Life is too short to work for people that take their frustrations out on you! It's not easy working on old boats that have not been maintained. How many engines rooms have you seen that are filled with obsolete or corroded parts from the 1990's? People expect us to work miracles .... "WE TRY"
Dealing with the public is getting to be a real chore. I knew a professional upholsterer and took odd specialist jobs to him. He was really good, helpful and excellent value. But he got so fed up of people (not me!) that he took to being a cab driver. I told him he'd be having to deal with people all the time then. He agreed, but said, "Every minute they're in my car, the meter will be running. They want to waste my time - they'll pay for it. They want to get creative - they'll pay for it. They want to argue - they'll pay for it..." I didn't argue...
Been working on boats for 40 years. I deciding about 10 years ago I will not work on fixer up boats. You can’t make enough money to make it worth while. If they buy old boats like that it shows they’re cheap and want something for nothing. I can stay busy just doing basic maintenance that is quick and doesn’t present the headaches. I myself own a older boat that I’ve had for 22 years but I’ve always stayed on top of repairs and maintenance and it’s a very reliable boat.
This vid validates why I sold both my boats that constantly needed repairs. Sea Ray 32 cabin cruiser dual inboard 350s and a 28 Formula inboard Motors are tough to get at and labor and parts a fortune Marina fees insane Best boat mid size 20 fter w single outboard Easy to work on very dependable
@@WillFixThat yes that’s great if u r going 25-50 miles offshore Those engines though cost so much $$ it’s a tough call Go w 1 and Sea Tow subscription 😂
From my expereince in Florida, quality and honest boat techs are worth their weight in gold. He was lucky to find you. That guy is a fool those old two-stroke Detroits are obsolete oil leakers. The only glimmer of hope I see is going to a junk yard to find used parts.
Yeah we can’t waste energy on people that don’t see the value sometimes it’s because they get frustrated with themselves but take it out on us. People are famous for trying to make their boat problems ours problem and we try not to let that happen.
I'm finished with customer service work (for the most part) and now I buy, fix, and sell projects. It's so much better than dealing with jerks who want price, quality, and service..... you only get 2 so pick lol. Also, towards the end of dealing with customers I started making people sign an a simple one part form with the job expectations we both discussed included the 'what ifs'. I don't know if people truly forget what was talked about or just lie but when it's in black and white, there's no more 'you said this' nonsense.
Here in the Dutch we have boats whit older engines than 40 years and we can find parts everywhere. Old motors are not always bad motors. And we have people who can repair almost every motor.
Unfair to say never retire. After 40yrs of luxury motor coaches repairs I was over the work and the people. I'm done. Own all the tools will help when I feel.
I feel your pain I was in that business for 35 years I've had to fire several customers for the same things you're talking about by and large it is still one of the most rewarding careers I've ever had a less race career on the fire department I enjoyed it but not nearly as much as being my own boss and bringing pleasure to other people keep up the good work
A few bad apples doesn’t ruin the orchard. It hard to remember that at times. I have to tell myself this from time to time. I believe more good and respectful people in this world than jerks!!! Keep up the good work!!!
I work on boats and have the same type of customer and we have told them we would no longer work on their boat, and we took a loose. We place these customers on a Black List and share it with other service providers, good luck getting your boat fixed
The alternator signal is picked up off one of the three phase stator leads. You can land a wire under one of the tabs and fish it through the frame of alternator back. I’ve done it many times. If the boat has 8.2 fuel pinchers I agree they are obsolete. They were when they were new. I’m pretty sure I saw the old school tach drives at J & N electric.
It’s your business. You got into servicing humans beings like I did for 40 years or more. At the end of my career I became very frustrated with dealing with customers. I feel your pain.
Atta go man ! Stop before you start in some cases. Resurrecting old is a tough time consuming costly venture. He’s paid for the time you spent. The pay stops the work stops. Simple. Best is to educate yourself and buy all the tools needed and do it yourself then there’s no one to complain to but yourself Mr customer Have a nice day
You will always be better off focusing on your best customers and building relationships off of them. You can’t spend time dealing with people who don’t understand or can’t appreciate what you do. Life’s too short as you said but if they are taking time you could be using for your better clients, then it doesn’t make sense on any level. Love your videos and the insight both on the boat work and the business!
Like anything be careful buying older …. Think about this for second how easy is it to buy parts for your cell phone? Companies have made it where we have to buy new more frequently. Unfortunately.
This is a perfect example today, take pictures and have detailed documentation. Require signatures to accept quotes, that include a detailed scope of work including all parts, and a signature accepting the work with a final picture.
Thanks grizz it seems simple enough but reality is we are showing up to get the job done and not collecting or doing estimates for all jobs. Sometimes you don’t know depending on what you find troubleshooting.
One of the top outboard service and repair shops in my town will not work on any outboard motors over 20 years old for lack of parts supply. I also worked in a big gun store and our 5 gunsmiths would not work on any gun made poorly in a suspect country. They said once you work on a poorly made gun, you have to warranty it forever. So we had to tell them that we couldn't work on their gun.
By now whatever is going to happen has happened. Having owned repair shops I have dealt with customers like that. At the point they get to demanding the impossible for free they are given a bill for the work done so far, and the vehicle will be released when that bill is paid. In Michigan a mechanics lien has real teeth. The vehicle/boat/plane can be held until the bill is paid. A mechanic at my local airport placed a lien on a plane because the owner flat refused to pay. The sheriff held a sheriff's auction. The owner showed up and threw a fit. The deputy sheriff running the auction told him he only had two choices, pay off the the bill at that instant or be the high bidder. He said he would pay the bill and tried to hand the deputy a check. The deputy pointed out sheriff's auctions are cash money and continued with the auction. The winning bidder got the plane for cheap and it flew away The owner tried to sue but no attorney would take the case (they knew they would never get paid either :)
Signal generator is what you need, Fort lauderdale speed and sensor just completed a full rewire of a 50ft with twin 871 and installation of actisense kit to convert all analog to digital with raymarine displays
@@WillFixThat agreed! The funny thing is that they just smoked the only hope of actually getting something fixed properly.. they just don’t realize it. Go ahead and call somebody else and good luck. Tomorrow another day Will have a good one.. KS
Before I even get two minutes into this video... I was there this season; Old POS 4 Winns. wanted some electrical work done. I did About an hours worth of work to get him temporarily fixed up I told him there would be no charge, in exchange that I did not want to do any more work on the boat because it was a liability, hacked and bastardized. I'd rather lose an hour of free labor than potentially fall into a trap
I even had one boat owner working with me for 4 hours When it came to pay the bill, he only wanted to pay half of it and claimed I was only there for two hours I wrote him a professional, but extremely forward email. I didn't cut any fat and Absolutely told him his boat was junk and he would need every bit of saved money to put into it, including The two hours he didn't pay me I've got far too many good customers to attend to than this trash. Remember, I was telling you about The Dive? This loser ran an entire backbone cable for all of his GD N2K flyby bucket controls out of copper clad aluminum Amazon wire!! He didn't pay me $1000 worth of emergency services to fix un related items other items he asked me for, so I just smiled and walked away. good luck with your N2K reliability, have fun helplessly, watching your abortion drift uncontrollably into the rocks. One splash of water on that type of wire will turn it into dust with a week as you know lol 😂 👍 ... I got word recently he was inoperable all season. Hmm 🤔 wonder why lol. Karma is a bitch
Very smart only waste an hour!! We’ve done this too. With this project we did some work a few months back and now he’s gotten frustrated. Not going to be our problem anymore.
I bought a hand held tac that reads a white dot that I put on the crank pulley. I have never explored the option of a permanent one but ill bet they are available. just a possible option
to pickup the tach signal from an alternator just attach a wire to (any) one phase of the rectifier there are 3 posts from the coils and . once the coils start generating power it will read on the gauge. had to do this when replacing the alternator on my old sailboat. i found the "trick" on off-roading forum, people were having a hard time with finding an alternator "for a diesel engine" with the w output... just label the wire with W for documentation
Too bad about the sucky customer... I understand his frustration, as he's probably old skool, and there were much simpler systems years ago, and with much simpler solutions, and with non proprietary parts. Now, we've made a computerized utopia of a mess with most things, with proprietary software tool requirements to do anything, with manufacturers obsoleting stuff when ever they feel like it. Kinda sad. No, actually a very sad state... Screwing something up, and blaming you for it, well that is 100% grounds to fire a customer... Those old Detroit 2 stroke diesels are awesome! Super reliable, and very cheap to maintain and run. But not emissions friendly anymore. As an EE, there are multiple ways to deal with the tach issues. Mechanical tachs are very obsolete.
Part 2 I'd simply modify the alternator to tap onto one of the 3 stator outputs. A VERY easy mod on most alternators. This setup probably uses GM SI series alternators, in which there are 3 studs bolting the stator wires to the rectifiers/diode trio. Tap a 18 or so AWG wire on one of the studs. Double insulate it with an extra layer of double wall heat shrink and pass it securely outside the alternator. Current limit it for safety with a fuse (1-3A would be more than fine)/ resistor (270 ohm give or take, 1 Watt min, heat shrinked to the wire)/cartrage light bulb (like a festoon T3 soldered and heat shrinked, but bulbs are kinda getting pricey) Then, just add a connector and run the wires neatly and safely to the helm. No need to worry about J1171 ign proofing standards either, as it's a diesel. This is essentially the "W" wire on a diesel alternator. Pop in diesel tachs, and wire them up, calibrate them, and good to go! Note diesel tachs always need their calibration checked/adjusted, as it depends on the alternator poles and the belt drive ratios, which can be different depending on the engine/application. Just use a tach tool for this. Like a laser tach, which are cheap these days.
Part 3 You can also use various pickups, sensors, etc but they are much more complex to mount, and add extra parts. Some can use the flywheel teeth (common way is to drill and tap a hole in the bell housing for a pickup, aligned to the flywheelteeth). Others a tone ring. Or a little tach generator that needs to be mechanically coupled to a rotating part. Sometimes even pully cutouts can be used. There's optical sensors, magnetic sensors where magnet(s) can be attached to something rotating. And a bunch more. But by far, the simplest, cheapest and best, reliable solution it to just tap into one of the stator windings in the alternator for a signal, like so many diesels in the past....
Haha then I have to respond to all of them. Thanks for sharing … I’ll share this with Matt agree with you it can get complicated if you don’t keep your boat up to date with the latest in technology. Same thing has happened with our 1997 truck. BUT we aren’t blaming our mechanic since he hasn’t been able to fix it.
10 percent of people will cause 80 percent of your headaches. You absolutely have a sense when you first meet someone, who they’re going to be…. Just start saying no or quote something prohibitively expensive :)
Diesel pro power has tach and pick up kits for those engines and you can find anything and everything you need for them just gotta know where to look 😉👀
I’m not in your area. But I have a 2007 sea fox 23 sport offshore. I’d gladly tow down there from st Augustine and let your guys hook me up with a free paint job, Awesome videos y’all do have been watching for a while.
Well it compares to any other boats running gear it gets expensive. Our outboard that we bought for a small 22’ is over 22k without rigging. Boats are pricey but also amazing.
@@WillFixThat We have inboards. Unless we pull a shaft out or break a gear in the transmission, the fix is rather manageable. Nothing is inexpensive in a boat however.
Bad clients are tough for sure. I am in the aviation business for the last 37 years. Very very similar to the high end boats and very similar clientele. Some bad customers are oblivious. Some are self centered. But some knowingly try to avoid paying through various tactics. We have had to divorce clients a few times, but being a corporate (Textron) company you have to be very careful. And then occasionally you get bad customers that are still under warranty mixing warranty and non warranty work. Of course they are impossible to divorce. I just stumbled on your channel and have been binge watching. Great content! You guys cover a lot of ground on capabilities. One thing you can do for tachometers that no longer get support is to convert to a hall effect sensor on a bracket and a few magnets on the front balancer/pulley. For a W signal tach gauge you may need to Dakota Tach adapter since the W signal has so many pulses. Its a cheap reliable option that generates a very usable signal.
To enjoy a boat it requires a partnership with a trusted team of techs. One tech does not advertise. There is no logo on his van or shirt. He does an informal screening of potential new customers. Are they going to complain about the cost of parts or labor? Are they going to want cut corners and not allow the tech to complete the job in a proper way? His labor rate is high but he completes the job in less time and there are no redos. I pay him promptly and say thank you.
Every job seems to have some negatives, horrible customers are certainly big negatives. My experience with you and your work ethic is only in these videos but can you imagine the problems these crazy customers would have with bad mechanics.
For Detroit diesels, check out a MCI bus repair shop. There is a guy on the tube that redoes old DD engines, maybe he could help you source those parts.
Amazing how people buy a 30 year old boat or car and expect independent mechanics should warranty and maintain obsolete motors,transmission ect. He Definitely deserves to be black listed.
I never had any trouble getting paid but once and that client was done I had a property manager in Phoenix Arizona who once told me that I should modify my hours if necessary never negotiate my pay on an hourly basis and don't hang on to somebody as a client who's dragging me in but other than that it was a great run I by miscetarably but my eyesight and age just don't let me do it anymore Effectively
Jim it’s tough trying to quote jobs cause too often so much more is wrong then anticipated. Then they don’t want to pay cause it’s over what we originally said even though we are telling and showing why it’s more work.
Skilled Mechanics and Techs are good but not miracle workers. Old boats, old cars, old airplanes are challenges, - beware of what you buy. In the long run, it may be more economical to pay more up front for a newer model, particularly when you calculate the hourly rates of service fees even after they find a rare part for a old boat. Frankly I think one should age boats in “dog years” particularly saltwater boats. They age quickly.
I was a ASE mechanic for years and dealt with people just like the customer you had. It's frustrating for sure. I don't know much about marine diesels, but is it possible to find a tach pickup for an 80's Detroit for a semi truck that will work on the marine engines?
Torque Turn method of torque of hardware has been found to be more accurate X torque plus X degrees more turn Ex. 60ft lbs plus 120* turn added . Engineers found it a more consistent between all fasteners . CAT does that these days
Volvo IPS big $$$$ to buy, big $$ to remove, big $$$ to rebuild, big $$ to install, but upside 5% more efficient on fuel costs 😂😂😂😂, make a cutless bearing look cheap👍👍
Ah it’s worth refunding the few thousands of dollars cause then he can’t talk as much crap. We live in a small town and the marina people talk. Note these repairs were done 4 months ago!
Do you get Boats and Harbor commercial classified news paper, they have a few companies selling vintage Detroit Diesel parts. They have a website with some info.
Didn’t think it would get to this point at first it wasn’t so bad but then having owner and other mechanics trying to solve the problem that just doesn’t mix.
You and add a field pickup to an old alternator. You have to take it apart and with it in. It will work but it will always be West Virginia engineering.
Love it Jim … where you cruising we haven’t seen you? We are talking about life on the road to visit our viewers and help them or others with repairs. What you think?
Not a bad idea but Matt wants to help as much as he can. When we suspect a boat in question he goes there first … in this instance we have serviced this boat for a few years
Welcome to Detroit customers. They all have a guy they all can get the parts cheaper, they all have an odd smell to them. You can pull rpm from a couple different sources. But I would walk and let him find a new guy because they all have a guy. But when you actually have the knowledge you win!
Oh, the irony of this video was classic. No offense intended. Your t-shirt stating, "we fix boats", to the video description stating, "I’ve Had Enough I Quit working on this boat."
Cull out asshole clients or customers, you don’t need stress, The job alone comes with Enough.. I took an emergency no AC Service Call during a heat wave over 100° days20 years ago for one of my Clients on his Neighbors house, which was a Supreme Court Justice. His wife sent her Maid to the Front Door when I arrived with all my tools in hand to repair her AC that their Contracted Service Company could not get to for few days. The maid told me she said, All of her SERVANTS Parking is in the rear, would you move your van to the rear of the house😂. So I loaded my tools back in the van and drove away to my next Clients no AC service call, She came to the door with a cold glass of ice water and said thanks for showing up early on short notice🥰. My client that asked me to do the favor called and asked what happened. She said you just drove away Without repairing her ac.😢😢 I told my Client I’m not his Neighbors SERVANT! He laughed and said, Point Taken😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Worst part of owning a boat is that the maintenance always costs more than the original price of the boat itself.it’s something people she investigate before buying a new or used boat
Man I know the story.........been there with that one. I like this one, took me a few times before I could read the signs, see the red flags. the right words to suck one in, click bait, gotcha, It's the gotcha part is your owned, Some one already messed with it, the person is in the know, Now he's looking for some way to dump some of the over all cost on his recovery to the unsuspecting. ...... One of the worst persons I run a ground with was a long hauler, had a few tractors, needed a major, only he wanted to get by with a head job, and of course it didn't fix his problem, I told him it wouldn't. He tried to tie it to me, didn't work, a lot of people want more than they are willing or can afford to pay for. Try to cut a fat hog.... So I see what their nitch is and stay in that. or walk away. I'm rolling back the clock to the 1970's to 2,000. I been beat in all sorts of ways. all one can do much of the time is try and learn from it, eat it and move on. painful as it is. .. It's come to me, they are out there waiting no matter how long it takes to pull someone in to score off of. Because they actually think, believe that is how life really is. I worked for a few of the biggest high rollers in our nation back in the day, but like so often, they gone the way, God sees to that. What is the written word say, Pride goes before a big fall. fat head. I haven't much time, so I'm airing some here. I been giving away my tools, here and there, a friend of mine, His Son in law is a real nice man along with His daughters, I gave him my expanded 1 inch drive set. now the 3/4 drive set and other things when he gets here. I'm down to just the odds and ends now. Your way smarter than me, know way more then I ever had, It's vary apparent to me. You seem to have a good heart, The word of God, out of the mouth comes the heart. Jesus quoted that... Guard your heart is what the Bible tells us. God Bless.
Oh my … I can’t keep up with all your awesome comments. Matt has worked very hard for all the knowledge and training he has had thru the years. Retirement is looking brighter each day so we can travel and bless others.
People don't understand what it takes and all the time consumed trying to make obsolete equipment keep functioning. When it doesn't go their way they want you to subsidize their boating habit. When was the last time you got two days consecutive to go fishing and enjoy your own boat?........I rest my case.
@@WillFixThat I knew the answer to that before I asked it ! Live some for yourself ! I know it's much easier said than done when you have a lot of work. Fighting the same battle here daily.
@@jonnooney7102of course you knew the answer if you’ve watched out videos - but great progress coming cause we got the polar out on the water & it’s fore sale 😊 we’ll be getting on the water soon. Hope you get some time for fun too.
Hey Daniel the work was done 4 months ago …. BUT it’s a small town so we will probably give him his money & never go back again! IF we ever did go back it would be cash only & upfront.
LIVED ON THAT ISLAND FOR A YEAR, WORKED THE TRUMAN ANNEX, THEN GOT A JOB ON BOCA CHEEKA, Wish I were still there...OH YEA..I WAS PAYING BOARD LIVING WITH AN OLD ALCOHOLIC LADY ..NAME WAS .. "" DOT "". SHE HAD 50 CATS .. All ancestors from Ernest Hemingway Felines....HER HOUSE Smelled so Bad,, I gave her a months rent...left her after one Day....
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Life is too short to work for people that take their frustrations out on you! It's not easy working on old boats that have not been maintained. How many engines rooms have you seen that are filled with obsolete or corroded parts from the 1990's? People expect us to work miracles .... "WE TRY"
What does a entry level to basic marine tech earn?
Do you do jobs this big without getting alot of money down or large progress payments?
Yep. I have a '73 Mercury that nobody on the lake wants to touch. I need an "Outboard Servicing for Dummies" book.
@@demons500we would definitely say no way it’s as old as we are … lol!
@@marriagepartnersministry5942we get parts money upfront
Dealing with the public is getting to be a real chore. I knew a professional upholsterer and took odd specialist jobs to him. He was really good, helpful and excellent value. But he got so fed up of people (not me!) that he took to being a cab driver. I told him he'd be having to deal with people all the time then. He agreed, but said, "Every minute they're in my car, the meter will be running. They want to waste my time - they'll pay for it. They want to get creative - they'll pay for it. They want to argue - they'll pay for it..." I didn't argue...
Omg Ted this sounds amazing 🤩 BUT to bad for him too! People are getting more crazy by the day!
Man I feel your pain when it comes to dealing with hard to work with people. They think the world owes them something. Great work as usual.
You rock freedomwander … life’s too short for a..holes! Especially when Matt is so humble and willing to try to help anyone.
Wow. Watching the install was amazing.
Yes Mae sure you watch the removal too 👍
Been working on boats for 40 years. I deciding about 10 years ago I will not work on fixer up boats. You can’t make enough money to make it worth while. If they buy old boats like that it shows they’re cheap and want something for nothing. I can stay busy just doing basic maintenance that is quick and doesn’t present the headaches. I myself own a older boat that I’ve had for 22 years but I’ve always stayed on top of repairs and maintenance and it’s a very reliable boat.
You owning an older boat is great you know what it takes to keep it up. Most people had the dock have no idea.
LOVE YOUR DEDICATION GUYS!!💥💯💪👊
AUSTRALIA!!🤍💙❤️💥🙌
This vid validates why I sold both my boats that constantly needed repairs. Sea Ray 32 cabin cruiser dual inboard 350s and a 28 Formula inboard
Motors are tough to get at and labor and parts a fortune
Marina fees insane
Best boat mid size 20 fter w single outboard
Easy to work on very dependable
Agree with you except Matt thinks dual engines is better in case one fails.
@@WillFixThat yes that’s great if u r going 25-50 miles offshore
Those engines though cost so much $$ it’s a tough call
Go w 1 and Sea Tow subscription 😂
@@mikeglynn5824 sea tow & tow boat 😅
They have diesel tachs where you put a magnet on the crank pully and mount a pickup sensor then it is a simple tach that works😀
Great thanks for sharing.
The first thing I watch on Sunday morning is your show!!
Appreciate you watching for sooo long 😉
From my expereince in Florida, quality and honest boat techs are worth their weight in gold. He was lucky to find you. That guy is a fool those old two-stroke Detroits are obsolete oil leakers. The only glimmer of hope I see is going to a junk yard to find used parts.
Yeah we can’t waste energy on people that don’t see the value sometimes it’s because they get frustrated with themselves but take it out on us. People are famous for trying to make their boat problems ours problem and we try not to let that happen.
I'm finished with customer service work (for the most part) and now I buy, fix, and sell projects. It's so much better than dealing with jerks who want price, quality, and service..... you only get 2 so pick lol. Also, towards the end of dealing with customers I started making people sign an a simple one part form with the job expectations we both discussed included the 'what ifs'. I don't know if people truly forget what was talked about or just lie but when it's in black and white, there's no more 'you said this' nonsense.
I know exactly what you mean, it’s always good to have something in writing! Some people 🙄
Here in the Dutch we have boats whit older engines than 40 years and we can find parts everywhere. Old motors are not always bad motors. And we have people who can repair almost every motor.
That’s great for you … we just don’t have that in our area.
You have a great spot never retire, just figure out how to not let the very few bother you
You might be right but it’s also exhausting 😭 maybe we just have our list of A clients.
Unfair to say never retire. After 40yrs of luxury motor coaches repairs I was over the work and the people. I'm done. Own all the tools will help when I feel.
Thank-you. I really enjoyed watching this .
Thanks for watching our chaos Rodney!
I feel your pain I was in that business for 35 years I've had to fire several customers for the same things you're talking about by and large it is still one of the most rewarding careers I've ever had a less race career on the fire department I enjoyed it but not nearly as much as being my own boss and bringing pleasure to other people keep up the good work
Thanks Jim …. Getting paid probably the worse part of our business!
Hang in there and keep rolling WillFixThat team! 👍👍
Yup trying to keep rolling this world is getting more crazy.
@@WillFixThat 💯👍👍
You changed my air filter, and on my way home, my transmission went out. YOU BROKE IT.... 😂
Yup it can happen cover your arse!
Aj is the future of the marine industry!!!!! Welcome aboard broooo!!!
Yes AJ is learning quickly! The guys love giving him a hard time BUT he gives it back or starts the trouble to begin with … 🤣
LOVE YOUR DEDICATION GUYS!!💥💯💪
AUSTRALIA!!🤍💙❤️💯💥
Thanks Glen! 💥🤣
That Pod looks great!!!
Yup turned out nice.
A few bad apples doesn’t ruin the orchard. It hard to remember that at times. I have to tell myself this from time to time. I believe more good and respectful people in this world than jerks!!! Keep up the good work!!!
You are right about people! It’s hard to go back to an orchard that has a few apples with worms in them 🤣
@@WillFixThat 😂 good point 😂
Keep up the great content. And much love to ya mate from Maryland❤❤❤.
Thanks Melvin 👍 keep watching!
I work on boats and have the same type of customer and we have told them we would no longer work on their boat, and we took a loose. We place these customers on a Black List and share it with other service providers, good luck getting your boat fixed
Yes we have a list but we don’t share it with other providers cause people are too sue happy these days! Just not worth it.
Love the content and always look forward to Sundays for new videos!
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching our craziness on Sundays.
The alternator signal is picked up off one of the three phase stator leads. You can land a wire under one of the tabs and fish it through the frame of alternator back. I’ve done it many times. If the boat has 8.2 fuel pinchers I agree they are obsolete. They were when they were new. I’m pretty sure I saw the old school tach drives at J & N electric.
I’m so glad to be off that job…
Simplest way high speed prox off crank at f ront of engine done it works flawlessly
I’m off that boat😁
It’s your business. You got into servicing humans beings like I did for 40 years or more. At the end of my career I became very frustrated with dealing with customers. I feel your pain.
Sooo true Brad … Matt loves to fix but the customers can cause frustrations.
Atta go man !
Stop before you start in some cases.
Resurrecting old is a tough time consuming costly venture.
He’s paid for the time you spent. The pay stops the work stops. Simple.
Best is to educate yourself and buy all the tools needed and do it yourself then there’s no one to complain to but yourself Mr customer
Have a nice day
Well we think Mr Customer tried to do the work himself then hired some other mechanics and then came back to us. We did this work 4 months ago.
You will always be better off focusing on your best customers and building relationships off of them. You can’t spend time dealing with people who don’t understand or can’t appreciate what you do. Life’s too short as you said but if they are taking time you could be using for your better clients, then it doesn’t make sense on any level. Love your videos and the insight both on the boat work and the business!
Thanks Derek … yes we can’t waste time on non paying people! It’s not worth it that’s why we have a list!
Optical tachometer at harbor freight is 40 bucks and will give rpms on anything that spins
Thanks for sharing will keep it in mind!
LOL. I’m looking at old boats. That’s what makes me nervous. Even if you can get it now, for how long will you be able to service old motors
Like anything be careful buying older …. Think about this for second how easy is it to buy parts for your cell phone? Companies have made it where we have to buy new more frequently. Unfortunately.
Sanity and less stress is more important than money.
Exactly how we feel!
This is a perfect example today, take pictures and have detailed documentation. Require signatures to accept quotes, that include a detailed scope of work including all parts, and a signature accepting the work with a final picture.
Thanks grizz it seems simple enough but reality is we are showing up to get the job done and not collecting or doing estimates for all jobs. Sometimes you don’t know depending on what you find troubleshooting.
One of the top outboard service and repair shops in my town will not work on any outboard motors over 20 years old for lack of parts supply.
I also worked in a big gun store and our 5 gunsmiths would not work on any gun made poorly in a suspect country. They said once you work on a
poorly made gun, you have to warranty it forever. So we had to tell them that we couldn't work on their gun.
I'm starting to feel the same way…especially with saltwater involved.
@@WillFixThat Yes, you guys are obviously professionals and I feel for you.
@@WilliamKienethanks William.
By now whatever is going to happen has happened. Having owned repair shops I have dealt with customers like that. At the point they get to demanding the impossible for free they are given a bill for the work done so far, and the vehicle will be released when that bill is paid.
In Michigan a mechanics lien has real teeth. The vehicle/boat/plane can be held until the bill is paid. A mechanic at my local airport placed a lien on a plane because the owner flat refused to pay. The sheriff held a sheriff's auction. The owner showed up and threw a fit. The deputy sheriff running the auction told him he only had two choices, pay off the the bill at that instant or be the high bidder. He said he would pay the bill and tried to hand the deputy a check. The deputy pointed out sheriff's auctions are cash money and continued with the auction. The winning bidder got the plane for cheap and it flew away The owner tried to sue but no attorney would take the case (they knew they would never get paid either :)
Omg can’t even imagine … the owner should have paid the bill sooner. Now he doesn’t own a plane.
Signal generator is what you need, Fort lauderdale speed and sensor just completed a full rewire of a 50ft with twin 871 and installation of actisense kit to convert all analog to digital with raymarine displays
Thanks for the recommendation Tom!
I had to deal with something like that this week.. 99.9 % of my customers are awesome.. the rest are on their own.
Kevin same with us 99% awesome but that 1% can get you down. Just best to put on a list and move forward.
@@WillFixThat agreed! The funny thing is that they just smoked the only hope of actually getting something fixed properly.. they just don’t realize it. Go ahead and call somebody else and good luck. Tomorrow another day Will have a good one.. KS
One more comment… I chuckled when I saw the tub of towels.. we carry those as well on service calls. They are incredible!
@@kevinscott9499we have all our guys carry the tubs! 😊 they help with clean up!
@@kevinscott9499yup and it’s their problem not yours or mine anymore! Can’t say we didn’t try.
Use the large o rings as a rubbing strake on a small workboat or use them as snubbers when moored or anchored
Great plan.
Before I even get two minutes into this video...
I was there this season;
Old POS 4 Winns.
wanted some electrical work done.
I did About an hours worth of work to get him temporarily fixed up
I told him there would be no charge, in exchange that I did not want to do any more work on the boat because it was a liability, hacked and bastardized.
I'd rather lose an hour of free labor than potentially fall into a trap
I even had one boat owner working with me for 4 hours
When it came to pay the bill, he only wanted to pay half of it and claimed I was only there for two hours
I wrote him a professional, but extremely forward email.
I didn't cut any fat and Absolutely told him his boat was junk and he would need every bit of saved money to put into it, including The two hours he didn't pay me
I've got far too many good customers to attend to than this trash.
Remember, I was telling you about The Dive? This loser ran an entire backbone cable for all of his GD N2K flyby bucket controls out of copper clad aluminum Amazon wire!!
He didn't pay me $1000 worth of emergency services to fix un related items other items he asked me for, so I just smiled and walked away.
good luck with your N2K reliability, have fun helplessly, watching your abortion drift uncontrollably into the rocks.
One splash of water on that type of wire will turn it into dust with a week as you know lol 😂 👍
... I got word recently he was inoperable all season. Hmm 🤔 wonder why lol.
Karma is a bitch
Very smart only waste an hour!! We’ve done this too. With this project we did some work a few months back and now he’s gotten frustrated. Not going to be our problem anymore.
I bought a hand held tac that reads a white dot that I put on the crank pulley. I have never explored the option of a permanent one but ill bet they are available. just a possible option
I’ll look that up
to pickup the tach signal from an alternator just attach a wire to (any) one phase of the rectifier there are 3 posts from the coils and . once the coils start generating power it will read on the gauge. had to do this when replacing the alternator on my old sailboat. i found the "trick" on off-roading forum, people were having a hard time with finding an alternator "for a diesel engine" with the w output... just label the wire with W for documentation
Good advice, I happy to not be working on that boat anymore. It’s old and in rough shape.
Next forklift you get has to be one where carriage with forks moves left and right to adjust 1/4” at a time
Not a bad idea we’ve had this one for about 5-6 years.
Too bad about the sucky customer...
I understand his frustration, as he's probably old skool, and there were much simpler systems years ago, and with much simpler solutions, and with non proprietary parts. Now, we've made a computerized utopia of a mess with most things, with proprietary software tool requirements to do anything, with manufacturers obsoleting stuff when ever they feel like it. Kinda sad. No, actually a very sad state...
Screwing something up, and blaming you for it, well that is 100% grounds to fire a customer...
Those old Detroit 2 stroke diesels are awesome! Super reliable, and very cheap to maintain and run. But not emissions friendly anymore.
As an EE, there are multiple ways to deal with the tach issues. Mechanical tachs are very obsolete.
Part 2
I'd simply modify the alternator to tap onto one of the 3 stator outputs. A VERY easy mod on most alternators. This setup probably uses GM SI series alternators, in which there are 3 studs bolting the stator wires to the rectifiers/diode trio. Tap a 18 or so AWG wire on one of the studs. Double insulate it with an extra layer of double wall heat shrink and pass it securely outside the alternator. Current limit it for safety with a fuse (1-3A would be more than fine)/ resistor (270 ohm give or take, 1 Watt min, heat shrinked to the wire)/cartrage light bulb (like a festoon T3 soldered and heat shrinked, but bulbs are kinda getting pricey)
Then, just add a connector and run the wires neatly and safely to the helm. No need to worry about J1171 ign proofing standards either, as it's a diesel. This is essentially the "W" wire on a diesel alternator.
Pop in diesel tachs, and wire them up, calibrate them, and good to go!
Note diesel tachs always need their calibration checked/adjusted, as it depends on the alternator poles and the belt drive ratios, which can be different depending on the engine/application.
Just use a tach tool for this. Like a laser tach, which are cheap these days.
Part 3
You can also use various pickups, sensors, etc but they are much more complex to mount, and add extra parts. Some can use the flywheel teeth (common way is to drill and tap a hole in the bell housing for a pickup, aligned to the flywheelteeth). Others a tone ring. Or a little tach generator that needs to be mechanically coupled to a rotating part. Sometimes even pully cutouts can be used. There's optical sensors, magnetic sensors where magnet(s) can be attached to something rotating. And a bunch more.
But by far, the simplest, cheapest and best, reliable solution it to just tap into one of the stator windings in the alternator for a signal, like so many diesels in the past....
Posted in several parts so RUclips doesn't filter/censor it...
Haha then I have to respond to all of them. Thanks for sharing … I’ll share this with Matt agree with you it can get complicated if you don’t keep your boat up to date with the latest in technology. Same thing has happened with our 1997 truck. BUT we aren’t blaming our mechanic since he hasn’t been able to fix it.
@@jeffl4810lol good plan thanks for sharing.
10 percent of people will cause 80 percent of your headaches. You absolutely have a sense when you first meet someone, who they’re going to be…. Just start saying no or quote something prohibitively expensive :)
I agree and I’ve done that only to have them ask how soon I can get started. 😖
I've used prop speed and it was installed correctly but i found if you use your boat a lot it comes off.
That’s one of the reasons we don’t recommend it.
I use one as a snubber lines for anchoring on mooring
Great idea. I’ll give them away to some clients that moor.
Diesel pro power has tach and pick up kits for those engines and you can find anything and everything you need for them just gotta know where to look 😉👀
Don’t plan to look anymore 🤣😝👍
Use the massive o rings on the dock ropes for a big boat. They will stretch and save the rope. Otherwise, make a giant sling shot.
Ha, both funny and a great idea. 🤣
I’m not in your area. But I have a 2007 sea fox 23 sport offshore. I’d gladly tow down there from st Augustine and let your guys hook me up with a free paint job,
Awesome videos y’all do have been watching for a while.
Email us at help@boatrepairkw.com and I’ll send your info to Pettit.
@@WillFixThat email sent
Great vid. Not easy doing what you do. Looks like pods can be a nightmare and a very expensive fix.
Well it compares to any other boats running gear it gets expensive. Our outboard that we bought for a small 22’ is over 22k without rigging. Boats are pricey but also amazing.
@@WillFixThat We have inboards. Unless we pull a shaft out or break a gear in the transmission, the fix is rather manageable. Nothing is inexpensive in a boat however.
Our 82 Grand Banks has two Ford Lehman's. While obsolete parts are available. They are reliable and sip diesel.
Good for you …. You are lucky!
Bad clients are tough for sure. I am in the aviation business for the last 37 years. Very very similar to the high end boats and very similar clientele. Some bad customers are oblivious. Some are self centered. But some knowingly try to avoid paying through various tactics. We have had to divorce clients a few times, but being a corporate (Textron) company you have to be very careful. And then occasionally you get bad customers that are still under warranty mixing warranty and non warranty work. Of course they are impossible to divorce. I just stumbled on your channel and have been binge watching. Great content! You guys cover a lot of ground on capabilities. One thing you can do for tachometers that no longer get support is to convert to a hall effect sensor on a bracket and a few magnets on the front balancer/pulley. For a W signal tach gauge you may need to Dakota Tach adapter since the W signal has so many pulses. Its a cheap reliable option that generates a very usable signal.
That’s for the encouragement. Some people are just difficult 😞. Makes life hard.
To enjoy a boat it requires a partnership with a trusted team of techs. One tech does not advertise. There is no logo on his van or shirt. He does an informal screening of potential new customers. Are they going to complain about the cost of parts or labor? Are they going to want cut corners and not allow the tech to complete the job in a proper way? His labor rate is high but he completes the job in less time and there are no redos. I pay him promptly and say thank you.
Exactly… prompt payment gets prompt service!
Every job seems to have some negatives, horrible customers are certainly big negatives. My experience with you and your work ethic is only in these videos but can you imagine the problems these crazy customers would have with bad mechanics.
These customers have no idea …. And we don’t need to have them treat us or our mechanics poorly! They can happily find another mechanic.
Simple fix.. tell him he needs 2 new engines... go out buy a cummins and replace it all.. lol
Not a bad idea 🤣
For Detroit diesels, check out a MCI bus repair shop. There is a guy on the tube that redoes old DD engines, maybe he could help you source those parts.
It’s too late now …. He’s showed us WHO he really is … if that makes sense. NEXT.
@@WillFixThat Perfect sense. For future reference then.
Amazing how people buy a 30 year old boat or car and expect independent mechanics should warranty and maintain obsolete motors,transmission ect. He Definitely deserves to be black listed.
It’s unfortunate since we have serviced him for a few years
Witness the "Benefits" of being the regions only Volvo Penta Certified shop.😉
What are you trying to tell us?
@@WillFixThat Benefits being the extra hard work and frustration of dealing with those IPS'. GREAT JOB btw.😁
@@demons500lol Matt loves a challenge… we did an awesome job!
I would have told him they don’t support steam engines anymore either all thing have an end to their support
Exactly like we don’t use iPhones from 10 years ago!
I never had any trouble getting paid but once and that client was done I had a property manager in Phoenix Arizona who once told me that I should modify my hours if necessary never negotiate my pay on an hourly basis and don't hang on to somebody as a client who's dragging me in but other than that it was a great run I by miscetarably but my eyesight and age just don't let me do it anymore Effectively
Jim it’s tough trying to quote jobs cause too often so much more is wrong then anticipated. Then they don’t want to pay cause it’s over what we originally said even though we are telling and showing why it’s more work.
Skilled Mechanics and Techs are good but not miracle workers. Old boats, old cars, old airplanes are challenges, - beware of what you buy. In the long run, it may be more economical to pay more up front for a newer model, particularly when you calculate the hourly rates of service fees even after they find a rare part for a old boat. Frankly I think one should age boats in “dog years” particularly saltwater boats. They age quickly.
Exactly salt water kills boats! How often do you see a beautiful engine room with a 40 year old boat? NEVER.
I was a ASE mechanic for years and dealt with people just like the customer you had. It's frustrating for sure. I don't know much about marine diesels, but is it possible to find a tach pickup for an 80's Detroit for a semi truck that will work on the marine engines?
Maybe but thankfully not my problem any more. 😆
Day-um, I was starting to sweat just watching you guys work.
Especially with the heat only feels like over 100’ these days!
@@WillFixThat It is near 100 in San Diego today and 50% humidity, which has you know is high for here.
@@paulkersey2179yes we used to live in downtown SD. Today ended up feeling like 109’ 😂
Torque Turn method of torque of hardware has been found to be more accurate
X torque plus X degrees more turn
Ex.
60ft lbs plus 120* turn added . Engineers found it a more consistent between all fasteners .
CAT does that these days
Angle torq is the way to go. New torq wrenches have this setting.
Optical sensor on crankshaft pulley ?
That was discussed but client didn’t want it. Wanted to try to save $ and use existing equipment.
3D print service for those legacy parts.....
Not going to bother anymore … it’s too late we quit?
Would you wire tie each pair of Azipod mounting bolts
You mean safety wire? There are no holes for that in the bolts.
That trailer Valet jack will break your wrist if it locks up when using the power drill if you're not careful.
Yikes that sounds terrible…. Sounds like you know something about these?
I would use iron paint over petit. I painted my jet boat with iron 15 years ago and still looks nice.
Thanks for sharing.
Chief, it's time you pulled rank on some of your clients! Too much Mr. Nice Guy isn't good for your pocket book or your health! 😐
Yup rank is pulled when you hit our list! Good luck finding someone to fix your POS 🤣
Can't retire as its job security when that boats runs aground
Looking for my next job 🤣
That part inside the prop
Yes hub.
Volvo IPS big $$$$ to buy, big $$ to remove, big $$$ to rebuild, big $$ to install, but upside 5% more efficient on fuel costs 😂😂😂😂, make a cutless bearing look cheap👍👍
You know all engines are expensive… ask us we’ve bought 2 outboards in the last year and they are for small boats. All cost time & money!
Oh lord not another I quit vid.
Yup and you don’t have to watch James! No sense working for rotten people … life too short imo.
@ 😂😂😂😂I don’t.
To Bad for him Matt. Don't refund his money.
Ah it’s worth refunding the few thousands of dollars cause then he can’t talk as much crap. We live in a small town and the marina people talk. Note these repairs were done 4 months ago!
Tell him to take me to court.
Yeah well all he has to do is call his credit card company. Then we waste more time trying to prove we did the work 4 months ago. Make sense?
Do you get Boats and Harbor commercial classified news paper, they have a few companies selling vintage Detroit Diesel parts. They have a website with some info.
No we don’t get this newspaper… lol people still print paper?
@@WillFixThat This is a must have, order a sub. I send you a back copy. Are you on google ?
No refunds on labor. Refunds on unused parts only. The condition of of a man's boat is in direct correlation with their bank account, be advised..
Exactly broke 👍
Ok, I hear your rant. But you walked right in. With your experience did you do that just to make a video? If yes, video is interesting.
Didn’t think it would get to this point at first it wasn’t so bad but then having owner and other mechanics trying to solve the problem that just doesn’t mix.
You and add a field pickup to an old alternator. You have to take it apart and with it in. It will work but it will always be West Virginia engineering.
Probably not a good fix for our company but thanks for sharing.
IS THAT THE 8.2's detroits ??
I’ll have to ask Matt.
Almost a year and a half since we sold our business and started cruising full time. I have forgotten all the bad customers. 😊
Love it Jim … where you cruising we haven’t seen you? We are talking about life on the road to visit our viewers and help them or others with repairs. What you think?
Put a restriction on the age of boats you work on!
We won’t work on certain engines
Not a bad idea but Matt wants to help as much as he can. When we suspect a boat in question he goes there first … in this instance we have serviced this boat for a few years
Yes like etek’s or Johnson’s
Welcome to Detroit customers. They all have a guy they all can get the parts cheaper, they all have an odd smell to them. You can pull rpm from a couple different sources. But I would walk and let him find a new guy because they all have a guy. But when you actually have the knowledge you win!
There is no guy in our area 😊 not that I can think of! Someone may have to come from Miami … cha-ching $$
Oh, the irony of this video was classic. No offense intended. Your t-shirt stating, "we fix boats", to the video description stating, "I’ve Had Enough I Quit working on this boat."
Yeah we don’t need a hard time from a customer it’s not worth it!
Don’t work on old junk plain and simple, it’s a guaranteed headache every time.
You’re probably right but Matt wants to help as many as he can it’s just his nature.
Cull out asshole clients or customers, you don’t need stress, The job alone comes with Enough.. I took an emergency no AC Service Call during a heat wave over 100° days20 years ago for one of my Clients on his Neighbors house, which was a Supreme Court Justice. His wife sent her Maid to the Front Door when I arrived with all my tools in hand to repair her AC that their Contracted Service Company could not get to for few days. The maid told me she said, All of her SERVANTS Parking is in the rear, would you move your van to the rear of the house😂. So I loaded my tools back in the van and drove away to my next Clients no AC service call, She came to the door with a cold glass of ice water and said thanks for showing up early on short notice🥰. My client that asked me to do the favor called and asked what happened. She said you just drove away Without repairing her ac.😢😢 I told my Client I’m not his Neighbors SERVANT! He laughed and said, Point Taken😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I’d have walked away also. Thanks for the comment
Is it a atomic 4
Not sure what you’re asking?
Worst part of owning a boat is that the maintenance always costs more than the original price of the boat itself.it’s something people she investigate before buying a new or used boat
Yes lots of maintenance and upkeep to keep them nice.
Ok
Did I just meet u in Dallas?
@@WillFixThat why you ask
Cause we talked to a guy at the hotel that has a guitar channel and he said he was shy. Thought this might be you!
@@WillFixThat it's all a facade. Don't believe it. I'm very outgoing...even cheerful from time to time.
👍👍
Fatcat 😝
Man I know the story.........been there with that one. I like this one, took me a few times before I could read the signs, see the red flags. the right words to suck one in, click bait, gotcha, It's the gotcha part is your owned, Some one already messed with it, the person is in the know, Now he's looking for some way to dump some of the over all cost on his recovery to the unsuspecting. ...... One of the worst persons I run a ground with
was a long hauler, had a few tractors, needed a major, only he wanted to get by with
a head job, and of course it didn't fix his problem, I told him it wouldn't. He tried to tie it to me, didn't work, a lot of people want more than they are willing or can afford to pay for.
Try to cut a fat hog....
So I see what their nitch is and stay in that. or walk away. I'm rolling back the clock to the 1970's to 2,000.
I been beat in all sorts of ways. all one can do much of the time is try and learn from it,
eat it and move on. painful as it is. .. It's come to me, they are out there waiting no matter how long it takes to pull someone in to score off of. Because they actually think, believe that is how life really is. I worked for a few of the biggest high rollers in our nation back in the day, but like so often, they gone the way, God sees to that.
What is the written word say, Pride goes before a big fall. fat head.
I haven't much time, so I'm airing some here. I been giving away my tools, here and there,
a friend of mine, His Son in law is a real nice man along with His daughters, I gave him my expanded 1 inch drive set. now the 3/4 drive set and other things when he gets here.
I'm down to just the odds and ends now. Your way smarter than me, know way more then I ever had, It's vary apparent to me. You seem to have a good heart, The word of God,
out of the mouth comes the heart. Jesus quoted that... Guard your heart is what the Bible tells us.
God Bless.
Oh my … I can’t keep up with all your awesome comments. Matt has worked very hard for all the knowledge and training he has had thru the years. Retirement is looking brighter each day so we can travel and bless others.
Get rid of that customer no refund !! Move on
Yes moved on already ….
If you love what do,and seem like you do , don’t make someone make you retire, because other people need your service . Just CHILL 😊
Will do! Thanks 🙏
People don't understand what it takes and all the time consumed trying to make obsolete equipment keep functioning. When it doesn't go their way they want you to subsidize their boating habit. When was the last time you got two days consecutive to go fishing and enjoy your own boat?........I rest my case.
Matt’s response was I haven’t… we failed your question. We work too much. 🥴
@@WillFixThat I knew the answer to that before I asked it ! Live some for yourself ! I know it's much easier said than done when you have a lot of work. Fighting the same battle here daily.
@@jonnooney7102of course you knew the answer if you’ve watched out videos - but great progress coming cause we got the polar out on the water & it’s fore sale 😊 we’ll be getting on the water soon. Hope you get some time for fun too.
Hub!
👍 yes
Their not no damn refund on your work that you already did . That guys nuts
Hey Daniel the work was done 4 months ago …. BUT it’s a small town so we will probably give him his money & never go back again! IF we ever did go back it would be cash only & upfront.
I stay far away from dealership bad bad bad you can get oem elsewhere
Yup you can find OEM all over but it doesn’t come with any warranty and sometimes that matters.
These clients exist. They are not true boaters…the boating community is usually a happy bunch but like anything anywhere; always one…
Yup we get the wannabe boater that can’t afford a boat … they think it’s cheaper living in KWest.
40yo boat that's the first problem.
Yup could be the problem.
LIVED ON THAT ISLAND FOR A YEAR, WORKED THE TRUMAN ANNEX, THEN GOT A JOB ON BOCA CHEEKA, Wish I were still there...OH YEA..I WAS PAYING BOARD LIVING WITH AN OLD ALCOHOLIC LADY ..NAME WAS ..
"" DOT "". SHE HAD 50 CATS .. All ancestors from Ernest Hemingway Felines....HER HOUSE Smelled so Bad,, I gave her a months rent...left her after one Day....
Yikes that sounds terrible… cats can be smelly if not taken care of …