Advice on Sportster purchase

[bubba2004]

Lookn at purchasing an 06 seadoo sportster w/ the 215hp engine...present owner informing me that the boat has 35 hours on it....I'll be traveln a good distance to get to it and as this will be our first boat some what apprehensive concerning the whole deal. Not sure what to look for. I'm aware that there is no hour meter on the boat and this could only possibly be determined by hooking up dealer computer to the engines control module....? Additionally important to look at the impellers for damage.
Is there anything else anyone can suggest? (can this boat be started out of water?) I realize that probably the best thing to do is to take it for a run but owner not close to water.
Thanks

 

[seadoo_mike]

bubba,

I just traded in my '06 150 sportster for a new 180 challenger, for a 15' boat you will not find anything out there that is more fun, my sportster was also the 215 supercharged and that boat had enough power and did I say it was really fun, there is no stern drive boat that can match the turning and pick up of that 15 footer. I installed an hour meter on mine and is very easy, but yes a dealer can hook it up to motor and read all diagnostics if any and engine hours, it is called B.U.D.S and would tell you much more info. on motor (what rpm's it has ran from new, exhaust temps, if it ever had any alarms etc...) it would be a good idea if motor can not be hooked up at dealer to start it on trailer, you can run it by hooking up a hose to the flush fitting on pump housing in back, but should not be ran more than 5 minutes because there is no cooling water to drive shaft seal sitting out of water, I would look underneath at impeller and wear ring to see if any damage is present, pull the oil dipstick to make sure oil is clean and not black, ask when last oil change was done, also the most important is the supercharger, ask if there has ever been an issue with the supercharger, there is an issue with the ceramic washers inside the supercharger not to alarm you in anyway, but they should be changed out right away if you decide to purchase boat, I pulled my charger myself when I bought it preowned with the same 35 hours on it, and just replaced the washers with steel ones, you can check out some threads on this forum for info. on supercharger washers, it really isn't anything that should scare you in your decision, but should be done if you buy, the engine oil in motor is what lubricates the supercharger so it is important to change oil on regular basis, and that would prolong life of charger. A dealer in PA. has my old 150 sportster if you feel like making that long trip, they gave my a trade of 10,500 and they are selling it for 12,999 which I expected, best case would be to do a water run with it, but with present owner answering questions for you and running it out of water with hose, or doing a B.U.D.S at a dealer should give you plenty of information on your purchase.

 

[screwball]

My 08 Speedster has an hour meter....

If the blower washers haven't gone by 35 hours, they probably won't. I'm one of the posts talking about my blower going at 10 hours. The dealer fixed it, and it runs like a raped ape. You will play hell trying to find anything that fast or nimble for those bucks. Pulls me on a single ski with no trouble, and I'm 245 Lbs. If I had to sum up the boat in a word.....

FUN​

 

[seadoo_mike]

screwball,

I thought that I read on your old post about the motor cutting off is that there was a problem with your oil pressure and not a problem with your supercharger, no oil being moved around in motor would cause a lack of lubrication to charger, actually the more hours you put on a supercharger the more it is going to wear, if you buy a preowned seadoo with a supercharger you have no way of knowing how the boat was ran unless you knew the person you were buying it off of, you would have no idea if the previous owner did alot of wave jumping which would make the supercharger over rev. and wear down the washers more, if the previous owner changed the oil regularly, it is just a best bet to start fresh and either just replace the washers with only 35 hours on boat and change oil, or do a whole rebuild kit to supercharger to be safe.

 

[bubba2004]

thanks guys....suggestions were helpful although when I mentioned ceramic washers to the previous owner I may have well being speaking Greek...regardless made the purchase...for $10k I think I got a great deal aside from the 19 hour round trip to pick it up.....gave it a good once over and realized that there is a bunch of fishing line round the impeller shaft....tried to pull it off but soon realized that i would have to drop the grate first....unfortunately managed to shear one of the grate bolts off...looked like who ever took it off last put it back in crooked...gonna have to get dealer to re-tap to get the grate off to remove the line...

 

[SeadooBOB Square Pants]

thanks guys....suggestions were helpful although when I mentioned ceramic washers to the previous owner I may have well being speaking Greek...regardless made the purchase...for $10k I think I got a great deal aside from the 19 hour round trip to pick it up.....gave it a good once over and realized that there is a bunch of fishing line round the impeller shaft....tried to pull it off but soon realized that i would have to drop the grate first....unfortunately managed to shear one of the grate bolts off...looked like who ever took it off last put it back in crooked...gonna have to get dealer to re-tap to get the grate off to remove the line...

Ahh the joys of owning a boat.....Welcome to the forum and the club. Just bought and it and ready for its first trip to the dealer.

 

[Craigmri]

Which bolt?

Bubba, which bolt stripped?

Craig

thanks guys....suggestions were helpful although when I mentioned ceramic washers to the previous owner I may have well being speaking Greek...regardless made the purchase...for $10k I think I got a great deal aside from the 19 hour round trip to pick it up.....gave it a good once over and realized that there is a bunch of fishing line round the impeller shaft....tried to pull it off but soon realized that i would have to drop the grate first....unfortunately managed to shear one of the grate bolts off...looked like who ever took it off last put it back in crooked...gonna have to get dealer to re-tap to get the grate off to remove the line...

 

[bubba2004]

the single forward bolt...saw your posting concerning your dilemma with these grate bolts..."four bolts..take fishing line off bolt back on ...bingo!"...more like bongo!:ack:

 

[bubba2004]

recall on washers

Been squeezing in as many trips to the lake fore the season ends....aside from the two occassions that dropped the boat into the drink only to find the battery dead, one new battery later and family been having a blast!....

....with all the issues these ceramic washers cause and the potential for some serious engine damage, has anyone inquired with seadoo as to why they have not recalled the models equipped with them?

 

[tony8a]

congrats

:hurray:
congrats on you boat purchase !

one word .... four meanings
B.ring
O.ut
A.nother
T.housand $

Its all good !... like they say,.. work hard to play hard!

i was so hesitant on buying a boat that i turned down a really good deal (from my old boss) on his "old" mastercraft . i regret it a bit.
then my wife kept buggin me until i gave in. finally got the seadoo and i am happy. like screwball said......they are FUN!!!

reasonably, it does not sound like you have a problem that you might be a able to fix easily.

good luck!

 

[timmyboy76]

Been squeezing in as many trips to the lake fore the season ends....aside from the two occassions that dropped the boat into the drink only to find the battery dead, one new battery later and family been having a blast!....

....with all the issues these ceramic washers cause and the potential for some serious engine damage, has anyone inquired with seadoo as to why they have not recalled the models equipped with them?

I dont thin, its a matter of a recall, but how the machine is used...you take a quad/dirtbike, and when you jump, you aint gonna stay pinned, but you'll release the throttle..just like the seadoo, if/when airborne, need to let off.