jpwhit

Seems kinda hard to justify the putting the money into an engine / ZO conversion when you have boats like this on the market for 20k.

https://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Boat_3Event&postid=70066

The screen reads RPM and Voltages directly from the engine ECM. Along with the screen not booting up properly, it sounds like your screen is having problems. Hopefully the boat is still under warranty. If not, I do repair these screens when I have parts available. Parts for these screens are hard to come by. If you want to go that route, send me a PM. Its a whole lot cheaper than buying a new screen.

What are the “other odd issues”?

3 hours ago, ReallyGottaSki said:

Excalibur was placed in many vdrives 

Sure, but for the Cat engines, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the same Cat and manifold parts for direct or v-drive. There are quite a few water cooling fittings and things are tight so it's conceivable they use slightly different parts based on the direction the exhaust needs to face. When you order an engine from PCM or Ilmor you specific if it's setup for direct or v-drive. 

Part of why I'm asking is because it will apply for the ZX-1 if the engine they get is setup for a direct drive. But I'm also interested because I have an Ilmor 6L that's currently setup for v-drive that I will likely put in my ProStar. So, I'm going to face the same situation. Of course, I'll figure it out when I try flipping the Cats and manifolds around, but it would be nice to know ahead of time. I know the answer for PCM vs Ilmor may be different. But it'll give an idea of what's typical.

Sounds like the engine's Skip has that I mentioned in my first post are non-Cat. So if they get that one, it shouldn't be a problem. 

3 hours ago, buechsr said:

I’m not seeing why the tranny output going to a Vdrive (Walter’s?) or driveshaft would have any bearing on the feasibility of the project.  Same issues present themselves when putting the same new long block in a DD or VD wakeboard boat.  I would agree that if it is using a 1 piece tranny/vdrive like a skivee? That would create a bigger issue but I’m pretty sure that in ‘01, tranny and VD were separate components.

Right, if it's standard PCM 40a trans with a separate v-drive then it won't be an issue. If it's a 40a with a modified tail housing so the v-drive can bolt to it, then that may be tricky. Or an all-in-one trans and v-drive unit would be a problem. 

3 hours ago, Jody_Seal said:

no big deal with the infinity repower.  contact Skip Dunlap. he is sitting on a few 5.7 new excalibur engines and transmission packages. they are listed on ski it again.. every thing will be plug and play. will need a adapter harness to go between the engine and hull harness..

Can the manifold / catalytic converters be flipped around to point the other direction on an EX343 setup for a direct drive so it'll work in a v-drive configuration. I know the exhaust ports on the heads are symmetrical, but I don't know if the manifold or catalytic converters will hit any obstructions. 

A guess a clue would be to see if PCM uses all the same part numbers in both cases. 

Have you used a portable course there and been told you have to have a permit? I'm pretty surprised because in the states where I know the rules, I've never heard of a permit being required if you don't leave the course in overnight or while you're not using it. 

I'm just wondering if this is one of those cases where, because you asked, you're getting a lot of resistance. As opposed to the "it better to ask for forgiveness than permission" kind of cases. I'm also wondering if the current rules don't really address the situation, and again because you asked...

Is this for a college waterski club?

Do fishermen on the lake put out noodles? Bouy's with fishing hooks dangling from them. 

14 hours ago, Broussard said:

@jpwhit The Infinity ZX-1 is a V-Drive with a center mounted engine.

 

Learn something new everyday.....

Seems like this will create some complexity in changing out the engine to be ZO capable.

You'll need an engine configured the way they are setup in v-drive boats. The engine is flipped around so the exhaust manifolds have to be configured in the opposite direction. On a lot of engine, you can flip the exhaust system around, but it gets more complicated with the newest engine with catalytic converters. There are a lot more clearance issues and cooling plumbing that makes it much tricker to convert an engine that was intended for direct drive. 

Switching out the transmission, if desired for reliability, may also be a little more complex. 

Is the setup currently in the boat a separate transmission and v-drive gearbox? Or is it a combined unit?

Another potential hurdle for converting this boat to ZO, all the new engines available have catalytic converters. The existing engine box may not be larger enough to allow for such an engine without modifications or replacement. 

I assume you don't really mean v-drive, the ZX-1 in a direct drive. I'm guessing you mean transmission. Does the boat currently have a PCM 40a transmission? You also don't need an electronic transmission to install ZO. But you are correct that you need a newer engine. ZO will only work with 2007/2008 or newer engine that has an eControls ECM. 

1500 hours isn't that bad as @VermontSkier said if it's well maintained. We run all of our club boats up into the 2500 to 3000 hour range w/o too much trouble. 

If you're doing this to have a more reliable boat, then you really would want a new PCM 80A transmission. PCM doesn't sell parts anymore for the 40a, and to be honest your transmission with 1500 hours is much more likely to give out than your engine. 

With engine and transmission, you're probably looking at 20-25k total cost at a minimum. Honestly, I think you'd be better off selling and buying a new boat.

Or in this is a case, considering your time constraints, installing Perfect Pass Stargazer and Z-box if you don't already have it may be the best option. 

I just remembered this, Skip has an new PCM 343 with 80A transmission for sale on Ski-it-again for a little less than 18k. 

https://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Motor_Inboard&postid=69104

@HortonYes, I mentioned the possibility of that large Tommy's inventory being liquidated impacting the boat market in an earlier thread. The reason I think it's interesting that MasterCraft mentioned it, is they only mention stuff like this in an earning call if they want to give investors a heads up that it may have future impact. So the fact that it was mentioned is validation that MasterCraft has real concerns. And they certainly have more insight into the market than all of us. 

Interesting they mentioned the situation with Malibu / Tommy's in the earnings announcement as having an impact on the market. 

Ok, those are Thomson throttle actuators. They are a lot more expensive than Lenco actuators at about $450 each, but I expect getting them from Nautique is quite a bit more expensive. I don't know if any of the of-the-shelf Thompson models match up exactly. Can you read the part number off of them? They would typically be something like 

ET12-084 or ET12-174 followed by additional numbers and letters. E for Electrak, T for Throttle, 12 for 12 volt, 084 or 174 is the thrust rating of the actuator. The number and letters following define other details such as CANBus, digital, or linear control interface. 

Knowing Nautique, it probably won't match an off-the-shelf Thompson actuator exactly. But that may be something as simple as the type of plug on the end of the wires. 

Interestingly, those actuators are rated for a water spray environment if moving. They are not rated to be actually submerged under water while the actuator is changing position. 

I think all 2019's are Bryant built. They only have a few molds, so I don't think there was ever concurrent production between Bryant and the Nautique. 

Are they Lenco actuators like on the surf boats? Can you post a picture of the actuators? On the surf boats you can use standard Lenco actuators if you're comfortable changing the electrical plug on the end of the cable. And they can be found for much cheaper than buying the part through Nautique.

Also on the surf boats, these actuators are typically good for around 5 years, and then it's just best to replace them. You can re-build them, but in my experience, they don't hold up that long after a rebuild. 

Or do they look like this?

This is what the Lenco actuators look like.

I really wish the forum software wouldn't combine posts. Is there a way to force it make a new post instead of combining with the last post when there hasn't been an interceding post from someone else?

Check https://web.archive.org

Yes, that looks like firmware that should work with the Polk.

The only other thought that comes to mind is maybe there is a setting somewhere in the polk to turn on / off the external control interface. On the Fusion head units for example, there is a setting to enable and disable the NMEA 2K interface. 

Other than that, I guess something could be wrong with the Polk or the LINC screen. I think it would be much more likely to be the Polk than the LINC screen. 

You replaced the 4 pin JDAB Cable ?

Nautique went to JL Audio Receivers in 2018 and they put out retrofit firmware for the LINC screens for folks with the Polk Units that wanted to upgrade. If someone installed that firmware on your boat, that would cause the issue. Can you post a picture of the LINC screen firmware version screen.

Fyi, JL Audio also uses NMEA 2k interface between LINC Screen and the JL Head Unit. So there are different wiring harnesses. But I wouldn't think your boat would have the different wiring harness unless someone upgraded your boat to JL Audio, but they pulled it out before selling it. Seems like the Polk units had issues with bluetooth not working reliably. Most people like the JL Audio better, so that's why Nautique made the updates available. 

That's why the higher interest rates have and will continue to crush the surf boat market. 20+ year financing isn't the exception on these boats, it's the norm. And you can sort of make it work when interest rates are 3-4% and boats are going up significantly every year.

With interest rates in the 7% range and with boat prices dropping it's simply not workable anymore. Payments are too high, and then the boats get underwater because of falling prices, and folks can't get out from under the 20+ year loans at that point. 

There are lot of parallels between what happened with houses and house loans in 2008 to what's happening now with surf boats. The only difference is the boat market is way too small to impact the overall economy like the housing market crash did in 2008. But I think the surf boat market has a long ways to go and I suspect it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. 

3 hours ago, swc5150 said:

I'm just saying the market spoke as to what it wanted and Toyota responded, something I never thought I'd see.

The market didn't speak, at least not the market being the consumer. Toyota sees the phenomenal success of the Bronco, another legacy SUV, and they are just trying to get a piece of that action with their similar legacy SUV. 

52 minutes ago, samstenzel said:

 

We've got two tournaments: one this weekend (Fleur de ski) and another the following weekend. I'm on the B team, but my coach says I'll eventually pass up the guy in the fifth slot at my current rate of improvement. I hope to make the top five point scorers by next year. For that reason, I'm not trying to go for points this spring; I'm more interested in familiarizing myself with the course and running a full pass. I'll definitely try that. My rhythm feels inconsistent right now, and I bet would benefit from specific practice on it.

I am going to be in Houston for an internship this summer and hoping to find a place to ski. One of my teammates has some places in mind. I'm a freshman so I've got 3 solid years ahead of me on the team.

Ok, good plan. With your background in slalom, you'll be able to make fast progress. So focusing on improving your technique now and then focus on scoring points in your next 3 years will pay dividends. 

If you're ever in the Raleigh / Research Triangle Park area then let me know. Lots of places to ski here. My twin daughters skied on the UNC Ski Team. Unfortunately, that team is dormant now. But they really loved collegiate skiing.  

How many more tournaments does the team have this spring? Are you trying to score points for the team at tournaments this spring or do they already have the 5 men point scorers...assuming they still count the top 5 point scorers in each discipline for Men and Women. 

If you are trying to score points this spring, then as @Rednucleus suggests, you need a bigger ski for the slower speeds. And staying slower will allow you the time to get more buoys. If you're not in a position or interesting in scoring points at the tournaments remaining this spring. Then I would speed up and focus on the rhythm of the course without necessarily going around the balls. 

But again, I would try to stick with the single best coach on the team, and listen to them. And the best coach isn't always the best skier. The best coach is often the person that can express what you need to work on in terms that resonate with you. 

Do you have the opportunity to ski and get coaching this summer in the off season for the team? What year are you in school? How many more seasons do you have to ski on the team? 

Do you have any coaching available through the team? That can be from a coach or from a more experienced members on a team. I would encourage you to find one person to coach you. In slalom, you generally need to focus on fixing one thing at a time. So having a lot of different people tell you things to do, often isn't helpful. Everything happens so fast, that you can't think about multiple things, and you often have to commit that "thing" you're trying to fix to muscle memory so it does unfortunately take some time. 

4 hours ago, jpwhit said:

Sure, test the other sensor with a voltmeter before you buy the replacement gauge. 

You didn’t say the year of the boat. If this is a medallion gateway era boat, then disregard my comment. 

Sure, test the other sensor with a voltmeter before you buy the replacement gauge. 

Ok, then it’s definitely a CANBUS wiring issue right around the screen. The wiring harness on MasterCrafts are setup to work with both the 4.5” and 7” screens. They never offered the 4.5” screen in the ProStar, like they did in the wake boats, but nonetheless the wiring harness is setup the same way. 

So there is a small adapter harness right at the screen, to adapt the connectors on the 7” screen to the connectors used for the 4.5” screen. The base wiring harness is setup to plug directly into the 4.5” screen. Net, the CANBUS wiring goes through a few different connectors right around the screen. So any of those connectors / connections could be the problem. 

Here are a few pictures

And a picture of just the adapter harness that I labeled. I'll be at my lake house tomorrow so I can verify some of this by checking my boat. 

To be clear, I meant Tommy’s going bankrupt. But it certainly could be a tough year or two for Malibu as well.