Am I totally Screwed?

[HappyMdRSailor]

It's Saturday.... That pump is calling you to make things spiffy again....
: O )P

[SS Little-Devil]

Finally got the parts. Met the mechanic at the boat. He's trying to convince me to use red lock tite on the new banjo bolts and fittings and I said no. That made me real uncomfortable. Wow.

Shore power and battery switch were not restored so I spent the afternoon cleaning out what used to be a freezer full of beef tenderloin and chicken. It'll be a while before that smell is out I my nose.

Cockpit drain hose was removed for access and has been draining over top and side of the motor and splashing onto the pump with empty bolt holes. Not sure if any got into the pump, but it made me nervous.

It's time to move on.

I called CC marine and they wanted $200/hour because someone else worked on it first. I get so upset with this rational - penalize people for not choosing them first. I get that it could take longer, but they're paid by the hour. Normally, it's $100/hour. Guy on the phone said he couldn't even guarantee boss would allow them to work on it even at $200/hour.

I'm so frustrated with the boat and the trades people in the marina...

So I'm thinking of putting the fittings back in myself, hooking the fuel lines back up and seeing what happens. I need to bleed the lines I'm guessing? Is this a totally bad idea?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

Finally got the parts. Met the mechanic at the boat. He's trying to convince me to use red lock tite on the new banjo bolts and fittings and I said no. That made me real uncomfortable. Wow.

Shore power and battery switch were not restored so I spent the afternoon cleaning out what used to be a freezer full of beef tenderloin and chicken. It'll be a while before that smell is out I my nose.

Cockpit drain hose was removed for access and has been draining over top and side of the motor and splashing onto the pump with empty bolt holes. Not sure if any got into the pump, but it made me nervous.

It's time to move on.

I called CC marine and they wanted $200/hour because someone else worked on it first. I get so upset with this rational - penalize people for not choosing them first. I get that it could take longer, but they're paid by the hour. Normally, it's $100/hour. Guy on the phone said he couldn't even guarantee boss would allow them to work on it even at $200/hour.

I'm so frustrated with the boat and the trades people in the marina...

So I'm thinking of putting the fittings back in myself, hooking the fuel lines back up and seeing what happens. I need to bleed the lines I'm guessing? Is this a totally bad idea?

Get it to a injector pump service agent. There are common anywhere there are diesel trucks. Get then to service it and retread the banjos etc. you'll get a reconditioned pump, piece of mind. Etc. stop wasting a collection of 200 dollars amount that ultimately will cost you a pump.

Dave

[Teknav]

These over-charging "mechanics" don't want anything to do with your boat; they smell big trouble in your situation. I'd look elsewhere for service, after insuring that nothing is leaking. Before moving, make sure your new mechanics have a sense of what to expect. As for the smelly fridge, a thorough wash with baking soda should take care of that in a day or so; if it was up to me, I would use bleach, then rinse/wash plenty with fresh water, as chlorine is toxic. Good luck! Mauritz

[ulpilot45]

You can do it just clean the holes with brake clean or carb cleaner use one washer on each side of line and one for the stud style reinstall the injection lines bleed at nozzles by leaving nuts loose crank engine until fuel come out tighten nuts and start engine

[SS Little-Devil]

Okay thanks. I'll do it myself. If it still leaks, I'll pull the pump and bring it in for service. I have the full tech manual so that should help. Time I took this bull by the horns.

[ulpilot45]

Its just nuts and bolts be clean and ask if you cant find what you need in manuals someone hear will give you good advice you can do a better job than a lot of so called expert's

[hellosailor]

Wow, double price because someone else burned you first. Daddy spank? Those are but jobs even if they are good wrenches, I'd never let them near the boat because you KNOW they are going to play more games.

By all means, DIY or to a diesel shop. You might want to get a can of "canned air", stick the nozzle in the hole, and blow out any debris that's in there, also. Sometimes crud or paint flakes or moisture will come out, sometimes it won't, but at least it helps to stack the odds in your favor. (Of course an air compressor is fine too, but that tends to be a little more expensive.)

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

Okay thanks. I'll do it myself. If it still leaks, I'll pull the pump and bring it in for service. I have the full tech manual so that should help. Time I took this bull by the horns.

Yep. You need to know this stuff yourself.

[SS Little-Devil]

I had the same problems with the electronics. Maritime electronics refused to do my labor, because I bought my hardware from west marine.

I called Maritime first, to repair the AP. They came to the boat and cut the cable and removed the compass for the AP, then removed the head, and said they would try to repair it. Called me a week later and said they couldn't get parts, so that was that, and quoted $7000 for a new system.

I paid their bill and asked for my parts back, still intent on trying to get the head repaired. It powered up, but was stuck turning to starboard, so I couldn't understand why I needed a whole new system.

So when I finally went to replace it, West Marine had a Raydays and a rebate, I bought my system there because it was WAY cheaper. I asked if Maritime would match and they said no, and said if I bought at WM they would not install it. At $100/hour, you'd think they appreciate at least the labor, but no way.

Months later, after going through two flaky installers recommended by West Marine, and doing some of the work myself, I was almost done but stuck on one very simple thing. I called maritime, and begged for help. It took them two weeks to get back to me because they had to think about it first. They told me $150 per hour, with a 3 hour minimum, but by this time, I had already found someone else, and it took him 30 minutes and I was in business.

Businesses in California are quite, "different."

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

Finally got the parts. Met the mechanic at the boat. He's trying to convince me to use red lock tite on the new banjo bolts and fittings and I said no. That made me real uncomfortable. Wow.

Wow, indeed. Did he say? As some sorta extra sealant over the munged threads? I've only apprenticed a bit with a trained mechanic; we NEVER used sealant on banjo-bolts; it's the copper washers that make the seal.

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

I called CC marine and they wanted $200/hour because someone else worked on it first. I get so upset with this rational - penalize people for not choosing them first. I get that it could take longer, but they're paid by the hour. Normally, it's $100/hour. Guy on the phone said he couldn't even guarantee boss would allow them to work on it even at $200/hour.

...

So I'm thinking of putting the fittings back in myself, hooking the fuel lines back up and seeing what happens. I need to bleed the lines I'm guessing? Is this a totally bad idea?

My god, that's lame. A$$holes. Wow, what a way to build a business. I thought that only happened in sitcoms. If I was asked to clean up after someone else's (or owner's) repair failure... worst-case is that I would put in the time, but I wouldn't warranty the work unless I could re-do it to my spec.

Hope you can find someone dependable.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

I had the same problems with the electronics. Maritime electronics refused to do my labor, because I bought my hardware from west marine.

[another horror story deleted]

Ok, either there's something wrong with you, or there really is something wack about the marine trades in your area...

The late Frank Zappa had a song purportedly about California tradespeople

Frank Zappa - Flakes

but I thought he was just having a bad day or something...

Hmmm. wonder if I could get in on a TN-1 visa or something to do marine electrical work in California... Canada's gettin' cold in the winter for some reason.

[JRM]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Ok, either there's something wrong with you, or there really is something wack about the marine trades in your area...

You do realize that these people in the marine services do talk to each other? You may need to move, because it sounds like you've got the black spot marked on you. Marinas can be small places, and word travels fast.

I know that when I priced a job in the stratosphere it's because I really didn't want the work, or had a bad vibe about the client. Or I thought it's going to result in a cascading failure that would ultimately cost me money.

Just as a bit of reference... When I first hired a marine electrician to help me out I took him out to lunch and bought both of the days he worked with me. Even a $20 sushi lunch is cheap compared to an $85/hour labor bill. He got an appreciated free meal (or two), I got lots of good info, and a good rep in the marina. And the next time I got stuck and needed a bit of help he was right over. A good investment of $40.

JRM

-- I find that the better I treat the people who work for me, the better the work turns out...

[DeepFrz]

The late Frank Zappa had a song purportedly about California tradespeople

LOL. They are coming to get you...

[SS Little-Devil]

Well as I said earlier in the thread, this guy in my marina that's been working on the boat now, I would consider a friend. Always been reliable, and was the guy i tuned to for mechanical engine stuff. I've done the lunch thing...beers too. But he's another guy that works for straight cash and has a tendency to want to band aid repairs. I appreciate the desire to save me some money when possible but sometimes I want repairs done right.

As for the other guys, what can I say? CC marine had no idea who I was when I called, or who had started the work on my boat. Turns out one of my electrical guys bailed because he was hired to move a boat lift for a fellow, then sunk it because he forgot to put some plugs in (or so the lift owner told me) and spent the next couple of weeks jn hiding....

My mistake has pretty much been using people that have been recommended by others around the marina instead of just going straight to the pros.

I admit, that buying from maritime and having them do the labor, would have been cheaper in the end, and I would have been able to use my boat much sooner instead of it dragging out.

I have a service company scrub my boat every month and zing my credit card automatically. Great service, professional. No problem.

My take on what happens with many of the tradespeople is they take money up front for a 2-3 day job and work a few hours, then disappear and do that again somewhere else in the marina, and as many times as they can. Then weeks later show up to work another day, then ask for more money... I'm not saying my diesel mech is doing that. As I said he's been reliable. But the others. Wow. And try to get an invoice...

From now on I will call someone like CC marine or Maritime up first, take my lumps on rates and get some proper service, or do things myself. Part of the struggle has being figuring out who to call for what in the first place, but I've learned. Unless they have the ability to take a credit card for payment, they're probably not legit enough for me and I'll move on.