2 replies to this topic

[red dragon]

my wife and i are looking at a 97 challenger single engine, for the most part it runs well, plains out nice with 4 people in the boat. we test drove it yesterday and the only thing i noticed was it would stutter wehen starting off and would stop if you backed out on the throttle or when it got up on plain. we took 2 people out of the boat and it did it again just not as bad, and to test my own theory i got it on plain and got at about 20 mph i cut it around and did a 180 ad it did it bad when i it swung around and went deep in the water, the current owner says its a rev limiter but i call BS, even tho i know very little about these boats at the moment, i think it something with the impeller or the drive system. any thoughts or suggestions or something to look for that might help me diagnose this issue. and help me determine an amount to offer this guy or to just walk away. thanks in advance... mark

[mikea]

I would guess the owner is more right than you on this one. Not sure which engine that model had in it, but hestitation is more likely electronic than mechanical. Impellers and drive system usually do not act good, then bad, then good again - based on throttle position. A stutter or stall is more likely electronic, so it could be the rev limiter. It the engine is electronic fuel injected the cause might be found by using a diagnositic device and/or using the trouble shooting checks in the service manual. That is where I would start - the service manual. You could tell the seller that you are interested but that you want him to pay to get it fixed to your satisfaction, before making an offer. If he refuses to do that - I'd keep looking. Sometimes it takes alot of effort to figure out what the real cause is.

[Jeff262]

It is cavation, very common on jet boats, you will need to replace the wear ring, I do mine every year and check the impeller, also replace the carbon seal while you have it off. Not much on the 787 engine it go wrong either they work or they don't. But what u described it a bad wear ring. If you do I once its very simple and maybe a 20 minute project. Your first time I would say 2 hours while you keep looking at the website how to to make sure you are taking the pump off and getting the ring out..there are 20 videos on YouTube on how to do it. The wear ring is considered a normal maintence item on jet boats and I think they are recommended it be measured or replaced every year..they are a $35 piece.
Jeff