Tech section. What happened?
08-30-2011, 04:09 PM
#11
When I joined back in 2004, it seemed like a closer knit community of go fast boaters, who had one common interest. Now it has become more bashing, politics, and more or less a marketplace.
Dont get me wrong, i love the swap shop!! The classifieds are great, although I could do without some of the "repeat" dealer ad's.
08-30-2011, 11:02 PM
#12
Charter Member # 55
Charter Member
It is Summer and people are very busy. Also, not a lot of professionals want to talk boats and engines on their off time when they have been doing it for 12 hrs a day and 5-7 days a week.
08-31-2011, 12:22 AM
#13
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Diego, California
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Driven out of the woodwork?
I think most of this is a sign of our economic times. In a depressed economy most of these lower budget-investment general boaters do not want to spend the money to take their boat to a qualified repair shop and they want to try and fix their engines and boat problems themselves without spending money on a real marine engine mechanic. They come on to the tech section and start pleading and trying to get all kinds of free advice and information on how to repair their problems without the services of a qualified mechanic or shop.
Most of them are not even qualified or capable of dealing with the issues and a lot of times I won't even offer assistance because I can tell by their descriptions and questions that they are over their head and ill equipped and trained to begin with.
How many self trained home style brain surgeons are there out there and how many of these would you let operate on your brain??????
Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar
Most of them are not even qualified or capable of dealing with the issues and a lot of times I won't even offer assistance because I can tell by their descriptions and questions that they are over their head and ill equipped and trained to begin with.
How many self trained home style brain surgeons are there out there and how many of these would you let operate on your brain??????
Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar
08-31-2011, 05:45 AM
#15
Registered
iTrader: (4)
Ray,
I disagree somewhat with your assessment. There are those who you describe. Most of the people I know, who are into performance boats, work on them as a hobby. For me it is relaxing to do general maintainence and uncomplicated repairs. It is a release from my everyday stresses. Also, the marine repair business has been notorious for taking a long time for repairs and repairs done wrong. There are great shops, like Eddie Young who does my stuff, but there is a long history of problem shops. I can remember growing up being without our boat because the shop needed a couple months to replace trim lines, etc.... I am a perfectionist about my things. I dread taking anything to a shop. Always a new scratch here oil stains there, crud in the boat where they left it outside. (Eddie not included)
To be real honest, if I didn't enjoy maintaining my boats, I wouldn't have any. I'm sure you fit into the class of a professional who does things right, but a lot of people on the boards do not have access to shops near them.
I am thankful to have Eddie to do real jobs for me. We need professionals like this who do take the time to answer questions on the board. I am thankful for the pros who take the time to share there knowledge on the boards.
Relax a little Ray, when us hackers mess up the job, we will have to pay you even more to get it right in the long run.
I disagree somewhat with your assessment. There are those who you describe. Most of the people I know, who are into performance boats, work on them as a hobby. For me it is relaxing to do general maintainence and uncomplicated repairs. It is a release from my everyday stresses. Also, the marine repair business has been notorious for taking a long time for repairs and repairs done wrong. There are great shops, like Eddie Young who does my stuff, but there is a long history of problem shops. I can remember growing up being without our boat because the shop needed a couple months to replace trim lines, etc.... I am a perfectionist about my things. I dread taking anything to a shop. Always a new scratch here oil stains there, crud in the boat where they left it outside. (Eddie not included)
To be real honest, if I didn't enjoy maintaining my boats, I wouldn't have any. I'm sure you fit into the class of a professional who does things right, but a lot of people on the boards do not have access to shops near them.
I am thankful to have Eddie to do real jobs for me. We need professionals like this who do take the time to answer questions on the board. I am thankful for the pros who take the time to share there knowledge on the boards.
Relax a little Ray, when us hackers mess up the job, we will have to pay you even more to get it right in the long run.
08-31-2011, 07:51 AM
#16
Registered
iTrader: (6)
I got one.....we snapped a valve spring rocker and the exhaust push rod on a Merc 1075 at the shootout Sat. The push rods lower tip is MIA. On sat. we heard the dead cylinder and started pulling coils. We found the dead cylinder and replaced the coil, listened and everything sounded good....should have pulled the valve covers but didnt and went out to make a pass. Only made 5,200 rpms out of that motor and it resulted in a poor run. Any ideas about where the rod tip could have ended up. I heard a couple different theories talking on the dock sunday. Thoughts? Who is the Merc 1075 expert on here?
08-31-2011, 07:55 AM
#17
Registered
I think Ray was referring more to the casual boat owner rather than the typical perfomance boat owner, who IME tend to be gearheads. Now, some of those gearheads do not perform their own work. But again, IME, most do their own work, at least to a point.
That said, it is worth noting that the low budget casual boater that posts here may not know much now, but we all started there. My first car was a $750 '67 Mustang. I owe a lot to the guys that took the time to teach me, and now I can repair most any one of my cars, including auto trans rebuilds. Later, I was the boating newbie that didn't know much, and a couple of guys helped me then. Being a gearhead, I am willing to do it right, including buying the right tools, and I think those guys saw that in me.
Now, all that was before the internet, so it was (IMO) easier to know whether the person you were dealing with was seriously wanting / capable / inclined to learn the job and do it right. On the internet, it's much tougher - and much easier IME to get the wrong impression.
That said, it is worth noting that the low budget casual boater that posts here may not know much now, but we all started there. My first car was a $750 '67 Mustang. I owe a lot to the guys that took the time to teach me, and now I can repair most any one of my cars, including auto trans rebuilds. Later, I was the boating newbie that didn't know much, and a couple of guys helped me then. Being a gearhead, I am willing to do it right, including buying the right tools, and I think those guys saw that in me.
Now, all that was before the internet, so it was (IMO) easier to know whether the person you were dealing with was seriously wanting / capable / inclined to learn the job and do it right. On the internet, it's much tougher - and much easier IME to get the wrong impression.
08-31-2011, 08:47 AM
#18
OSO has been around long enough that most every tech question asked has been dealt with before several times, and all the long time members skip over them. The use of the 'search' feature would really cut the new topics down. 
Consider the crossover vs water pump debate, I don't even go there anymore. Seems like its mostly the newer members replying, and the number of new members isn't what it used to be, thus less responses.
I agree though in part, OSO has seemed to run it's course.
Consider the crossover vs water pump debate, I don't even go there anymore. Seems like its mostly the newer members replying, and the number of new members isn't what it used to be, thus less responses. I agree though in part, OSO has seemed to run it's course.
__________________
Some people are like Slinkies - Not really good for anything, but they
bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
Some people are like Slinkies - Not really good for anything, but they
bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
08-31-2011, 08:59 AM
#19
That said, it is worth noting that the low budget casual boater that posts here may not know much now, but we all started there. My first car was a $750 '67 Mustang. I owe a lot to the guys that took the time to teach me, and now I can repair most any one of my cars, including auto trans rebuilds. Later, I was the boating newbie that didn't know much, and a couple of guys helped me then. Being a gearhead, I am willing to do it right, including buying the right tools, and I think those guys saw that in me.
Now, all that was before the internet, so it was (IMO) easier to know whether the person you were dealing with was seriously wanting / capable / inclined to learn the job and do it right. On the internet, it's much tougher - and much easier IME to get the wrong impression.
Now, all that was before the internet, so it was (IMO) easier to know whether the person you were dealing with was seriously wanting / capable / inclined to learn the job and do it right. On the internet, it's much tougher - and much easier IME to get the wrong impression.
I also agree with the original poster that many threads have tons of replies that don't need them and many times they are a pissing match. And the threads I assume will have plenty of feedback are dead.
Racer
