Re: Sand in center cylinder

> My point exactly.
> He couldn't know. Maybe he needs a second opinion from a more experenced
> mechanic.

The communication from the mechanic/marina to me has been non-existent.  I
received an invoice, nothing more.  I had no trailer until recently and the
nearest authorized Yamaha mechanic was 45 mins away.

Since I've purchased the boat from the same marina I am requesting service
from on 6/7/02, the thing has not run properly or performed as anticipated.
It had varying RPM's, sluggish response and at one point would not go over
3500 RPM's.  Three weeks after I bought it, I took it in for service.  I was
told that the power valves were stuck and the cat con was cracked, all of
which was repaired under warranty.  When I got it back, after 5 weeks of
down time, it still ran sluggish and was unresponsive.  Since I had already
lost over a month in the middle of the summer ( got it back early August
'02 ), I chose to ride it anyway while suffering in performance.  When I
scheduled my winterization and storage, I asked them to check it out again,
as it was still under warranty.  Even the winterization notes said "sluggish
performance, have customer check electrical and fuel system during spring
make ready"

I requested the service on 3/27/03, to be ready and in the water by 5/15.
No work had been done as of 6/15.  After prodding the service manager to get
it ready, I was told the carbs had been cleaned and rebuilt, test drove with
still sluggish performance, and then cleaned and rebuilt again and delivered
to me. When I finally took delivery on 7/11/03, it ran for about 30 mins
before it failed to restart.  A mechanic came to the spot that I broken
down, pulled all three plugs ( which he proceeded to drop in the salt water
while waves were splashing up and into the open cylinders ) and still could
not get it to restart.  He looked around again and said my choke was stuck.
He got it started and said to drive it back to the marina and they would
check it out.  I expected it to be lubing up a choke cable possibly, but
ended up being billed for "rebuilding the center cylinder due to sand in the
fuel system".  And it is STILL not running properly.  I bought a trailer and
removed it from the marina and am going to have another shop look at it in
the spring.

My concerns are that the marina mechanic has been on a fishing expedition at
my expense.  I'm disputing the last invoice I got for the cylinder rebuild,
asserting that the mechanic allowed salt water and sand into the cylinders
while he he was trying to get me restarted on 7/11.  I had only ridden it
for 30 mins over open, deep water.  I stood there with one other person and
watched it, knowing it couldn't be good for the motor.

I find it odd that I could have a fuel system full of sand, damaging the
center cylider only, after having them clean and rebuild the carbs twice,
tune it up and test ride it.  Other than the failed restart due to the
alleged stuck choke, they seem to have a million different solutions as to
the problem.  A different repair solution each time, all for the same
problem of sluggish performance.  For the record, sluggish performance in my
definition is varying RPM's (4500-5500), slow acceleration before it "kicks
in" ( not due to cavitation, due to engine power ), top speed of 47-50 one
day, 58-60 the next on identical water conditions.

I'm not trying to skip out on a bill, I just think they don't know what the
fuck they are doing.  I've owned boats, motorcylces, classic cars, etc. and
I know that "shit happens".  I just don't want to keep paying them to dick
around, especially when I get billed for 5 hrs of labor and they have the
boat for a month in the middle of the summer.  I'm just trying to get ideas
as to what is *could* be going on.  I realize no one here can diagnose the
problem without seeing the problem first hand.