SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW: JET BOAT CLEAN OUT COMPARTMENT

[txav8r]

@Julian it is the first. But I still dont get it. If the access ports are such a great idea, then why so many threads covering something that Yami owners covet so much? I mean, talk about beating a dead horse. So some fail, and some dont. Some people like it, and some people dont. But getting all technical for a couple holes to reach ingested debris?

Dont get me wrong guys, I understand y'all love your rides, and are passionate about your tuning fork purchase, but wow. I guess Ill never understand.

It is pretty much self explanatory Mike, at least the "why would I need these". One day when you suck up a ski rope or dock line, you will understand. And...if you had clean out ports, you would understand the desire to make them even more effective.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

We could title it, the hunt for treasure CHESTS!
Meanwhile back on the farm. I had a post on the other web page a while back about a boater that happened to be driving past my spot on the water while he was sinking , If I recall correctly he had a Yamaha 230 and it was obviously taking on a lot of water.
In any event he knew who I was and asked for help.
In the end his boat was an inch from ingesting water, it was up to the top covers on the engines. The first thing I checked was the clean out plugs , he had locks on them and they were fine.
It ended up being the intake hoses on BOTH engines had come off completely, he was not able to see this due to the amount of water in the compartment, but we found them by checking around by feel.
Once we fixed the issue it took a long time with the bilge pump and an extra hand pump to get the water out of the hull.
The point here being that he knew his boat was in distress by how it was bogging down, he was looking for help to keep it from sinking .
It was unbelievable that he did not get water in the engines. When I looked inside the engine cover and saw all that water I thought it was a lost cause!
So from that experience I have to go on the opinion that an operator should know he is taking on water way before the boat ingests any water in the engines.
Also I have found that in most cases removing the water and taking care of the engine immediately is the only way to prevent more damage.
Most places let the engine sit for a while before they can get to it and this adds insult to injury. I would believe that most mechanics would know the importance of expediting the process to minimize the damage.
There are several ways water can get in and ruin your engine but paying attention to how the engine sounds and feels is always the operators job.
From experience One big mistake people can make when the engine feels like it is running a bit strange is to punch it and see if it clears out and runs right. In this case that could be the kiss of death.

 

[rkluck]

That boater was lucky you were around. I think I may add a hand pump to carry on the boat just in case!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

A good idea would probably be an automatic bilge pump with a light that shows when it's running.
The hand pump is ok for skies when people sink them but this boat was on the beach for a long time while he and his son worked to get the water out one used a bucket and the other the hand pump while the bilge pump ran also.

 

[Evil Sports]

Guys!! Spit the hook already

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Actually a good open discussion just remember even the Titanic had a few small issues.

 

[Williamsone46]

I've worked for a Yamaha Dealer for going on 15 years now in both the Service Dept. and on the Sales side and I've only heard of two customers having issues with the clean out plugs. NONE issue around here!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

WOW only 2!!! interesting. just one of many threads about people and their clean out plugs , http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=154&t=16845
I would say in 15 years only 2 incidents would be exceptional.

 

[Big Shasta]

^^ Evil Link....They're dead to me.

 

[Julian]

Our members say (conservatively) that 21% of them have had a plug blow out, or unlock but be held in place. I'll redo the poll, as I wasn't thinking when I made it!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

From the looks of the traffic there they are dead to most people however some info posted by many of the people who moved here is quite relevant.

 

[Noko]

Besides, this is about the only topic that is getting any traction right now! Besides the cleavage thread...

There's a cleavage thread? Where?!!!!! I gotta look now.

 

[Geiger41]

X2 !!!!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Ahhhhhh..... Winter is here! No doubt!

 

[Geoff Cooper]

What a load of Shite, Sell the boat and go buy a Pedalo then you wont have to worry about a clean out compartment, Sounds to me your about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

 

[MikeyL]

What a load of Shite, Sell the boat and go buy a Pedalo then you wont have to worry about a clean out compartment, Sounds to me your about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

Geoff ........... Am still laughing. Nice way to kinda sum this one up.
Best Wishes, and Merry Christmas, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Geoff ........... Am still laughing. Nice way to kinda sum this one up.
Best Wishes, and Merry Christmas, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

View attachment 15164

It just defies belief sometimes, I don't understand how someone can be so stupid with only 1 head, Have a good Christmas and New Year.

 

[txav8r]

Since it is winter, and traffic always slows down in the winter, and we need good debates, and this is always a topic it seems, it is just another place to add the difference in how each and every person operate their boats. Not right or wrong, just different. While one guy never removes his plugs, another is religious with them, one greases them, one doesn't, one uses silicone, one uses locks, some don't, some leave the plugs locked after removing, some don't, others take them out of the boat in the winter and drain them, some store them indoors, some have repaired without kits, some have repaired with kits...varying ways to operate. And now add the different geographic areas, climates, water conditions, elevations, you name it, we all have a different approach for different reasons! Where am I going with this? Once size DOES NOT fit all. And I read way too often debate that is heated because of one guy thinking that it can't happen because it hasn't happened to him, or one guy saying it is a defect because it has happened! We live in different areas and operate our boats differently. Results vary greatly because of those basic things. And...our level of understanding about our boats varies greatly too. I have a pretty good understanding of the boat, the manufacturer, and both the operation and service manual, as well as a pretty good knowledge and experience of taking care of her...and yet I learn from you guys almost daily! One thing is for sure...anyone that is a member of JETBOATERS.NET is ahead of the game!

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Since it is winter, and traffic always slows down in the winter, and we need good debates, and this is always a topic it seems, it is just another place to add the difference in how each and every person operate their boats. Not right or wrong, just different. While one guy never removes his plugs, another is religious with them, one greases them, one doesn't, one uses silicone, one uses locks, some don't, some leave the plugs locked after removing, some don't, others take them out of the boat in the winter and drain them, some store them indoors, some have repaired without kits, some have repaired with kits...varying ways to operate. And now add the different geographic areas, climates, water conditions, elevations, you name it, we all have a different approach for different reasons! Where am I going with this? Once size DOES NOT fit all. And I read way too often debate that is heated because of one guy thinking that it can't happen because it hasn't happened to him, or one guy saying it is a defect because it has happened! We live in different areas and operate our boats differently. Results vary greatly because of those basic things. And...our level of understanding about our boats varies greatly too. I have a pretty good understanding of the boat, the manufacturer, and both the operation and service manual, as well as a pretty good knowledge and experience of taking care of her...and yet I learn from you guys almost daily! One thing is for sure...anyone that is a member of JETBOATERS.NET is ahead of the game!

Having read the replies it doesn't add up, I don't believe a word of it i recon it's come from the Dark side.

 

[Julian]

No ulterior motive, no dark side, just a new boat owner who didn't know the driving characteristics of his new boat, a plug blew and he almost sank. It has happened to others, and will happen again. I have conversed with the owner and he isn't making this up to simply bash Yamaha. He is simply raising a flag (that we are all well aware of since we are members here) about the problem with clean out plugs that we all admit exists...the blow out unpredictably. If you don't know this, and don't sense your boat is driving strangely, then you risk sinking your boat. Pretty simple really. Of course like @txav8r points out, we are all much more informed than a new boater, many of us have bought and personally installed counter measures to prevent this tragedy from happening to us. But that in itself supports his position that this is a design flaw. Whether you agree with him or not is up to you. But I posit that if you have pins installed you admit that there is a problem with the plugs....the level of that problem can be argued from one extreme to another (recall level design issue....to nuisance). Apparently mother Yamaha agreed to the tune of thousands of dollars that his situation was pretty bad.....which in and of itself admits their ownership of the problem (which I'm glad they did - this is the first time I've heard they fessed up).