Thermostats replacement ?

[labii]

I just had the waterpump replaced on my 150 yamaha by my dealer/marina . It had not been done for a couple of seasons . They replaced the thermostats at the same time . I have not done that before and the dealer did it without asking . It is not a big deal if it is something that should be done . I have owned many outbaords in the past and don't remember having them changed before . My question is this a common item that should be replaced as part of a scheduled maintenance process ?

[macojoe]

If you have the money, and it has not been done for a while, then Thank him and move on!!

[labii]

It added about $100 to the bill that I was not expecting. They have the money now and I shall move on........

[steplift20]

THE CORRECT WAY TOP DO IT IS REPLACE THE IMPELLOR and the thermostats, if you never replaced them before, then shame on you
the mechanic did the right thing. i replace mine every year,but then again i boat in salt water but the themostats cost 20 dollars

[reelapeelin]

Shame on me too, then...That I know of, I've never had t'stat replaced...many impellars along the way...could be my tech did it w/ out tellin' and I didn't look at bill closely enough...duh!... ::)...

[steplift20]

sure think about it. its all with the cooling system.my mechanic told me that to do the job right thats the way to do it so you shouldnt have a problem and if you still have a overheating problem he knows that the themostats are good and he will look at something else like the poppit valve on mercurys

[lucky_strike]

I also have a 150 Yamaha 2-stroke. Last fall I went to my local Yamaha dealer for a price on
replacing my waterpump. They said they do not replace just waterpump components. They
said If I wanted them to do the job, they would have to replace the waterpump, thermostats,
popit valve, and run a complete diagnostic test of the engine. The cost estimate was $400.
plus additional costs for any other problems found. The point I'm trying to make is that it
does seem that some dealers will only work this way; they want the whole job or nothing.

I wasn't prepared to spend that much money so I decided to do the job myself. I replaced
the waterpump components with Sierra brand parts for about $42. and the thermostats I had to buy from Yamaha for about $30. each. I didn't replace anything in the popit valve; just took
it apart and cleaned the parts and put it back together. So far, everything is working fine.

Working on outboards is new to me, and there was a fair amount of labor involved, but I,m
glad I did it as I have gained valuable experience and knowledge as to how outboards work.

[Franco]

Hey Lucky,
Mind if I put my two cents worth in? I am a service director at a new car dealership in florida. I can relate to what your saying. Sometimes dealers have to do things as a package deal and only that way. The have to protect thier liability for doing a quality repair. In the past they may have tried to do only a "partial" repair per a customers request, and had it come back and bite them, which usually costs them a lot of money to make a customer happy. Mechanics, both cars and boats, are one of only a few jobs people will try to do at home. And only the folks with real skills can do a good job. Thats why most people don't try to do surgery at home.
Bottom line is he was looking after both you butts at the same time. If you were willing to pay the bill he was gonna make sure you didn't get stranded out in the boat, and he was covering all his bases. Expensive, but not a bad deal for most folks.

[lucky_strike]

Franco,
I understand and agree with what you you said. I just wanted to learn how to do it myself
anyway. Sometimes old habits die hard; I've been a lifetime DIYer mostly out of necessity
in the early years, now more out of habit. I've been pretty sucessfull at it but now I think
it's more of a curse than a blessing because I spend way too much time doing things thatI should be letting other people handle.

[Franco]

I admire you for being inclined to do things yourself. It's even better that you have skills to do a great job at it. I just needed to get on my soapbox a little and say some things I don't always get to say in the work environment. I too like the challenge of doing new things. Never thought I would be capable of fixing gelcoat, or building furniture ( my other hobby) or setting up a wireless computer network at my home. But then again I never thought i couldn't either. I salute that pioneer spirit in all of us here. One reason we come here is to cheer the accomplishments of our friends on this site, and to steal thier ideas and use them ourselves. There is no way I could pay anyone to do the things I did on my boat, or have them meet my expectations of what a good job is. The only exception was when I had my stringers repaired. And that was because I didn't have the time or inclination to do that critical but nasty job. I did pull the motor, which evolved into rewiring the entire boat, new gauges................ and on and on. So we are partners in a sense, and go for it. But don't be suprised when I steal your idea when it's better than mine

[macojoe]

Thats what it is all about!!

O yea I am paten pending on the Anchor pulpit and tackle box!!

$50 for plans ;D