Why You Need To Fix Your Own

[Way2slow]

I left my Javelin at Lake Falcon for about 3 years with my son, who was suppose to keep it in a secure, covered shelter there. That lasted about six months and he moved to the fish camp on the lake and put a canvas cover over it. Needless to say, the south Texas sun played havoc on it so I brought it back home a couple weeks ago. Took it to the lake for a check out, and didn't leave there very happy.

The tach didn't work, that's a $110 part

The trim gauge, didn't work, a $40 part

The volt meter didn't work, a $30 part

The Tilt and trim was messing up. $70 seal kit just to take it apart, so I took one out of another motor I have and will replace the whole thing

The clear gel on the metal flake is pretty much shot.

Loading the boat, the tilt let the motor drop and a drug the skegg on the ramp and screwed up a $800 custom tuned prop. Got the spare out of the boat today to put it on, found out my son had already screwed that one up. Now I have two SS props to send off, about $500 worth of repair.

Hot foot sticking bad, need to replace the cable on it.

Water pressure was a little low, so need to replace the water pump and service LU.

Live well would not let water in, need to replace valve, cable or something, check it tomorrow.

Put new tires on it to go to Texas, two on one side were so cracked from dry rot, had to buy two more at $260.

Seams in seats start to bust open, will need to recover them.

HDS-7 on the bow would not work, will have to send it off for repair

Steering had air in it, so will have to check for leaks and bleed it

Other than the HDS-7 and prop repair, all this other work I will do myself. Can you imagine what the bill would be if I had to pay some repair shop to do all the work needed on this thing. It's going to be expensive enough just buying the parts (at ebay prices). If I had to pay dealer prices for parts and labor to do all this work, I would be better off junking it.

[Lund Explorer]

Please change the title of this thread to; " Why You Need To Maintain Your Own".

 

This isn't a rare occurrence, as your son put as much effort into taking care of this boat as he had invested in it.  ZERO!

[Catt]

I have 6 kids & only one maintains my things the way I do. The others just leave to dad to do!

[Surfcaster]

What is the normal yearly amount someone should expect to pay for boat maintenance done properly?  I do not own a bass boat, but I am constantly looking at used boats.   I have noticed  when listening to boat owners talk they always seem to say that I had to replace this or that part or my so and so is not working and I am going to have the boat checked out.  So I guess no repairs/service for 3 years on a boat is almost a death sentence.

[Joedodge]

Really depends on your skill level and how much you use it. If ya can do a lot yourself it will naturally be lower. Now as a master auto and diesel tech I will say to the weekend warrior...........pay me now or pay me later, not everyone is as mechanically inclined as they believe or as much as you tube tells them

[Fishing Rhino]

Routine maintenance might seem expensive to some.  But it's a whole lot cheaper than neglect.

[Fishing Rhino]

Really depends on your skill level and how much you use it. If ya can do a lot yourself it will naturally be lower. Now as a master auto and diesel tech I will say to the weekend warrior...........pay me now or pay me later, not everyone is as mechanically inclined as they believe or as much as you tube tells them

 

Fram oil filters

[flyfisher]

so what maintenance should be done on a boat that is sitting unused for 3 years?  I get the protecting the paint but as far as the other things, what really could have been done to prevent them from breaking down?

[Joedodge]

Fram oil filters

I don't understand?

[curtis9]

I'd rather pay someone to fix my boat and spend my time fishing.

[Way2slow]

FishingRino, I guess he's too young for those old Fram filter commercials.

 

I guess it's nice if you have the money, but If I had to pay someone for all the work needed, I couldn't afford to go fishing for a while, even though I do have a couple of boats.

 

I was mainly thankful the engine didn't pop a piston.  Ficht motors don't tolerate bad gas very well at all.  Luckily he had been putting SeaFoam in it, but it had not run it in a year, and what gas was in the tank had evaporated in that heat, leaving the crud in the tank.  The first thing I did was add three gallons of gas and three gallons of denatured alcohol before I left Texas so that could slosh around in the tank for the 1,200 mile drive back to GA to clean out the tank.  When getting home, I siphoned that out, put a few gallons in with 2oz of SeaFoam per gallon, pulled the lines off the injectors and flushed the system with that.  Put the lines back on, put it in the tank and started it.  Like total crap at idle for a while.  Turned it off, let it set a couple hours and started it again, letting it idle about 15 minutes.  I did this about three times a day for a couple of days until it got where it would idle ok.  Then I did it with the motor at 2,000 rpm for a couple of days.  I added 15 gallons of gas, 16oz of SeaFoam, changed the filter and plugs and headed to the lake with it.  The next couple hours was spent, going very slow to start with, stopping to let it cool, then add a few more rpm each time.  Then came the do or die run, about three miles at WOT.  Needless to say, the pucker factor was pretty extreme at this point, but it lived through it. 

I fully expected to feel the power start to drop and that sickening sound they make if you don't notice that small loss of power and get out of the gas in time.  The loss of power is when the piston swells from the extreme heat, and the sound afterwards is where the dome of the piston melts through several seconds later.  Something I have experience many times over the years playing with my modified motors.

[Crappiebasser]

This thread should be called "why to keep your kids away from your stuff".

[kingmotorboat]

I have 6 kids & only one maintains my things the way I do. The others just leave to dad to do!

Wow 6?

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

What is the normal yearly amount someone should expect to pay for boat maintenance done properly?  I do not own a bass boat, but I am constantly looking at used boats.   I have noticed  when listening to boat owners talk they always seem to say that I had to replace this or that part or my so and so is not working and I am going to have the boat checked out.  So I guess no repairs/service for 3 years on a boat is almost a death sentence.

Ive only had basic aluminum v-hulls and jonboats. I winterized the motors and thats it no issues with anything total of 14 years owned. 

If I had a boat that was needing this or that often Id be getting a different boat.

[Joedodge]

Haha I googled it that's funny. Yeah I'm to young to remember the commercials. But it's a popular saying in my business and it's true........Google has made everyone a mechanic..........so they think

[WIGuide]

What is the normal yearly amount someone should expect to pay for boat maintenance done properly?  I do not own a bass boat, but I am constantly looking at used boats.   I have noticed  when listening to boat owners talk they always seem to say that I had to replace this or that part or my so and so is not working and I am going to have the boat checked out.  So I guess no repairs/service for 3 years on a boat is almost a death sentence.

There are some costs, but they shouldn't be as much as this, unless you just totally disregard maintenance. 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Im a nice guy and will give ya the shoes off my feet but 4 things in life i dont lend,guns,tools,reels,my boat or yak..nope cant do it been burned too many times and Most where close freinds and family

[Fishing Rhino]

I don't understand?

 

Years ago, don't know how many, Fram had a commercial with a mechanic pulling an engine out of a car because the owner thought he would save a few bucks by not properly maintaining his vehicle.

 

Speaking to the "audience" as he pulled the engine he said, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij1yDpfZI8Q

 

As you can see, my memory was not quite accurate.  The engine had been pulled and was in the process of a rebuild.

 

The "pay me now, or pay me later" in the post brought the commercial to mind.  I was wondering if anyone would remember, and for those too young, if they would catch on to what I was saying.