Re: Screech in lower unit
Taking a Boat in for Service 101...<br /><br />Don't tell them what to do, tell them what is wrong. Every now and then I get customers tell me to do this or that and it doesn't always address the problem. I recall one guy that wanted his carbs rebuilt. I did the usual compression and spark check and found one cylinder had no spark. So I called him and asked "Do you want me to rebuild the carbs, or fix the problem?" Tell them the symptoms and the circumstances and let THEM find the problem.<br /><br />Believe me, there are a lot of shops that would've rebuilt the carbs, collected their money, and sent you on your way only to be pissed off that the motor ran just the same as when it was taken in. Once you sign the work order, they're stuck with those instructions. But they end up with a dissatisfied customer and the customer is out money that was wasted on something that didn't need to be done.<br /><br />Now this customer wasn't happy that the repair that NEEDED to be done was more expensive than what he WANTED done. But he'd have been a whole lot more upset if I had rebuilt those carbs AND ended up doing the switchbox the next week. You never know, they just might find that it's nothing more than a missing thrust washer that went kerplunk unnoticed allowing the prop to rub on the gearhousing. Easy repair, not expensive part ... and a whole lot cheaper than a teardown. Heck, most shops wouldn't even charge for their time in that circumstance, just the part.
