A B737-300 FLIGHT CREW EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT THE LACK OF MAINT COMPETENCY OF THE CONTRACT MAINT PERSON HIS COMPANY HAS CALLED TO PERFORM MEL PROCEDURES ON THE #2 ENG NOSE COWL ANTI-ICE VALVE.

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THE INCIDENT BEGAN WITH A STUCK ANTI-ICE VALVE ON THE #2 ENG ON ARR IN ZZZ. WE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE VALVE ON SHUTDOWN BUT WOULD NOT CLOSE. THIS ACFT HAS HISTORY. ZZZ1 MAINT CLRED PROB IN ZZZ1 PRIOR TO DEP TO ZZZ. MAINT CTL DECIDED; WITH MY CONCURRENCE; TO LOCK VALVE OPEN. MAINT WAS CALLED IN ZZZ. AFTER A 2 HR WAIT FOR CONTRACT MAINT IN ZZZ MECH SHOWS UP AND APPEARS TO BE OVERWHELMED BY TASK AT HAND. OPENS COWL ON #2 ENG AND AFTER 30 MIN CLOSES IT AND SAYS WE'RE READY TO GO. WE START TO GET READY AND THEN TELLS US HE'S NOT REALLY DONE AND WILL NEED ANOTHER HR. I SAY OK AND MECH DISAPPEARS. I GO TO OPS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING AND MECH SAYS HE NEEDS HELP AND IS WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO COME IN TO HELP. WHILE WE WANTED; ALL PAX ACCOMMODATED ON OTHER FLTS. WE WAITED FOR APPROX 4 HRS FOR MAINT TO SHOW. I DECIDED WE WERE FATIGUED AT APPROX XA00 AND INFORMED APPROPRIATE AGENCIES AND WENT TO HOTEL. MY MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS INCIDENT WAS THE GENERAL INEPTITUDE OF THE CONTRACT MAINT IN ZZZ. IF THAT VALVE HAD BEEN LOCKED IN THE WRONG POS (CLOSED) WHICH WAS INITIALLY INDICATED AFTER THE FIRST WORK WAS DONE AND LAUNCHING INTO ICY PRECIP WITH NO ENG HEAT FOR THE #2 ENG. FATIGUE BECAME AN ISSUE AND DECIDED TO CALL IT AND TRY AGAIN TOMORROW FOR SAFETY REASONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 764734: AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN I NOTICED THAT THE R ENG COWL ANTI-ICE VALVE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WITH THE SWITCH IN THE OFF POS. (WHEN WE PICKED UP THIS ACFT; MECHS WERE ON BOARD FOR THE SAME CONDITION ON THE PREVIOUS FLT. THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED AN ENG RUN AND SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED THE VALVE.) I WENT DOWN TO DO THE WALKAROUND AND THE CAPT WROTE UP THE LIGHT. WE CALLED STATION OPS AND TO NOTIFY THEM OF OUR WRITE-UP. STATION OPS CALLED CONTRACT MAINT. THEY WERE INFORMED IT WOULD BE ABOUT 45 MINS BEFORE THE MAINT ARRIVED AS THEY WERE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A MAINT SITUATION. CONTRACT MAINT FINALLY ARRIVED 1 HR LATER. AFTER WORKING ON THE PROB FOR ABOUT 45 MINS I WENT INSIDE TO TALK TO STATION. ONCE INSIDE OPS; I SAW OUR MECH THERE LOOKING OVER PAPERS THAT HAD BEEN FAXED FROM MAINT CTL REGARDING PROCS REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH AS PER MEL. I ASKED HOW THINGS WERE PROGRESSING AND HE SAID; 'NOT SO GOOD; I HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO HERE AND I AM GOING TO GET ANOTHER GUY; SOME HELP.' I NOTICED HE THEN CALLED AND OVERHEARD SAY ON THE PHONE THE VALVE WAS TO BE POSITIONED 'OPEN' AS PER THE MEL. THE MECH REPEATED 'OH; I THOUGHT IT WAS TO BE CLOSED; IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE OPEN; OK.' HE THEN REVIEWED PROC OVER PHONE AND HUNG UP. I WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT TO RPT TO CAPT WHAT I HAD JUST OVERHEARD. AT THIS POINT; I BEGAN TO QUESTION THE MECH'S ABILITY TO SAFELY AND ACCURATELY REPAIR OUR ACFT AS PER THE REQUIRED PROCS AND DIRECTIVES. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; FROM THE COCKPIT WE NOTICED HIS VAN LEAVING. WE QUESTIONED OPS ON THE RADIO AND THEY INFORMED US HE HAD GONE TO GET SOME HELP. HE WAS GONE 1 1/2 HRS WITH NO UPDATE TO US. AT THIS POINT; WE CALLED FLT DUTY MGR. WE INFORMED DUTY MGR OF AND THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THIS ONGOING MECHANICAL SITUATION COULD BE REMEDIED ANY TIME SOON. WE MADE DECISION TO GO TO HOTEL AT THE 4 HR POINT. THE MECH RETURNED AT APPROX XA00 LCL WITH AN ASSISTANT. WE CALLED DUTY MGR AND SAID WE WERE GOING TO HOTEL; (AT THIS POINT IT HAD BEEN OVER 4 HRS FROM OUR BLOCK IN) FATIGUED. OUR PAX HAD BEEN REBOOKED WHICH HAD LEFT APPROX 30 MINS EARLIER. AT XA00 LCL WE GOT TO HOTEL AND CREW DESK HAD REASSIGNED US TO FERRY FLT NEXT MORNING TO ORD AND DEADHEAD TO XXX.