# rhino jet jon



## brianb2247 (Jul 29, 2014)

Just ordered a 1448 rhino boat from james river jets .125 thickness. puttig a center console in it. 
Putting a newly rebuilt tigershark 640 engine in it never seen anyone do this to such a solid boat 
been doing figuring and calculating in my head over and over not really putting any thing inside kinda no frills boat
build.basically just a minnkota deckhand anchor up front tigershark in the back battery under the console. Any one have a 1448 jet jon with experience or advise on build


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## airbornemike (Jul 29, 2014)

Sounds good, I've been looking for builders that would do a jet jon, keep us updated.


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## Ranchero50 (Jul 29, 2014)

Shooter will suggest you skip the Tigershark and got with something that will last.

650cc in a Rhino might not be an impressive performer but should run pretty well. Not sure on the weight.


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## fishbum (Jul 29, 2014)

Is Jim doing the motor install? Or you


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## brianb2247 (Jul 30, 2014)

Im doing the install one thing I like about this is the boat is built for the motor coast guard rated for the engine jim said no problem


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## brianb2247 (Jul 30, 2014)

Im looking for a outboard motor control with the key start and trim switches any one have one laying around


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 1, 2014)

brianb2247 said:


> Im looking for a outboard motor control with the key start and trim switches any one have one laying around


I have a side mount control from a ' 97 Merc 60 but Im in Texas. Pm me


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## PSG-1 (Aug 2, 2014)

For that hull thickness, your choice of a 640cc engine seems a little small. First rule is that you don't want to over-lug these engines. You want the boat to have enough power that it doesn't have to over-work the engine to get up on plane. This saves fuel, saves you from dredging the river bottom, and may save your engine from wear and tear of being over-worked. If you were running an .062" or even an .090" hull, I would say a 701cc Yamaha engine would be a good one for your project. But your hull is a bit heavier, so, IMO, you should look for something in the 800-1000cc range.

As for the choice of engine, honestly, you would be better served to pick something like a seadoo or a yamaha engine. Arctic Cat no longer makes Tigershark engines, and parts are becoming obsolete. If you can even find new parts, you will pay far more for the Tigershark parts than you would for another engine manufacturer's parts. And from my own personal experience with tigershark engines, definitely not the best choice of engines unless you know how to do all your own mechanic work.


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## 71Fish (Aug 3, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=361967#p361967 said:


> PSG-1 » 02 Aug 2014, 08:33[/url]"]For that hull thickness, your choice of a 640cc engine seems a little small. First rule is that you don't want to over-lug these engines. You want the boat to have enough power that it doesn't have to over-work the engine to get up on plane. This saves fuel, saves you from dredging the river bottom, and may save your engine from wear and tear of being over-worked. If you were running an .062" or even an .090" hull, I would say a 701cc Yamaha engine would be a good one for your project. But your hull is a bit heavier, so, IMO, you should look for something in the 800-1000cc range.
> 
> As for the choice of engine, honestly, you would be better served to pick something like a seadoo or a yamaha engine. Arctic Cat no longer makes Tigershark engines, and parts are becoming obsolete. If you can even find new parts, you will pay far more for the Tigershark parts than you would for another engine manufacturer's parts. And from my own personal experience with tigershark engines, definitely not the best choice of engines unless you know how to do all your own mechanic work.



The weight difference between .100 and .125 of a small 1448 jon is minimal and jet drives do not lug or care how heavy the craft is.


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## PSG-1 (Aug 3, 2014)

Yeah, what the hell would I know? LOL


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## 71Fish (Aug 3, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362078#p362078 said:


> PSG-1 » 03 Aug 2014, 08:26[/url]"]Yeah, what the hell would I know? LOL


Maybe I am wrong and I am open to learning something new. How do you lug a properly matched engine and water jet? 

A smartly constructed 1448 .125 jon shouldn't weigh much more than one of thinner aluminum. The thicker outer hull enables the boat to have fewer cross braces. Console, decking and such could be made of lighter gauge material. (My opinion for what it is worth)


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## Ranchero50 (Aug 3, 2014)

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/gauge-sheet-d_915.html

Weight per square foot, lots of square foots on a 1448 with 20" sides.

.063" = .9lb
.100" = 1.43lb
.125" = 1.81lb

If this is the critter, it's gonna be a pig with a 640 installed.

https://www.rhinoboat.com/boat-models/15-fisherman

Since the OP doesn't say what pump he's running it's hard to give a decent estimate on how the hull will perform. I know that you can lose a huge amount of performance when the pump and engine do not play well together. Add in the fun of pushing a heavy hull and i can see some cavitation or just stern dragging if the hull won't go on plane easily. Not having the performance to pop the hull on plane quickly is gonna suck when the water is low.

I consider my hull pretty no frills and it works remarkably well with a 717 engine / pump from a '95 Seadoo Xp. My light hull flat out scoots across the water at 40+ and will stay on plane down to below 15 mph if I aim the nozzle down.


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## PSG-1 (Aug 3, 2014)

I can't say how weight affects the performance of an outboard jet, but I can definitely tell you that it has an effect on an inboard jet or a PWC. 

As shown above, .125" sheet weighs more per square foot than .090" or .100" For an engine under 700cc, if you're using thick material for the hull, then it needs to be a short boat, like one of those New Zealand style jets. A 14 ft boat means more surface area, and more resistance.


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## 71Fish (Aug 3, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362124#p362124 said:


> PSG-1 » 03 Aug 2014, 14:39[/url]"]I can't say how weight affects the performance of an outboard jet, but I can definitely tell you that it has an effect on an inboard jet or a PWC. As shown above, .125" sheet weighs more per square foot than .090" or .100" For an engine under 700cc, if you're using thick material for the hull, then it needs to be a short boat, like one of those New Zealand style jets. A 14 ft boat means more surface area, and more resistance.


I get that .125 aluminum weighs more than .090 or .100, and total boat weight affects boat performance. I agree there are better choices of power, however the poster asked about the TS640. 



[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362124#p362124 said:


> PSG-1 » 03 Aug 2014,[/url]"]First rule is that you don't want to over-lug these engines.


My point is simply this: The engine will not lug because the boat weighs more. The TS640 will spin the pump the same whether the hull weighs 400 or 800 pounds.


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## Ranchero50 (Aug 4, 2014)

Yeah, wrong term, more cavitation inducement if it can't get up on plane to help ram feed the pump. I know mine when it was sucking some air around the shaft seal revved out fine but was sluggish to launch and felt slower. Took me a long time to realize what was going on.


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## brianb2247 (Aug 16, 2014)

Well I should be picking up the boat next week .I have gone through every thing rebuilt engine, carb, jet pump.gone over all the wiring . Gonna take pics and post them soon . Btw the ski ive used was a 94 daytona tigershark, stock hp is 72 hp ive bored it out .040 ported and polished intake manifold and head the carb is a mikuni sbn 46 thinking 75 -80 hp


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 16, 2014)

71Fish said:


> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=362124#p362124 said:
> 
> 
> > PSG-1 » 03 Aug 2014, 14:39[/url]"]I can't say how weight affects the performance of an outboard jet, but I can definitely tell you that it has an effect on an inboard jet or a PWC. As shown above, .125" sheet weighs more per square foot than .090" or .100" For an engine under 700cc, if you're using thick material for the hull, then it needs to be a short boat, like one of those New Zealand style jets. A 14 ft boat means more surface area, and more resistance.
> ...


Dude, if you think ranchero and psg don't have any weight on the quesion at hand you are wrong. I would second guess myself if they told me I was wrong. They are "real world" jet heads, not hypothetical ones.


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## brianb2247 (Aug 17, 2014)

Not really worried about performance buddy of mine has a .100 1448 welded with a 1995 tigershark montego 640 which is 60 hp I way 250 he weighs 225 boat weighed 450 acooler full food and drinks,5 fishing poles trolling motor and battery, one tackle box 37 mph gps comes out of the hole very nice thinking the boat is a little bigger yet more hp stock than his it hypothetically should perform.


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## brianb2247 (Aug 22, 2014)

Picked up boat today


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## brianb2247 (Aug 22, 2014)

Jet pump almost ready to go in


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## brianb2247 (Aug 22, 2014)

Back of boat cut out for bolt in jet pump all I have to do is trim and file alittle metal and drill holes


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## brianb2247 (Aug 22, 2014)

6 11/16 wide by19 11/16 long across the back it is6 11/16 by 6 11/16 trim the back support alittle using marine atwood poly sealant adhesive


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## brianb2247 (Aug 22, 2014)

The 640 motor is built


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## Jim (Aug 23, 2014)

Awesome! Looking forward to more progress.


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## Ranchero50 (Aug 23, 2014)

Looks good. I am surprised they didn't fit and mount the pump for you, then add some bracing at the bottom. When the hull deflect I suspect the pump will shift which is hard on the flange couplings. Hopefully you won't have any problems.


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## 71Fish (Aug 23, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=363525#p363525 said:


> smackdaddy53 » 16 Aug 2014, 21:12[/url]"]
> 
> 
> 71Fish said:
> ...


I meant no disrespect to anyone. I simply stated fact. If the term "lug" refers to over-rev, I give merit to PSG's reply. Hopefully some day I will be a real world jet head, for now I can only dream.


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## brianb2247 (Aug 23, 2014)

After I fit the pump and motor reinforcement brackets and plates will be welded in


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## 71Fish (Aug 23, 2014)

Is the bottom smooth? 

Edit: Never mind, I see heat tracks where the bottom is probably straked.


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 24, 2014)

I sent you a pm brian


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## brianb2247 (Aug 24, 2014)

Still figuring the layout heres the console set as side console who thinks it looks good or should I convert it to center console or should I ditch the console and and make it stick steering


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## amk (Aug 24, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=363531#p363531 said:


> brianb2247 » 16 Aug 2014, 23:52[/url]"]Not really worried about performance buddy of mine has a .100 1448 welded with a 1995 tigershark montego 640 which is 60 hp I way 250 he weighs 225 boat weighed 450 acooler full food and drinks,5 fishing poles trolling motor and battery, one tackle box 37 mph gps comes out of the hole very nice thinking the boat is a little bigger yet more hp stock than his it hypothetically should perform.




wow that's pretty good my jet boat I got has a 1648 alumacraft with a 650cc Yamaha and It only gets 30 mph empty. Maybe im not getting all the power I should be getting. Your build looks awesome keep posting.


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## amk (Aug 24, 2014)

it kinda looks like you need to move the console forward some. Also I have no idea of the conditions you run but on my river my center console being up high so I can stand/lean when I drive is crucial. Theres a lot of situations where I need the higher view point to see rocks and shallow spots.


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## brianb2247 (Aug 26, 2014)

Like the idea doing center console moee foreward and higher so you can stand and see better . I was working on the boat some more and was wondering if any one had pics of how they mounted their engine to the boat


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## 71Fish (Aug 26, 2014)

https://www.nzjetboating.com


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## brianb2247 (Aug 27, 2014)

went ahead and read over all the posts to this post and come to the question of how are trhese guys adapting their jet pumps with different motors because id like to use a sea doo engine if mine lacks power.


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## PSG-1 (Aug 28, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=364659#p364659 said:


> brianb2247 » Yesterday, 18:09[/url]"]went ahead and read over all the posts to this post and come to the question of how are trhese guys adapting their jet pumps with different motors because id like to use a sea doo engine if mine lacks power.




Spartan Jaw Coupler works well. This is what they use in most Yamaha and Kawasaki jet skis. 
You will have to drill & thread one half to fit the PTO threads on the back of the engine, and then you'll need to drill & thread the other half to correspond with threads on your driveshaft, which you will probably also have to cut (this is why having your own welding and machining equipment is about the only way you can afford to build a jet boat)

This is how I connected my engine and pump. Ran it for several hundred hours like that with the 2 stroke, and with the 4 stroke, I've been running it for the last 250 hours or so, no issues.


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## brianb2247 (Aug 29, 2014)

Jet pump installed


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## smackdaddy53 (Aug 30, 2014)

Nice and clean!


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## brianb2247 (Sep 1, 2014)

Engine mounts welded in holes all drilled every thing laser straight gonna box in the motor mount to be sure no flexing, gotta pick up hard ware tomarrow


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 1, 2014)

Looks good, just remember accessibility will either save you or ruin your build when something dumb happens and you really need to get in there. I made the section of deck that my rear seat post attaches to unboltable from the frame to access the motor better. That's one of my biggest fears about putting carpet in, I'll bury my screws in the carpet pile.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 1, 2014)

Thanks for the tip didnt at all think about that ill have to utilize that too the casting deck/engine cover so its 
eazy to get to


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## brianb2247 (Sep 4, 2014)

Have another question I have installed the engine while everything looks great I believe the .010 clearance for the snubber under the engine plate which is spec at the moment, will not be enough because of floor flex when it is in water . Can I just remove it ?


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## brianb2247 (Sep 5, 2014)

Working on exhaust made the waterbox bracket today heres a pic


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## brianb2247 (Sep 5, 2014)

Progress


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 5, 2014)

Nice work man! Very clean.


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 6, 2014)

[url=https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=365373#p365373 said:


> brianb2247 » 04 Sep 2014, 11:21[/url]"]Have another question I have installed the engine while everything looks great I believe the .010 clearance for the snubber under the engine plate which is spec at the moment, will not be enough because of floor flex when it is in water . Can I just remove it ?



By snubber do you mean some kind of vibration dampener? I'm not sure but .010" is pretty tight and I'd be tempted to squirt a bit of RTV in there to keep the pieces from vibrating against one another. The RTV will act like a shock absorber.

Oh yeah, can you please try to take the pictures so they don't end up sideways? I get funny looks when I turn my head sideways to check out the pics.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 9, 2014)

Got fuel tank in 95 seadoo spx fits perfect its a 9gallon


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## brianb2247 (Sep 12, 2014)

Have every thing hooked up ready to run the engine the manual says to mix fuel 40 : 1 with the use of oil injection system during breakin . I have went ahead and removed oil injection , sooooo has anyone mixed 30:1 for breakin


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## brianb2247 (Sep 26, 2014)

Ive finished the boat enough to take it out, overheat kicked in engine would die at high rpms and a cracked jet pump im reengineering the jet pump with more floor bracing removing rubber isolator under the engine and welding a 190. Aluminum plate to protect the jet pump as for the overheat it was premature because I didnt use any diolectric grease on the overheat sensor. Will run engine to set fuel mixture and get that right. Hopefully be back up and running for striper season


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## smackdaddy53 (Sep 27, 2014)

Sorry to read this! I hope you get it all straightened out. Live and learn! That's how we know what to and not to do next time I guess.


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 29, 2014)

[url=https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=367094#p367094 said:


> brianb2247 » 26 Sep 2014, 20:15[/url]"]Ive finished the boat enough to take it out, overheat kicked in engine would die at high rpms and a cracked jet pump im reengineering the jet pump with more floor bracing removing rubber isolator under the engine and welding a 190. Aluminum plate to protect the jet pump as for the overheat it was premature because I didnt use any diolectric grease on the overheat sensor. Will run engine to set fuel mixture and get that right. Hopefully be back up and running for striper season



Without the dialectic grease I would suspect it ran hotter before the sensor tripped. The dialectic helps transfer the temp to the sensor.

How did the pump get cracked? Your post is really jumbled together to make a lot of sense.


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## brianb2247 (Jan 7, 2015)

Ill try to do better on the pics in future.

just getting going again have a new jet punp with reverse so im upgrading as well 
will probably get the aluminum sheet within the week or so. The boat is completely dissasembled.
the engine is ok the boot inbetween the muffler and waterbox was torn that was the power loss


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## brianb2247 (Feb 22, 2015)

Rear deck welded in .second jet pump housing bolted in not sealed though made a plate to weld under boat so the housing is flush with the lip of the pump housing will weld in soon


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## Flat_Bottum (Feb 25, 2015)

Very nice build you have got going on. Just joined a few days ago and am very impressed with everyone's builds so far. I am gearing up to rebuild my jetjon and hope it comes out even half as clean as yours. Well done and I will be watching to see the final result.


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## brianb2247 (Mar 23, 2015)

Steering and reverse installed


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## brianb2247 (Mar 23, 2015)

Side view of steering and controls


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## brianb2247 (Mar 23, 2015)

Every thing installed under casting deck


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## brianb2247 (Mar 23, 2015)

Front casting deck fabbed up livewell and storage box


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## brianb2247 (Mar 23, 2015)

Waiting for the hatches and access cover to finish front casting deck


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## brianb2247 (Mar 23, 2015)

So far my favorite mod is tying into the engine and jet pump. I tied the drain fitting into the bottom of the jet pump speedo fitting with a ball valve to drain or keep water water in the livewell. The other port at the top of the live well is to fill it I tied into the jet pump water supply line with a ball valve so you can fill it. Ive ordered a livewell recirculation kit
and plan to install soon.


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## ColtonS (Mar 25, 2015)

Is this boat a flat bottom?


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## brianb2247 (Mar 26, 2015)

It is flatbottom


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## brianb2247 (Mar 26, 2015)

one problem im having is 5/8 throttle and up itll run good then20 to 30 seconds it shuts off like the pop off or jets aren't set right but I set it up exactly per the carb rebuild instructions and pop off which is at 21 pounds . I called sbt today the guy said to set it at 38 psi pop off . wonder if this is the problem.


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## ColtonS (Mar 26, 2015)

brianb2247 said:


> one problem im having is 5/8 throttle and up itll run good then20 to 30 seconds it shuts off like the pop off or jets aren't set right but I set it up exactly per the carb rebuild instructions and pop off which is at 21 pounds . I called sbt today the guy said to set it at 38 psi pop off . wonder if this is the problem.



How long/hard for it to start back up?


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## ColtonS (Mar 26, 2015)

brianb2247 said:


> It is flatbottom



Have you made any mods to reduce cavitation?


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## brianb2247 (Mar 26, 2015)

I have welded a 24 x 48 piece of .125 aluminum under boat to make jet housing flush to bottom of boat also I lplugged 
A piece of angle aluminum under the boat in the very center 1 1/2" angle alumn. I think it could have been causing cavitation some guys have talked about spooning the bottom but ive looked on line to find nothing.


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## brianb2247 (Mar 26, 2015)

When it shuts off I come to a stop engine turns over maybe a sec. And it fires back up


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## ColtonS (Mar 26, 2015)

brianb2247 said:


> When it shuts off I come to a stop engine turns over maybe a sec. And it fires back up



Although 38 psi sounds like a little much to me its an easy enough job and I would try it. I had similar problems with my polaris engine and it turned out to be going into a "limp mode" because I removed the oil injection system..... better hope yours is carb related and not electrical [-o<


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## ColtonS (Mar 26, 2015)

brianb2247 said:


> I have welded a 24 x 48 piece of .125 aluminum under boat to make jet housing flush to bottom of boat also I lplugged
> A piece of angle aluminum under the boat in the very center 1 1/2" angle alumn. I think it could have been causing cavitation some guys have talked about spooning the bottom but ive looked on line to find nothing.



The flat bottom will definitely cavitate in light chop especially if you are running shollow rocky shoals. If you don't plan to run very shallow then the spoon should work fine but if you need something a little more durable I would put a "reverse" or "upside down" tunnel on it.


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## brianb2247 (Mar 26, 2015)

reverse tunnel???? any pics . any body done this to theirs


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## ColtonS (Mar 27, 2015)

I don't have any pics of the one that I done but there are a couple boats in the SE Missouri area with them, hopefully they are lingering around on here and will chime in.

I've seen them done 2 different ways but this little sketch pretty much sums up how I made mine a few years ago.
It only needs to sit about an inch under the boat and since its all flat surface you can make it out of thicker material because it doesn't need to be bent/shaped. All it really does is extend the face of the intake below the boat.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Mar 27, 2015)

Colton - On mine, the intake is 2 inches below hull & it still cavitates.

I am going to add a spoon in front of the intake.

I am in the middle of making a 'prototype' out of stacked plywood. I am going to screw & glue it on for evaluation.

If it works, I will make a permanent one out of fiberglass. It will be thru-boilted & sealed with 3M5200.

I am copying the shape of a tablespoon, just magnified about 15X.


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## brianb2247 (Mar 28, 2015)

Keep us informed on that spoon feel free to post some pics thanks


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## Ranchero50 (Mar 29, 2015)

Mine worked out pretty good.


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## ColtonS (Mar 30, 2015)

CedarRiverScooter said:


> Colton - On mine, the intake is 2 inches below hull & it still cavitates.
> 
> I am going to add a spoon in front of the intake.
> 
> ...




Cavitates under what circumstances? If your intake is 2"below the hull, not too far forward and cavitates in anything less than rippled water then you have different problem that I would try to address first.


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## ColtonS (Mar 30, 2015)

Ranchero50 said:


> Mine worked out pretty good.




I've personally never seen a "spooned" boat other than your's but it appears to work great. Since the spoon has to be bent/shaped they must be constructed of lighter material that is more apt to get dented/misshaped once again causing cavitation...possibly worse than it was before. In the shallow rocky rivers I run, a spoon probably wouldn't last a whole season that's why the flat bottom guys are going with the reverse tunnel design because it can be made of 1/4" material if need be.


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## amk (Mar 30, 2015)

they make performance intake grates that scoop the water you should look into that before you make a spoon I've had a jet boat fabricated which is the one in my signature and I built one neither one needed a spoon...

heres an example
https://www.ebay.com/bhp/seadoo-intake-grate


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## amk (Mar 30, 2015)

also they work to I had two identical skis except one had the performance grate and the other did not it made a huge impact on speed. 

There is also a you tube video of a home made jet jon like ours where the guy tested it and it cavitated the whole time and in his second trial video he had put the grate on and it ran good.


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## ColtonS (Mar 30, 2015)

Loader style grates work good but offer no protection against rocks/debris and although I cant prove it, I believe the extra bite causes the boat to ride lower in the water.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Mar 30, 2015)

AMK - Thanks for the tip on the loader grate. I'll look for one on ebay. I am wondering how big of impact it would take to rip my spoon off & then I would have 6 holes letting water in.


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## amk (Mar 30, 2015)

I really don't think youll need a spoon with the performance grate youll probably end up scrapping the spoon.


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## Ranchero50 (Mar 30, 2015)

I don't know if I'd like the grate. One great benefit of my spoon is I can run through weed beds at speed and not clog the intake with trash. I figured it was due to how the spoon pushed the weeds away while sucking the water up the reverse slope and any vegetation would just slide across the grill. It also won't grab at anything that hits it (stick, rock ledges, etc).


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## CedarRiverScooter (Mar 30, 2015)

Ranchero - Yours looks very beefy, that is just another benefit of all metal design. My spoon has to connect alum & fiberglass both. Found a top load grate (Solas) on ebay for a good price, going to try both & see which one works best.


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## brianb2247 (Apr 9, 2015)

Well I finally figured out the engine problems turned out to be the fuel pump on the carb one of the gaskets were a little big and would allow the engine to idle but when you rev it up it would suck air , run great now
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>


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## brianb2247 (Apr 19, 2015)

The boat has plenty of power goes so fast that it porpoises


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## brianb2247 (Apr 19, 2015)

What have you guys done to fix porpoise issue


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## amk (Apr 19, 2015)

put more weight up front


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## Ranchero50 (Apr 19, 2015)

brianb2247 said:


> What have you guys done to fix porpoise issue



Trim tabs will extend the center of balance further forward without adding more weight up front. I ran into that issue with mine after doing a 1" step in the hull up to the bottom of the pod.


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## brianb2247 (Apr 20, 2015)

what do you guys recommened for trim tabs i see ones for 400 or ones for 150 what size too use,what have yall used


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## brianb2247 (May 31, 2015)

Done alot recently I actually made some tabs that bolt to the back.


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## brianb2247 (May 31, 2015)

Went to home depot they carry behr paint products I bought two gallons of the deckover textured and had it colored sand stone bought a quart of glidden primer , dont buy the restore brand it is sand based and gets really hot the behr product is acrylic based and does well in the sun on a 90 degree day I kept my shoes off will post pics soon and also had to buy the special roller all cost me a little over a hundred bucks


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## brianb2247 (Jun 22, 2015)

Here is the inside completed


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## brianb2247 (Jun 22, 2015)

Here is what I did on the back to protect the nozzle and reverse, I made the trim tabs to stop the high speed pourposing , still pourposes but its not as bad, will have to figure that one out still


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## PSG-1 (Jun 22, 2015)

Are you using an OEM ride plate, or did you fabricate one?

Reason I ask is because I'm using a ride plate fabbed from 1/4" aluminum plate, and to combat porpoising, I bent a very slight downward angle on the last 2 inches of the plate. 

With an OEM ride plate, you could still weld a tab on the back end, at a downward angle, and it would have the same effect.


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## brianb2247 (Jun 22, 2015)

I trashed the ride plate there was no way it would work I welded .0125 aluminum behind pumpthen welded the cover to that. I have thought about welding another piece of aluminum on the front leading edge and fabricate two adjusters in the back on each side of the nozzle to make an adjustable ride plate


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## brianb2247 (Jun 22, 2015)

I do have a 2 inch slight bend on the trim tabs wonder if I should bend them more


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## Ranchero50 (Jun 22, 2015)

I'd bend them more until you find the sweet spot. Just be aware that they are going to highly stressed and will break off unless you support the aft end.


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## brianb2247 (Jul 7, 2015)

i took out the boat recently messed with the trim tabs the boat didnt perform any better im thinking about redesinging the back end some kind of adjustable rideplate pod extensions right now they extend like 9 inches from the back and are unsupported im thinking at least 12 inches. i dont know but i think extending the back of the boat would make it ride better


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## Ranchero50 (Jul 8, 2015)

You should be able to duct tape some plywood on the top of your existing tabs to see if the longer version is better. My hull with the pods planes smoother and flatter.


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## brianb2247 (Jul 12, 2015)

well I went ahead and removed the tabs on the back of the boat and traced the underside of the jet pump cover transfered it to a .190 piece of aluminum cut it out and mounted it on the underside of the housing and used stainless washers to shim it on the back side 1/2 inch took it out yesterday, its a totally different boat . wish id done this sooner will post pics soon


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## brianb2247 (Jul 12, 2015)

ride plate


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## brianb2247 (Jul 12, 2015)

a nice pic of it sitting in the river


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## Ranchero50 (Jul 13, 2015)

Cool, that's similar to the tabs I mounted under my pods. Mine worked best when the rear was raised up flush with the pods.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 5, 2015)

Well , a month ago my engine gave out the rear cylinder gave out the piston had a burnt hole in it , my engine is running lean. I rebuilt the engine I have the largest jet you can put in carb which is in a mikuni 46 mm . The carb can supply fuel to up to a 800 cc engine with no problems, ive rebuilt the carb . Anyways Ive taken the boat out and it runs great but the engine is still running lean ive backed out the high needle another 2 turns and the low one more turn which is like , high 4 turns out and low 3 turns out how far can I back out these screws. Im thinking that changing to a dual carb setup would be an option, I dont know , help any ideas.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Sep 6, 2015)

Sorry to hear of the burnt piston.

Is the fuel pump keeping up? Maybe a clogged filter? Is the pop-off pressure OK?


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## PSG-1 (Sep 7, 2015)

How is your fuel tank vent set up? Do you have a check valve? If not, you should. The check valve will allow air to flow into the tank, but not out. This slight pressurization assures proper fuel delivery. Note that when you remove the fuel cap on jet skis, they are under pressure. If you are just letting it free flow without a check valve, this could be starving the engine of fuel. 

This is what was happening with the Tigershark engine I previously had in my boat....although, I did not figure that out until about 3 or 4 engine rebuilds later, and then blowing it up the final time and swapping to a 4 stroke. Every time it happened, it was a hole in the center piston. Tried everything with the carbs, jets, new fuel pumps, etc. The vent is an important key to a properly operating fuel system, especially on 2 stroke PWC engines. Outboard motors don't seem to care about a pressurized tank, but PWC's need that extra pressure to feed gas to the engine.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 8, 2015)

My pop off is set up right the carb has a clean fuel filter , I do have a check valve, now if it works or not ill check
I went and put carbjets back to stock a removed the high flow air filter and put the stock air box back on, so everything is back to stock except the pistons which are105 psi in both cylinders


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## brianb2247 (Sep 8, 2015)

Should I be running 87 or 92 because of the lean running condition


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## brianb2247 (Sep 8, 2015)

Should I be running 87 or 92 because of the lean running condition


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## brianb2247 (Sep 8, 2015)

Also the 4 stroke conversion what were the expenses to upgrade and what would be some need to know info on the upgrade


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## PSG-1 (Sep 8, 2015)

Running higher octane gas may or may not solve the problem. Typically when a hole is burnt through a piston, it's from a lack of fuel. 

As for a 4 stroke conversion, the main expense is the motor, and having to re-fabricate motor mounts for that engine. I paid 2500 dollars for my FXHO engine, hardly used, with just 67 hours on it. This being after p*$$ing away about $5K in rebuilds to the Tigershark engine. #-o


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## brianb2247 (Sep 8, 2015)

just before leaving for work i tested the vent i sucked on the end like a straw and couldnt get anything, but when i blew through it it would pass through but i can hear air escaping the tank somewhere when i blow in. from what im understanding the tank should hold a pressure of some sort right?


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## PSG-1 (Sep 8, 2015)

Yes, the fuel system should be holding pressure. Check all your fittings and clamps. As a side note, remember that ABYC codes require double-clamping all hose connections (with the exception of factory carb fittings, etc) This way if one clamp fails the other one is still holding, and that's very important with potentially explosive fuel.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 8, 2015)

ok got ya will do.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 9, 2015)

i made the repairs last night it was the fuel tank level sending unit the 20 year old sealant gave way , i ran the engine this morning and when i removed the plugs they were richer more than ever before . lets keep our fingers crossed


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## PSG-1 (Sep 9, 2015)

Good deal! Sounds like you might have found the problem if your plugs are now showing normal coloration. 

That fuel leak was not only bad as far as potential engine damage, but it could have also been a potential fire/explosion hazard :shock:


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## brianb2247 (Sep 20, 2015)

well the engine is trashed once again rear cylinder piston has another burnt hole, im considering doing a yamaha 701 conversion or the more expensive 4 stroke yamaha install was wondering if i could get the info on where to buy the adapter for the drive line and maybe post some pics as to what the piece looks like when installed thanks guys


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## PSG-1 (Sep 20, 2015)

The driveline coupler is 2 halves like this:



And there's a rubber 'spider' that goes between them,



You will most likely need to cut new threads into the coupler, or possibly on your driveshaft, for it to work. You may also have to cut your driveshaft shorter if you go with a 4 stroke, as it's a few inches longer than a 2 stroke 3 cylinder engine.

If you are lucky and the threads of your driveshaft are larger than the existing internal threads of the coupler, all you have to do is put the coupler on a lathe, bore it out, and re-thread it to match the threads on your driveshaft. 

If, however, your threads are much smaller, then you will need to bore out the coupler to 1 inch diameter, and TiG weld a piece of 1 inch solid round to the coupler. (As long as you bevel the joint and weld it properly on the front and back sides, it will hold, trust me!) After welding the solid round stock in place, put the coupler on the lathe and proceed to bore and then cut internal threads to match your driveshaft's threads. 

Drilling/boring/threading the coupler is a precise operation....the threads must be cut square, and the hole must be centered. Any mis-alignment will cause the coupler to run eccentric, and this can lead to failure of thru-hull bearings. In other words, a lathe must be used. To simplify the operation of cutting the internal threads, you can use a tap, and secure it in the chuck of the tailstock, and unlock the tailstock lever, so it can move along the bed of the lathe. 

MAKE SURE THE LATHE IS TURNED OFF, AND PLACED IN NEUTRAL FOR THIS NEXT OPERATION!! Start the tap into the hole of the coupler by sliding the tailstock toward the chuck until the tap contacts the coupler. Begin turning the chuck of the lathe by hand, while maintaining slight pressure with your other hand against the tailstock. After a couple of rotations, the tap should begin to bite into the material. Once you get it started, proceed to cut the threads in this manner, using a wrench or other appropriate tool to turn the lathe's chuck, and remembering to back it out and use some compressed air to blow clean the shavings out the hole every couple of turns. 

Yes, it's a slow, PITA process to cut those threads. But unless you are good at setting up the lathe to cut threads, and you have a good sharp bit made for aluminum, I don't recommend trying to cut them by conventional means. And under no circumstances should you apply power and try to cut with a tap....you will shatter the tap like glass!!



Engine/pump alignment is as follows: when you set the engine on the motor mounts, and slide it back to engage the 2 halves of the coupler, you will need to determine if it needs to be shimmed. Using a small straight edge, lay it across the 2 halves of the coupler, and, using a feeler gauge, check the gap between the edge and the coupler, on both halves. Anything under .020" is within acceptable margins. More than that, and you will need to use shims between the engine and the mounts to get proper alignment.

Well, that's a general rundown of how to modify the driveshaft/coupler, and install it to match the pump. Hope this helps!


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## brianb2247 (Sep 21, 2015)

i really appreciate the info , im definetly yanking out the tigershark junk im looking for a 4 stroke ski any tips on which ones to go for like hours or a certain model? im looking at yamaha products . also which direction does the engine turn from the back side of the engine , if there is any other info i should know feel free. thanks all


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## amk (Sep 21, 2015)

I bought a 2011 yamaha vx110 it's a four stroke has 900 hours on it I was going to put it in a ski but I've been to busy. Point being the 4 strokes can have some hours and be good.


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## amk (Sep 21, 2015)

Also I have a 760 yamaha in my boat it's similar to the 701 I also had a 650 they are great motors and can be bought cheap and are inexpensive to fix. Cons two strokes are loud and burn more gas than 4 strokes


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## brianb2247 (Sep 21, 2015)

im looking into the yamaha 701, 760 2 strokes as an option as well are they as finicky as tigershark


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## PSG-1 (Sep 21, 2015)

Ranchero50 said:


> Shooter will suggest you skip the Tigershark and got with something that will last.



Amen to that, Ranchero.


Buy quality, and only cry once. Now that you have decided to get rid of that tigershark engine and go with a yamaha, you will be glad you made this decision. Much more fuel efficient, and much quieter, and more reliable.

Engine rotation is the same, however, yamaha 4 strokes are not a direct drive from the crankshaft, they use a 1.47:1 reduction gear, so that at 10,000 RPM max (on the FXHO models) the impeller speed is around 7K. (As a side note, I wish they would offer an aftermarket gear case, with about a 1.25:1 gear, which would put the RPM up to around 8K)

In any case, you will need to re-do your motor mounts, but the good news is that the yamaha 4 strokes only have 4 mounts, despite the massive size of the engine. Wiring is pretty straightforward, unless you get one that came from a boat that uses the tachometer with no wake mode, etc, then it has a few extra wires than would be on a regular model.

As for engine hours, these are very durable engines, and there have been accounts of people with as much as 3,000 hours on their engines with no major issues. Mine has 375 hours on it, and I've had no problems, except for the water inlet manifold hose's pre-bent radius restricting water flow....but I got that fixed with a longer piece of hose allowing a long sweeping radius.

Since I'm probably the only one here who has had both a Tigershark 900, tigershark 1000, AND a Yamaha MR-1 FXHO in my boat......... if you need any info, let me know, as I've already met every goat you might meet. As I like to say, each goat in life comes with its own specific detailed set of instructions. Sometimes the instructions get lost, or the goat may eat a few pages, but those instructions must not be deviated from, or the goat will get quite upset. :mrgreen:


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## brianb2247 (Sep 21, 2015)

nice to know, did you get your donor ski from craigslist what should i expect to spend


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## amk (Sep 22, 2015)

Few thousand for a four stroke a few hundred for a 2 stroke. If I had the money and mechanical ability I would swing a motor like psg but for now I can buy 6 701 for the price of one fxho


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## PSG-1 (Sep 22, 2015)

I bought my FXHO engine for 2,500 dollars, and I was told it had about 65 hours on it when I bought it, so, that's what I set my new hour meter for. Shortly after installing the engine, I also bought the YDS software/diagnostics, and sure enough, the hours were pretty close to what was on my hour meter.

That engine came from a jet boat, as the wiring harness is set up for the tachometer, as well as the 'no wake' (fast idle) system. Not really sure why they pulled an engine with such low hours from a boat, but the guy I bought it from was in the PWC repair and parts business for about 20 years, so, he had a whole warehouse full of engines and parts. 

In comparison, I originally spent 600 dollars for the Tigershark, and then having it rebuilt about 4 times at 1500 dollars a pop, for holes in the pistons. When you blow a hole in the piston, generally, you can't just rebuilt the top end, it has to have a complete overhaul. That's a little bit beyond my mechanical ability, so, that meant having it sent off and rebuilt each time. 

After the final time it blew a hole in the piston, I was fed up with it, and decided it needed some more holes. So, I took that POS engine out of the boat, took it to the rifle range, set it out at 300 yards, and put it out of its misery with my 300 Win Mag. Then I bought the FXHO, and the only regret I have is that I wasted all that money on the POS Tigershark engine, instead of just doing it right the first time! #-o #-o


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## amk (Sep 22, 2015)

I'd suggest asking psg kindly for his connection lol I know down here I look on craigslist and for a fxho with that low hours lowest price is like 6500 for a complete ski and its hard to find just the parts you need like a motor pump and intermediate shaft with all the wiring. If you try to piece it together on ebay or something like that youll spend way over 6500 so I'd say psg got one heck of a deal.


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## PSG-1 (Sep 22, 2015)

It was one heck of a deal, for sure. Unfortunately, a couple of years ago, my friend closed his shop doors and went out of the PWC parts business. When I bought my engine, he had another one for sale, also for 2500 dollars, it was the other engine from the same boat. Wish I'd had the money, I would have bought both of them!


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## brianb2247 (Sep 25, 2015)

hell if you find some smoking deal hit me up , s cackolacky isnt that far.


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## PSG-1 (Sep 25, 2015)

I'll ask around and see what I can find. If I find something, I'll let you know.


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## brianb2247 (Sep 30, 2015)

I have been working on researching the conversion the past few days, i ordered one of the coupling adapters for a yamaha 701 from a 1998 waverunner it matches up almost perfect to the tigershark jet pump adapter out of the 1994 daytona tigershark.


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## brianb2247 (Mar 25, 2016)

well im back at it over the winter i rebuilt the engine with used parts laying around i purchased the dual carburator setup rebuilt them and installed them i removed the fuel in the tank and went with high test, it runs grate in the drive way, i took it down to the river one evening and ran it on the trailer seems good, gonna take it out probably in the next few weeks if this doesnt work imout of options and im going four stroke.


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## brianb2247 (Jul 21, 2016)

been running it with the dual carb setup had a issue with the carb mounting bolts coming loose thats resolved it does 34.8 mph downstream going to start the spoon project soon


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## brianb2247 (Jul 22, 2016)

had it out last weekend actually fished from it got a couple,nothing nice, i have installed a lowerance hds7 fish finder ill post picks and wired up the live well


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## brianb2247 (Jul 23, 2016)

the pic of my lowerance hds 7


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## brianb2247 (Jul 23, 2016)

with the piano hinge ,it started pulling apart on the ends and so i cut it out and installed these aluminum hinges from the local arcet welding supply store about 11 bucks each


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## brianb2247 (Jul 23, 2016)

I installed front and rear fishing seats after the first fishing trip all that standing , i figured it would be nice to sit


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## brianb2247 (Jul 23, 2016)

here is a pic of the texture with the behr deckover from home depot i used glidden etching primer after taping off and rough sanding the color is sandstone this is two coats and i used 1 quart of glidden primer,2 gallons deck over with the special roller that is required total everything cost about 125 i primed it waited 24 hours rolled first coat waited 24 hours and applied the second i let it set in the shop for about a month before i was able to use it its still a little soft for like a day id let it bake in the sun if it hadnt sat in the shop to cure also this would be a good winter project for some definetly alot cooler than bare metal on a 90 degree day i can still stand on it bare footed, i went with the behr deck over its acrylic based not sand based like the others that will burn your feet up, also home depot will do pretty much any color.


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## brianb2247 (Feb 15, 2020)

Well I posted this for sale I have over $6000 just in parts asking $7500. Obo been a great boat losing interest in jet boats 

Wanting to build a late 80s mustang


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