Nice to here even though there are no fish in Lewisville some people are doing well. I found water in my oil on a 250 hp Suzuki its been out of order ever since 4 weeks now seems like forever. Hopefully I will have it back by the beginning of June.

Thank God for friends with boats my 2005 Suzuki 250 hp has been in the shop since the beginning of March. It has had water in the oil and they can not find out how it is getting in

Yikes. Sorry to hear that. I think that's the first thing I've heard bad about the Suzuki outboards.

Still without of a boat Suzuki sucks

Seriously???? 6 months???? That totally blows!!!!!! I had a whole new powerhead installed and the boat was only laid up for about 3-4 weeks!!!

Sounds like you need to find a new shop.

What shop?

yes..It's important that we know.

No kidding - go get the boat and tal it to someone who will fix it!

I had the same problem with my 96 Johnson. Took it to Bear Marine in Pilot Point the first week of April. He kept it for almost three months. Fool me once, ain't going to fool me again.

Lesson learned - always call Spanky.

I thought I was going to need a new lower unit, took it to the first shop and the guy told me it would be a week before he could look at it. Then he called me the next morning and said I need a new lower unit (even though he hadnt dropped my old one yet). Told him I would have to wait, picked it up and took it to another mechanic. turns out all I need is a $20 seal.

But I have been without a boat for three weeks now also and it is killing me

It's been completely rebuilt twice and tested for cracks with Suzuki rep there while they put it together. Suzuki claims there is a crack between the water jacket and oil passage some where inside the block or heads.
They are not sure where and recommend replacing both heads and the block

They want $4,000 to get my boat back with the same problem that it had when I dropped it off April 11

Please disclose the name of the shop.

Like Fishin' Nut, I had my boat at Bear Marine for a while too before I just had to go pick it up.

And similar to your story, Bear Marine also told me that he was going to get the Mercury rep out to look at the boat but he was thinking it was going to be a complete engine rebuild.

Turns out, it was nothing even remotely close.

It's very important that we all work together to get the word about shops that are...let's say, "difficult to deal with".


And if a shop is telling you it's going to be $4000 to pick up your boat in the same condition you dropped it off in, I'd be up there picking it up in a heartbeat - and not pay them a dime.

DFW Alliance. He did loan me' his personal boat for a while so that I could fish the Camp Cavett kid fish at Texoma. But that was back when I thought I would be getting my boat back soon. Should I have to pay to get it back with the same problem 8 months later?

Thanks for letting us know.

No, you shouldn't have to pay to get your boat back if he didn't fix it. Well..that's the moral side to it.

I'm not a lawyer so I can't advise you of the legal side.

I can tell you, I'd be up there and so far up in his kool-aid that he'd be begging me to take that boat away from him.

By the way, if he loaned you a boat to fish and you think he's just having problems with your particular boat - hey, that does happen. Then just be honest with him and tell him that you gave him a fair enough shot and it's unfortunate that he can't resolve the issue but you need to pick it up and take it to someone else and give them a shot.

As a technician (not boat), we all sometimes get in to situations that, for whatever reason, we just can't figure it out. It could be something simple that we just overlooked 5 months ago, right?

Sometimes telling the tech that you understand and being overly nice with them can go a long ways.
However, you have to reiterate that you're not paying him to keep your boat for 8 months and tinker with it. It's not his pet project.

Good luck. I feel for ya. It's a tough spot for sure.

Black Beard marine in Kingston Ok did a great job for me. Went in that morning with a water pump out and they took care of it right then I was in and out within an hour.

J Wade Marine

Loc: Rockwall, TX., USA 214-460-5595


Jeremy Wade

I hear this is a great mechanic,honest and fair priceing.He will come out to where you are located,give him a call.

+ 100 on Jeremy, I will never take my boat anywhere else. He does all the work to my boat, which has been less and less often since he has been doing it. Honest and fair.

wow, i had never heard any bad things from Bear Marine until now. i was going to take the yammy up to get the water pump and lube done...