needed boat repair help (near lexington)

i need some help guys. i purchased a 9.9 hp johnson from lexington boats in 2004 and have had a problem with a piece on the carbeurator since about a year after i bought it. this piece is held on by a $1.00 o-ring which keeps popping off or dry rotting. you can imagine my pleasure with having to pay $90.00 per hour service charges over johnson's poor design and a $1.00 o-ring. Last time it cost me near $250.00. I need a good mechanic who can work on boat motor within an hour or so of lexington. Tired of paying the boat shops outrageous amount to fix this. Have suggested to them to try to put an e-clip in its place but they refuse because it is not within the original manufacturer's guidelines. I need a guy who can do the work at a reasonable price and might be able to come up with a permanent solution.

thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide.

william j. smith

I worked at Lexington Boats up to the time we shut down in December, but I was never a mechanic.

Regarding the Lexington area, I would take it to CT Marine in Nicholasville and ask for Chuck, Tim, or Ben. They are all class act mechanics, very knowledgeable, and I think their labor rate is around $60-$65 per hour. They are located just off of US27, down the road from Angler's Outpost. They are also some close friends of mine and they do excellent work.:) Also, Chuck has been thoroughly trained in the Johnson/Evinrude field.

William check your personal messages I would get in trouble for recommending someone right here on the open forum. They told me last time if I wanted to advertise I needed to purchase an ad, so whatever anyway check your personal messages I sent you something.
Dave

sent you a PM