Shafted

My dad and I have just had some bad news from the company that carrys out the maintainance (winterization etc...) on the boat. They said that
the engine in my dads boat (a 14 year old glastron with a stern drive) is pretty much a complete write-off. They gave a number of reasons using words such as "cracked exhaust manifold", "blown head gasket", "damaged valves and cylinders", along with some highly interesting non-technical words like "write-off", "shafted", and "moolah".
Now all this seems quite bad, then I discovered that the winterization was not carried out this winter due to the already bad condition of the engine (but it did at least work). Surely not being winterized can't have been the cause of all the fresh destruction???. This leaves us with a few options:
1) Fix engine at high cost
2) Buy new engine at high cost
3) Buy a new boat

What do you lot think we should do?


(Message edited by identiti_rider on April 25, 2005)

sue them. cracked exhaust manifolds they are directly responsible for. The rest is pretty much debateable. I seriously doubt they have seen the valves and cylinders. blown head gasket? who made that up, it sounds more like icing on the cake than the actual problem. I'd say "see you in court"
Oh, and I would tell them I want a new boat.

Sounds like a bunch of BS, did they give a reason for all this destruction? If there was water in the block and it froze it could have done some of that damage. Also, if you are paying them to do it you may have a case against them. Whats your dad say about it? At any rate it doesnt sound promising.

Find a good lawyer, sue the crap out of them. If you get a good enough lawyer, you will be owning the shop in the end.

Who's choice was this?
"Now all this seems quite bad, then I discovered that the winterization was not carried out this winter due to the already bad condition of the engine"

"Surely not being winterized can't have been the cause of all the fresh destruction???."

Sure can water gets real hard!



(Message edited by krbaugh on April 26, 2005)

Well a blown head gasket is a very common thing on older vehicles so its not like is far fetched. Cracked manifolds sure if they are 14 years old im not surprised. As for the valves If the motor is not holding compression with a tester that usualy means that you have either bad rings or bad valves. I think the company that has the boat is telling you the motor is trashed. Get a crate motor and put it in.

For causing the damage, there are alot of people that don't know the condition there motor is in. You could have had bad valves and a blow headgasket before the motor was put up for winter and not even know it except for poor performance.
Having the water in the block over winter would crack the block not destroy valves or pop a headgasket.

thanks for all the feedback.

Kevin, we asked them to winterise the boat and they didn't, they said it needed to be taken to their shop to be looked at more closely. We agreed with that but then they never took it, leaving it over the winter.

I don't think that going to court over this is that feasable. although the boat did work beforehand, and now it doesn't, as nate said it could have already been damaged, but only running by the skin of its teeth...