Seriously torn between 06 AR230 & 05 SX230

[itsdgm]

Congrats @chess on the new boat. Looking forward to a few pics and an update from @OCMD

 

[bronze_10]

Congrats @chess on the new boat. Looking forward to a few pics and an update from @OCMD

Agreed

 

[txav8r]

I'm not quite following this thread. I want to say welcome to the club...but not sure you bought it, and definitely not sure the plugs came out in one piece. How about an update!

 

[bronze_10]

Yes he bought it... not sure about the clean out plugs though. .. sounds like the dealer didn't want to mess with them bUT maybe modified the deal some

 

[txav8r]

In that case congrats...waiting to hear what Tom @OCMD did to help with the plugs. I have found in the past, that a lever in the intake pushing on the bottom of the plug is pretty effective when you have the floor jack with pressure up top, for what it is worth. I had to cut a 2x4 to shape it so it would go in the intake and rest against the plug bottom, but it helps a bunch to have that pushing while the jack is pulling. Congrats again!

 

[msavold]

@chess , congrats! Though I have to say I'm with Mel - a bit confused about the plugs and Eric's reluctance/refusal to pull them out! Can't wait to read Tom's report, especially based on past dealings with Eric and his tech...
And remember - until we see pictures, as far as we're concerned you haven't actually bought a boat!

 

[OCMD]

Well, Sean bought the boat. Absolutely a sweet boat and I'd be happy with the deal/price/etc. Right around NADA however the trailer was a 2014 and very nice. All new cables. 70 hours. Gorgeous paint job. (is it paint? not sure but this boat apparently will never need to be waxed again) Eric threw in a new dual battery set up and battery, free of charge. Boat looks beautiful, but remember - it is an 11 year old boat. In great shape. Apparently, the demo run went superb and that thing was ripping. Eric, who owns the dealership said no deal on the plugs - we aren't taking them out and replacing them. Take it or leave it, as you are too concerned. Buy the boat with the plugs frozen, or don't buy it. Deal breaker? Maybe. I don't like that, but I know these guys at Bayside and they are top notch, Sean can chime in as to why it was not a deal breaker for him. But with all new cables, new trailer, beautiful new paint job (is this paint? whatever, it did not look like an 05) and a free dual battery set up, I said to bring the boat to my house and we will get those plugs out. No issue. I have never met a stuck plug I could not get out. I had my floor jack and two by fours ready to go. We got the boat to my house, I pulled out the stuff, and opened the hatch. One look...



that was some bad sh&t. Worst I have ever seen. I bet they haven't been removed for years. I remember when taking delivery on mine a few years ago, it was 2 years old and the plugs were stuck. The owner told me he never took them out. I got mine out, however, but the boat was only 2 years old at the time. Could I get Sean's plugs out? Yes. Did I want to break the plug getting them out? No. They were corroded and even though I would get them out, I bet I would break them. We decided to leave the plugs in for now, and Sean said he has a project for the winter. Personally, I did not want to be the one to break his plugs and I believe I would have, trying to get them out.

To make matters even better, Sean then said when they were on the test run, the radio did not work although it had worked a few days earlier. So they went to a store, and Eric said pick one out. Bought him a new radio, took it back to the shop, and installed it right there. I also think Sean said something about a warranty on this 11 year old boat.

So I agree with the discussion surrounding the plugs. Eric was of the opinion there was no need to remove them because you will have to replace them. Why fix what ain't broke? If you suck something up, do the reverse move and don't sweat it. Leave the plugs, frozen, intact.

For 17K-ish? Screw it. It is an 11 year old boat which has low hours and all new cables and a relatively new galvanized trailer which was very nice. Man, what a winch on that beotch! Photos Sean?

Then, Sean mentioned he needed an anchor. I had my old one taking space up in the garage. It has found a new home.....why do I need it? I have a Mel Price custom box anchor...... Now, I will digress a bit....

To top it all off...Sean left for home. He dropped me off back at Bayside, as I had to pick my boat up. They knocked 25 percent off my spring start up bill, as a thanks for helping sell a boat. Just a nice gesture. By the way, when I dropped my boat off for the spring start up (blow off old oil on the old plugs, new plugs, charge the batteries, etc) I said don't bother charging the batteries, they have been on an X2 Extreme Maintenance/Charger all winter and are fine. I picked up the boat to find out one of my batteries (actually, the original from 2008) could not hold a charge when they put a load on it - (or something like that) so they installed a new battery. I mention this only because even though I told them my batteries were fine, they tested them anyway and found out one of them had gone to sh*t. Quality service, in my book. Crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's. No. they were not just trying to sell me a new battery, for you skeptics. They were being thorough in getting a boat ready for the season.

Then, we discussed the fin/no fin philosophies and how we both agreed they really don't help much - after all, these are jet boats. I am a non-fin guy, but then again am a pro at handling these boats. You should have seen me spin back into a tight space on the river today, and the amazed looks I got after spinning and backing that baby into a dock in a tight space.....but I asked Eric since he was in the camp of no fins are ever needed, what did he think about the articulating keel on the new boats? He said the only thought he had was that is was not needed, and for those that have them, they will notice that when slowing to a stop, the back end lifts up, there is a wave produced which propels the boat forward and if you are not ready for it, you will hit what is in front of your boat. So those with the articulating keel? Beware. He said you will get used to it, but this is something Yamaha did not need to address, in his opinion.

All in all? In my opinion, Sean got a nice deal from a reputable place of business. Sean you will love this boat, and you will be able to unload it in 3 years for 12K or so...to buy your next one. Or not!

 

[buckbuck]

Wow, those look like a challenge. Probably the worst I have seen from above. I would emotionally prepare to take them out in pieces.
I always like hearing about dealers that treat people right.

 

[tdonoughue]

I am no expert on plug extraction, but I think I would spray the edges with WD-40 or better penetrating oil and let it sit for a week before even trying those...

 

[txav8r]

I would soak them for sure with PB Blaster, much better than WD-40. But that won't get them out. My guess is you destroy the plug getting it out. Here is where I differ from the idea of making them a winter project. You guys are river boaters up there. Your going to see debris at some point. And even with two engines, if you find a debris field, it will or could affect both engines. Drift wood will stop you probably even with plugs, but grass and weeds won't but it also won't always wash out doing the reverse move. Tom, you know the sounds and behavior of a yamaha jet boat. So your not as likely to ingest something as deep. But a ski rope or dock line will ruin an outing and could be cut out in 10 minutes if you had plugs. It is kind of like those that have and those that will...there are very few that haven't. I am much more aware and careful having sucked up a dock line. But I have still been aggressively cautioned by my wife since, since she knows what frustration it causes and I didn't even see the errant line floating free in the water, so kudos to her for being more aware than me. But ropes and lines pose the biggest threat, and since the pump is ALWAYS turning, even in neutral, sucking up a rope is easy to do...and if you do, it will wrap as tight as a banjo string! I have already read three posts this spring on the chap/doo/scarab forum about guys sucking up something and having to haul the boat...they don't have cleanout plugs. As much as the yamaha cleanout plugs have been a hassle, they are a HUGE blessing. In my normal wordy way, all this to say, fix those plugs! While your at it, replace all that tarnished hardware and scrape the old sealant away from the underside of the cleanout tray, and replace with a waterproof foam gasket. That way, you will be able to get under the tray anytime service down there is needed. When removing the plugs, I would go ahead and remove the tray, remove the tubes, and get right down to the plug so you can work unencumbered. Dang, those plugs look bad!

 

[2nazt]

Not to hijack thread, @txav8r is there a part number for the gasket you are recommending or do you pick up a blank gasket and cut one? I am about to do rear cup holders and be done finally opening that clean out tray.

 

[txav8r]

Sorry I didn't get back to this until now...been working on honey do's all day. You gotta love em, I am always glad I got it done after we finish! To answer your question, I bought a vinyl weather stripping that I could compress fully, but it was about 3/4" thick and if I remember, about the same width wide. It was just a roll of the stuff, that had an adhesive side with paper on it, and the other side didn't have adhesive. I initially was going to stick it to the bottom, and decided the lip of the tray lid was a candidate too. Sorry I don't have the exact size or part number, but you really can't go wrong here. Read the label and don't get the plain foam stripping that won't hold up under being wet all the time.

 

[chess]

Hello all:

Sorry its taken me so long to reply, but I have been a busy bee... Ive chatted with @OCMD and @bronze_10 about the boat via Text just because between traveling to get the boat getting home and then doing a concert last night and then errands this morning its been INSANE.... I came home and passed out.


Long story short... Eric is a veteran Yamaha guy as @OCMD will attest too. Him and his head mechanic agreed with the plugs being in there for so long it was honestly not worth him trying to pull them out. He even said he wouldnt sell me the boat.

He said 9 times out of 10 you can hit reverse and whatever is stuck will come out. He said that anything 2010 and older he wouldnt even mess with them. He said if the hatch blows thats $700 bucks... Granted he is a dealer so he goes by what he has been trained upon and agrees too... I must say that Eric is VERY knowledge and those that have dealt with him including @mark_m know he is a STAND up guy...

I said F it and decided to take the boat, as I ended up IMO a killer deal. The trailer is a 2014 and came with a spare, it has the LED lights etc...

The boat's radio crapped out on us on the water, so he went and bought me a new one and had it replaced with the jvc.... and bought me a 2 year warranty with the radio. I told him I was going to replace the radio eventually but he did this... Pretty awesome if you ask me...
I bought an extra set of keys that he is going to mail me. Those were $20 and he sold me the Yamaha lubricant at cost, which was 9.95 on the shelf and sold it for 6.59 which is fair to me.

I went to settle up the dual battery kit he put in for me, and he said for the inconvenience and everything its on me... That to me is pretty stellar.... He did tell me he sells about 600 watercraft a year... the guys that work there to me are stand up. I was coming from 3.5 hours away so I met him before they even opened and we were on the road by 11am which is pretty awesome.

I have attached some photos... Yes I know the cleanout plugs need to be removed, but with boating here in the lower area of maryland I may just wait until winter time. I will probably have to buy brand new clean out plugs...

Again he was against me trying to pull them out, and @OCMD went back and talked to him after we left and he agreed with what they said...

Anywho.... I am happy man, as I felt I got a killer deal OTD with the service to me to goes a long way !

View media item 3479View media item 3478View media item 3477View media item 3476

 

[chess]

I am no expert on plug extraction, but I think I would spray the edges with WD-40 or better penetrating oil and let it sit for a week before even trying those...

I am going to try PB blaster as I have a ton of this stuff to see what I can do

 

[2nazt]

Or try Kano Aerokroil. That is the bees knees

 

[captainhook]

I was wondering where you've been. Now I know; on the water! At least that makes one of us... Sounds like you got a great deal, congrats. Probably boating in the same river as you, I say pull those damned plugs for sure, it's not a matter of if, but when you will need them. I used mine the second outing, and the third or fourth too.

 

[itsdgm]

Congrats on a beautiful boat and an awesome deal @chess.

It might be possible, if the plugs don't pull out after soaking in lubricant, to dissasemble them in the tubes. I read a while back that somebody actually separated the top half of the cleanout plug and removed it. Cleaned it and the top portion of the plug seat. Then unlatched the lower half and either pushed it up and out from underneath, or screwed the top half back on and pulled it out from the top.

Just food for thought, I'd probably wait for winter to do it too. That way you'd have time to find a deal on replacements if necessary. Otherwise you might have a few weeks of downtime if/when one breaks.

 

[chess]

I was wondering where you've been. Now I know; on the water! At least that makes one of us... Sounds like you got a great deal, congrats. Probably boating in the same river as you, I say pull those damned plugs for sure, it's not a matter of if, but when you will need them. I used mine the second outing, and the third or fourth too.

That and traveling like a mad man :/ gosh it sucks