Not Happy No Shift Shaft Installed Vacation Ruined

[rmsaudio]

Several Mechanics gave me the "be warned" message about this product, but due to the numerous reviews I decided to buy a complete upper and lower unit for my searay. The product arrived and appeared undamaged SO after I verified that the product would function, I booked a house in the Keys for a week at the tune of 2000.00. I am burning the midnight oil trying to get the outdrive installed. I just discovered that the upper unit has no shift shaft insert (brass on the old one) and no shifter insert pressed into the aluminum, so I can't even reuse my old one. So here it is Tuesday, best case even if they overnight a product, the chance of me making my keys departure this Friday seems slim to none. The amount of the deposit I am going to lose on this house/ and or the boat that I will be forced to rent, would have paid for a Mercruiser branded outdrive. Shame on me for trying to save a few dollars. Of course I tried to call these guys and they were closed at 5??

Regardless I am not pleased.

[admin]

The brass lever you speak of is not included. It is in the install kit. The bushing that you are talking about in the upper is not used as noted on the information sheet included with the drive. You can just re use your brass shift shaft lever and other hardware to get the drive together for your vacation.

Tech support

[Bt Doctur]

All you need to do is reuse the shift shoe from your old unit without the bushing.Works just fine.I just installed a similiar (full unit) and everything was included except the bushing. The drive works flawlessly.I would think that you should have had all your ducks in a row first(assembling the drive, filling and pressure testing it, installing it, testing the operation of it )BEFORE YOU WENT AND BOOKED A VACATION.

[rmsaudio]

There was no "information sheet" included with the drive at all. Only the small break in tags and the packing slip on the box. I did find pdf's on your website that addressed the shift shaft, but not that it wasnt included. What is also aggravating is that I called into your office in Tampa and spoke to someone at length prior to ordering specifically asking if there was anything I needed beyond a gasket kit, and was told that it was a complete system. All they would have had to do was to point me to the correct items to order and I would have gladly done so.

[rmsaudio]

Did you know the shift shaft wasn't going to be included prior to ordering, or did this catch you by surprise?

[Tech Support]

What is your invoice number so I can look up your order?

Tech Support

[rmsaudio]

my invoice number was I-12223. Thanks for your help.

[rmsaudio]

So youre saying I should have anticipated this outdrive to fail or come to me broken, and therefore not booked my trip?

[Tech Support]

I looked up that order and see that you ordered it online. Not that it is any consolation, but here is the description noted on the website
"Ships in two boxes. Comes with a 9-9/16 new style input yoke. Does not include Complete Install Kit or Anode Kit. Please see related items below."

And if you look below the description you will see a picture of the complete install kit showing the brass shift lever.


Alot of times when we have a customer on the phone and start mentioning an extra installation kit, they cut us off and say they don't need it.
Not making excuses, but just wanted you to know.

At this point you have grabbed the parts off your old one I presume?

Tech Support

[Island]

So youre saying I should have anticipated this outdrive to fail or come to me broken, and therefore not booked my trip?

Maybe it relates to my budget, but the experience I've always had with boats, cars, computers, printers... everything... is that it's best to give yourself a little time in case of the unexpected. If you give yourself no slack time, the unexpected will happen. Damage in shipping. Wrong item. Missing part. Different fitting requiring a different tool that you don't have. Problem with the old that you didn't see before you started putting it back together. Someone borrowed the tool you need, or the dog walked away with it. You name it.

Also the differnce between doing it yourself and a professional doing a job is that a good professional has multiple tools and spare parts for everything, just in case of the unexpected.

Well, I'll get off my soapbox now. These are just my reactions as I refuse to plan a big expense myself contingent on another thing unless I have at least two ways to accomplish it or the stress is worthwhile!

[starcraft21foot]

Boats take time

I to thought I needed the shift shaft bushing and ordered one. I even installed the bushing then afterwards found out I did not need it. The bushing pressed in hard. I missed this little fact on the installation instructions. I have to admit I did not read the instruction word for word since I was familar with the outdrive installation process.


I learned that boats and order boat parts takes time and you do not make plans to use the boat until it is put back together, test run on the garden hose and most of the time you take her out for a test run.
Then there are still no for sures in life, the boat may still break down on you at any time.
Getting parts is never fast and seems like you sometimes miss a part then you are back to 1 week + delay.