Replacing 242 starters and/or bendix

[nomoreprops]

Hello All,

Seriously considering getting back to jet drive after years because of debris on my local river (Hudson, NY). The 242 (any, 242s, SX, or AR) will do the job between 2010 and 2014, but before I go back, want to find out how hard (or easy) it is to take the starting motor out of these guys.

Sorry, new to the forum and it's probably been answered a hundred times here somewhere.

Thanks in advance
Bill

 

[davel501]

Have never heard of anyone having to replace one but page 5-26 of the service manual makes it look easy except having to lay on the motor to get to it on the back of the motor.

 

[Big Shasta]

Apparently you've had a boat that was a PITA to replace the starter? I wouldn't worry about maintenance/repairs with these boats. They definitely aren't needy.

Welcome aboard!

 

[justason]

A starter failure would be a rarity on these machines. I shared that concern last year just to find a lose wire in the end.

What kind of debris on your river and what kind of volume? That would be a larger concern i'd have with a jet drive system.

What do tou have now?

 

[txav8r]

@nomoreprops , welcome aboard! You won't find a greater depth of knowledge that from the membership here. Depending where you are on the Hudson I suppose, but many lakes can have trash especially around holiday weekends. The Yamahas all have a clean out tube that allows you to remove any ingested foreign objects pretty easy, although the boats don't routinely suck crap up. Weeds/grasses are easier to get at slow speeds, but the Hudson wouldn't be a place I would expect that type of vegetation, it is moving too much. Now when the water is very dirty, many jet boaters are more cautious because driftwood and other floating debris from heavy rains can make it just miserable after flooding rains on some of our lakes, but that would be true no matter what boat type you were trying to use.

I concur with the above consensus, I have not heard of a starter failure in my 7 years around these boats. But working on them is a pleasure almost compared to my I/O and outboard. But one thing to put your mind at easy about starting these bad boys...a stereo amplifier takes more juice to turn over than do these engines. As a matter of fact, some guys used to run their batteries down until the music quit...and they could still start their engines! So considering that, even a hamster wheel could probably turn these over...I wouldn't expect a failure at all.

Once again, welcome!

 

[Bruce]

Starter failures are rare. I have heard of two in the last three years and both on older boats.

The starter is under the starboard side of the engine. It is held in place by two bolts. The wire comes out with the starter. The solenoid is in the ECU on the rear firewall so it is easy to change and also a rare failure.

 

[nomoreprops]

Have never heard of anyone having to replace one but page 5-26 of the service manual makes it look easy except having to lay on the motor to get to it on the back of the motor.

Thanks for getting back to me on this. If the starter can be removed/ replaced without lifting the engine then, all my questions have been answered. Looking forward to getting back out there in the 242.
Laying on the motor would be nothing compared to what I had to do with the old jet boat, thank you.

Any chance you, (or anyone else) have a .pdf copy of the service manual or that 5-26 section?

 

[Bruce]

The starter can be changed without lifting the engine. Two bolts then wiggle it out.

 

[nomoreprops]

Apparently you've had a boat that was a PITA to replace the starter? I wouldn't worry about maintenance/repairs with these boats. They definitely aren't needy.

Welcome aboard!

Yes........it was an old Berkeley/455 v8 and I had to take the exhaust manifold off and drop the starter into the bilge, turn it around and slip it out between the stringer and the engine, all by feel. (The guys at the marina could not believe I got the thing out without removing the engine.
So, that experience is one I wanted to address before I got into this one!
So far my Yamaha experience has been awesome and I am running on that. This is why I want to go with a 242. Had a Yamaha SX250z converted to short shaft on a boat that unfortunately, rotted out in key areas. (stringer to transom). Did not want to do a cap off restoration and end up still with the same boat, so back to the jet.

 

[nomoreprops]

A starter failure would be a rarity on these machines. I shared that concern last year just to find a lose wire in the end.

What kind of debris on your river and what kind of volume? That would be a larger concern i'd have with a jet drive system.

What do tou have now?

Loose wire......thank goodness........always good when the simplest answer is the right one!
Debris on the river...well anything from a floating tire with rim still mounted to 80 foot trees broken away from the shoreline and floating down river! Not as bad as it sounds and those are rare and easy to see. Mostly, occasional clusters of light drift wood and debris, most of which you can just go over with the jet. (not intentionally of course).
Only once did I suck a small rock up into the impeller, taking out a silver dollar sized piece of metal from it.

I am boatless since August, if you see my previous post, my 1987 checkmate rotted in key areas (heartbreaker after repowering with Yamaha). But the Yamaha engine made a believer out of me, especially with the ignition system and I want to go all the way and back to jet drive...(it's been a while).

 

[nomoreprops]

Starter failures are rare. I have heard of two in the last three years and both on older boats.

The starter is under the starboard side of the engine. It is held in place by two bolts. The wire comes out with the starter. The solenoid is in the ECU on the rear firewall so it is easy to change and also a rare failure.

Hi and thanks for the reply.

Just to clarify......of course I understand the location and the mounting, BUT.... is it accessible/ removable on both engines (1.8's) without taking the engine out. that is my question. Good news about the solenoid.
I'm not worried about the failure rate and such, only what needs to be done if it were to happen.

Thanks!

 

[nomoreprops]

@nomoreprops , welcome aboard! You won't find a greater depth of knowledge that from the membership here. Depending where you are on the Hudson I suppose, but many lakes can have trash especially around holiday weekends. The Yamahas all have a clean out tube that allows you to remove any ingested foreign objects pretty easy, although the boats don't routinely suck crap up. Weeds/grasses are easier to get at slow speeds, but the Hudson wouldn't be a place I would expect that type of vegetation, it is moving too much. Now when the water is very dirty, many jet boaters are more cautious because driftwood and other floating debris from heavy rains can make it just miserable after flooding rains on some of our lakes, but that would be true no matter what boat type you were trying to use.

I concur with the above consensus, I have not heard of a starter failure in my 7 years around these boats. But working on them is a pleasure almost compared to my I/O and outboard. But one thing to put your mind at easy about starting these bad boys...a stereo amplifier takes more juice to turn over than do these engines. As a matter of fact, some guys used to run their batteries down until the music quit...and they could still start their engines! So considering that, even a hamster wheel could probably turn these over...I wouldn't expect a failure at all.

Once again, welcome!

Thanks for the welcome!
Just to clarify, I have years of experience with my old jet drive on the Hudson and this is why I want to go back to jet boats, only now to Yamaha, as long as those starters would not need the engines lifted should an unlikely starter failure occur (bendix drive seizure).
Of course jet propulsion is not bullet proof, but the odds of debris ruining your day drop off significantly.

Every time my wife and I would reach our destination on the river, I would kid around and tell her I want to count blades and see how many were left, especially after cruising past whatever may be floating out there.
You have to take It easy out there, especially in the spring, when most of the "junk" is still in the shipping lane.
It's amazing watching the go fast boats running up the river doing 70-80. Then you go to the marina and look and their outdrives with chunks of metal missing from the skegs, props etc.

 

[Bruce]

The engine compartment on our boats is quite spacious due to the small engines. Both starters can be removed without pulling the engines.

I am not aware of any repair that requires pulling the engine other than replacing an engine. Even if you wanted to pull one it is an easy and quick job compared to most boats.

I am not aware of anyone ever needing to replace a starter on the 1.8 liter engines that are in the newish 242s that you are looking at.

 

[nomoreprops]

The engine compartment on our boats is quite spacious due to the small engines. Both starters can be removed without pulling the engines.

I am not aware of any repair that requires pulling the engine other than replacing an engine. Even if you wanted to pull one it is an easy and quick job compared to most boats.

I am not aware of anyone ever needing to replace a starter on the 1.8 liter engines that are in the newish 242s that you are looking at.

Bruce, I thank you and all for these lightning fast responses and good conversation.
Last week I read somewhere that engines on these boats had to be lifted in order to replace a starter. That is what started me worrying about nothing.....So that's it. I'm ready to buy!
If you saw me doing that "act" on the Oldsmobile 455, you would truly understand why I was loosing my mind over this!
Going to look at a 242S in Hollbrook LI. galvanized trailer and dark blue. Owner says under 42hrs.

 

[Bruce]

A guy pulled a starter on his 2005 230 while camping last year.

When you look at the 242 reach down on the starboard side of the motor and you will be able to feel the starter.

 

[txav8r]

We have had a few water cooling passage issues in both exhaust and internal engines on the 210/230 generation of boats, as well as even earlier yamahas. But it is always subjective as to why they get clogged. Those issues have required either removal of just the exhaust section, or both exhaust as well as the engine. But in most cases, it was an overheating issue that had not grounded them, but was an annoyance and something they just wanted to get to the bottom of. Very few engine issues, but your going to have a few as many engines as Yamaha builds. As @Bruce mentioned, removing one of these engines is less of a chore than your 455 for sure! There was an issue and recall on 2010 240/242 for a oil cooler bolt issue that was causing failures. It was rectified in the 2011 model year, but I don't actually know if any 2011 got out the door without the fix, but if they did, they would have been subject to recall and repair. And I may be being too liberal with the term "recall", it may not have been a recall, but an advisory, where Yamaha would address it if you brought it in with a failure, otherwise, they may not have done much about it. Someone else will have to give you the full story on this. When I bought my new boat, a 2012 SX240, I wanted to make sure any known issues and improvements were avoided and captured. So I went with the 2012, so I had no oil cooler issues, and that year also had TDE (thrust directional enhancement) and the exhaust resonator. You just about have to stop looking at new models, because Yamaha has been big on LISTENING to owners and members here apparently, because the very things we talk about, we see changes to address just a few years later. So no matter what you buy, there will be improvements that make you want a new boat in just a few years!

 

[nomoreprops]

We have had a few water cooling passage issues in both exhaust and internal engines on the 210/230 generation of boats, as well as even earlier yamahas. But it is always subjective as to why they get clogged. Those issues have required either removal of just the exhaust section, or both exhaust as well as the engine. But in most cases, it was an overheating issue that had not grounded them, but was an annoyance and something they just wanted to get to the bottom of. Very few engine issues, but your going to have a few as many engines as Yamaha builds. As @Bruce mentioned, removing one of these engines is less of a chore than your 455 for sure! There was an issue and recall on 2010 240/242 for a oil cooler bolt issue that was causing failures. It was rectified in the 2011 model year, but I don't actually know if any 2011 got out the door without the fix, but if they did, they would have been subject to recall and repair. And I may be being too liberal with the term "recall", it may not have been a recall, but an advisory, where Yamaha would address it if you brought it in with a failure, otherwise, they may not have done much about it. Someone else will have to give you the full story on this. When I bought my new boat, a 2012 SX240, I wanted to make sure any known issues and improvements were avoided and captured. So I went with the 2012, so I had no oil cooler issues, and that year also had TDE (thrust directional enhancement) and the exhaust resonator. You just about have to stop looking at new models, because Yamaha has been big on LISTENING to owners and members here apparently, because the very things we talk about, we see changes to address just a few years later. So no matter what you buy, there will be improvements that make you want a new boat in just a few years!

We have had a few water cooling passage issues in both exhaust and internal engines on the 210/230 generation of boats, as well as even earlier yamahas. But it is always subjective as to why they get clogged. Those issues have required either removal of just the exhaust section, or both exhaust as well as the engine. But in most cases, it was an overheating issue that had not grounded them, but was an annoyance and something they just wanted to get to the bottom of. Very few engine issues, but your going to have a few as many engines as Yamaha builds. As @Bruce mentioned, removing one of these engines is less of a chore than your 455 for sure! There was an issue and recall on 2010 240/242 for a oil cooler bolt issue that was causing failures. It was rectified in the 2011 model year, but I don't actually know if any 2011 got out the door without the fix, but if they did, they would have been subject to recall and repair. And I may be being too liberal with the term "recall", it may not have been a recall, but an advisory, where Yamaha would address it if you brought it in with a failure, otherwise, they may not have done much about it. Someone else will have to give you the full story on this. When I bought my new boat, a 2012 SX240, I wanted to make sure any known issues and improvements were avoided and captured. So I went with the 2012, so I had no oil cooler issues, and that year also had TDE (thrust directional enhancement) and the exhaust resonator. You just about have to stop looking at new models, because Yamaha has been big on LISTENING to owners and members here apparently, because the very things we talk about, we see changes to address just a few years later. So no matter what you buy, there will be improvements that make you want a new boat in just a few years!

At least I'm going with the 242 the potential cooling issue with the 210/230 is not applicable?

 

[Bruce]

Cooling system issues are rare as well.

The only issue I would be concerned with is the oil cooler bolt failures on 2010 1.8s.

 

[nomoreprops]

Cooling system issues are rare as well.

The only issue I would be concerned with is the oil cooler bolt failures on 2010 1.8s.

Ok this is great to know....I think the year of the 242S I will be looking at is 2011. Should have no worries if I stay that new. That being said, at least this work on the cooler can be done without engine removal, it appears.

 

[davel501]

Ok this is great to know....I think the year of the 242S I will be looking at is 2011. Should have no worries if I stay that new. That being said, at least this work on the cooler can be done without engine removal, it appears.

Yep. It is easy to swap the coolers. Look for an arrow pointing upward on the side of the cooler. If it is not there discount by $650 per cooler, assuming you are doing the labor yourself.

Here is a failed cooler bolt. Notice the lack of arrow pointing to the empty whole.