What can you do whan a mechanic rebuilds your boat motor wrong. He installed the camshaft wrong.?

Question

We took the engine to a local mechanic and after the motor was returned we still couldn't get the boat to start. We had to take it to the marine boat shop to troubleshoot and he had to tear the motor apart and found the timing was the issue. We had to spend another $1000 to figure this out. I know ... at what point do you just dump the boat?

Answer 1

Don't dump the boat but report the first mechanic to the attorney general's office in your state. No matter how long they keep it they can't charge you if it still won't work.

You can take it to civil court but with the expense & time involved the A.G.'s office is a better idea. Even if you do the other I'd go there. That way the screw up would be hurt even worse because in some states there are automatic fines, they have a file with the state & they are reported to the BBB. That's not too good for business and you help others who may have been screwed as well when they have to turn their records over to the state.

Answer 2

Did the first mechanic charge you for fixing the engine, or just looking at it?
Did you tell the first mechanic there was a problem after he fixed it?
Did he have a chance to put right the work or did he say that he couldn't fix it.
If you paid him to fix the engine, and he charged you for this, if you were in the UK, you could persue him in the courts as this service may not be up to standard. (Sale of goods and services act). At the very least, ask for a refund of the money you paid him, if you think it is reasonable to do so. However, bear in mind that he has a living to make and will have spent valuable time looking at your engine.
Fault diagnosis is often more time consuming that doing the actual repair.

1000 USD to strip down and sort your problem sounds about right.

Since you have now spent the money and presumably have a working engine, there is no reason to dump the boat.

Answer 3

You can't tell me that the 1st mechanic rebuilt the engine and then let it leave his shop without starting it. That's just down right BS or the guy wasn't actually a mechanic.

You should have first taken it back to the first mechanic and let him fix the problem. It's impossible to install a cam shaft wrong. It only goes in one way. He may have installed a timing chain/ belt wrong, but that would be pretty easy to figure out and fix, without tearing the whole engine apart. I think mechanic # 2 is the one that screwed you.

Answer 4

Not the problem with the boat, your first mechanic was at fault. If your second attempt was successful then the problem should have been resolved. You only dump the boat when you have ruined the hull.

Answer 5

Hope you didn't pay the first one.Sounds like he only had to retime the cam .Thats not a big job??Why dump the boat it running use it an go after the first guy???

Answer 6

Sounds like U mighty have rust on the magnets on the fly wheel check this. If u jumped stated it than the voltage serge could blow the power pack not good idea to jump them have a good battery.Also they have issues on the Black & yellow wire which is the shutoff disconnect it from the terminal board on the side of the engine and see if that help ??

Answer 7

I had a similar situation with a classic muscle car, Take the mechanic to SMALL CLAIMS COURT.

Answer 8

File in small claims court, enjoy the boat, it's "SUMMER", go after the moron in the winter ! but, FILE NOW !

Answer 9

Either get him back to do the job or small claims court,you might want to go..

Answer 10

Give him the shaft....many creative ways to get an ashhole like that back.