Good vs Putz Mechanic

[GASHGAZER]

So I have to blow a little steam off here....
Quick background, I have a DPX drive and one of the steering rams blew a gasket and I had the replacement part ready to go. I keep the boat out in Havasu and had all intentions to do a quick swap, it seemed that all I had to do was remove the two hydraulic lines, pull the pins and drop the new one in. Well, I tryed my damdest all Friday night to get the bolts undone from the lines and had no luck, so in the morning I figured I make a quick drive to Savage Marine and ask what needed to be done, well, Mr. big shot over there said I needed a "line wrench" so I say, OK, do you have one, "O-sure I get those once and a while from Volvo", again, do you have one?? "yup", great, is there a way that I can buy or borrow it, or maybe bring the boat down and give a quick try to break the seal.... "O-no no no, I only do appointments only", now mind you, It's 7am, empty shop and he can see that I am in a desparate situation and offers no help whatsoever... what a D!CK !! Then tells me to go to JC marine that works on "stuff" like that. So not a good way to start my day. Anyway, now comes the good... I figured I would see if Chongs marine was open, and he wasn't officially, but he was out back tinkering around, I told him the same story and HE told me to bring the boat down and we'd give it a shot... by the way, he showed me the magic line wrench and it was just a 5 sided crescent wrench, nothing special. Well the bolt did not want to come off, but I can give me the credit for at least trying and doing it without a big headed attitude. I've gotten the same great service from Mike over at Gains Marine, him and his wife are really cool too. Bottom line, don't judge a book by it's cover... and what goes around comes around... I just hate jerks!! Kinda like if you're broken down on the water, I'll at least stop and offer help or make sure everyone is ok... common water courtesy... seems to be dwindling more and more these days... ok I'm done :rollside:

[little rowe boat]

So were you finally able to get it repaired and get out on the water?

[GASHGAZER]

didn't get it fixed, just added more fluid and it held up for the day, going to bring the boat home and use my "line" wrench and replace all the exterior lines on the drive....

[PHX ATC]

I've heard that Savage Marine is kind of full of themselves. From more than one person on these boards.
I've also heard they do good work.
Maybe you caught him after his wife turned him down for some nookie. :eek:
I haven't had any experiences with them at all, so I can't say. I'm sorry to hear that they gave you the blow, but happy #2 helped you out.

[OGShocker]

Sunday we drove by Savage, on the way to Casa Fernadez and they were SLAMMED!

[Kachina26]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't drop THOUSANDS of bucks on tools to loan em out to do it yourselfers. I come to work everyday for the same reason you do, to make money. If I can help someone I usually will, but I am not obligated to show every Tom Dick and Harry how to do my job. :D

[Tom Brown]

I'm with Kachina26. There are very few friends I will loan tools to, never mind strangers.
Even if someone were to give me the full cost of the tool, I wouldn't want the trouble of replacing it. Mechanics cherrish their tools but the general public seems to have extremely low respect for tools.
I don't think it's reasonable to expect a mechanic to loan you a tool. It's cool that Chongs helped you out, though. :cool:

[Kachina26]

Tom, you have given me a severe case of the giggles with your rep you just gave me!!!!

[GASHGAZER]

That's fine not to loan it out, but to make a big hoop and hollar about it being a special wrench, when it's really not is totally uncool!! If I would have seen the wrench, I would have picked it up at Kragen... I have a lot of ignorant people in my industry too, but it doesn't mean I give the cold shoulder. I do what I can to help them out, and shed some light on the situation...maybe that is just my nature. Like I said previously, it was early sat. morning with an empty shop... my point is, I can't stand arrogance, ya I do my job day in and day out just like anyone else, but I always make sure to close the doors at night knowing I am that little step better than yesterday...

[GASHGAZER]

BTW, ALCO marine is way cool too, they have helped me out of binds many times too, and if they couldn't, they would help make calls around town to help me out.

[Kachina26]

like I said, don't take it the wrong way. A little courtesy goes a long way to getting and keeping customers, I can see both sides of the story. That's all.

[GASHGAZER]

Not taken the wrong way at all... believe me I wouldn't lend out ANY of our equipment here either, but the free advice and help goes a long way...
Look at it this way, he treated me like a step-child, and here I am knocking him for it... that ultimitly turns into $$$. Plant a seed and the tree will grow.
I know it's a captive market out there, but there are 4 guys that can to the same job... that's how it is in any industry, and I am a believer of setting myself apart from the ordinary rest....

[Essex502]

I and several others I knwo have had nothing but great experiences with Steve and Savage Marine. You musta' pissed him off or something! :D Besides...being a Volvo you prolly had a 13-1/2 millimeter hex. Try and find one of those babies! :D

[GASHGAZER]

didn't know that just walking up and saying "good morning I'd like to spend money" can piss someone off?? It was just a standard 3/8 hex wrench... nothing special.. das my point

[GASHGAZER]

Egg Friggin Zacktly T&b

[Oldsquirt]

It was just a standard 3/8 hex wrench... nothing special.. das my point
AS a professional mechanic, I can tell you that a "line wrench" is NOT a standard 3/8" hex and it IS something special. They are designed with beefier heads and grip the tubing nut on 5 (sometimes 6) corners. The idea is to spread the load and prevent the nut from deforming. Remember, that nut is hollow and wil crush easily. Use the right tool and avoid damaging the hose/tube or use the wrong one(standard open end wrench) and risk having to replace it. Your choice. :smile:
As for that shop owner.....sounds like a jerk.
Question for you. If a shop owner had offered to help you for free.....and then the part was damaged...do you think he should be responsible for repairing the damage?

[Kachina26]

AS a professional mechanic, I can tell you that a "line wrench" is NOT a standard 3/8" hex and it IS something special. They are designed with beefier heads and grip the tubing nut on 5 (sometimes 6) corners. The idea is to spread the load and prevent the nut from deforming. Remember, that nut is hollow and wil crush easily. Use the right tool and avoid damaging the hose/tube or use the wrong one(standard open end wrench) and risk having to replace it. Your choice. :smile:
As for that shop owner.....sounds like a jerk.
Question for you. If a shop owner had offered to help you for free.....and then the part was damaged...do you think he should be responsible for repairing the damage?
Add to that even if you think he goofed. No RO, no work.

[dicudmore]

I agree there....no RO, no work done... :220v:

[GASHGAZER]

Well, that exactly happend when I went to Chong's, we put a good 60-70 lbs on it and it didn't budge, using the 5 sided line wrench, then he simply told me that he could get it, and it might break and he didn't have any spare lines there... so I opted to not do it because I knew I could get a day out of it, then hack it later. But the agreement was there... my point is, 5 min of free time can turn into great praise. I know from a mechanics point it can turn into a big headache, but if the intentions and consequences are communicated from the start then I don't see the problem. Come on now, if you own a boat you have to be somewhat mechanically inclined.. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am quite familiar with every nut and bolt on the boat, just because I don't have the exact tool for the one thing, I shouldn't be treated as a moron. Believe me a carry a good arsenal of tools and parts all the time, just in case.

[Oldsquirt]

I posed that question to you because many(probably most) people WOULD expect the shop to cover damages even though there was no work order written and signed. The verbal agreement you made would not stand up in court if damage were done and the issue went that far. My previous employer lost on just such a deal. The result was that we would no longer lay a hand on a car for anything without a signed repair order. Prior to that we would handle any minor issues(replace a bulb, tighten this or loosen that...) as a matter of "goodwill". 5 minutes of trying to help one person cost every person after that that little "extra" service we always performed.
You should take a good look at your fuel and hydraulic systems. There are probrably 4 or 5 different sized "line wrench" applications there.

[GASHGAZER]

I hear you on the liability issue... if I went to a mechanic and that was communicated to me, then I would totally understand his point of view on the liability... but at least show me the wrench or a little advice so I can at least get on the right path... If I break it in MY garage, I am the only person to blame. Then I can bring it busted to you, write up a repair order, then rake me over the coals... it was my FU to start with.
Trust me, in my line of work I am very familiar with liability issues. But again, I advise the issues up front without being a d!ck.

[Evo22]

We were out in havasu this weekend and needed a little "assitance" and steve at savage not only helped us out but let us use his shop and destroy his driveway with a gallon or so of drive oil he was very cool and helped us out in a big way btw we cleaned up after we were done thanks for all the help steve :D

[GASHGAZER]

well, all I can say is all the power to him to pick and choose who he wants to help... I will never go there and will forever have a negative opinion on the shop. I started the thread to blow off some steam and also seems that my view of the shop is the same with a couple people. Like I said, he is lucky to have a captive crowd that NEEDS the service, not WANTING it... :eat:

[Tom Brown]

Tom, you have given me a severe case of the giggles with your rep you just gave me!!!!
What makes you think it was me? http://www.havasubarney.com/forums/html/emoticons/huh.gif
:D :D :D

[Tom Brown]

Besides...being a Volvo you prolly had a 13-1/2 millimeter hex. Try and find one of those babies! :D
The good people at Crescent make all kinds of them.
AS a professional mechanic, I can tell you that a "line wrench" is NOT a standard 3/8" hex and it IS something special. They are designed with beefier heads and grip the tubing nut on 5 (sometimes 6) corners. The idea is to spread the load and prevent the nut from deforming. Remember, that nut is hollow and wil crush easily.
How is a line wrench different from a flare nut wrench?

[Oldsquirt]

How is a line wrench different from a flare nut wrench?
Same thing, different name.

[Kachina26]

What makes you think it was me? http://www.havasubarney.com/forums/html/emoticons/huh.gif
:D :D :D
What makes you think it wasn't you????

[new F29]

Savage marine is one of the best in Havasu, the list of people,help, repairs,emergency(well getting you back on the water type emergency)etc.etc. I have seen or heard of is way long. They charge a fair price, pick up your boat, drop off, give rides etc.I would recommend them highly. Robert ;)

[Essex502]

The good people at Crescent make all kinds of them.
Hey gas bag...it was a joke! :rollside:
God...gotta' 'splain everything to the Canatards...

[Essex502]

I also gotta' state that Steve once helped me via cellphone from the middle of the lake late on a Friday afternoon. It was after 5:00 and I'm sure he'd have preferred to go home that evening but he spent maybe a half an hour on the phone with me diagnosing a starting problem. That's service. It's all in how you deal with people...some you get along with some you don't. Move on.

[GASHGAZER]

Definatly moving on... if he does you guys right, then stick with it. But I have the American privilege to have my own opinion. I could understand if I was some snot nose punk, but I'm generally a nice guy, so I'm told, so I really just don't get the kook attitude... that's all

[Evo22]

hey gashgazer,
I can totally understand where you are commin from some people mix and some dont I do know that steve is a little sarcastic and maybe you mistook it or it could have been the volvo penta thing maybe he doesnt like them or somthin. Anyway I'm glad that you got your problem handled and hope all is well :D

[GASHGAZER]

I know sarcastic beyond all means, and can usually befriend most people, but hey, no skin off my back or benjis out of my wallet into his....