GPM

I did hear back from Frank on another site, I guess it's my fault here is what Frank had to say: I have been rebuilding drives since around 1990 and couldn't even begin to estimate the number of rebuilds. To have one person complain now in 2009, I guess I am ok with that. My only regret is not listening to a couple other dealers who had warned me about doing business with Gary.

SDFever

Sorry to hear. I did not know you could run the xr up to 130mph.

What hp you pumpin' out? RPM?

Uncle Dave

Which other site? curious- I dont see it on Serious, or hull truth.

Let me get this straight- youve been a paying customer for years without incident.

Frank, never told or asked you about bad PR from others about you- Did you know you had a "rep" with other shops?

Is he claiming you are lying? Or that you broke the drive and are trying to pin it on him? strange if hes never had a single complaint.

Not sure you helped your claim by stating you made a 130 MPH pass, but it sounds like you were leveling with the guy.

UD

Turbojack

Lets forget the drive that was used and look at the one that was just rebuilt with NO time on it.


Stories like this made me decide to keep running my drive until it breaks and then just buy a new one.

Franksmarine

At first I was going to ignore this thread because it's hard to fight lies. For those of you who don't know drives, the Bravo XR is only rated for 600hp. This guy is running 1400hp. He is the fastest single engine boat that I know of. He easily beats my 124 mph Warlock.

I've been doing drives since 1990 and this is the first time I've been bad-mouthed. I don't feel too bad because this customer has complained about everyone he has ever dealt with. I was at the Cleveland Boat Show and saw him wearing a T-shirt that bad-mouthed a well-known boat manufacturer and the dealer who sold him the boat. Then he had complaints about the person who previously worked on his drives. I should have known then not to deal with him.

Now for the drives.....I hadn't seen the drives since 07---two years ago. During the summer of 07 he pulled skiers and tubes which I warned him not to do. Then I saw him run a number of times at Alum Creek and heard him talking about how he was pushing 1400hps and running 148 mph. The following summer he called me and told me that I didn't tighten the vertical shaft nut. That's when I told him I was 100% sure I had torqued the nut to 100lbs. and if the nut was loose that drive wouldn't have lasted a minute. I never heard from him again until he posted this thread. I don't believe that The pictures of drive that he's showing is the same drive that left my shop. Either it's a different drive or he used it because the system that I used thoroughly cleaned it.

Dock Holiday

That really stinks.

I don't know Frank and have never heard of him before but it looks like he is a REAL D*I*C*K if he indeed charged you for a complete rebuild and shipped it out as shown in the pictures.

Mr. Gadgets is the best out there period.

DPM Rocks

GPM

My engine does make 1400hp, I did run 148 at Alum Creek, a lot of people know it, I'm not hiding it, I break drives. This thread is not about the broken drive. It's about the condition of the Frank's Marine fresh rebuild that was never run, never even filled with lube. I paid Mr Gadgets, just like I paid Frank to completely tear down the unit and replace any and all damaged parts. Mr Gadgets can confirm the drive was not run. He confirmed the condition of the drive through the pictures I posted. I have more pictures I can post, and I could list all of the parts that need replaced if anyone is interested.

GPM

Frank, I'm glad you reminded me about alum Creek 07, that's when you rebuilt my other drive Right before we went. And then I paid you to tear it down again after the 3 passes because there was so much metalic on the magnets I thought I ruined another set of gears. Remember I had you spin the prop because it was binding up. The attached picture shows how well you tightened the vert shaft nut. This I found after Alum Creek, after you worked on it again.

Uncle Dave

GPM

Is there any truth to the 1-2 year gap between you getting the drive done and posting gadgets finds? This time frame is new information to the thread. (Not that time would excuse sloppy work.)

So far I dont see any Franks complaints in any beware sections I looked around am I missing them the search on these sites flat blows and sometimes I cant find my own posts using it.

Im guessing that you have 2-3 drives because you (apparently have a single engine boat) want a hot spare- at 1400 ponies youd likely need one. (BTW -I want a ride!)

What made you decide to send the drive (drive #2) out to Gadgets vs just bolt it on and go? You mention your driveS had been failing - did you lose one or 2?

Had Franks rebuilt a drive for you before you mention working with them for several years - what did you have done and was the work satisfactory then?

Just curious.

Franks- you mention a cleaning "system" is it a process or a machine per se you use?

Often the truth is a three edged sword- your side, my side and the truth.

UD

(Not taking anything away from sending your drive to gadgets- I almost sent a drive from LA cali to him, but sold it AS is. )

Uncle Dave

GPM- you answered some questions while I was writing.

Im pretty sure I got it now.

UD