Engines · Transmissions · Onboard systems
Boat Engine and Transmission Repair in Bradenton, Florida
Blenker repairs boat engines and transmissions at its Bradenton yard. It also repairs wiring, electrical panels, bilge pumps, through-hulls, seacocks, stuffing boxes, exhaust hoses and gas tanks.
The work is for an engine that won't start, runs rough, overheats or leaks, a drive that slips or won't shift, or a pump or panel that has quit. A job below the waterline begins with the boat hauled on the yard's travel lift.
Why Blenker
Where Blenker stands out on engine work
Engine work and the travel lift at one yard
A job that reaches below the waterline can be hauled and repaired at the same address, so ask for the haul and the repair on one written quote.
The systems around the engine, by name
Blenker works on stuffing boxes, exhaust hoses, seacocks, gas tanks, electrical panels, marine toilets and holding tanks as well as the engine and the transmission. A fault that starts at the engine and turns out to be in the wiring or the plumbing is still work Blenker does.
One hourly labor rate, posted
Labor is billed by the hour at one rate posted on the yard's rates page, so the hours in a repair quote can be checked against it before you agree.
Slips and storage at the same address
The family-owned yard that repairs the engine also rents wet slips and dry storage at 2504 88th St Ct NW. Ask about a slip or a storage space if the boat has to wait on parts.
Published rates
What it costs
See the hourly labor rate below. Ask for an estimate of the repair time.
- Labor
- $150/hr
Rates as published by the yard. The quote is where the price for your boat is set.
Also done at the yard
What else does the yard repair besides engines and transmissions?
Describe what the system is doing, and ask what the job involves and when the yard can take it.
- Stuffing box repairs & replacements
- Exhaust hose replacement
- Seacock repair
- Gas tank repair
- Marine toilet system repairs
- Electrical panel repairs
- Holding tank repairs & replacements
- General maintenance
Before you agree to a price
What to ask for in a written engine repair quote
Before any work starts, ask for each of these in writing:
- The engine and drive: make, model, year, gas or diesel, hours and serial number.
- The symptom as you reported it, and the diagnosis as its own line with its labor hours.
- Each part by name, with a part number or its source.
- Labor hours for the repair itself, which you can check against the posted hourly rate.
- The stop point: what needs your approval if the diagnosis finds more.
- Haul, block and re-launch as a separate line, if the work is below the waterline.
- Tax, shop fees, and whether the old parts come back to you.
How an engine repair runs
Symptom, diagnosis, approval, repair
Ask whether your repair needs a haul-out, and have it in the quote.
Describe the symptom
Say what the engine or drive does, when it started, what changed just before and what has been tried. Attach a photo of the leak, the gauge or the wiring to the quote form.
Diagnosis on its own line
Finding a fault takes labor before any part is ordered. Ask for the diagnosis hours as a separate line from the repair.
Haul-out, for work below the waterline
Replacing a seacock, a through-hull or a stuffing box hose needs the hull dry. The travel lift brings the boat out and it is blocked in the yard before the work.
Approve, repair, check
Ask that anything found beyond the first job, such as a cracked exhaust hose or a corroded fitting, be priced and approved by you first. Before you leave, ask to see the engine run and to have the old parts if you want them.
“Great place great location great people”
Google review · September 2021 · 4.3 on Google, 95 reviews
Questions about engine & transmission repair
Can Blenker repair my boat's engine?
Call with the engine's make, model, year, fuel and drive type before bringing the boat, and ask whether the yard takes the job.
Does the boat have to come out of the water for engine repair?
Not always. Engine, drive and electrical work can usually be done while the boat floats at a dock or sits on its trailer. Seacock, through-hull and stuffing box replacements generally mean hauling out, and haul, block and re-launch on the yard's travel lift is $25/ft.
Does Blenker do boat electrical work and wiring in Bradenton?
Yes. Blenker works on electrical and mechanical systems and repairs electrical panels. Note what stopped working, when, and anything added or rewired recently, and attach a photo of the panel to the quote form.
How much does boat engine repair cost in Bradenton?
The total is the hours the diagnosis and the repair take, plus parts, and labor at Blenker is $150/hr. Ask for a written quote that shows diagnosis, parts and labor on separate lines.
What does bilge pump and through-hull service involve?
A bilge pump moves water out of the bottom of the boat, so the work is testing or replacing the pump, its float switch, hose and discharge. A through-hull is a fitting through the hull below the waterline, usually closed by a valve called a seacock; servicing means inspecting, exercising or replacing them, and Blenker repairs seacocks.
How often should I change the oil in my boat engine?
Use the oil-change interval in the engine's own manual; most makers give it in running hours with a calendar limit as well. On many four-stroke outboards the oil and filter change falls at the 100-hour service, one of the intervals Blenker offers.
Is it worth repairing an old boat engine?
It depends on what the repair costs against what the boat is worth to you, and on the state of the hull, fuel system and wiring around the engine. A written quote that splits diagnosis, parts and labor gives you the numbers before you commit.
How do I get a quote for boat engine repair?
Fill in the quote form on this page with the make, model, hours and what the engine is doing, or call (941) 794-5500 on a weekday. If something is leaking or a gauge reads wrong, a photo of it goes with the form.
Get a quote
Tell us about the boat
The engine's make, model, year and hours, what it is doing, and a photo if you have one.
Tell us what your boat needs.
Call the office during Mon–Fri 9:30am–4:00pm, or send the quote form with your boat's length, type and what it needs.