Muffler Replace - Yard Labor

[max-on]

Ok, after launch, I had Brewers Cowesett in Warwick, where I winter the boat, remove and replace my muffler, easy/direct access under the aft double berth behind the 18hp yanmar, can someone explain to me how they expended 8.4 hours labor!

Backstory, I ask them to do the job as I did not have time before I was scheduled to leave the dock given my work schedule and other obligations. After two weeks without the job being done I call on a Friday morning, I was scheduled to leave Saturday morning for a weekend of sailing and then bring the boat to the summer mooring at a different harbor, they say we did not get to it, I say no problem I will take care of it myself in Wickford. I go to the boat Friday night, guess what, they removed the muffler, but did not put in a new one. They also left the dirty water in the engine compartment bildge and broke the key in the companionway hatch lock, so I had no lock all weekend. I cleaned up the mess and left a message for the service manager. So much for weekend plans.

On Monday, I learn they need to order the muffler, which in the previous two weeks they had not done, as I had three night hearings that week, I tell them to take care of it and I will plan to leave that Saturday. They installed it Friday night.

Am I out of line in questioning 8.4 hours to remove and install a muffler. There is no access difficulty, what could possibly take that many hours for this job?

[Freesail99]

Isn't the muffler held in place by two hose clamps ?

[sailingdog]

Hmm... 8.4 hours to remove and replace a muffler... and they broke the lock, left water in the engine compartment and forgot to order the muffler, which they knew was a necessary—since they were replacing your muffler... damn...they're idiots...

Sorry to see that these guys are all over the place.

BTW, this is how they got to 8.4 hours on your muffler.

Day 1

• 30 minutes to figure out there's an easy way to access the muffler.
• 30 minutes to remove the muffler
• 30 minutes to realize they need a muffler to replace the one they removed
• 30 minutes to make the phone call and order it.
• 30 minutes to realize they can't do any more until the muffler comes in
• 30 minutes to decide to wait for the muffler to come in
• 5 minutes to break the key
• 19 minutes to figure out they can just leave your boat unlocked.
• 30 minutes to tell you that they aren't done yet, and are waiting on the muffler

Day Muffler comes in

• 30 minutes to open the box the muffler came in
• 30 minutes to figure out why they have a muffler
• 30 minutes to figure out what boat it is for
• 30 minutes to figure out where they put your boat
• 30 minutes to figure out the boat ain't locked, cause they broke the key in the lock earlier
• 30 minutes to figure out how to reconnect the replacement muffler
• 30 minutes to figure out how to close the panel back up
• 30 minutes to figure out they can't lock the boat up, again
• 30 minutes to fill out the invoice

[hellosailor]

Max, it sounds like you need a talk with the yard manager.

First, to ask him exactly what took 8.4 hours. Not a confrontation, but "Gee, I don't understand" and then see where it goes.

Second--no matter how many hours it took--if they broke your lock, and they forgot to order a new muffler so you lost the weekend use of the boat--they owe you something. Like a new lock, and a huge "accomodation" for tying your boat up.

Any idiot knows you don't take out the old part until AFTER you have the new one in hand, unless there's a real good reason to do otherwise. "I thought the other guy ordered it" doesn't count.

Could just be the yard can't get good help--and they know about it.

[sailingdog]

Well said HS. What's a weekend rental of a sailboat the size of Vanquish cost nowadays???

[Saylers]

I just got my muffler hose replaced...I got billed for labor, and parts... The bill was 300.00. He never breaks down the details...But, the cost was 300.00 and now that it has been replaced.. my bildge goes off less. I did not realize there was a leak until season was over last year.

[oft]

On our boat it took less than 2 hours to replace the entire exhaust hose and the muffler, and access was not easy. 8.4 hours for just the muffler sounds like at least 7.4 hours more than it should be.

As an aside, when I first bought our boat we took a several hour trip to another marina for a mechanical inspection (including a compression test that they assured me they could do when the local marina said they could not). After waiting around for an hour even though I had an appointment, a mechanic showed up, poked around for half an hour, started up the engine, glanced through the the manual for another half hour, tried to manually start the motor (for entertainment value), and then informed me they couldn't do a compression test but that since the boat started immediately there was nothing to worry about. The office then tried to bill me for 3.5 hours!!! Once I removed myself from the ceiling, the clerk said "Oh well, then how long should we bill you for?" I said 1 hour max and they agreed. I hope you stand your ground.

[max-on]

Ok, here is an update with the yard's response provided Friday morning:

"[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']We had to fabricate and fiberglass the new mounting tabs and the adaptors to the new muffler. Although this had to be done I do feel that the labor was a couple of hours heavy. I will write a credit for 179.00 in labor today." fficeffice" />>>[/FONT]

I asked for further detail on Friday and I have yet to receive a response. The engine is a Yanmar 2GM, the muffler has two mounting tabs, front and rear, through each is a bolt secured to the fore/aft stringer. Am I to understand that a round Centek muffler does not come with mounting tabs and the ones on the muffler were fabricated and fiberglassed to the muffler by the yard? Also, why the need for "adaptors"; would you not just properly size the muffler? Would the 'adaptors' need to be fabricated and fiberglassed also, or is that just a reducer/expansion fitting to fit the hose?

[sailingdog]

Max-on-

Do you have a photo of the new muffler installation? That would help us figure out what they did, and whether it was really 6.4 hours worth of work. IMHO, it still sound a bit high...unless they were counting the time it took the epoxy to cure.