Re: My 2007 V/P SX just exploded... any ideas of what to do?
Here is the update...
I made arrangements with the shop owner to bring in the boat on a Wednesday morning. I told him that I wouldn't allow him to take the drive apart because we had an agreement about the u-joints (not being warrantied- because they were not V/P) - so Wednesday the guy calls me and says that his mechanic called in sick. I had taken the day off from work
So, I come in on Friday.
We take the drive apart and everything seemed okay as we continued to get deeper into the unit. He didn't have the correct spanner wrench to remove the lower gears, used a screw-driver and tapped the (nut) loose and pulled out the rest of the vertical shaft. The split ring retaining clips and three needle bearings were found in the bottom of the casing. Everything seemed in good condition. A retaining ring was bent, the top plate had that hole through it, the dip-stick was gone, but everything seemed okay for the most part. The U-joints were in great condition. The mechanic said that he had "NO idea why it happened." I obviously didn't either...all I did was advance the throttle forward to start planning the boat and then "BOOOM!"
So the shop owner says that we (all of us) were lucky and that they'll take care of it. FAST-FORWARD 2 weeks; I have not heard from the shop at all- so I call. He tells me that it's all put back together but he couldn't get the top plate because he called the local VP dealer and they hung the phone on him. So, he couldn't order the part. (He then makes a comment about ME calling VP and complaining about him- that's why they hung up on him- he said.) He then tells me that he is filling out the paperwork with VP to be able to sell VP parts and become an authorized center.
I call on Thursday to get an update...it should have been done. The owner was with a customer and was to call me back. I don't hear from the guy. (Memorial Day Weekend) I call on Tuesday morning and ask the receptionist if my boat is done...I hear her ask the owner and he said yes, so I go done with my wife to pick it up. When we arrive he says that he sucked up all the labor on this one and we need to pay for the parts $500. My wife says absolutely not. She stated that she wasn't happy with the performance of the shop, that we brought in a boat that needed gimble bearings replaced- upsold the impeller, replaced the seals and on the first time out- the outdrive blows up. She again said that the shop should stand by their work and fix the boat.
The owner then tells my wife that her husband is a smart man and she should listen to him...(that did not go over well- my wife has a degree in business management and is a construction manager for a general contractor- SHE built our last home-not me) He then proceeds to tell us that we are greedy, starts calling us names and then tells us that HE is DONE with us and tells us to get our boat.
We go out to hook up the boat...I do my walk-around prior to pulling out...and the BOAT ISN"T EVEN FIXED YET! It still has a shop rag sticking out of the hole on the outdrive.
So....I'm furious...I'm thinking about small claims court and as I'm doing some research, I learn that this guy gives 50% off labor rates for city employees and military. *****...I'm both and he knew it but still took me for the full $95 labor rate for the previous work.
I have learned a lot... I got to see the entire outdrive taken apart and I still have a hole in the unit. SUX!
