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  • Out of Warranty Motor

    I bought a motor over a year ago from SBT. Installation went well thanks to my friend’s help. He’s a mechanic. It ran rough at first then smoothed out. I took it down to the lake to ride it. It started up and then died in the water. I could get the motor started easily out of the water, but once I put in the water it died. I had no idea what could have been the problem since I’m not a mechanic, but I didn’t think there was a problem with the motor (since it was new). I thought maybe it was a carburetor problem or maybe an impeller issue. So I put it off. Well last Thursday I hired a mechanic to meet me by the lake to help diagnose the problem (I figured a tune-up). He said that I have a dead cylinder (no compression), so I tore the motor apart to see. To my surprise there was no wrist pin retaining clips on either pistons. They had come out and tore up the cylinder walls and pistons. So I called SBT and sent them pictures. They said my warranty is over, and they would only take off $100 on the purchase of another motor. Why should I buy another motor when this one was defective?
    The warranty department offered to sell me a new sleeve, piston kit, and gasket kit for $175.85, but I have found out that the sleeve will cost me $200 per cylinder to install and it will be difficult to find somebody to install them. Then I decided to have the cylinders honed out for $120, buy new Wiseco pistons for $300 (with shipping), and a $50 gasket set. That is the cheapest I will be able to rebuild my motor. I have a hard time buying another motor from SBT. I talked to a mechanic that has been servicing watercrafts for 25 years. According to him, SBT remanufactures good Yamaha and Polaris motors but they seem to have problems with Kawasaki motors. I find SBT motors unreliable and have even shown SBT-technicians pictures of the torn-up shiny new cylinders and pistons (I ran this motor for 5 minutes). You can even see pieces of the retaining clip sticking out of the piston head. My mechanic says that I could not have prevented this, that the motor was bad from SBT.
    I’m very disappointed in SBT, I watch your tech tips on IJSBA races and read your forums. I will have to probably wait tell next summer to have enough money to buy another motor, and enjoy my favorite sport of jetskiing.
    The next motor I will have to check compression and possible get a bore scope to see if the motor is running good.

    Please let me know what you guys think of this?
    Attached Files

  • #2
    Re: Received a bad SBT motor!

    We certainly appologize for the failure, however it's not out fault you put off the repair of your ski and completely wasted your 1 year warranty. Obviously this problem showed VERY early in the life of the engine and if you had of diagnosed it when you received it, you would have had a replacement engine immediately. We cannot cover an engine past the warranty period.That being said, we understand if you no longer purchase from us, but we have to be fair.
    SBT Tech Support is here to help with your problems.
    We try to answer each question quickly and accurately.
    Please do not use Private Messaging for Tech Support, use the forums.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Received a bad SBT motor!

      As long as you agree that you sent me a bad motor, then I want others to know too!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Received a bad SBT motor!

        It's certainly possible, yes.
        SBT Tech Support is here to help with your problems.
        We try to answer each question quickly and accurately.
        Please do not use Private Messaging for Tech Support, use the forums.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Received a bad SBT motor!

          How can that be when your web site states that you test all motors before they are shipped? And why would I need to diagnose a newly rebuilt motor when it was tested at the factory?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Received a bad SBT motor!

            We do test all motors before they are shipped. All problems cannot be caught during bench testing. Obviously we try for a perfect product everytime, but unfortunately it cannot happen. We do make any situation right if it is within warranty.


            As you said, you waited over a year to have interest in it again and take it to be diagnosed. A compression check is the first thing done, and if you had been interested in fixing the ski when you purcahsed the engine, this wouldn't have been a coverage issue, you would have had a new engine in the mail.

            If you would have called in for tech help, it would have been the first thing we would have had you do given this description of events. We certainly would have been able to solve the problem quickly and resolve it with a new engine regardless.

            Bottom line, it's not our fault you wasted your warranty, and the best we can do for you right now is a discount off a future purchase.
            SBT Tech Support is here to help with your problems.
            We try to answer each question quickly and accurately.
            Please do not use Private Messaging for Tech Support, use the forums.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Received a bad SBT motor!

              Bad engine dude, you are not too bright. Manufacturers have warranties for this exact reason -- **** happens. SBT's has the worlds best one year warranty. It's fault free return it for any reason, no questions asked, even if you break it through abuse.

              Why in the world did you put your jet ski away for a over a year after you first suspected a problem? Any idiot that gave a crap would try to sort out the problem while the engine was under warranty. You waited over a year??? And you say this is your favorite sport???? Something's fishy here or you're just one lazy SOB.

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