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Installed new SBT motor - great experience

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  • Installed new SBT motor - great experience

    I just replaced the engine in my Yamaha Waverunner III. I have had skis for 15 years, but other than routine maintenance, have never worked on them internally. When my current motor went due to overheating, my local dealer wanted $2700 for a rebuild. Started looking around on the web and found several possible alternatives to dealer rebuild. Decided on going with SBT - at this time one of the best decisions I have made in the past several years.

    SBT has been great. Tech support first rate (response to my specific questions was great/timely), delivery of my engine on time and ease of returning the old core made it a dream. The removal/installation guide provided by SBT is excellent. For anyone contemplating swapping out your engine and maybe feeling intimidated - don't be afraid. With only minimal tools, ability to read at a 3rd grade level, and only an ounce of patience, no reason you can't swap it out yourself. I put my motor in last week and am just getting through the break-in period. To this point, motor seems to be performing great. To date, I have been extremely pleased with the SBT experience. This past weekend, I ran across a hull with ruined motor. I am considering buying the hull and putting in an SBT motor just to have a spare ski - that is how reasonable the prices at SBT are and how easy it is to swap out the motor.

    I went back to my dealer and suggested he consider installing SBT rebuilds over rebuilding himself. I think it would be a win-win for all. At the very least, give the customer the option. In my case, the ski is an older ski, but I have had it since new and the ski is in like-new condition. However, from a financial perspective, I may have been better off to buy a new one than invest $2700 in a rebuild.

    Thanks to SBT for making my decision easy. If the durability of the motor is anywhere near as great as the service provided by SBT to date, I'll be ecstatic.

  • #2
    Re: Installed new SBT motor - great experience

    Sounds like good news to me. Now, if no more hurricanes come I should be getting mine back soon, too. I wanna ride before the weather gets too cold. :o

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    • #3
      Re: Installed new SBT motor - great experience

      For your information, I only had one problem and it had nothing to do with the quality of the SBT motor. Most of the bolts, ie., intake manifold and crankcase cover, are of a low torque setting (11-20 ft. lbs.). I used a new torque wrench with settings in inch pounds. I had the settings correct, however I broke several bolts before I determined there was an apparent intermitten malfunction with the torque wrench. The bolts are class A stainless, but they break off very easily. I ended up taking the block to a mechanic who thankfully was very good at getting out the broken bolts. I had tried removing them with a left hand drill bit, but was afraid I would damage the threads and compound my problem. Just as a precaution, you may want to bench test your torque wrench before torqueing the low-setting bolts. The problem I had probably only happens with one in ten million people, if that often.

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