I am beginning to think the same thing....He was recommended by a friend who had good luck with him. I am hesitant to start over with another mechanic but I may have to.

My fume detector was also going off during the whole ride. I was riding with the hatch up about a foot so it wouldnt blow up. I dont know if the fume detector thing has anything to do with the backfiring or not, but it just started when I got it back?

wouldnt worry about that at this point but would get another shop to look at it and if its related to the work he did I would give him there bill and demand payment.... this stuff is first year apprentice stuff...... well maybe second year

Did your ticking motor run behind the other one before you took it in the shop or only after?

Since you got it back the second time, is it still ticking?

This is not so in Florida. I can attest to that fact at a cost of $22,000! A judge signed off on my mechanic's lien, and I had all my ducks in a row. I got zip!

As a side note, the guy that ripped me off, came damn close to a 44 caliber lobotamy.

coundt agree with you more...........................


if I made these kind of mistakes I guess Id have to start selling boats instead of working on them...........


wait a min..... let me think about this ........sit in a/c all day.......dont have to get dirty...........no money out for parts.......no billing............smiles instead of being the bearer of bad news................dont have to deal with ins companys..........


ok new broker in town...................... not............. I luv what I do as much of a pain in the A$$ as it is I do luv it

First of all, 2 grand sounds mighty steep for a valve job. He should have known that burned valves won't cause a ticking. First thing I suspect with ticking in the valve train is a collapsed lifter. I'm no mechanic by trade, but I can tell you which lifter is causing the tick by running it with the valve covers off, then pushing down on the rocker arms one at a time. Back in the day when oil wasn't as good, nor were oil filters, I'd run a can of CD2 through the oil, and see if it cleared it up. Sometimes, it's just a piece of junk blocking the oil to the lifter. If that didn't work, I've also been known to tightening the rocker down on a collapsed lifter, in essence making it a solid lifter. This was when I was driving pos cars, and had a lot more time than money.

Last year, I had a terrible sound coming out of an engine. I had convinced myself I had spun a bearing, or something with a rod. I had just bought a rebuilt engine from a marine mech, so I took it back to him. Found out that one of the nuts on the rocker arm had backed completely out. He fixed it the same day. He told me he replaced all the nuts, but I've taken the engine apart since then (unrelated problem), and saw he had only changed the one nut. Those self locking nuts only self lock so many times before they wear out. I had to have a valve job done on the engine (it's out of the boat). The machine shop charged $150 (SBC). I just yesterday picked up the gaskets I need, and I'm hoping to put it back together in the next week or so. I don't know why, I don't even need the engine anymore. Debbie had to go to St Pete today, so I had her stop by and borrow my dad's torque wrench. I hated to buy one for just one use.

Speaking of up front money, I've been taking my boats to a shop that does it all, fiberglass, mechanical, painting etc. The first time I took a boat to him, I asked HIM if he wanted some up front money. He's kind of a quiet guy, and he said he was happy that I offered.

A couple weeks ago, I took a boat in, and he gave me about a five grand estimate on what I want done. He didn't ask me for it, but I gave him two grand up front money. He said he sure likes working with other small business owners.

I know what it's like having all the money going out, and none coming in for long periods of time.

my hat is off to cuda hes one of the few the proud the marines I mean.....oh hell with it but not to tut horns but good honest techs are hard to find if you find one keep him or keep trying because we are out there I take pride in my work ....by far im not rich ....I worry every week where the money to pay my bills is comming from but I can raise my head and say my customers are happy and if you have a problem on sun day you can call me ........ and you tell me thanks... I had a great week end and you got it right for me Im happy its not always about the money....yes it helps............I charge 75.00 an hour but also do about 20 hrs a week for free ............ compare that

I told that guy after he did the first job for me, and came in right about what I figured it would cost, and it was done right, that treating me right, was better than taking a full page ad out in the Orlando Sentinal.

He told me a guy that I met on the river came there because I reccomended him. I don't even know who it is. I DO know that he wasn't driving the boat he is having worked on, because it's almost exactly like Debbie's boat that I have there, having almost the exact same work that I'm having done, but his needs quite a bit more attention.