06' 260 Horizon

chopjeep · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:22 am

Inspection went fairly well, some issues were found but nothing out of the ordinary:

lower unit wouldn't trim up or down - traced to an minor electrical issue
exhaust and Ujoint bellows cracked - being replaced
lower unit gear lube nasty - being changed
original battery from 2006 (still functional) - being replaced for obvious reasons
2nd battery being added with approriate cut off switch
Sea water pump original - being replaced for obvious reasons
Fresh oil change
Rewinterized

All other systems checked over for good measure

Total maintenance bill of about $1700, boat ready for the 2013 season,
Purchase price negotiated down $1000 to help with the maintenance bill

ric · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:44 am

chopjeep wrote:

Inspection went fairly well, some issues were found but nothing out of the ordinary:

lower unit wouldn't trim up or down - traced to an minor electrical issue
exhaust and Ujoint bellows cracked - being replaced
lower unit gear lube nasty - being changed
original battery from 2006 (still functional) - being replaced for obvious reasons
2nd battery being added with approriate cut off switch
Sea water pump original - being replaced for obvious reasons
Fresh oil change
Rewinterized

All other systems checked over for good measure

Total maintenance bill of about $1700, boat ready for the 2013 season,
Purchase price negotiated down $1000 to help with the maintenance bill

$1700 for that work? Wow. You're getting ripped a new one bud.

Electrical issue = trim relay or fuse. Under $20. Common.
Exhaust bellow cracked = who cares. Have mine I took it out.
Drive bellow cracked = new ujoints and bellows = $450 with labor and parts
Oils changed (drive/engine), $100 with labor and parts
Sea water pump = $40 do it yourself in 10 minutes
2nd battery added = $300 with labor and parts

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:03 pm

Well, other than the cost of the work, and more importantly:

lower unit wouldn't trim up or down - traced to an minor electrical issue
--> Probably so.

exhaust and Ujoint bellows cracked - being replaced
--> With cracked u-joint bellows, I'd be concerned about damage to the u-joints. They are "maintenance free" in this model which of course means that WHEN they fail, it's an expensive replacement.

lower unit gear lube nasty - being changed
--> Depends on what is meant by "nasty" - but if there was any discoloration, I'd be very concerned about water intrusion. There may be more of a repair needed there than just a fluid change.

original battery from 2006 (still functional) - being replaced for obvious reasons
--> Yep, good

2nd battery being added with approriate cut off switch
--> Great investment - but I still think you should put it on the port side.

Sea water pump original - being replaced for obvious reasons
--> Assuming you're talking about the impeller, not the whole pump. Wow - hope it's still in one piece when they take out the old one.

Not criticizing - just trying to point out some of the hidden "fun" of boat ownership.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:13 pm

My rule of thumb: If the outdrive oil is anything other than clear green (vp syn) or bright gold (amsoil syn)... don't buy the boat.

chopjeep · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:48 pm

Break down
$350 for detailed inspection - included pulling the lower unit and fixing the lower unit trim issue
$450 for new bellows parts and labor
$129 for lower unit gear lube flush and fill - old was dirty
$70 for oil change and some needed cleanup work - not worth going into details about this one, just say OK
$250 $50 for the new sea pump, labor will be between 1-2 hours = $99-198 labor
$200 new batteries
$200 my rough estimate - unknow exact cost for new battery switch, additional battery tray and cables, + labor to install
$0 no additional charge to rewinterise the engine

$1649 + tax and shop supplies - rough numbers

Though the work/labor is not cheap I am glad to have the pros take care of this one. I have the peace of mind to know the work is done and done correctly and if there is a problem later they will stand behind their work. And whether I like it or not the mechanic and the shop owner have to make living. With the seller of the boat coming down $1000 to help cover the bill, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:55 pm

Well, I wouldn't say done correctly. Just peace of mind that it's done. Hopefully. :wink:

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 2:08 pm

chopjeep wrote:

Break down
$350 for detailed inspection - included pulling the lower unit and fixing the lower unit trim issue
$450 for new bellows parts and labor
$129 for lower unit gear lube flush and fill - old was dirty
$70 for oil change and some needed cleanup work - not worth going into details about this one, just say OK
$250 $50 for the new sea pump, labor will be between 1-2 hours = $99-198 labor
$200 new batteries
$200 my rough estimate - unknow exact cost for new battery switch, additional battery tray and cables, + labor to install
$0 no additional charge to rewinterise the engine

$1649 + tax and shop supplies - rough numbers

Though the work/labor is not cheap I am glad to have the pros take care of this one.

Unlike ric, you won't hear me criticizing the shop nor especially you for getting this done right. That is the right approach to take with a boat and I wish more people understood that. Now, having said that... if he's already got the drive off to do the trim sender, the new bellows parts/labor ought to be about $100. If he's only replacing the impeller in the raw water pump (and not the whole pump), that's about a 15 minute job for someone who does it all day and the retail part price is $45.

On the other hand, I think your estimate on the batteries is low, but it sounds like for all the other stuff he's charging a la carte (flat per-job) prices without any consideration for related work that he's already doing.

At the end of the day the only thing that matters is that you're happy with it. Just curious, is this a dealer at LOTO?

chopjeep · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 2:54 pm

Dealer is in the St. Charles MO area, I have used them before and was happy with their work quality and integrity.
I didn't bore everyone with some small details that have drive up a couple of the prices just a little. Give those items, I do not feel like the cost is out of line, it may be full retail, but not out of line. I agree that some numbers seem a bit high and a couple seem low, but if you look at the whole picture and the expected final price, I think it evens out. Any reputable shop has a lot of overhead to cover and they still need to make a little profit, by the time they cover their overhead, labor, and parts cost for the work, they will not have gotten rich off me. If they get the work done in less time than they quoted, the shop won't charge me for the over estimated time :wink:

Reasonably the seller wants to see a receipt for the work as he came down and additional $1000 on the price to help cover these maitenance items. Though I could have tackled the work myself if would have been difficult to get the price down in exchange for the investment of my time. I consider this work part of my initial purchase price/value of the vessel, and will handle next years maintenance on my own.

At the end of the day I get the peace of mind that the maintenance is up to date and I should be ready for an enjoyable summer on the water. Hopefully the rest of the transaction and maintenance work go smoothly.
Thanks again to everyone for the input, help, and opinions.

PS, current battery is on the port side and the second battery will be added to Port side as well. Hopefully I won't have any listing problems some have experianced.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:04 pm

If you're not mechanically inclined yes bring the boat to the dealer of course.

Just don't always assume it's done, or done correctly. Many dealerships have one or two trained mechanics to get certification and the rest of the work force is just kids they hired off craigslist. They will do 90% of the work at a shop. Find a good mechanic that works independent that has good reviews. Growing up my neighbor was an independent marine mechanic working out of a shop in the back of his house. Very OCD guy, fully certified in VP and MC. Wouldn't let an outdrive leave his shop unless he was confidant the President could use it in time of emergency. Those are the guys to look for.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:52 pm

chopjeep wrote:

PS, current battery is on the port side and the second battery will be added to Port side as well. Hopefully I won't have any listing problems some have experianced.

Ah, so someone already moved the original (or else the selling dealer installed it counter to the factory location). That's good. It's nice to hear someone realize that dealers have to be profitable and I agree that the total will probably end up being not far from your estimate.

I don't recall this guy saying he isn't mechanically inclined. There are lots of very good reasons to have a shop do your boat work.

Xavid · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:50 pm

You did well. Congratulations on your new boat. I am envious of the port side batts. I am just going to have to get that done or try to do it myself.

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Great Job! on getting the service your boat needs because bottom line when you're out there in the middle of nowhere what's it worth to know a professional mechanic took care of the work. I was contemplating removing the drive and doing all the maintenance associated with the removal myself but I started watching youtube videos and hearing horror stories about reinstallation so I will leave that job to the shop and not relegate it to someone like me a first time boat owner.

www.iFourWinns.com

06' 260 Horizon

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