up with something, just not sure what.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: $400 oil change

Is there any place that you could "rent" a trailer? We have them availble for rent in my neck of the woods... Just a thought....

 

[jeff_smith_0423]

Re: $400 oil change

Well I checked with my Marina for an oil change/ lower gear oil change on my Pontoon with 60hp 4stroke Yamaha and they wanted $400, that didn't include pressure washing the logs./QUOTE]

Rent a trailer or borrow someone's lift in the marina. I wouldn't give that marina a DIME of my money ever again.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: $400 oil change

I don't find it unreasonable. You pay more for their gas too. They are a business, and need to be profitable. Profit is not a bad word, despite what the popular media and current admin say.

Also, it would cost you at least $400 to store a trailer for a year, if you had your own to service it on.

Lastly, the ideas about trying to do something with it in the water, or beached backwards sound bad to me. I do it on a trailer in my yard and still spill gear lube.

 

[jeff_smith_0423]

Re: $400 oil change

I don't find it unreasonable. You pay more for their gas too. They are a business, and need to be profitable. Profit is not a bad word, despite what the popular media and current admin say.

I have no issue with a business making a profit either. However, $400 for a gear lube change with a haul-out and relaunch is absurd. You're looking at $10 worth of lube and AT MOST an hour of labor to haul the boat, swap the lube, and relaunch. In my book, that translates to about a $125 bill - which i would happily pay.

 

[rbh]

Re: $400 oil change

$400 BUCKS ouch.
Can you pump it out with one of those hand suckers.
rob

 

[sickwilly]

Re: $400 oil change

Its and oil change too. If the mechanic is hauling out the boat, he is not working on another boat.

The time it takes to get the tow vehicle down to the launch ramp, get to the boat, untie it, start it up, idle over to the ramp, pull the boat out, get it to the shop, and then reverse this whole process after the maintenance is done costs a lot of time. If they speed it up by having two people do it, then two people are not doing somethings else where they could be producing billable hours.

True, they have you with a boat and no trailer, so they get to charge more, but you also are paying for the convenience of owning a boat with no trailer, kept on the lake.

You can always come over to the trailer boat side like many of us, if you want to save money at the expense of convenience and time.

 

[jeff_smith_0423]

Re: $400 oil change

Add another $75 for the oil change then. The marina that I deal with has employees who pretty much don't do anything but launch and recover boats for people. Valet's, technically. They handle all of the launching of racked boats, trailered boats in rented warehouse storage, launching boats for demo rides, and all of the hauling for their shop. They also run the gas pumps, keep the place clean. They stay pretty busy, but hauling out a rig for shop work wouldn't cause them to bat an eyelash. None of the mechanics do this kind of work unless they're so slow that they have nothing better to do.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: $400 oil change

Its and oil change too. If the mechanic is hauling out the boat, he is not working on another boat.

The time it takes to get the tow vehicle down to the launch ramp, get to the boat, untie it, start it up, idle over to the ramp, pull the boat out, get it to the shop, and then reverse this whole process after the maintenance is done costs a lot of time. If they speed it up by having two people do it, then two people are not doing somethings else where they could be producing billable hours.

True, they have you with a boat and no trailer, so they get to charge more, but you also are paying for the convenience of owning a boat with no trailer, kept on the lake.

You can always come over to the trailer boat side like many of us, if you want to save money at the expense of convenience and time.

Add another $75 for the oil change then. The marina that I deal with has employees who pretty much don't do anything but launch and recover boats for people. Valet's, technically. They handle all of the launching of racked boats, trailered boats in rented warehouse storage, launching boats for demo rides, and all of the hauling for their shop. They also run the gas pumps, keep the place clean. They stay pretty busy, but hauling out a rig for shop work wouldn't cause them to bat an eyelash. None of the mechanics do this kind of work unless they're so slow that they have nothing better to do.

I agree with both of these comments. Yes, they have to make a profit, I am a business owner and I understand all about making a profit. However, if it is a marina, they launch and recover baots all of the time, so why such a cheap charge for a one time haulout for service. I agree that they have to charge something for the haulout, but for the time it takes to change the oil, I would think 2 hour labor (recover, service and launch) plus the cost of the Lube. I would think no more than $225. At a marina, that would be about right. Last time I paid to have work done on my motor, it was to change a shaft seal and LU oil. Bill was $125 which I thought high at the time... that was 6 years ago.

 

[walt-oxie1]

Re: $400 oil change

Why not bring it to the shallows and remove the lower unit? That way there is no risk of an oil spill on the water. If you decide to beach it, carry a shovel and container just encase there is a spill.That way the contaminated dirt can be contained. Make sure you have plenty of rags or paper towels to clean everything on the motor. I have serviced them on the water before. It is a real pain and honestly, I wouldn't do it again. Just remember, if something gets broken or stripped while attempting a service in the water, the damage could be more costly than $400. Have you shopped around at other places? Maybe a mobile marine mechanic?