CONTINUOUSWAVE

After agonizing over replacing the drain tube in the wife's Sport 13 myself I decided to farm out the work. There were several reasons I decided not to do the work at home. I had virtually none of the tools recommended and the expense of buying a torch and a flaring tool along with the materials for a one time use seemed excessive. Knowing myself and my obsessiveness with perfection I would probably have destroyed at least three tubes before getting one just perfectly right. I dislike doing a job for the first time with no help although all the detailed instructions in the Reference Section are well written. Finally, my hands are not as limber and strong as they used to be.

How about MarineMax? I've ordered some Mercury parts through the local (Gulf Shores) store and they got them for me quickly without any mix ups so I thought they might possibly be up to the task. Before going to MarineMax I tried to find a locally owned shop to do the work as I prefer to do business with smaller shops. None of the shops I contacted had any idea what I was talking about.

The bottom line is that MarineMax did the job satisfactorily. They charged full retail for the tube, o-rings and caulk plus about 1.5 hours of labor. The total was $205 and although a bit high I was happy to pay for it. The work took a week and a half due to the need to order the materials which I also feel was reasonable.

If, like me, you are leery or doing this job yourself, consider your local dealer.

I am right there with Butch.
I also had to replace my drain tube and I do not have the tools or patience for DIY. So I went to my local (Stuart, Fl.) MarineMax and they Exceeded my expectations. Once they fully removed the broken drain tube, the mechanic "McGiver" rigged up a funnel made from a plastic oil container, incerted it into the drain tube hole, sealed it with duct tape, then used a wet vac on/off for 3 days to draw water from the transom/hull. Charged me just 2 hrs time. :-))

Good to know.