I also used vesconite when I changed mine.  I had to split my old bushings and peel them out of the strut.  It took quite a while to get them out, and that was with the strut in a vise.

Thanks a lot for all the replies and prop advice.

What's the opinion on an Acme 1847? Not a lot of discussion on here about that one. I only ask because I have a line on one for a good price that's been refurbished. Or is it just better to start with a new prop? 

I have read about the 1235 and 1939. But, how's a guy to know? The boat is already set up with a wedge, Lenco surf gates, 1000lbs of rear ballast and the stock MLS in the ski locker. This is the setup that was in the boat when purchased, surprised about the prop that is on it. I haven't had a lot of time to test everything out yet. As soon as the boat was put on the lift this spring it has not stopped raining (which is ok because the lake was way down). My plan is just causal activities, no pros here. Would just like to be able to surf, occasional slalom (just for pleasure), kids tubing, I still like a knee board face plant every now and then and just tried wakeboarding last fall and plan to continue that.

8 hours ago, wakebrdr94 said:

There is a lot that goes into service that customers do not realize, and how much is actually eaten by dealerships or just a service shop as I’ve been on the service side at several dealerships.  Over head is not cheap as you have the actual building itself, insurance, tools, utilities, labor that pays the techs, the service writers, the parts guy, the porters that move the boats around, and cleaning the boat before delivery back to the the customer.  So while the techs are not the ones collecting $300 an hour in your example, there is a lot that goes into that.

We’ve been in boats where diag time was probably 12-15 good hours between trying different fixes the factory tells us to do, multiple trips to the lake (fuel for trucks, launch fees, labor to send people to the lake). For us that was a three hour job in itslef, an hour to the lake, from the lake, and maybe an hour on the lake trying to duplicate the issue under load.  Then to get paid 2 hours of warranty and .5 of diag.  
 

same on customer pay.  You bring a boat for x, and with all the electronics and relays, etc, is still may take us just as long to find the culprit as it only happens under load.  So imagine bringing your boat in, and the culprit is a $50 relay that finally failed on the 4th trip to the lake and you were given a bill for $4500 based on your labor rates.  Shop ends up charging the final fix with an hour or two of diag. And eating 13 of actual labor because then the customer comes onto the forums claiming he was ripped off and bad mouths the shop.

    Point is, it takes more than one person to service your boat as you suggest and things would be a lot more expensive if customers payed the actual cost on everything.  After all, how many times have you seen complaints from people on this forum or any forum about getting their boat back from the serving place dirty?  Are techs suppose to wash boats too?   
 

Our rates were no where near $300, but if you show me where i can charge that, i would open a shop.  

Tommy's is $300 per labor hour!  I looked at my service RO before I typed it!  Sounds like you needed a labor rate increase 😁 

7 hours ago, ThePeggyLou said:

our dealer is slammed through MDW, they recommended using through up to and even through 20 hours (I'm at 11) and touch base to get oil change first week in june, how much risk is there to that? as a new boat owner, I don't want to come in and make waves at the dealer, i also don't want to adversely damage the boat and have long term issues. They said use it normally and have fun

Get it in writing. 

Awhile back I got a code about my fuel pump or 02 sensor being bad I got some of the cleaner u get in a bottle to rid any plugs that might be there the code went away. I recently bought a fuel pump vacuum tester, do I even need to check it if the codes went away? I haven’t had problems wit it bogging down since I used the fuel additive.