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Malibu Maintencance Livingston, Tx - recommendations?


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Hi Guys, new to the forum and looking forward to learning all I can.

 

I need to service my boat; oil change, spark plugs, drain remaining fuel, etc. Only ran threw a half a tank last year, I would expect the impeller to be fine

 

My question is, does anyone know a place in Livingston, Tx which can take care of the essential services of Malibu boats? I know of SMG in Conroe but specifically looking in Livingston. Prior to this year we would haul the boat to Shreveport for those wondering.

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Welcome to TMC!

I can't help you w/ a local recommendation but I am sure many on here would love to know what year/model/etc you might have. (pictures are ALWAYS welcome)

Either way, welcome aboard! 

 

:welcome:

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There is VZ Marine in Coldspring across the lake. There is a mobile v-drive mechanic and there is WaterJunkies.net a mobile service.

I have no experience with any, but I can ask around if you are interested. I see a lot of Cobalts and assorted v-drives at VZ. I have a friend with a 2009 Wakesetter that used the mobile guy before, he said he did good work. Just saw WaterJunkies.net in another thread.

Edited by lonestar
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I have an 06 lsv

 

VZ marine doesn't show Malibu as a brand they are trained to work on, do you know? I'll give them a call in the AM and check. Lone star, do you know if he  is able to work on the boat if it is currently in the boat slip, but lifted? I'd be happy to call him if you have his info?

 

TIA

Edited by Camo
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Thanks for the help, lonestar. I called Them and waiting to hear back f

 

also, emailed water junkies and waiting to hear back

 

called every dealer in Livingston to see if they could at minimum perform an oil change on the LSV and all said they cannot. I'm sure I'm not the first, but it is amazes me that not a single place in Livingston performs simple maintaince on a Malibu. But that may just show how green I am to the boating world.

Edited by Camo
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1 minute ago, Camo said:

Thanks for the help, lonestar. I called Kevin and Chris and waiting to hear back from them.

 

also, emailed water junkies and waiting to hear back

 

called every dealer in Livingston to see if they could at minimum perform an oil change on the LSV and all said they cannot. I'm sure I'm not the first, but it is amazes me that not a single place in Livingston performs simple maintaince on a Malibu. But that may just show how green I am to the boating world.

Seems odd that a marine dealer would care at all what brand the boat is for an oil change.  However they are doing you a favor and saving you some money - get some oil and a filter and DIY.

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6 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Seems odd that a marine dealer would care at all what brand the boat is for an oil change.  However they are doing you a favor and saving you some money - get some oil and a filter and DIY.

I agree.  If it's on the lift, you'll need an extractor pump too.  And an oil filter wrench, a funnel, some rags and a ziploc baggy.  Then DIY from here on out, and spend that money saved on gas/beer/dinner/toast to yourself "These drinks are on the mechanic....cuz I'm giving it to the bar instead of to him"

Warm the engine up (while sipping a beer and listening to the radio), then shut it down.  Use the pump to pull out the oil, the pump has a fitting that just goes inside the dipstick tube down to the oil pan.  Once it cannot pump anymore, set it aside, wiping off any oil from the dipstick fitting. Put a couple of rags below the oil filter.  Loosen it with the wrench, just barely, so that it can be hand turned.  Put the ziploc bag around it.  Spin it off the rest of the way.  Wipe up any drops that may have come out.  Throw away the filter in the sealed baggie.  Put some oil on the new filter.  Fill it to mostly full with new oil and spin it on by hand.  Do not use the wrench to tighten it, a solid hand tighten is all it needs.  Using the funnel pour in 3 quarts of oil into the valve cover oil fill.  Check level.  Add as necessary until you are at the correct level on the dipstick.  Start engine and verify no leaks.

20 minutes?  Half hour tops?  Saved yourself at least $50, probably more depending on what they charge.

Car oil changes - different story, I never do them myself, they do it so cheap now at dealers and oil shops.

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Just now, Michigan boarder said:

I agree.  If it's on the lift, you'll need an extractor pump too.  And an oil filter wrench, a funnel, some rags and a ziploc baggy.  Then DIY from here on out, and spend that money saved on gas/beer/dinner/toast to yourself "These drinks are on the mechanic....cuz I'm giving it to the bar instead of to him"

Warm the engine up (while sipping a beer and listening to the radio), then shut it down.  Use the pump to pull out the oil, the pump has a fitting that just goes inside the dipstick tube down to the oil pan.  Once it cannot pump anymore, set it aside, wiping off any oil from the dipstick fitting. Put a couple of rags below the oil filter.  Loosen it with the wrench, just barely, so that it can be hand turned.  Put the ziploc bag around it.  Spin it off the rest of the way.  Wipe up any drops that may have come out.  Throw away the filter in the sealed baggie.  Put some oil on the new filter.  Fill it to mostly full with new oil and spin it on by hand.  Do not use the wrench to tighten it, a solid hand tighten is all it needs.  Using the funnel pour in 3 quarts of oil into the valve cover oil fill.  Check level.  Add as necessary until you are at the correct level on the dipstick.  Start engine and verify no leaks.

20 minutes?  Half hour tops?  Saved yourself at least $50, probably more depending on what they charge.

Car oil changes - different story, I never do them myself, they do it so cheap now at dealers and oil shops.

Mostly this - but do not put the extractor into the dipstick tube.  There is a drain line on any newer boat, put the extractor in there if you are not just gravity draining it.  See all the threads about broken extractor lines in dipstick tubes for the explanation why ;) 

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Just now, oldjeep said:

Mostly this - but do not put the extractor into the dipstick tube.  There is a drain line on any newer boat, put the extractor in there if you are not just gravity draining it.  See all the threads about broken extractor lines in dipstick tubes for the explanation why ;) 

Oh yeah, I didn't think of that!  I've never used an extractor, I always use the drain line connected to the oil pan, but I do it in the driveway so the drain line just pokes thru the bilge plug and drains under the boat into a container.

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22 hours ago, Camo said:

Hi Guys, new to the forum and looking forward to learning all I can.

 

I need to service my boat; oil change, spark plugs, drain remaining fuel, etc. Only ran threw a half a tank last year, I would expect the impeller to be fine

 

My question is, does anyone know a place in Livingston, Tx which can take care of the essential services of Malibu boats? I know of SMG in Conroe but specifically looking in Livingston. Prior to this year we would haul the boat to Shreveport for those wondering.

Water Junkies is the only mobile service I know and are in my storage facility... SMG is not far from Livingston.... If needed I can get up there ;).... Did you add stabil before storage? If so, fuel should be fine... I run stabil even in the summer.. 

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