Ok whats wrong with this pic

[Gale Hawkins]

I dont see any evidence of the clutch picking up and slinging water.
larry

I am looking at the dark band on the housing in line with the flywheel. Do you think the color is from something else. It is really hard to tell much from photos about small details.

The heat from the slipping clutch could have been throwing clutch material and that is what I am seeing.

 

[Mace Canute]

Thats true. I do try to stand behind my customers 100% but sometimes you just got to shake your head. I'm getting with my area service manager mon and see what he says. Now hes hollaring he bought extended coverage but i have the paper work showing his signature declining it. Cant wait to see where this goes.

Yes sometimes I think I try to be too nice. I just like the customer to know he has someone in his corner in his time of need. The bell housing does have a drain plug to let the water out. When we picked the tractor up we thought we could free it up without splitting it. When we saw what was wrong and called the customer and told him the cost is when he started yelling warranty and he was advised 6 months age his warranty was up and to bring the tractor n so we could go over it in case we saw a problem before it expired at which time he declined. So yes he knew it was out of warranty when we picked it up I just don't think he thought it would cost as much to fix.

He's out of warranty period and he knows it and just doesn't want to pay for the repair. His (erroneous) thinking is since he didn't do anything to cause it then he shouldn't have to pay to have it fixed, and by default that leaves just you and MF to pick up the tab.

Maybe it isn't his fault, but that certainly doesn't automatically make it your fault or MF's fault...sometimes sh*t happens and it looks like that could very well be the situation in this case.

If MF agrees to pick up a portion or all of the repair cost, then fine...let them, but if they don't I wouldn't advise picking up anything yourself...and I would spell it out in short simple words, just so he could understand, exactly why his warranty claim is being denied.

My take on this guy is he is going to badmouth you regardless of what happens. Charge him 100% of the costs and he will spread lies. Fix it and he will still lie and say you tried to weasel out of giving him warranty but "he wouldn't let you get away with it".

"Damned if you do and Damned if you don't".

 

[jimmysisson]

I agree with the canute-posters here that the guy is not likely to sing your praises, and also that anyone he squawks to probably knows what he's like. In my business (contractor) I would recommend to the customer, while making clear it's his decision, that the best course would be he pays you for the repair. Make the repair simple: new bearing, clean up the PP and disc and splines, drill and cotter the drain plug, and reassemble. The hard parts aren't badly worn or damaged, and he doesn't want to pay for all new like some would, so find a middle-groud solution. This shouldn't be too expensive and should work fine upon completion.
You'd be in the right, and leave the choice to him. I don't think MF should help him - they may decide to help you out.
I bet the guy will find a tarp to throw over the rig when it's back home.
0.02
Jim

 

[jlsmith]

I agree this is a no win situation. What ever happens ill still b the bad guy but at least i'll know I tried. A few keep saying drill a hole in the bell housing, it does have a drain plug which was pointed out to the customer. In the MF operating manual it states to open and check it atleast twice a year. I recommend to the customers to do it once a month over night to be on the safe side. Customer even stated he has done this several times and was aware the plug was there. After looking at the bell housing and the plug it is clear he has never done this. I do agree with most of you and appreciate both sides of opinions and that is why I started this thread. My rep should be there first thing monday morn and I have asked the customer to attend this meeting with us just so he would hear from MF themselves and not just from me. He stated he was to busy to meet with us but it would be in our best interest to get it fixed. Now depending on what MF says is how I will go from here but me coming any off labor or me eating any of the cost to help the customer out just went out the window. Ill keep y'all posted on what happens momnday and once again thank you everyone for your post, inputs,opinions and thoughts.
Jeremy

 

[sixdogs]

...He stated ...it would be in our best interest to get it fixed. .....
Jeremy

Yeah, that would get my attention and not in a good way. There is no way to freeze a clutch solid if he used it every day. So that's a lie for starters. Where there is one there is usually more.

 

[jake98]

You should approach the 'storage charges' issue right off the bat.

 

[woodsmith]

Having read through this thread in detail I am interested in the outcome.

From my experience a bell housing should not be sealed tight. If it is then as the air inside warms it will expand and have to go somewhere, usually through the oil seals. Then when it cools it will have a lower pressure inside that will stabilise by drawing oil through the seals into the housing.

The belhousing plug should not be installed. It should only be supplied to be installed before wading and then removed after wading.

It is out of warrenty.



Here is a little tale of mine from my experience of Harley Davidson.

In 2001 I bought a new HD Night Train and it cost me ｣14500 in inheritance cash. As a novice biker I was unaware the bike was a pile of kak.
The first, second and third sevices at the dealer showed up nothing. The forth service came just prior to the 2 year warrenty expiring but the dealer stopped dealing. I eventually found another dealer willing to take on the service but the available appointment was two days out of warrenty.

The dealer said the bike was dangerous on the road and found that the electronic ignition was shot, the headstock bearings were non existant, the exhaust was incomplete and the engine was bad. They asked me, how long has it been that way?
Ever since I took delivery, and at that point the front tyre was 5psi, the back tyre was 10psi, the gearbox was leaking oil and the hand grips were loose. The first dealer fixed those but the bike was just my first bike and so I had no comparison for how it felt. I was a novice biker, the first dealer knew that.
With investigation the dealer agreed that the bike was a dud and tried to get, at least, the parts covered under the warrenty. No joy, Harley Davidson were not interested and refused outright as it was two day out.
I had to pay for all the repairs and then the bike was a great ride! Powerful, smooth, fun and I could get around corners, with my knee down, without kaking myself. Everything the bike should be.

I tried to get support form the UK owners club about the condition of the bike. They refused to talk to me but kept sending me pin badges. I tried, in writing, to Harley Davison's HO in the US and they wouldn't talk to me either, they just kept sending me the UK club details and pin badges!

In the end I sold the bike and swore never to buy a Harley again and I tell this story to all that ever express an interest in one.



What has this got to do with the OP's tractor story?
The tractor is out of warrenty, by a long way.
The 'customer' deserves Harley Davidson's customer service.
I wish I had the OP's customer service, I'd still be riding a Harley if I had.

 

[dourobob]

...My rep should be there first thing monday morn and I have asked the customer to attend this meeting with us just so he would hear from MF themselves and not just from me. He stated he was to busy to meet with us but it would be in our best interest to get it fixed...

Hopefully your MF rep can give you a written report for this "customer" - I believe you are the good guy here.

Bob

 

[Joe H]

Looking forward to "The rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say.
120 hours in 30 months? I put more hours on my toothbrush.
Guy's a jerk, bet if you ask around you'll hear more stories about him. Reminds me of a customer who wrote me a bad check. Called the cops and as soon as I mentioned the guy's name the cop started laughing. They don't do this just once. Joe H

 

[jake98]

a great ride! Powerful, smooth, fun and I could get around corners, with my knee down, without kaking myself.

The 'customer' deserves Harley Davidson's customer service.
I wish I had the OP's customer service, I'd still be riding a Harley if I had.

Great post! What did you do with all the pins and stickers?