Bit of a Rant

[Joey]

Paul noticed the lower unit had water in it last weekend so when we got home he took it apart and brought me two black round seals and asked me to go to the marina by my work and get two new ones.

 

I took them over on my lunch hour and the guy found the replacement seals.

 

These things are about 1 inch in diameter and look like a rubber washer you can get at any hardware store for a buck or two. So when he tells me they are $20.90 APIECE, plus tax, I almost fainted.

 

I asked him why they were so much for a little piece of rubber and he said that they were an important part of the lower unit and that I needed them

 

Highway robbery if you ask me.

 

Anyone know if that's the going rate or did I get fleeced?

 

Joey

[Rizzo]

methinks you were fleeced. Pretty sure I paid about 25 cents for mine, a buck tops. Lets put it this way, they cost so little I didn't pay attention.

[OhioFisherman]

Don`t know what kind of a motor, but way too much for them. Should be under a buck a piece.

[irishfield]

he said that they were an important part of the lower unit and that I needed them

 

Joey

 

I gotta use that tact for the airplanes that have been dropped off for winter storage.

 

"why's the hangar spot $2500 a month this winter instead of $250"... Well it's an important measure to keep you aircraft prestine and you need the spot!

 

Joey..were these shaft seals..or just the washer for under the fill and drain screws?

 

Seals... probably double what they're really worth retail, washers FLEECED and folded.

Edited November 14, 2007 by irishfield

[lew]

Joey, your talking about the washers for the 3 drain / fill / vent holes in the lower unit ??

 

I replace mine every year for a few cents apiece.

[Joey]

No, they are the seals that go on the drive shaft between the bearing on the lower unit and the water pump.

[Roy]

Dang, Joey!!! I was pretty dang sure that the words "hardware store" came up in our conv. today? I'm sorry you got hosed....really way too expensive if we're talking about the o-ring washers on the drain/fill holes.

[Roy]

AHHH ok...still expensive but that's a different story. Please disregard the above dwarf post.

[brifishrgy]

next time head to a industrial suply store and get them there ..cost ya 50 cents max and they have just about every size .. count it as lesson learned .. or you could really tick em off and return them .. would save ya a bit of dough .. tell them they are the wrong size or that you were looking for the "left hand seals not the right hand seals"

[Joey]

next time head to a industrial suply store and get them there ..cost ya 50 cents max and they have just about every size .. count it as lesson learned .. or you could really tick em off and return them .. would save ya a bit of dough .. tell them they are the wrong size or that you were looking for the "left hand seals not the right hand seals"

 

 

Hahahahahaha, ya I could play the dumb blond trick, except they had a part number on them, both different, one for left and one for right I spose.

 

Maybe I should call Mercury and ask them what the going rate it. Just wondered if anyone had recently paid for them and had to pay that much or if anyone one here owns a marina and knows what they sell for.

 

Unfortunately I do need them, and I need them tomorrow

 

Joey

Edited November 14, 2007 by Joey

[misfish]

I,ll bet you were wearing a turtle neck werent you

 

20 BUCKS A POP. YOU BE HOSED.

[kentooley]

Would it be possible to post the name of this fine establishment here?

 

Chris.

Edited November 14, 2007 by verminator

[Big Cliff]

Resale part prices are nuts. A bridge rectifier that I can buy from Electrosonic for $4.56, Briggs charges their dealers $22.95 for it and they still have to resell it. Lesson learned for the future Joey. Too bad you needed them right away.

[aplumma]

I feel your pain if it is a part that is aimed at a spacific product then it will be expensive. I know that some of the parts we used on the jetskis when we were racing were hand made or custom molded and were understandably pricey. Some of the seals and off the shelf parts would get lumped in with the custom parts pricing structure and they made a huge profit. If you have the time to run around and match the off the shelf parts you can save alot of money getting them from another source. You have to be careful though some products may look the same but are made out of different materials I once installed a seal that was not gas proof and ended up doing alot of work for nothing. I would say that the part cost you $10.00 and the information/assurance that it will work was the other $10.00. Would it help if you thought of it as overnight shipping and research and development charge included????

 

Art

[Tybo]

I would say that the part cost you $10.00 and the information/assurance that it will work was the other $10.00. Would it help if you thought of it as overnight shipping and research and development charge included????

 

Art

 

Well $10 for the part and $10 for information/assurance on BOTH would have been a bit more acceptable, but for each one, not sure about that.

 

As for your other question, ummmmmmm NO! ha ha ha.

 

Oh well, lesson learned. The high price of fishin I spose. At least my spouse understands

 

Joey

[Tybo]

This is totally unacceptable.

 

I've bought thousands of seals over the years.

If i was working this weak, I would travel near TO bearings and got

both seals for the price of one!

 

You would think At this price these seals where custom.

 

I should be glad outboards don't use duo-cone seals.

[Bassloadingzone]

Buy a seal that looks like the right one at your hardware store or any other store for less than a buck, and when the lower unit costs you 1oo times more to fix, because the seal looked like it fit, but water got in. These seals are made to be motor specsific, and unfortunatly thats the price, so my advice is fix it with the right seal or bite the bullet when you have to row to shore one day

[Tybo]

This is the problem, They are not custom seals.

This seal is used in all there engine and likely has thousands of

different applications.

 

It's not cost affective to be using differnt type of seals per engine.

Edited November 14, 2007 by Tybo

[corvette1]

my new lower unit was 4000 us i know 20 bucks for a rubber seal is a lot but you got off luckey

[LeXXington]

Old tale, add the word marine to anything you want too buy and triple the cost

 

If its a merc you can check the online price for here and the states. Sometimes finding out you got fleeced is worse than thinking you got fleeced

[Kirk]

On the bright side you walked in, got what you wanted quickly and were out the door.

 

Almost anything you buy these days you will be able to find someone else's uncle selling it for less, the question is what is your time worth (or especially your time on the water).

 

If its the WRONG part, then is a s s whooping time