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Installed the rear deck portion of my Blacktip mats. It's rained just about every day for two weeks straight here and I haven't been able to get her both clean AND dry at the same time until this evening. If all goes well and it holds out tomorrow, she'll get the interior parts done too.
Oh, I forgot... there's a new ladder under there too.
BTW, @MIDLIFECRISIS Ouch... I feel for ya, dude. I'd be completely freaking out.
Traded mine in today on a 2014 242LS . The 2015 boats are beautiful and there's lots of new features i like but I very happy with my old 2014 clunker and the deal I got! Now that the 2015 prices are out I'll bet the remaining 2014s will be gone in a hurry.
Alright, you have our attention and pity. How did it happen? Was it even your rope? Who was driving? Did you shut the engine down or just try to power through it? Have you got any repair estimates yet?
Here is a big one, have you called your insurance company? Last year I had a large piece of wood enter the intake of my waverunner. It jammed in the impeller and the torque broke my engine mounts which offset the engine destroying the drive train. I had to replace the pump, shaft and impeller. Boat U.S. approved the claim and picked up the repair bill, parts and labor, minus my deductible (and 10% on parts for every year the ski was old).
I also got everything ready to take the boat out and benchmark the before and after adding nonrestrictive air filters (I suspect there will be nearly zero difference). My "before" measurement will be now that I have installed riva throttle body intake spacers and had high altitude impellers pitched for my boat. Before doing both of those, my port engine would max out around 6200RPM, my STBD engine would max out 7200ish RPM for a max speed of about 44MPH (sometimes 45) but with very poor GPH overall (2.8 MPG was the best I could get previously with a light loaded boat). So my "after" measurement will include intake spacers, non-restrictive air filters, and high altitude impellers (also the weather will be cooler than usual so that will likely aid combustion).
All this in getting ready for my Lake Powell trip here in just a few weeks.
Update: took the boat out. and installed the non-restrictive air filters.
In July @~6200' I was doing a max of about 36MPH with port @ 6000RPM and stbd at about 6200RPM with about 2.1MPG
Today @~6200' I was doing a max of about 43.5MPH with port @ 7900RPM and STBD at about 7600RPM (this is after having repitched impellers and replacing the ribbon with a throttle body intake spacer) with 2.8MPG
Installed nonrestrictive air filters (same lake) and I clocked in 45.5MPH with port @7950RPM and STBD at about 7800RPM. Also showed 2.8MPG
I will try again at 4500' altitude (what the impellers are pitched/rated at), then I will test @ Lake Powell (3600' altitude) at the end of September.
I took video of the before/after air filter swap... I didn't notice any real difference in noise level, but I will compare decibel ratings and report if I observed any difference there.
One thing I noticed is that with the new high altitude impellers, my holeshot seems to have a little cavitation initially but then it takes off MUCH faster than previously and my time spent from 20-40 was very small.
Edit: Added the media taken onsite. 2014 Yamaha 242 Limited S testing high altitude affects before and after installing a R&D Power Plenum Flame Arrestor (air filter). ~6200' altitude for testing. High altitude (4500' optimized) impellers. Top speeds taken over 5 minute runs, MPG averaged over those 5 minute runs.
Approach similar to many others' seen here and at YJB.
I used 1.5" x 3.0" steel tube with 0.188" wall thickness, bought in a 3 foot section at local steel service center (bought enough to make two braces - just in case ). Made a cardboard template, cut the tube to match the template, de-burred cut tube edges with a pneumatic angle grinder, and used a Miller 480 volt wire welder to first tack then to seam weld in place. Used steel bristle toothbrush-style brush to remove blush rust & otherwise clean up welds and adjacent painted surfaces. Painted with two coats of Rust-Oleum automotive enamel gloss black spray paint.
Seam welded all the way around the new brace at both ends. Seam welded the OE post to the trailer on the hitch end plus heavy tack weld added to both sides. Left the boat end and about 2/3 of both post sides open to allow it to drain.
Total out-of-pocket: just under $30 for the steel...I had the paint from 2012 trailer guides project.
Now, I need to swap out that crappy OE winch for a Fulton F2!
PS: Mechanic from my plant did the welding - LOL. I can weld a bit, but he is FAR, FAR more skilled than me. Also, I was rushed in spray painting, so the paint didn't turn out quite as nicely as I was hoping. Note - orange flagging is just temporary eye catcher as the trailer is a bit hard to see where it's parked.
Finally got my Perfect Pass installed and set up.. Also started on the secondary 1100GPH bilge pump in the true bilge (waiting on the silicon to set on the strainer. )
I then de-Stickered the warning lables from the boat and added a few of my own:
Then I woke up saturday to find a flat tire and this and spent 2 hours a walmart getting it patched.
Swapped out my stock winch for a Fulton F2 this morning.
Part number FW20000101. This is the single speed F2 winch rated for 2,000 lbs, with strap included.
Bought it at West Marine store, sticker $129, minus 20% sale, plus sales tax = out the door at $110. I looked long and hard at the two speed F2 winch (part number FW32000101), but decided this winch was more than enough to suit my needs, and saved some $$$.
I am very happy with the results - very nice piece of equipment.
TIP: I had a very difficult time threading the belt onto the drive drum until I removed the black plastic access cover (shown in last photo, below). Very easy to thread belt with the cover removed. Note: The two screws retaining the access cover are TX 25 (Torx).
@GTBRMC Looks great. When you have the boat on tight check to see if the metal hook is digging into the roller. Mine was, so I moved it to the bottom. It works great. I have not used the lower gear so the single speed should be fine. With my plastic cap removed I noticed some metal shavings in mine so I'll be monitoring it to make sure it doesn't get worse.
@GTBRMC Looks great. When you have the boat on tight check to see if the metal hook is digging into the roller. Mine was, so I moved it to the bottom. It works great. I have not used the lower gear so the single speed should be fine. With my plastic cap removed I noticed some metal shavings in mine so I'll be monitoring it to make sure it doesn't get worse.
I looked for and didn't find any shavings. Will check periodically.
I checked some pix of my strap/roller/bow eye alignment with the old winch in place and decided I may risk roller damage with belt wound "over" on the F2 winch.
So, I just rewound the strap to be "under." Could not have been simpler. Thanks!
I refurbished my clean out plugs with the manhole cover kits from Yamaha. 8 screws in each, done in less than 5 minutes for both, including time to inspect both before and afterwards. This is probably the easiest mod I've ever completed. Not much too see but I'll post a pic later anyway.
I bought my boat last night. Was supposed to pick it up today and got a call this AM that it won't be ready till tomorrow morning. UuuGggHhh. So now I am sitting at work, which previously I was going to be off (since I work for myself and am sitting here doing nothing, might as well get more work done) and dreaming about getting my boat and getting it out on the water for Sunday rather than tomorrow.. Oh well, I will have the rest of this summer/fall ahead of me and next year to look forward to.
...So now I am sitting at work, which previously I was going to be off and dreaming about getting my boat and getting it out on the water for Sunday rather than tomorrow...
I refurbished my clean out plugs with the manhole cover kits from Yamaha. 8 screws in each, done in less than 5 minutes for both, including time to inspect both before and afterwards. This is probably the easiest mod I've ever completed. Not much too see but I'll post a pic later anyway. View attachment 11559
). Made a cardboard template, cut the tube to match the template, de-burred cut tube edges with a pneumatic angle grinder, and used a Miller 480 volt wire welder to first tack then to seam weld in place. Used steel bristle toothbrush-style brush to remove blush rust & otherwise clean up welds and adjacent painted surfaces. Painted with two coats of Rust-Oleum automotive enamel gloss black spray paint. 
