I need some good advice from this forum. I have a 2002 SeaDoo Challenger 1800 with the 240 EFI M2 Jet Drive.
My issue is that I lost power while out on the water. I started going through the motor and fuel system and found that the flywheel failed into the stator damaging it enough to mess up the ignition. I spend just under $1000 in parts to replace the flywheel, stator and trigger. Once I had this changed out, I tested it with a hose and no load without any problems. I put the boat in the water and idled it for about 5-6 minutes in a no wake zone then took it out into the lake. The power was back for a minute then started to decrease. I shut down the engine and noticed smoke in the engine compartment. After investigation, I determined that I had the same failure with the flywheel and stator. I double checked the compatibility of the OEM parts and everything was fine.
My only guess was that I wore down a crack bearing and the crank had enough play to move the flywheel into stator. Knowing that pulling the engine and rebuilding it was more of job than I wanted, I took it to a good SeaDoo repair place.
3 weeks later when the shop could get to my boat, they confirmed that it was a main bearing and that I could have done even more damage. They would not know until they dug into the engine. They stated that the cheapest solution would be to purchase a new engine for $12,000.
Here is where I need advice. I purchased this boat 2 seasons ago for about $9,500. I have a hard time believing that a new engine costs $12,000, but I have not researched it yet to determine if this is mostly labor to put in the engine or the actual price of the engine. What is the best economical decision?
Can I purchase a new engine cheaper and install it myself (I am capible to change the engine)?
Should I try to have the engine rebuilt?
Can I sell the boat for parts? I would probably purchase a different boat if this is the best option.
I know that sinking the boat and collecting insurance is probably a bad decision.
Any advice is welcomed. I just would love to get my boat (or a boat) back in the water and try to not lose my entire investment.
Thanks in advance.
My issue is that I lost power while out on the water. I started going through the motor and fuel system and found that the flywheel failed into the stator damaging it enough to mess up the ignition. I spend just under $1000 in parts to replace the flywheel, stator and trigger. Once I had this changed out, I tested it with a hose and no load without any problems. I put the boat in the water and idled it for about 5-6 minutes in a no wake zone then took it out into the lake. The power was back for a minute then started to decrease. I shut down the engine and noticed smoke in the engine compartment. After investigation, I determined that I had the same failure with the flywheel and stator. I double checked the compatibility of the OEM parts and everything was fine.
My only guess was that I wore down a crack bearing and the crank had enough play to move the flywheel into stator. Knowing that pulling the engine and rebuilding it was more of job than I wanted, I took it to a good SeaDoo repair place.
3 weeks later when the shop could get to my boat, they confirmed that it was a main bearing and that I could have done even more damage. They would not know until they dug into the engine. They stated that the cheapest solution would be to purchase a new engine for $12,000.
Here is where I need advice. I purchased this boat 2 seasons ago for about $9,500. I have a hard time believing that a new engine costs $12,000, but I have not researched it yet to determine if this is mostly labor to put in the engine or the actual price of the engine. What is the best economical decision?
Can I purchase a new engine cheaper and install it myself (I am capible to change the engine)?
Should I try to have the engine rebuilt?
Can I sell the boat for parts? I would probably purchase a different boat if this is the best option.
I know that sinking the boat and collecting insurance is probably a bad decision.
Any advice is welcomed. I just would love to get my boat (or a boat) back in the water and try to not lose my entire investment.
Thanks in advance.
