How many hours?

[DryDock]

Good day all!
I have a 94 SL750 with around 185 hours on it.
How many hours do others have on their pwc's?.
What is the most hours you have seen on a craft?
I would like people to tell me their experience's "motor went at hour #..." ETC ETC

As some of you have read I havent had this thing for long, and I would like a bit more feedback/input.
The more I read, the more I think I may just sell this thing. All I hear about is the "fuel pump was crap and the piston has a hole in it"! HAHA
I need a better overall picture of Polaris! So how bout some input?
Thanks!
Vince

[TG]

Re: How many hours?

DryDock. I bought a 94 750SL for the wife about 10 mos. ago. She really loves this thing. I try my best to keep it running decent. It has 110hrs. on it. We got it with 65 on the orig. motor. Now that summers over out here, The only thing I plan on doing is replacing the fuel pump and rebuild the carbs. I might switch it over to pre-mix. The only real problem we have is starting it in the water. I called it the Driveway Queen. That's it. It really is a fun ski. Plus there is no monthly payments on it. I'd get 86 if I was to get rid of it. That's my take on th 94.

[WATERCRAFTSERVICES]

Re: How many hours?

I Have Seen Several Polaris Skis With 200+ Hrs On Them. As Far As The Most Hrs On A Ski, I Have Several Postings About A Yamaha 1200 I Had In The Shop Earlier This Season With 1003 Hrs On The Clock On The Origional Motor Before Needing Replacment. That Is The Highest Hr Ski I Have Seen To Date. I Have 2 Yamaha Gp 1200 One With Nearly 300 And One Around 225 Hrs. The Relaibility And Life Expectancy Has Alot To Do With User Maintaince And The Way The Ski Is Ridden. I Believe All Motors Will Give A Long Service Life If Maintained Correctly And Treated Right. I Beleieve Some Engine Designs Are Better Than Others But Many Blown Motors Can Have Been Prevented If Maintained Correctly And Not Abused.

[DryDock]

Re: How many hours?

Thanks TG and Watercraft!

What about all the rest of you?

650, 750, 780's, SL, 94 older/ newer, help me keep my positive attitude about this craft!!!
Your input will help all future buyer's with their questions as well!!!
Thanks for taking a moment to respond.
Vince

[DaveG]

Re: How many hours?

We had a '96 SL780 that had 65 hours when we bought it. We rode it for 2 summers and sold it with about 130 hours. We sold it to an aquantaince and as far as I know, it's still running. We kept hearing that we should put an extra fuel pump on, we never did. It was a fun, fast nimble ski but was a rough ride in choppy water. On the other hand it was very reliable.

Right now, I've got 2 SeaDoo GTX's -a '99 & a '00 - that both have over 220 hours and are still running strong and pretty fast. And a '98 Kawasaki 1100STX that has close to 150 hours.
Dave

[dsolie]

Re: How many hours?

Have (had) a 93 SL650. Fun little boat!! Engine went to the birds when my brother took it out without oil in it.....other than that, I beat the heck out of it and she always proved to be a strong ski. The only upgrade I reccomend is the cobra steering, it's only $120. This thing will make your polaris carve into turns and track MUCH better. Right now it probably slides in turns and is a little out of control (yet still fun). When I put my steering on, it carved almost in line with my 94XP!! Pretty impressive upgrade if you ask me.

www.cobrajetsteering.com is the website to check out. Jeff W. is a heck of a guy, he makes these in his garage. I was his first Polaris test, so tell him you have the same nozzle as Dan Solie and he will know exactly what you need.

Until then though, I am parting her out... Need anything?

[Jamie in NY]

Re: How many hours?

1996 SLT780 with about 300 hours (in 2002). New SBT motor (in 2002). New motor has a little over 100 hours. I have four kids (and a lot of friends) who ride it non stop in the summer (fresh water only, Lake Ontario). I've always done my own maitenance, including winterizing and weekly PM's. I expect it to run for a few more years at least. As far as riding, it really gets abused with sand, tow ropes in the prop, rolled over several times, pulling tubes, skiers, etc, but she keeps on ticking. Runs great in 2-3 foot chop. Only complaint is the hand grips and floor mats never stay on long. I just tie her to the dock and let her float during the week, then crank it up on the weekends.

[DryDock]

Re: How many hours?

Thanks DaveG, Dsolie, and Jamie in NY!

The fact you took time to reply is great.
I will continue to get this thing ready for spring.
Dan, I have all the parts from you I want for now! LOL (I cant wait to install the cobra parts)
I still wonder if I should be worred about the hours? 185 is a lot.
Well... thanks to everyone who has responded, I feel this will help other new riders decide "how old is too old?"

DryDock (AKA Vince)

[dsolie]

Re: How many hours?

OH HEY VINCE!!!! Sorry, knew the screen name sounded familiar... Hey, I am leaving for Kelowna on Fri Morning and will be dropping off the stuff there in the afternoon... I need to know how you want me to label it etc so they can send it to you.

dans@scattercreek.com (in case you forgot)

Oh yhea, and about the hours... It really doesn't matter if it has one or one thousand... It's all about how it has been taken care of.

[Jamie in NY]

Re: How many hours?

A compression check would be a real easy and quick way to gauge the health of the top end. Not sure what the specs are, but I'd be happy with anything over 110psi (both cylinders). Better to know now while you have time to work on it. Also, oil block off would be recommended. Using premix is just more reliable and eliminates the oil pump as a source of engine burn. Premix is a bit of a pain but what I do is keep 3 smallish oil containers (1 pt?) in a large zip lock baggie in the hood compartment. Then, if the kids take the ski over to the marina to gas her up, they've been trained to poor all three into the gas tank. Then, I re-fill them from a larger container (1 gal) and put them back into the hood area. Any way you do it, have it measured out and ready to go. Don't rely on the kids or beer buddies to do the "math" at the gas pump!!! A large style zip lock baggie helps keep the storage compartment oil free.

[DryDock]

Re: How many hours?

Thanks to everyone for the reply's and the info.

DryDock