This may feel like an unpopular opinion, but I've been on both sides of this and have seen 3 dealerships up close and personal, including my own at one point. 

The dealers don't always get reimbursed for work that is viewed as warranty in the customer's eyes. Dealers will often have to "eat" a lot of the cost and labor associated with warranty work, which is why they have to make money on the sale of the boat. And in order to quickly get you back out on the water, will often do it by purchasing parts in advance to swap out knowing they might get questioned and fought on the claim. Imagine the flip side if the dealer decided to sit on your boat for a week in July just trying to get an authorization approved before they would even touch your boat for fear of not getting reimbursed. If you went out somewhere to find a killer deal, then arrive at a different dealer expecting them to do all the warranty work for you, some of which would likely cost them money to do, you'd view it a little differently. While there are some dealers that have shown themselves to do some shady things, there are also plenty out there just trying to make an honest living in an industry that constantly paints them as criminals.

Everyone want their dealer to have 30 techs just sitting at the shop waiting to turn your new boat in and out for service the same day in the middle of the summer, but also wants to be able to buy it at 3% over invoice. That just isn't a sustainable business model for a seasonal, luxury item that requires stock in the showroom.

For cars, you are correct. They make most of their money on service and warranty claims are much smoother and consistent. Not the case in the marine world.

What would the purchase of a Malibu from Tommy's look like right now? Presumably, the boat could be located at any of Tommy's 15-16 locations. Would the buyer be dealing directly with an individual from M&T bank? Seems unlikely, but I don't know, hence the question. Would there be a boat sales person / broker involved? Does Malibu corporate have any say in the disposition of Tommy's inventory? 

I have purchased foreclosed real estate before and there was still a real estate agent representing the bank/owner. And in the late 90's I almost purchased a Nautique from a dealer in the pacific northwest (I am in SoCal) that lost their dealership arrangement with Correct Craft and was looking to unload the last 8-10 boats they had in inventory in advance of that effective date. The dealer provided me with their invoice and supporting details of their floor financing as assurance that the prices were rock bottom. But that dealer was not in default with their lender. 

Just curious.

That said, I'm like Woodski, pulling a boat motor is very easy (nothing complicated) if you have access to something to lift it safely.  Pulling it would let you change both the timing cover and oil pan gasket and give you a much higher chance of a leak free result.  

When I dropped the new engine in the Sunsetter my picture of the engine hanging on the chain and the next photo of it in the boat mounted with the exhaust, throttle, and driveshaft coupling alignment left to do is 14 minutes apart.  

Yeah, if its the timing cover gasket I would certainly try it myself in the boat.  You are right, a SBC, the timing cover should go on first, then the oil pan gasket mating surface is actually on the timing cover gasket groove.  

Check out YouTube, there are some creative fellas out there that have done it.  The tough part is the room you'll have between the transom and the front of the motor.

On 8/14/2019 at 1:54 AM, wakefrankNL said:

Junior (8 yes old) taling in his forst ever faceplant. Had a slicht herdacht, but got up, shook it off and rode again.. 

Ouf... riding a board that -looks- too big for him. looks to be about 10? Did that to my cousin 15 years ago. took the board edge to the head after loading the line to a air backroll. 7 staples. Ride the right size board!