Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

[oneref]

Took my boat in for possible head gasket (my suspicion), and oil leak. First they found front seal leaking, then later found the head gasket. We are up to 1100 right now and after they put the engine back in, now they claim the exhaust manifold is leaking and it's another 600. I'm pretty jacked right and believe I'm already billed for taking the engine apart and shouldn't have to pay any labor on the exhaust replacement. I found the kit and riser for approx 400 delivered. Is this labor cost something I should fight? I'm new at the repair portion and gratefull for that, but I'm thinking they are trying to make up for some lost boat sales right now!!! Thanks for all of you pros sharing your experience and expertise.

Mercruiser 1999 3.0 Alpha

Missinfishin!!!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

now they claim the exhaust manifold is leaking and it's another 600.

Ayuh,...

If that's the Manifold, Installed,...

I'd say they're doing you a pretty Good Deal...

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

As I read your post, the labor for replacing the manifolds is about $200. Most yards are charging between $75 and $100 an hour labor here in NY, so that charge itself doesn't seem out of order. Every boat setup is different so it's a little difficult to say from here whether the cost of the head gasket and front seal replacements was excessive or not. Having to pull the engine to change a front seal could very well be the only way to go. Sorry I can't be more suppostive, but my gut feeling is that the charges seem just, even though it's alot of money. Hy

 

[wvit1001]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

I've never heard anybody say that boats were cheap to keep running.

I've always heard that the two best days of owning a boat were the day you got it and the day you sold it.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

sounds like yer the first owner. cool. it's a 10 year old boat. yer in flordia so perhaps you run in salt water? best i read, salt water eats manifold right quick no matter how nice ya are to them. if your manifold are bad and you don't replace them, get ready for water ingestion. a engine killer if ya aint right on top of it. if your not on top of it, ya'll replace your engine and you'll replace the manifolds then. riser too.
personally, i've found that when you start taking your boat apart for one repair, it'll lead to another. nature of boating i think. you went after a oil leak. perhaps the old manifold showed up as bad after it got R&Red for the head gasket replacement? i'd do the repair. 2 hundie or not. if they're bad, yer treading on thin ice.
a alternative would be to R&R the manifold yerself. spend yer 400. get yer service manual from the adults only sticky at the top of the i/o page. read up and do it yer self, iboats folks like to help others in need if you have questions as your doing the deed.... well, that's my 2cent...

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

So whats the problem ??

Really you can't be here byatching about paying a pro, to do work you can't or won't do.

Most here are diy-ers.

Pro has to pay, electric bills, gas bills, insurance bills, Has to order the parts, have the tools, and test equipment, got certified to do the work, all which costs MONEY.

And at the end of the job i bet he kept 5 percent if lucky 10 percent of the total bill to eat ,and pay a house rent bill, electric on the house, insurance on the house,gas on the house, and maybe give milk to the baby.

Oh yea almost forgot abut the vig that goes to uncle same every April.

Please don't come here byatching about a bill, do it yourself or discuss it with the guy doing the work before he does the work.

Kapiche !

 

[searay3]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

Oneref, I think I understand your frustration. As it was in for a head gasket, the manifolds had to be pulled for the repair, and now they want labor again to go back into the motor. I feel your pain and would think the mechanic would have inspected them when removed. If you are boating in salt water one would like to think that he would at least bring it up for discussion when the motor was apart. You will probably have to pay him for the deed, but if it were me, I would be shopping around for another mechanic for next time. If he missed the age/looks of the manifold when it was apart, what else did he overlook when swapping the head gasket??

 

[lowkee]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

I'm with chiefalen on this one. If you did it yourself it would have been way less expensive. You're paying someone to do what you don't feel like doing yourself. From there it's simply supply and demand.

I have a 3.0 myself. I'm pretty sure we're talking 7 bolts and 4 screws, here. If you weren't willing to take the time to find used or replace yourself, it costs what it costs. Most dealers make the vast majority of their money in service nowadays. Nobody wants to do anything themselves anymore.

 

[meesh]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

If you read his thread, he's new at repairs and probably not sure if he can do it himself. At this point it's already in someones yard and he will have to pay the piper. He's just rying to figure out if he's getting ripped off, and with todays labor rates I would have to say no. But it would be a good time to buy or download a manual and start learning becuase as boats get older it's going to need more and more work. Hope it works out for you.

 

[Gazza1]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

Nah, Do it your self, no big deal in replacing manifolds.. The only tools that you need are 1 9/16 sae ring spanner or socket, blade screwdriver.
If you have a computer mounted on the riser then you will need another spanner 7/16 sae I think.
Have a look on EBay, there are some pretty cheap manifols/risers.
Your old manifolds proberly looked ok when your mechanic replaced them.

I assume that your engine is a V8.

I have found looseing the bottom clamps X 2 then removing 3 of the 4 bolts that hold the manifolds to the head, Leave one of the middle ones in a few threads, then support the manifold and remove the last bolt.. Caution!! the manifold is heavy so don't let slip or you will right off the spark plugs. Give the manifold a twist sideways a couple of times and lift.
Of course remove the couple of manifold cooling hoses first.
Goo luck
Gazza

 

[oneref]

Re: Questioning an engine repair getting larger!!!!

Thanks for all the feed back ... even the one from crusty and his mini crusty! For those of you who read the post, I appreciate the common sense suggestions. I spoke to the owner and mechanic again and questioned why I should pay them twice the labor for doing the same job and it not leaving the shop: ) They dropped the 2nd labor cost and charging me a little extra for the exhaust kit and riser. A little compromise gets a man word of mouth advertising and return business if the job is too large. I don't have a garage to put it in or I might have taken on the task myself. This is a great website and great knowledge. Thanks gentlemen!