YAMAHA WAKESURFERS - Looking for your honesty

[Julian]

I won't have to do anything for another 2 years.

When it does come time for me to do my own work it doesn't seem overly complicated. Accessing everything is pretty easy since there are large access panels for engine and vdrive. Couple of beers worth.

One thing I do not see on the maintenance list are to replace the plugs each year. I'm not sure if these motors are as finicky as Yamaha when it comes to less than pristine spark plugs. I have sixteen plugs on the Raptor lol. If it's anything like the heavy duty Ford trucks with the same engine then I don't think new plugs will be needed each year but we will see. Perhaps @OrangeTJ will chime in since he has had his Raptor engine for a few years now.

The 300 hour column is also an Annually column. So it would seem like you have a lot of maintenance EVERY year.

 

[haknslash]

The 300 hour column is also an Annually column. So it would seem like you have a lot of maintenance EVERY year.

With the exception of fluids and spark plugs, which you also change annually on a jet boat, most of those are simple visual inspections. Like I mentioned earlier I won't have to do anything or come out of pocket until 2021. When it does come time to get my hands dirty it doesn't seem overly complicated or anything a couple of beers in the driveway can't help pass the time by. Thankfully getting to the engine is much more accessible than it was in my 192. I can literally stand or squat down inside the rear locker and sit down to work on the engine. I know because I had to do just that when my port side ballast relay module decided to take a dump so I had to jump down in the rear locker, remove rear wall panels to gain access to the relay module so that I could troubleshoot on the water. In the Yamaha if you had to add grease to the intermediate housing even with an 18" whip grease gun it takes some contorting and back pain. I just chalk it up as the price you have to pay for owning toys. I had high maintenance dirt bikes for years (they require MUCH MORE attention and maintenance than a boat lol) so turning wrenches for maintenance doesn't scare me away.

Yamaha's annual periodic maintenance column is also littered with basic visual inspections. Ironically it doesn't state to replace the plugs each year which we all know is not ideal on the 1.8 engines and strongly advised to get new plugs at the start of each season. Regardless of drivetrain type, I wouldn't let maintenance get in the way if you want to have fun on the water. Just my .02.

 

[OrangeTJ]

Yep - Indmar Raptor power package is easy peezy. A few more steps than our Yamaha had but it is all simple stuff.