Valley Diesel (Shelter Isl) recent work
I recently had work done at Valley diesel as the Blackmans were booked solid. Thought I'd pass along my experiences for any who are considering getting anything done there. First off they too were very busy (time of year) but agreed to take the boat and start as soon as they could get to it. The maintenance manager (Dana) estimated they would not be able to start for two weeks. I brought the boat in very clean and covered with canvas. Four days after sitting on the semi-secure lot I visited the boat and was pleasantly surprised that the mechanic (Bob) had actually gotten a chance to diagnose and confirm that the coolant leak was coming from the head gasket. He had disasembled the necessary parts and neatly placed them all in the bilge on a towel. The boat was then covered to protect against continuous sun and dust. Parts were ordered. A second vist a few days later had Bob actively working on cleaning the old head gasket off. He took about 20 minutes of his time (I wasn't paying as this was warranty work) and went over helpful hints for corrosion control and maintenance with me. He also had work cloths positioned everywhere to avoid getting oil and grease on the decks. The manager called me the next day to say that boat was ready for pickup (a lot earlier than expected). I arrived to find the boat very clean. Bob had taken the time to clean all of the engine, paint any areas that the paint got chipped off, and even cleaned up the bilge. Upon my first trial run the engine was found to perform perfect. Only minor flaw was that the engine coolant temp guage was not registering. A quick inspection revealed that the lead had not been reconnected. Once that was done the engine performed flawlessly. I'd use them again. Ahead of schedule, under budget, and clean is a good way to be.
