Looking to buy a 2002 sugar sand 240 hp but .....

[Rome]

I have a slew of questions but I will try and keep this simple . I took this boat to the local shop. It needs some minor things. (Radio not working, blower not working horn not working and a light is out) the major thing the found was in the throttle. They said it doesn’t return correctly and would be around 800 to fix if the assembly is bad but it could be as simple as some contacts? Is this common in these boats ? I’m a new boat owner so it was a little shocking being told I need to put 1600 into a boat I just bought. Any advice ? Is this kind of maintenance common ? What can I expect in yearly maintenance roughly and is this a boat that if I take care of will it last me for years ? Any help or advice would be appreciated . Thankyou and thankyou for having me in your forums

 

[tdonoughue]

I have a slew of answers but I will try and keep this simple.

I know nothing about the Sugar Sand, unfortunately. So no help on the throttle. But let's start with the simple stuff. If my math is correct, that is 800 right there for little stuff. All of those could be as simple as a single fuse. Start with the fuse box. Check them all. Best with a multimeter--set it to ohm out and pull and test.

Then, if the fuses are ok, use that multimeter to check to see if each of those things is getting power. If you can report back, we can help walk you through fixing most or all of those things. That may save you 800 right there.

Then, if you are lucky, someone here has a Sand who knows something about the throttle...

 

[Dixie Highway]

So did you buy this boat or just looking at it? Title to the post infers that this was a pre purchase inspection, in that case there is your bargaining tool. Use it as a way to get a good discount, then fix it up and enjoy. IF you have already purchased this boat and now have these issues noted, no offense but this is why you do a pre purchase inspection. On the plus side, it is an opportunity for you to buy a factory service manual and go to town. Save yourself $$$ and fix it at home!

 

[Rome]

Hey thanks for the feedback . Fixing it up at home is going to be the way to go . I’m just going to get the motor checked out first. No I didn’t pull the trigger yet but I can buy it at a good price so I think it’s a going to be a good choice if the motor
Checks out .

 

[biffdotorg]

Here is the hard truth if you have yet to pull the trigger. At $1600, you are pushing the value of that boat. The Merc SportJet can eat the value of that boat instantly if it fails.

Not to scare you, as they are very durable engines. But if it fails, it is very costly to fix and replace as parts are getting harder to find.

If you decide to still run with it, get a parts list of what they are going to replace and shop C-list and Ebay for used components. As there are more guys parting out SeaDoo's and SugarSands out there with blown engines than repairing them. They both used that 240efi sportjet, so throttles etc are plenty on the used market.

Are the remote controls the dual stick design? One throttle, one for the reverse bucket? If so, that's a Merc design, and should follow the SeaDoo's from 2001-2005 that had Mercury engines in them.

Horns and radios are easy stuff to fix. Give it a shot yourself before paying anyone for that. Good luck. But be aware of how much you put into a boat with very low value to start. It's a blast to drive when running, so only you can be the judge on value.

 

[Bilmon]

Welcome Rome, I've had a 240 since 03 so I'm familiar with the beast. Most of the throttle is just mechanical linkage, outside the TPS which might be a couple hundred I can't think of what could run 800. Do you know if it has the first or second generation 240? First has a round flywheel cover and a front mounted oil tank, Second has a more rectangular cover with the tank on the port side and has a belt driven alternator also on the port side. Lot of difference in the two. Parts aren't hard to get [yet] as Merc still supports them, it's just a 2.5 outboard with a different crank and they built a ton of them. Parts are pricey though. Any parts for the boat and you have search and get creative though most of the hardware is pretty generic. You get it running and you will have a very quick boat, it only weighs 1400 lbs. My son has an 07 that runs 62 GPS and damn near leaps clear of the water on takeoff. He keeps wanting to trade up to newer Yamaha but is afraid he will miss the Tango to much. here's a link where you can find the factory manual, note there are different manuals for the different generations. Boatinfo - The library, containing manuals, brochures and other technical documents from the last hundred years!