More Bad News from the dealer service writer

So I drop my boat off at the dealership to get winterized and oil changed ('05 outback) and had an incident with hitting my prop while pulling my boat out for the season.

The service writer just calls me to sell me the Prop need to be replaced and there is no way anyone will be able to repair it, he also goes on to tell me that the strut is bent and that those can not be repaired only replaced.

So now I am looking at a $995 bill for new acme prop and new strut with installation.
:mad:

This boat thing is getting silly.

Ahhh the joys of being a "BOAT" owner...... you know how the saying goes
BOAT stands for bust our another thousand!!!!

Chris

that sucks, what boat do you have? hopefully your shaft isn't bent. that means you hit your strut as well?

[QUOTE=ducatichris;116852]This boat thing is getting silly./QUOTE]

Funny, since 1998 I have purchased 1 battery, 1 starter, 5 impellers, 1 rotor cap/plug wires,oil/filters, and general purpose lube. A total of about $600-800 in 12 years on maintenance repairs. Maybe I am lucky or maybe many of you are unlucky.

its a 2005 Outback.
Says the shaft isn't bent. The thing that I'm frustrated about is that I never hit the strut just the dump prop on the cement block my neighbor leaves in the lake to secure his swim platform with.

Oh well.

[quote=maxpower220;116855]

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Originally Posted by ducatichris

This boat thing is getting silly./QUOTE]

Funny, since 1998 I have purchased 1 battery, 1 starter, 5 impellers, 1 rotor cap/plug wires,oil/filters, and general purpose lube. A total of about $600-800 in 12 years on maintenance repairs. Maybe I am lucky or maybe many of you are unlucky.

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Since 1989 one battery, 5 impellers, one battery,one ballast pump, one v belt, one temperature guage, one mdc control unit, 2 fuel/water filters, many oil filters and oil and lube and wax.... oops forgot the 3 dozen spark plugs

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Originally Posted by ducatichris

its a 2005 Outback.
Says the shaft isn't bent. The thing that I'm frustrated about is that I never hit the strut just the dump prop on the cement block my neighbor leaves in the lake to secure his swim platform with.

Oh well.

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like to know how you can bend the strut without bending the shaft or coupler, the alignment has to be out if the strut is bent, and if its still tight on the coupler ....well you better loosen it cause the stress at the vdrive propshaft coupler is not good for your vdrive shaft bearings oops transmission shaft bearings

I find it hard to believe your prop cannot be repaired. I have had chunks taken out of my prop in the past and they repaired it. And it cost me less than 100 dollars per prop.

I once ran over a sunken Navigation Pole on the Appalacha River, it went between both props (dual outboards). I was missing parts of the blades. For less than 200 dollars I got the props repaired and you couldn't even tell where they repaired them. I have taken my MasterCraft prop there several times (cypress stumps) and they repaired it for around 90.00 dollars.
At the least I would let them repair the strut but you should be able to purchase a new prop for less than what the dealer will charge you or call this number.

Marine Wheels Inc. 850-265-0095
This place repairs thousands of props a year, and keep in mind I live in a Salt Water Fishing Town. I have seen a pair of props leave there in the back of a Ford F-350 dually and the truck was sagging due to the weight of those monsters. When I bring in my little 13 x 13 it is usually one of the smallest props in the building.

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Originally Posted by DOCDRS

like to know how you can bend the strut without bending the shaft or coupler, the alignment has to be out if the strut is bent, and if its still tight on the coupler ....well you better loosen it cause the stress at the vdrive propshaft coupler is not good for your vdrive shaft bearings oops transmission shaft bearings

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I totally agree with you on this! Right now I don't have a warm and fuzzy with this dealer.

[QUOTE=maxpower220;116855]

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Originally Posted by ducatichris

This boat thing is getting silly./QUOTE]

Funny, since 1998 I have purchased 1 battery, 1 starter, 5 impellers, 1 rotor cap/plug wires,oil/filters, and general purpose lube. A total of about $600-800 in 12 years on maintenance repairs. Maybe I am lucky or maybe many of you are unlucky.

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Or maybe you do the work yourself like I do and realize that dealers do a lot of work that really isn't needed.
Since I bought my 2008 LS I have only bought oil and oil filters.
Unfortunately not everone is mechanically inclined and is at the mercy of the "Experts". I feel really bad for the blonde women! :p

some pics would be nice :)

Boat = fiberglass hole in lake that you pour money into....

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Originally Posted by zegm

I find it hard to believe your prop cannot be repaired. I have had chunks taken out of my prop in the past and they repaired it. And it cost me less than 100 dollars per prop.

I once ran over a sunken Navigation Pole on the Appalacha River, it went between both props (dual outboards). I was missing parts of the blades. For less than 200 dollars I got the props repaired and you couldn't even tell where they repaired them.[...]

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That sounds about right for aluminum props. Were they? Bronze is much harder and more expensive to repair, and less likely to have a good job done. Another Moomba owner near me just went through this. I ended up lending him my old prop until he found a better full replacement.

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Originally Posted by Ian Brantford

That sounds about right for aluminum props. Were they? Bronze is much harder and more expensive to repair, and less likely to have a good job done. Another Moomba owner near me just went through this. I ended up lending him my old prop until he found a better full replacement.

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Ian,
I have never owned an aluminum prop. My old MC prop was repaired so many times it had scars from brazing. My outboard props that were missing chunks were Stainless Steel. Unless a complete blade is missing I think they can be repaired.

I would second the repair prop option over replacement. most dealers don't make a nickel on a repaired prop since they have it sent out, so I can understand the push to sell you a new prop.

mine was only $85 to get repaired.

I'd pull the prop and let the dealer do all the other work. get the prop done yourself and put it back on. that's a walk in the park..

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Originally Posted by DOCDRS

like to know how you can bend the strut without bending the shaft or coupler, the alignment has to be out if the strut is bent, and if its still tight on the coupler ....well you better loosen it cause the stress at the vdrive propshaft coupler is not good for your vdrive shaft bearings oops transmission shaft bearings

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we have a hackercraft that i rolled over a rock with, bent strut, rolled up prop and bend rudder.... While the ticket was ridiculous there was no mention of shaft alignment on the bill either... that sounds fishy now that you mention it....

if I were the OP I would mark the strut and tell the dealer you want the old one back when its replaced.....

With the Prop - what brand? If it's OJ i know they repair them at the factory. You can just send it out to them and they'll fix and return. Would have been cheaper for me to do that than use the local guy (I learned my lesson).

I'm not sure but I'd venture to say that the other manufacturers do the same?

In the inboard world there are two materials used for props, stainless and Nibral, a metal alloy made from nickel, bronze and aluminum. All modern wakeboat props are made from Nibral. Yes you could get a stainless if you wanted but mfgrs won't use them due to cost and the repair factor if you hit your prop. Nibral props can be repaired as said short of a blade missing so do not let anyone tell you they cannot be repaired. Contact the mfgr or a local prop repair facility and have it fixed.

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Originally Posted by zegm

call this number.
Marine Wheels Inc. 850-265-0095
This place repairs thousands of props a year

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They just did mine. It was about $85 plus shipping. Fantastic job and they give you a report that shows how it balanced before and after. Nice!

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Originally Posted by kaneboats

They just did mine. It was about $85 plus shipping. Fantastic job and they give you a report that shows how it balanced before and after. Nice!

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They have a profile machine that traces the profile of the props, this way they make sure they are even better than when they leave the original factory.
On my Stainless Steel props I noticed that both engines where perfectly still while in gear they had them so perfectly balanced. Before I damaged them they would vibrate and move around a little bit. Yes they do great work at a great price.

So service manager calls me and says... "I have more good news for you"

Your shaft is bent new one installed (parts and labor) $438

We also found that your rudder and rudder port is bent new one installed (parts and labor) $578.45

WTF!!!!
no physical signs of contact on my rudder and he says its bent.
While performing a steering test it binds on 1/3 turn to right and same to left.

I can't believe I hit something that hard with my prop and did SO much damage. (need I remind you that I was at best 1/8 throttle in gear) less than 10 mph!

I guess that is what insurance is for right:(

WHOA.........what a # huh?
I smacked a log about a year ago on a river we boat on at about 3/4 top end and it just nicked a prop blade up a bit and put a hairline crack in one of them. It sounded BAD when it happened but must have got lucky :)

I'm not surprised, had a buddy that ripped everything off while he was floating with the current boat in neutral and he figured less damage would be done in neutral then trying to throw it in reverse and miss the rock.......I guess the underwater gear is designed to let go rather than do more like rip the bottom off and toast your hull tranny and motor perhaps......but then 3-4000lbs moving at 6mph isn't going to stop that easy.

Oh and i called the shaft earlier.....surprised they didn't.......I do know a shaft is about 325 so 100 to installis not that bad.....just make sure your dripless is still dripless as its easy to pooch the seal if one is not carefull removing ,then reinstalling a new shaft. Also watch your Vdrive for oil leaking as some of the force may have been transmitted to the vdrive shaft seal (although the vdrive is pretty tough and prob ok, just monitor your oil level carefully next year) ...... ya I know just what ya wanted to hear , more potential problems.......