Cha-Chang $!$!

R

Radiowaves

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My boat is a 2003 model that I bought new in Mid October 2002 and had put about 7 hours on it. Now I have 346 hours. I never put any real money into the boat for repairs.

On a previous post I mentioned that I may need to replace a water pump. Don suggested doing both. He was correct, when they pulled both out, the second one was beginning to go, maybe another season. Each pump runs about $500 for just the parts. They are mercury original pumps that came with the motors and the only kind that will fit. To replace the pumps the mechanic had to remove muffler hoses and other parts to just get to the pumps. Then we both noticed the drip down the risers, and the powder around the gaskets. Risers / spacers 2 engines, parts around $1400. I figure another $800-1000 or more for labor for both jobs. I am looking at around $4500, and this is before the spring tune-up bottom paint, zincs etc.

I was told that risers are good for about 5-7 years, I may be on the low end.

I guess I have been lucky, with a basically trouble free boat for 4 + complete seasons, but Ouch ! anyway.
 
Well, better to do the risers now and get it done with rather than have problems during the season or potentially more damage if they get worse. I'm going through the same thing, I took off one exhaust elbow since I figured it was time (other one was done a couple years back when it started leaking). When I got it off I discovered it was leaking internally and water was in the turbo where it shouldn't have been. $2200 for the turbo, $800 or so for the elbow, but better to do the work now than hold off and have a breakdown in July. I also had to get a new radar and having other work done (cutless bearings, dripless shaft seals, some canvas work, props getting scanned, etc). I've lost track at this point but I may hit $10k in spring expenses before I launch. I spent $500 this weekend just on zincs and impellers. All part of boating at this level!
 
Radio, you got off cheap!! Last year I spent over $12K on my stringers and flooring, the year before, a new tranny cost $17K!

Just look at it this way, if you didn't spend it on the boat, it would just be gathering dust!
 
I agree that its better to get it done now before trouble later. I won't even go into the list and cost of things that I am dealing with this spring.

On the plus side, Waves and Wheels should be cleaning my boat in the shed today so it will probably be wet early next week. Still a few weeks away from being ready to go, but getting closer.

Brad - My friend in East Rockaway is a Mercury distributor if you want to compare parts pricing. PM me if you want the number.
 
Gee.........I got off cheap this year! By the time we're finished fixing up our old, old bowrider, it should run me about $1500.00! I don't even think the boat is worth that much but it's so ugly and old that it's grown on me and I've learned to love it :)
Hell, it's only money :)
 
Yeah............ It's not cheap. I went for $3k on ALL new heat exchangers for both motors ( engine...oil...tranny ). Tune up & changed the oil/filters both motors & gen was $800. So far.
Next I want to change to a larger Vacu-flush holding tank for about $1200 .... then a new chain/rope windlass for about $1800 (P&L)....After that will be the short haul for paint & zinks & wax...about $1K. Thats not including the little boat expenses.....which shoud be about $1500....to get it wet.

BUT...........time out on the boat is PRICELESS.
 
I'll be spending another $2K on a new AC within the next couple of weeks.
 
Bigger boats, bigger bills! So far I'm happy with my 2 smaller boats than I was with the larger ones. But that usually changes on a yearly basis!
 
CALL MERCURY!

My 2001 Horizons had a drip down the extension blocks from the riser. Mechanic pulled them and called merc. Merc said pull all risers, and replace with new and it was all covered under WARRANTY!!!!!

Warranty covers risers if the gaskets fail before 5 years.
 
Brad,
Ur 8.1's havea 5 year warrty.... wtf.... should cost u squat....

Rob
 
Rob, I have 5.7 MPI Horizons, I am in my 5th year. The direct mercury warrantee did expire 04/06; it was a 3year not 5. I do have the Passport Premier plan and will call contact them, However, I am having the work done at another place than SS3/MM. They are certified Merc service providers, so maybe I can get this covered.
 
Any merc dealer can do the repair... its all covered....

sorry i thought u had a 34... help if i read it .....

dugh...
 
Be careful..... I had a Passport policy with my 280DA....I blew an Alpha outdrive on the way to Westhampton Beach Marina....when I got home I had my mechanic who is a " CERTIFIED MERC MECHANIC " rebuild it. When we submitted the claim....it was rejected.

The work had to be completed by a " AUTHORIZED MERC DEALER " ............le$$on learned.( the lesson was Passport SUCKS )
 
I pulled all of my warrantee paperwork out of my file and took it on the train to read. I had a 3 year warrantee with mercury, but declined to extend it to 5 (my bad) since I had a 6 year Passport plan, which I had thought covered bow to stern. Well they do, except what actually breaks !!

On page 14 they have over a dozen major items that are not covered.

#8 Valve seat, engine coupler, exhaust components, including but not limited to risers, manifolds, y-pipes, water shutters, gaskets, flappers, valves, valves seats etc. And what does etc. stand for!! More things they won’t cover. [:(!]
 
etc = Passport SUCKS.

They only cover the wax on the boat !!!
 
quote:
Originally posted by Double D

Be careful..... I had a Passport policy with my 280DA....I blew an Alpha outdrive on the way to Westhampton Beach Marina....when I got home I had my mechanic who is a " CERTIFIED MERC MECHANIC " rebuild it. When we submitted the claim....it was rejected.

The work had to be completed by a " AUTHORIZED MERC DEALER " ............le$$on learned.( the lesson was Passport SUCKS )

Click to expand...


The lesson that should of been learned is that the work should not of been done until "Passport" approved it. When I blew my motor last summer a good part of the delay was having the warranty company approve the repair.

I have also found that some shops are better than others at getting the warranty company to pay, they present the argument better and put the time in to make them pay. Other shops could care less and in some cases prefer that the owner pay as opposed to the warranty company.These "other shops" blame the warranty company and tell you how the warranty company sucks.
Unfortunetely it's not so easy to move you boat to another shop once the motor or outdrive is all in pieces.

Just My 2c.
 
WOW.... so boating is like its own little world ... Where warrty policys dont apply.. WTF...

im still all hacked off over the person who's rebuilt motor took a dump like in hr # 1 and they had to pay money.... Where just a bunch idiots that get taken advantage of...
 
My .02.

I agree with Walter. The shop has everything to do with how well or poorly it goes.

A few years ago, I replaced the port motor on the Trojan with a reman 454. Picked up the boat and blew the motor going out of East Rockaway inlet (45 minutes of running) and limped back to the dock on one engine. The yard obtained another reman block from a different source and had everthing swapped out and test run in one week. I paid only for the one block and the agreed upon labor.

In this case, if you deal with a shop that is authorized to do warranty repairs, they should know what is covered and what has been extended based on service bulletins from Mercury. Of course, its probably nothing :)
 
I don't know, I had the merc 5 year warranty on my horrizons and they paid for the full replacement of risers, extension blocks, gaskets, and labor. I had MRD do the work and I am damn happy.

Lesson learned, don't get cheap warranty policies. Merc stands behind their engines and they don't like to hear about failures. Even when I had a non authorized merc mechanic work on my boat, they paid for the parts. They won't pay the labor. I replaced a fuel pump, said I was doing it myself and they said as long as I return the defective one, I can get a new one!
 
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