gulf coast detroit diesel mechanic wanted

Saunders Engines ------really, really good, usually has a backlog of work and not the Walmart of diesel mechanics. And, they are in Orange Beach to boot.

Florida Detroit diesel is also good, but I don't think they have a store closer then Panama City.
 
Saunders Engines ------really, really good, usually has a backlog of work and not the Walmart of diesel mechanics. And, they are in Orange Beach to boot.

Florida Detroit diesel is also good, but I don't think they have a store closer then Panama City.
Thanks I talked to Saunders they want the boat there and pay for dockage too and Im very skeptical of corporate mechanics..lots of time wasting and Bill padding I prefer an individual. I dont mind paying but not for cell phone chat and interuptions..I will pay a very fair price for "wrench time" defined as within arms reach of the job. Otherwise I do my own. I hate fighting over 3hrs work to remove a oil pan drain plug...if you know what I mean. Ive been working on engines all my life so Im not very tolerant. Imwill probably end up finishing it myself and taking it to Panama city for final tune.
 
Thanks I talked to Saunders they want the boat there and pay for dockage too and Im very skeptical of corporate mechanics..lots of time wasting and Bill padding I prefer an individual. I dont mind paying but not for cell phone chat and interuptions..I will pay a very fair price for "wrench time" defined as within arms reach of the job. Otherwise I do my own. I hate fighting over 3hrs work to remove a oil pan drain plug...if you know what I mean. Ive been working on engines all my life so Im not very tolerant. Imwill probably end up finishing it myself and taking it to Panama city for final tune.
What is it that you need "finished", who started the work and why can't they finish what they started?
 
Hi Mitch
The proverbial long story. But Had the boat out on the hard. Had A recommended local guy we made an agreement I worked with him we got the engine almost totally taken down .,heads off oilpan off etc in a couple hrs. I left town and he came and finished one head remove and got a couple bearings off and charged me for 3 days more work. Of course then wanted to take the heads here and get parts there and add up the bill. Back story he had a boat in the yard that he was in a fight over for money. Anyway paid him got my parts and sent him away.mI took the one head that needed work to a good guy got that done. Inbought new Detroit factory parts . Got another guy henwas marginal knowlege had some of the right tools but made a complete mess of the boat tacky adhesive everywhere and I felt he was moving a little faster than he was capable and I felt rushing torque specs etc. besides a total mess. so in now onto the left side head and everything is pretty much done underneith. Ive resd the process through on manual several times so I pretty well clear on what should be so.
 

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the pic with red adhesive is what the last guy was doing. the clean one is the left side head clean and ready for the head. I have guide rods and apparratus for lowering head. blower and aftercooler are on and parts painted.
 
Thanks I talked to Saunders they want the boat there and pay for dockage too and Im very skeptical of corporate mechanics..lots of time wasting and Bill padding I prefer an individual. I dont mind paying but not for cell phone chat and interuptions..I will pay a very fair price for "wrench time" defined as within arms reach of the job. Otherwise I do my own. I hate fighting over 3hrs work to remove a oil pan drain plug...if you know what I mean. Ive been working on engines all my life so Im not very tolerant. Imwill probably end up finishing it myself and taking it to Panama city for final tune.


Saunders is the most highly respected diesel service company on the Gulf coast, if they didn't suit you, you should just go ahead and scratch Florida Detroit Diesel from the list for 2 reasons........ 1. they are more than a one man shop and 2. you will need to bring the boat to Panama City or pay their mileage rate to get the mechanic assigned to the boat. There are no slips available in Panama City. Hurricane Michael destroyed 4 of 7 local marinas a year ago and the marina Detroit Diesel used is gone. Further, there are no transient slips available anywhere in town.

Good luck with your project..............
 
My experience with them...contacted them and scheduled survey on twin Cummins 8.3 QSCs in late July ‘17. Scheduled time was 9am one morning. Service manager called me at 8:45 on the day of to tell me the assigned tech was sick and unable to show. Service Manager diverted 2-techs for the entire day, only charging me for one. Short of turning wrenches to take the engines apart, they spent every running minute with computer hooked up and going over them top to bottom. They were along for the haul out checking running gear, props, everything. They pulled fluid samples as well. They were on the boat from around 10am-3:30pm. There was no stop for lunch......

When they were done, there was no doubt in my mind that there was no one else on the earth that could have done a better or more thorough survey and what I thought was an incredibly reasonable price. I was right with them every step of the way and they answered every question.

Do what you want, but if you want it down right, they are the ones. Cheap? Nope, but I felt I got more than I paid for.....and felt great when all was done. 3 years later, scheduled maintenance has a been all I have had to do.

Bennett
 
Saunders is the most highly respected diesel service company on the Gulf coast, if they didn't suit you, you should just go ahead and scratch Florida Detroit Diesel from the list for 2 reasons........ 1. they are more than a one man shop and 2. you will need to bring the boat to Panama City or pay their mileage rate to get the mechanic assigned to the boat. There are no slips available in Panama City. Hurricane Michael destroyed 4 of 7 local marinas a year ago and the marina Detroit Diesel used is gone. Further, there are no transient slips available anywhere in town.

Good luck with your project..............
Thanks for the reply,
I brought this boat across the gulf 2 weeks before hurricane Michael. Stopped in to the marina you speak of stayed 2 nights then on to Orange Beach after that. Met some nice people at that dock hopefully they faired well. St Andrew Marina. I bought all my parts from Florida Detroit. in Panama City right there. Had my cylinder head done by cylinder head service Panama City. Ive been in contact with them all along. Saunders is closer. I gave them a shot. Orange Beach is somewhat unique in that most of the money is sport fish so onless they can make a mint no one is interested. I know I started my boating there in 1978 with a 14 ft Alumacraft. So If I were younger i would be a Diesel mech there and make bank. Plenty of work few mechanics. I may just finish the work and take it to Detroit for the final tune and look over. Ive always enjoyed the engine work and satisfaction of knowing the engines. Its the fun in boating. That and bragging that I did the work...lol
Thanks again
and Cheers
 
St. Andrews Marina and all the boat that were left in their slips were destroyed. It took several months to clear the bottom of sunken boats and debris and to locate and remove all the floating concrete docks. As of 3 weeks ago, the marinas were still open water and the city was trying to figure out what they wanted to do..........both St. Andrews and the Panama City Marina downtown are owned by the city and all the political forces at play when a multi-million$$ project is in the cards surfaced with arguing about hotels, restaurants shopping districts, etc.

If you use Florida Detroit Diesel ask that they assign Mike Owens to the job. Even though I have Caterpillar engines and do most of my maintenance myself, Mike is the guy I get to do the stuff I am not equipped to do or don't want to do, even though he works for a Detroit Diesel Dealer. Expect to wait for him......last year in thew dead of winter, I needed my after coolers serviced and there was an 8 week wait to get Mike.
 
Thanks Frank,
Thats the fella Bob in parts said was the guy to get and I feel since i bought all parts there I may be treated fairly. I thought I would bring the boat wheather local or to destin area or to St Andrews for just the day I could get what I needed. Im cleaning heat exchangers etc and all parts as I rebuild. Im hoping Mike can look over my work and suggest items needing further attention as well as tune both engines. That really the extent. One of my hopes is to look over his shoulder as he does the work. Im hoping to learn these engines as well as possible.
Thanks for the suggestions and time answering. I will be boating in the area as well as alot of the gulf coast even as far as Key west and the Bahamas
Mark
 
Treasure Island Marina also has a boat yard and does bottom work for their customers. You can try George Laird who is their dock master at 85- 234- 6533; ext 39 and inquire about a transient slip for when you schedule Mike Owens. Who know, one of their regular customers may be out of the water getting a bottom job when you need to be in the area. Mike is well known there ....heck we was there last week just before we left town.
 
Awesome!! will do. Thanks for the info. Im scheduling now with Mike. I hate when any of our boats is not 100%. Im kind of dogged until its on the good side. This boat came from Destin originally and we bought it in St Pete. So it will be interesting to see if anyone recognizes it. Thanks again Frank!
 
If it was sold to a Destin customer as a new boat, then it was almost certainly sold and serviced by Treasure Island Marina. They were the Sea Ray yacht and sport yacht dealer for the Western Gulf Coast from 1985- 2008-9 when Brunswich started forcing sealers to take everything the factories produced. For small dealers, the financial burden of $15.0-$18.0 mil in inventory was too steep a price to pay to keep Brunswick happy. Treasure Island was selling ± 125-150 yachts and sport yachts /year but the when interest rates went to 10+% /year for their floor plan, the interest cost was just untenable for a family owned business.

But, if the boat was purchased by a Destin resident as a used boat, then there is no telling where she came from since there are a ton of brokers in the NW Fla area.
 
If it was sold to a Destin customer as a new boat, then it was almost certainly sold and serviced by Treasure Island Marina. They were the Sea Ray yacht and sport yacht dealer for the Western Gulf Coast from 1985- 2008-9 when Brunswich started forcing sealers to take everything the factories produced. For small dealers, the financial burden of $15.0-$18.0 mil in inventory was too steep a price to pay to keep Brunswick happy. Treasure Island was selling ± 125-150 yachts and sport yachts /year but the when interest rates went to 10+% /year for their floor plan, the interest cost was just untenable for a family owned business.

But, if the boat was purchased by a Destin resident as a used boat, then there is no telling where she came from since there are a ton of brokers in the NW Fla area.
 

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