Advice?

[BrendanS]

I can tell pretty much instantly if a car service requires further work, even when they phone to tell me that....we found so and so, and it needs..

Can't do that with boats. Yet. Boat is having a good seeing to, and I've been told that my bellows on a Alpha One drive on a Mercuiser 4.3 has cracked. Then told the following....

"It is recommended, that although it is only the shaft bellows that is cracked, that the exhaust, shift cable and water intake pipe should be replaced at the same time, because one never knows when these are going to fail. This entails the removal of the complete stern drive."

Should I have these replaced at same time, or another marine surcharge??

 

[mtb]

Well I'd say it's a fair comment from them.
Thing is work out the cost between doing it now and this time of year and then during the summer if it fails.
cheers
Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I need a couple of oak tree's .. for me trawler

 

[BrendanS]

From you Mick, I'll take that as a yes, and tell them to go ahead.

Thanks

 

[sfh]

I would say that the water intake pipe and shift bellow are low cost items, the majority of the cost being labour. It would be a great shame not to do all the work together, bare in mind all the cooling water comes through that hose.

bet it's not done on time, to budget and correctly first time

 

[BrendanS]

As they have taken engine out, to do hull repairs under warranty, from inside rather than cosmetic repair from outside, the time is not an issue? Engine and leg least of problems.

Just hope they do hull repair well /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[sfh]

sounds painfull !

 

[BarryH]

Well If they've taken the engine out, then the leg would have had to come off anyway. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, would mean that the bellows and shift thing and water pipe needs to come of anyway.

So you can read this 2 ways. Either they have been a bit dilligent and said 'oh look, thems a buggered and we'll let the owner know' or they've shagged the things getting the leg off and are strapping you up! Now I wonder which..........

 

[Col]

Er, No2 I suspect, damaged would have been evident when bellows removed to enable leg removal. This would need to come off for engine removal (explanation aimed at BrendanS)

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[BrendanS]

errm! so is this marine surcharge, or helpful engineers? Simpleton when it comes to these things <s>

 

[rich]

change them every 2 to 3 years any way,

rich )

 

[sfh]

Go and have a look at them ask to see why they need changing, again if the leg is off it would be unwise not to replace them, there will be no better time, if nothing else this is the lowest cost opportunity. how old are they? the items are rubber sat in water, you well regret not changing them if they fail and you have to have your leg off

 

[Col]

Sounds as if the were damaged during removal, I would try and get them replaced at their cost, not yours.


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[BrendanS]

Yes, I was wondering, hence the question here.

 

[pistonbroke]

Exhaust, shaft & shift bellows retail at £72.00, water pipe £19.00. False economy not to replace these items whilst easy to get at. The consequences of a failure under use too awful to even consider.

Very unlikely to have been damaged during drive/engine removal. Rubber doesn't last for ever, you only need to look at my wifes underwear.

 

[Col]

Your boat isn't that old is it? Although the bellows should be changed regularly, they should last for several years before they fail ( I'm not recommending waiting for that to happen ) but it's not a case of 2 years, and they fail ! Gearshift even longer (I have just changed one that is 10 years old, It didn't fail of age, but damage.

Your engine came out for the repair. To get the engine out, the leg has to come off. If the leg was not properly supported, and dropped slightly, the gearshift cable can easily be bent/damaged. Same with bellows. Same thing can happen when re fitting leg.

As they didn't mention these problems at time of dismantling, have they buggered them up while trying to refit leg??
See what I mean?

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[BrendanS]

Engine has just come out, so maybe legit. Boat is three years old. 1 and a half years on river thames, 1 and a half years at Lymington. At Lymington kept on dry rack, and forklifted into water when I need it.

Think I'll tell them to go ahead and replace while dismantled, but if they already have the leg off, I'm not paying the labour for that!

 

[Col]

Whatever you decide, get it sorted before next weekend /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[BrendanS]

Given that it's taken them 5 months to get this far!!!....you can tell I'm not terribly opimistic /forums/images/icons/frown.gif