Cost of a Service

Keith Hart · 01 May 2002, 05:59

Hello

Part of my plan in bringing 'Quicksilver' down for a couple of months was to have the engine serviced at Boat & Jetski World in Willenhall, West Midlands, which is where I brought it. Well I rang them yesterday and asked the price of a service.

Now bear in mind it is a 15hp Mariner, 2 stroke, 2 cylinder 260cc, which has done about 40 hours since new in 2000. Basically it is a very simple 'engine on a stick', easy access, electronic ignition, no oil change.

Their quote: £90.00 + parts!!! "What!" I gently exclaimed to the lady at the shop. "I think you must have this wrong, I'm not asking for a refit of the QE2. My turbo diesel Ford Mondeo has a intermediate service at £80.00, and that is a darned sight more complicated, AND that includes filters and oil."

"Well there shouldn't be many parts needed", quoth she.

Strange be it to tell, they did not get my business. Caley Marina at Inverness quoted me £22.00 per hour. I can't by any stretch of my very fertile and lurid (not to mention SICK) imagination, see how it could be more than 2 hours work to service said engine.

So folks, ye mariners of vast experience, are they trying to rip me off, or is £90.00 to grease my nipples the going rate for mugging a poor miniature boat owner?

Miniature refers to the boat of course, not the owner.

Keith (saving up for a SONAR [note, NOT a fish finder because that sounds too much like a toy]) Hart

Jono Garton · 01 May 2002, 07:37

Keith,

Outboard servicing is expensive as you have found out, on yours i would think they would-

Change the impeller (1 hour max - my yam takes about 30 mins)
Change the gearbox oil - easy (15 Mins max)
Change Spark Plugs - easy (10mins max)
Grease all grease nipples - easy (15 mins max)

I service my own with exeption to the impeller.

Keith Hart · 01 May 2002, 09:30

According to the manual this is the service:

1. Lubricate all lubrication points (grease gun)
2. Inspect and clean spark plugs (2)
3. Check fuel line filter for contaminants
4. Check carburetor adjustment if required (seems to be running well)
5. Check corrosion control anodes

And that is it. I think I can manage that myself.

Oh and I'll remove the prop and grease the bearing.

Anything else?

Keith (grease monkey) Hart

Alan · 01 May 2002, 09:47

forget all sensible economic rules. We're talking about boats here so everything costs at least double what it should. Sad but true!

Service on a 150 Opti is about £200 odd which in comparison seems not bad value. (as you need the plug in diagnostic terminal etc etc). For your engine as you say DIY is the best option. Enjoy!

Apropos to my first comment the best example of "boating markup" that I saw was buckets. You know the black builders things you can get from Wickes for 99p? £3.50 in my local chandlery!!! Nuff said.

Alan

GraemeCooper · 01 May 2002, 21:24

Keith

If you are doing your own annual service you MUST change the engine oil and gear oil - both very easy onthe Mariners (and most others actually) - and explained in the owners manual.

Graeme

Ribald · 01 May 2002, 21:33

Keith,

Forget changing the engine oil - Graeme runs in 4-stroke mode unlike us poor 2-stroke men

.

I would have thought that to a man who has a Royal Enfield (the Creme de la creme after Nortons

) carrying out a service to your o/b could be done in your sleep

GraemeCooper · 01 May 2002, 21:36

Peter

Forgot you were one of the 'Smokey Joes' - By the way when you 2 stroke boys evolve do you turn into diesel RIB owners, so that you still kick out all that smoke and fumes?

(By the way I must agree - Nortons are the Kings of the Road)

Ribald · 01 May 2002, 21:52

No, but when my numbers come up I will evolve into a Nelson 40 with twin 450HP inboards and use my RIB as a tender

(Well, you've got to start somewhere)

GraemeCooper · 01 May 2002, 21:59

Peter

I think I must be quite unique - or have something seriously wrong with me - as the LAST thing I aspire to is a big boat with a diesel inboard (or inboards)

In fact if I ever find myself wanting one, I know i will be time to break out the old Yacht and sail off into the sunrise - as my time will be up.

G

seafariskye · 01 May 2002, 23:07

And eh... excuse me, but what is wrong with a diesel inboard?

Have us diesel owners missed something? that is not waterly correct? from a petrol head point of view?

Pete

GraemeCooper · 01 May 2002, 23:30

Pete

No - just a little friendly banter - no offence intended

Graeme

batfalcon · 02 May 2002, 05:35

It's really VERY VERY siMPLE TO DO THE JOB YOURSELF.
1. Buy all the necessary parts (plugs, impeller, spray grease AND marine grease, W40).
2. Remove the spark plugs and the put the new ones on.
3. Take a look at the fuel filter and if necessary replace it too.
4. After cleaning (if it should be cleaned) the engine, spray it all over with W40.
5. Let it dry for a while and spray some grease on the moving parts and link rods.
6. Use some vaseline and coat ALL the surface of the new impeller. Let it suck the vaseline. This will prevent the impeller of being infected by the salt water.
If you feel that you can remove the leg, let me know, and I 'll try to give you some guide lines.
Basically exept of the 4 (or maybe 5) bolts that secure the leg in place, the only thing you must notice is the link rod for the forward-neutral-reverse.
Have in mind that I do all the service required for the Merc. 115 myself. So far I never paid a penny (exept for the parts).

Jari Hjerppe · 02 May 2002, 06:34

as Batfalcon says it is very easy to do the normal annual service for the ob. Especially for the engine you have.
Spend 2 hours with your Mariner and everything is done.

I have the Merc M15, identical to your Mariner exept colour and stickers, and done all the service by myself.

If you want to have more detailed info, get a workshop manual (costs 25-30£) and you'll find out there isn't many things that can't be done in your own garage.

If you service your ob yourself, one good thing is that you know that all the important parts and things are really serviced.

jari

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 06:41

Sorry, I'm still in shock....£90.00....£90.00....£90.00!

I'm going to do it myself back up in Scotland with my mate Charlie in his workshop (I haven't told him yet though). It seems simple enough (even more simple than the RE) but that is the point. If it's so perishin' simple why the heck do they charge soooo much?

I'll order the bits from Caley Marina before I go up and do it a couple of days before I come back to Birmingham.

Keith (still shocked) Hart

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 09:00

It gets better....

The 'Cardiff' bunch will know why I need to get a new tube of glue for my repair kit. Well, not quite so easy. You can't buy a tube of glue. You have to buy a complete repair kit! Aaaaaarrrrrrrgh!

But. I have been told that there is a repair patch available for small holes (note, not rips Scubakid) that sticks on and is ready in 30 minutes.

And this costs just £6.00. I'll have a couple ready for the SoC return weekend.

Keith (psssssst) Hart

batfalcon · 02 May 2002, 09:12

Have the kit handy in your toolbox just in case. BUT in your work area buy a can of a "pro" glue and all the necessary items to do a pro job.

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 15:10

Hi Batfalcon

Yup, I've just been over to Boat & Jetski World (on the Royal Enfield). I got a new repair kit for the workshop and a tube of 'Typhoon Stormsure' for emergency repairs.

Roll on Monday, here we come River Severn.

Keith Hart

Keith Hart · 10 July 2002, 15:46

Back on subject now and bang up to date.........

Whist on my hols my Mariner started first pull* each time. I was even confident enough, for the first time, to stop the engine whilst out far from shore (well about a mile, that's a VERY long way for me), so we could drift with the seals in peace an quiet........

............oops! Sorry about that, I went into a day dream.

Anyway I decided that I must get the engine serviced so it stays reliable. I didn't get around to doing it myself (read between the lines here folks, he means 'couldn't be bothered') so a couple of days before I left I took the engine into Caley Marina in Inverness. Well folks, I've just had the bill. £41.17 including parts and VAT.

That is far less than HALF the price I was quoted by Jetski World at Willenhall for labour alone!!! Needless to say I shan't be going there again.

Well done Caley Marina.

Keith (pleased with the price) Hart

* Just to explain for you big rib types, I have this rope thingy on top of the engine you have to pull to start it. None of your namby pamby electric starts for us sibsters!

thewavehumper · 10 July 2002, 17:53

Keith

I used an Enfield when I was in the Air Cadets, they really are good rifles. Is yours a 22 or a 303?

The comments on Chandlers and boat service providers are mostly accurate, so if you find a fair one hang on in there and let everybody know. Likewise the rest of you, in the Solent I found Fairweather Marine to be really fair and I know that others like them to.

Regarding the Petrol / Diesel debate If you use your RIB a lot which I do the diesl is a lot cheaper. Do any of you Petrol fans want to buy a two year old Honda 130 when I swap it for a diesel, in August

It would look good next to the one on Topaz don't you think?

By the way if you want a ride on the BIBOA France/Channel Island cruise you are very welcome.

Regards
Stuart

Pete7 · 10 July 2002, 20:35

Stuart how much do you want for the Honda ? Got to be cheaper to run than my V6. Pete