KAD300 service - bit pricey? advice please

[ozzie]

I am just looking to get our Bavaria 29DC serviced for the first time in our ownership, having only bought her in April. We are based in Torquay and I have had two quotes from local reputable firms to service the single KAD300 only, the stern drive will be done when she is lifted. The first quoted £480 labour and £361 for parts (plus VAT) to include the tappet adjustment , but when I went through the quote parts actually came to £495! Not impressed with this for a start. The second quoted £595 parts, £200 labour (plus VAT) but this didn't include tappets. I have asked for a full service with new belts. I have had a quick look online at service parts and I cant see how parts can add up to these amounts. The labour at £200 seems reasonable. Would the tappets adjustment account for the difference between quotes? I don't want to scimp on servicing, but I also feel that I should be getting to know my engine better as we intend to go further afield this year. A good friend of mine is a mechanic and also a boat owner, and he has offered to do the service and allow me to assist so that I would be able to change a belt or filter if I had to. I have full confidence in his abilities, but would this be a sensible option? We were out yesterday and now have 402 hours on the clock so tappets are due!! Incidentally the first quote included £66 plus VAT for coolant - could this be right?? This is our first diesel having had a four stroke outboard and 5.0 Mercruiser previously.

 

[Whitelighter]

KAD300 needs the tappits done.

Dont do them and you'll think those prices are peanuts once something lets go.

Its also a long job so could well account for the difference in labour rate

 

[volvopaul]

I

I am just looking to get our Bavaria 29DC serviced for the first time in our ownership, having only bought her in April. We are based in Torquay and I have had two quotes from local reputable firms to service the single KAD300 only, the stern drive will be done when she is lifted. The first quoted £480 labour and £361 for parts (plus VAT) to include the tappet adjustment , but when I went through the quote parts actually came to £495! Not impressed with this for a start. The second quoted £595 parts, £200 labour (plus VAT) but this didn't include tappets. I have asked for a full service with new belts. I have had a quick look online at service parts and I cant see how parts can add up to these amounts. The labour at £200 seems reasonable. Would the tappets adjustment account for the difference between quotes? I don't want to scimp on servicing, but I also feel that I should be getting to know my engine better as we intend to go further afield this year. A good friend of mine is a mechanic and also a boat owner, and he has offered to do the service and allow me to assist so that I would be able to change a belt or filter if I had to. I have full confidence in his abilities, but would this be a sensible option? We were out yesterday and now have 402 hours on the clock so tappets are due!! Incidentally the first quote included £66 plus VAT for coolant - could this be right?? This is our first diesel having had a four stroke outboard and 5.0 Mercruiser previously.

Take my advise, don't let anyone touch the tappets unless they know exactly what there doing. The labour charges are a real pi55 take, I'd charge the quoted figure to do two engines including tappets, ie £200 per engine plus vat, shame your not local to Solent. Parts are the same at any dealer , you can benefit by using non genuine filters on an engine that old which isn't a problem. I'd guess in that area you don't have engineers that are plentiful therefore they know how to charge, this is why your getting these quotes.

 

[Jurgen]

A perennial problem in that part of Devon I'm afraid.

We moved our boat to the Solent from Brixham last March partly to gain access to a more competitive engineer base.

Torbay could really do with a reliable knowledgeable and sensibly priced marine engineer

 

[MarieK]

Twin KAD300 owner here. Get someone who is working with these engines regularly to do the tappets adjustment, removing and then resealing the rocker cover is a bit of an art form, get it wrong at all and you will have little oil leaks to contend with (voice of experience). There is no gasket so you have to use sealant and its a bugger to do well unless you know what your at. If you are lucky and the rocker cover was removed carefully for the 200hr service the original gasket may be in good shape and you can reuse it so be careful removing it.

 

[ozzie]

I am definitely going to get the experts to do the tappets, but is servicing the rest of the lump straight forward for a car mechanic??

 

[jrudge]

Anything is straight forward until something goes wrong and someone says "oh, well i would have seen that and changed it"

I used to do the basic servicing on my D6 ( oil filters) and then employ a marine engineer to do the rest.

The engineers I have used in the past tend to look far wider than the engines in the engine room, and will also know if a weep from x is a problem or not.

For the pennies in labour you will save I can't see it is worth it. Marine engineers are cheaper than a franchised ford dealer!

Tappets, the main issue is you have to take half the engine to bits to get to them if i recall correctly.

 

[MarieK]

I am definitely going to get the experts to do the tappets, but is servicing the rest of the lump straight forward for a car mechanic??

Yes the rest of the servicing, belts and filters is very simple and you should observe whoever is doing it so you can tackle yourself if required. The point is if you are getting someone to do the tappets, a few more mins will see them change belt and filters.

 

[Ripster]

I am definitely going to get the experts to do the tappets, but is servicing the rest of the lump straight forward for a car mechanic??

Access and the experience to know how to get at something can be an issue to a someone who hasn't done one - depends on the boat obviously.

 

[ozzie]

As its a single engine the engine bay is HUGE!! masses of space even at the front of the engine. My mate is a very experienced car mechanic, plus he has a Sealine 185 with an aging Volvo petrol which he nurses lovingly! he also looks after another boat and has sorted problems that the main agent had given up on, hence my trust in him. If I go down this route I may even buy him the workshop manual!

 

[rafiki_]

As its a single engine the engine bay is HUGE!! masses of space even at the front of the engine. My mate is a very experienced car mechanic, plus he has a Sealine 185 with an aging Volvo petrol which he nurses lovingly! he also looks after another boat and has sorted problems that the main agent had given up on, hence my trust in him. If I go down this route I may even buy him the workshop manual!

A good car mechanic should be fine with most of the work on the engine, especially if he/(she?) has any truck experience. If yours has a stern drive, again, a good mechanic should be fine with this work. It is the electronics and diagnostics that can be challenging if you don't have the right test gear.

 

[jrudge]

I dont disagree per se ( I did my own basic maintenance) but if you are going to pay someone to do it why not get a marine engineer who knows the engines, drives and so on. Paying someone is paying someone and the difference in price must be small and they won't have the know how.

 

[Biggles109]

Hi Ozzie, I used Looe Marine Engineering from Plymouth before when I had 2 AD41's on a Fairline in Torquay, they are often in Torquay. I found I could also get hold of them when needed, which helps. The neighbouring boat, an early 90's sunseeker in lovely condition, with similar engines used an independent Volvo engineer. He comes in a fair bit cheaper on labour and was well rated by that owner, PM me if you want his number.

Whoever you go for it is worth building up a relationship - things do tend to go wrong in the middle of summer, if someone has already worked extensively on the boat they may make more effort to fit you in.

 

[Jurgen]

Hi Ozzie, I used Looe Marine Engineering from Plymouth before when I had 2 AD41's on a Fairline in Torquay, they are often in Torquay. I found I could also get hold of them when needed, which helps. The neighbouring boat, an early 90's sunseeker in lovely condition, with similar engines used an independent Volvo engineer. He comes in a fair bit cheaper on labour and was well rated by that owner, PM me if you want his number.

Whoever you go for it is worth building up a relationship - things do tend to go wrong in the middle of summer, if someone has already worked extensively on the boat they may make more effort to fit you in.

+1 for getting to know your engineer, we are lucky that the guy we use is nearly always available on the phone and will try his hardest to come to the boat if needed.

Saying that we have seastart which solved the day to day issues