Scarab 195 rotax cavitation problems plus other problems

[Blake]

I have sent this message to Scarab itself and rotax and cant get any response from either of them on how to get our brand new boat working correctly.

When we first received the boat we had problems with it cavitating and making the engine overheat and then shut down. Took it to a scarab dealer in the Chicago IL area for repairs. They applied a sealant around the ride plate. This was at the end of the 2014 boating season so we could not confirm that year that it was fixed.

This summer it was still cavitating but not overheating when applying full throttle and would not even run in ski mode 5. I Noticed that the reverse basket was not fully locking up when going in forward gear. I adjusted the linkage to make it lock in the up position and that helped out a lot we were now able to use ski mode 5 but still were having cavitation problems. Took it to a scarab dealer in Missouri to get looked at again they said they could not find what was causing the problem so they just reprogrammed the engine.
Now the last time and only the third time we were able to use the boat cause of it being worked on all the time I have noticed that it still cavitates. At 8000 rpm when the boat first starts going under full throttle it starts to cavitate and loses load on the engine and makes the engine to bounce up to 9000 rpm for about one or two seconds then comes back down to 8000 rpm and then stops cavitating about one second after the rpms come down to 8000.

That is the main problem that we have been with this boat besides a couple more that I have not been satisfied with. When in ski mode 5 while pulling a wake boarder and 3 people in the boat it has been able to pull them out of the water now and not like before when it was cavitating bad but I have noticed when the speed is set to 21 mph the boat would only get up to 15 to 17 mph after about 10 - 15 mins of pulling the boarder and would never get to the set 21 mph. The Scarab sales rep that I talked to a couple of days ago said that the ski mode is only for beginners and he never uses it for what he does but I don't think that should be right because when you are wake boarding you want a set speed to cruise at to give you the best wake that the boat can produce and if ski mode cant do this this the boat is pointless for wake boarding even though it was advertised to us this feature as a waterboarding type of boat. Another problem I've notice is about five times I have heard a loud rattle around 2000 rpm and idle and would not let me increase engine speed above 2000 rpm then I heard a loud bang and finally let me have full engine speed.

 

[ScarabMike]

@Blake

Welcome to the community. Let me see if I can help.

The dealer shouldnt have to "reprogram" the engine. They should use what information is shown on the BRP software to help correct any issues. If the boat is getting up to 9k rpm, then you are in danger of floating a valve as these are interference engines. The valve springs are not designed to work that fast, and cannot keep up. The engine is supposed to govern the RPMs to 8200 max. If this has been adjusted by the dealer to give your impeller more revolutions to counter the cavitation issues, thats not a correct repair, and it will cost you an engine and/or supercharger.

Ski mode is just like Perfect Pass. Its not just for begginers, but has a begginer level which is level one. More info can be found here.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/no-need-for-perfect-pass-on-a-scarab.6573/

Now for the most part, all cavitation issues have come from either the seal on the ride plate, or the seal between the jet drive and the hull. Info can be found here. Your dealer may want to call this dealer, and learn how to correct the issue.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/problems-with-new-165.5766/

Good luck with your issues, and hopefully you can get some enjoyment out of your boat sometime soon.

 

[Scottintexas]

glad to have you on board,

what a disappointment, sorry to hear about your troubles and to hear you don't have someone competent to fix them, maybe that will start to change now,

maybe update your profile with your location so we know where you are, maybe there is a member close by with the same boat so you can compare,
maybe offer to take your dealer for a ride and say "is this really what I should expect" or ride in a new boat to confirm yours is not operating correctly,
maybe post your concerns on their (Scarab and your dealer's) facebook page

 

[Bry-n-Jess-165/HOI]

I have sent this message to Scarab itself and rotax and cant get any response from either of them on how to get our brand new boat working correctly.

When we first received the boat we had problems with it cavitating and making the engine overheat and then shut down. Took it to a scarab dealer in the Chicago IL area for repairs. They applied a sealant around the ride plate. This was at the end of the 2014 boating season so we could not confirm that year that it was fixed.

This summer it was still cavitating but not overheating when applying full throttle and would not even run in ski mode 5. I Noticed that the reverse basket was not fully locking up when going in forward gear. I adjusted the linkage to make it lock in the up position and that helped out a lot we were now able to use ski mode 5 but still were having cavitation problems. Took it to a scarab dealer in Missouri to get looked at again they said they could not find what was causing the problem so they just reprogrammed the engine.
Now the last time and only the third time we were able to use the boat cause of it being worked on all the time I have noticed that it still cavitates. At 8000 rpm when the boat first starts going under full throttle it starts to cavitate and loses load on the engine and makes the engine to bounce up to 9000 rpm for about one or two seconds then comes back down to 8000 rpm and then stops cavitating about one second after the rpms come down to 8000.

That is the main problem that we have been with this boat besides a couple more that I have not been satisfied with. When in ski mode 5 while pulling a wake boarder and 3 people in the boat it has been able to pull them out of the water now and not like before when it was cavitating bad but I have noticed when the speed is set to 21 mph the boat would only get up to 15 to 17 mph after about 10 - 15 mins of pulling the boarder and would never get to the set 21 mph. The Scarab sales rep that I talked to a couple of days ago said that the ski mode is only for beginners and he never uses it for what he does but I don't think that should be right because when you are wake boarding you want a set speed to cruise at to give you the best wake that the boat can produce and if ski mode cant do this this the boat is pointless for wake boarding even though it was advertised to us this feature as a waterboarding type of boat. Another problem I've notice is about five times I have heard a loud rattle around 2000 rpm and idle and would not let me increase engine speed above 2000 rpm then I heard a loud bang and finally let me have full engine speed.

Hi, I'm in Chicago . Where did you purchase your Scarab ? What certified repair shop did you take it to in the Chicagoland area ? Thanks,Bryan .