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A bit off topic - all my docs waterski:-) Primary, ortho, ophthalmologist, dermatologist 🤣 And they know surgery is only during off season with a focused purpose of getting back on the water / snow and focusing on being / staying active. It may be a niche sport with declining participation although there are strong pockets where access is available to many.

Not one but two identical oil pump failures? Did both engines run 140 kpa oil pressure all the time and at slalom speeds? 800 hours in 2 years is impressive, lots of sets per year!

Limited access, maybe? - on our little lake (a paradise of smooth water:-) in Michigan, access is not an issue. The kids of the parents that have ski boats sitting on a lift simply don't. It's all the 'mature' dads that ski. The kids are off doing something else. The region of Michigan I refer to is unique, lots of small lakes perfect for water sports. Heck, we even have a course that only a couple of boats use, and of course a few bass boats. Most boats are pontoons, that segment growth has been amazing. Access here is not the issue, interest in a challenging & physically demanding activity is. PS: there is not a single 100k boat on this lake. Tournament skiing? - seems like a very different argument than simply recreational skiing, different requirements for success.

This may help 😁 https://www.google.com/search?q=sticky+fingers+scene+from+the+replacements&rlz=1C1CHZN_enUS978US979&oq=sticky+fingers+scene+from+the+replacements&aqs=chrome..69i57.9041j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:8a5b705f,vid:QE4DHCz9brQ

Where can one find a results sheet for the events?

Before a significant load is applied to the propulsion unit, a few areas that are sensitive - filling lifters & lifter bores, cylinder walls & piston skirts and bearings. Also, cheaper oil filters are not as robust when hit by cold high pressure oil. To the OP, I like to warm things up before the skier says hit it, my indicator is when the oil pressure starts to drop off the cold start up level, at that point I know everything has lubrication. But - when the old one lap qualifying session was in effect in NASCAR, best power is with a cold air-fuel mixture so the teams pumped cold water through the engine just before the car went on the track and had the radiator covered so by the end of the lap it would be overheating and blowing steam out the vent. Note: these engines were specially built to handle it, so don't do this at home:-) On the flip side, there was an extensive start up routine (which included heating the oil) on the road race IMSA / Indy engines. The teams can't start the engines without a manufacturer tech monitoring the engine start up.

@LL778 - as noted above, if they balk at a test ride, pass on it. Every boat I have looked at (for me or friends) all came with a ride. You note its a marina so finding water should not be very difficult & you can bring the equipment. Given you are on this site therefore a slalom enthusiast, unless you plan on turning the boat in short order, I would shop carefully and lean towards a more slalom specific hull. The VTX is a great boat, it's just not targeted for slalom.

Another potential would be hydrolock if they shut the engine off while hot and still ballasted. The boat would be sitting much lower and could possibly have sucked water back up the exhaust as the engine cooled.

Michigan Motorz is a good source: https://www.michiganmotorz.com/products/marine-engines/remanufactured-marine-engines

@Nautique99 The risk is who the rebuilder is, ranging from high school shop class project (if that exists in todays world) to a reputable shop or a DIY first timer. Assuming a marine knowledgeable competent engine shop / person, no greater risk than a short block swap. What is the issue? Given the number of winterizing snafus, rebuild or non original engines are probably pretty common. @swbca - the long block is a basic marine small block Chevy with (4 bolt main caps, marine cam, marine head gasket, brass core plugs, marine circ pump).

Two materials costs have 'helped' the MSRP of boats jump. The old reliable iron small block Chebby (as Jody Seal would say) was phased out a few years ago to be replaced by the LS variant. All the tooling was paid for so the SBC was super cheap where as the aluminum LS version still has capital expenses as part of the cost along with R&D, etc. Resins & fiberglass thanks to hydrocarbon content has also seen a price bump. Add to that, ZO demand (read monopoly & the gotta have factor), all the electronics and presto, customers see a price hike. Boaters / skiers are also part of the reason for the price hikes, all those bare bones ski tugs people supposedly want didn't sell. If they did, there would still be a viable market for them.

Somebody else's divorce is an opportunity for others, great way to buy those expensive toys at a discount.

I care that the alignment is good on the water. With that said, I do the alignment on the trailer, give it a check on the water. The big confirmation is the shaft spins freely when in the water and in neutral with the engine running the shaft spins slowly. That to me confirms very low friction in the rudder shaft bushings. For left right moves, usually a hand bump will do it, if you are sliding the engine sideways in a clamp joint, a little WD40 will allow it to slide a bit easier. I like to mark the location once things are set.

I used this: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40068128/ Reason - lightest I could find, there are various thickness options, 200 / 400 / 600. 3M-90 adhesive and cloth insulation tape for the edges.

@RichardDoane - you must not have specified where you wanted the water outlet. 😅

Congrats on bringing something new to the market, very interested in the weight, it looks light. Whether you like it or not, it would be certainly fun to ski, drive and observe on it. The reach through hand warmers (exhaust manifolds) are cool, nice for those that ski in cool climes. Did anybody notice there are some really interesting cars parked in the background, I wonder what event this was.

Sine Wave v Square wave path description is a good one, that helps visualize the pendulum path of the bottom of the pendulum (the handle) which is longer for a short rope v long rope considering the handle needs to be at the same distance (width) from center (not quite due to required lean angle but close). Hence, skier average speed will be higher for the skier that travels farther between the end gates as will acceleration forces. Edit - was adding lengths and BB posted those. @Than_Bogan - agree with Horton & others, once you threw it out please demonstrate your theory and if we are not worthy of your math description simply provide a concise summary of your opposing viewpoint.

@chaloux - When not on the ski, I keep mine & ski partners under a towel / bag to keep sunlight off it. For us, super easy just to slide skis behind driver on the floor and drape a towel over them. The caveat - boat is simply a ski tug so it goes out, used to ski and goes back on the covered lift. The racks are pretty cool and a great option for those that want / need them particularly if you bring more stuff on the boat. They are pricey when one ticks the box so that probably impacts demand.

@ScarletArrow Too bad nobody's having any fun!

I'm too 'economically conservative' to just cut the exhaust tubes although after I wrangle and cuss getting them loose, that's the time I find blisters in them LOL. WD40 and having them above freezing (you are in MN and I presume it will be July 4 before you climb to 32 F) will make them easier to remove. My replacement gauge is any blisters / cracks on the inner surface.

Hmmm, lets ponder that career choice ... Jeff Gordon: Net Worth 2021 As per Celebrity net worth, Jeff Gordon's total assets are $200 million dollars. He is one of the highest-paid NASCAR drivers ever, having earned over $500 million in rewards and endorsements. During his career, Jeff Gordon has earned over $140 million from racing.

Some of it is Ford v Chevy and brand loyalty. MC & CC have focused more on the 3 event crowd in recent years compared to Malibu (which is the volume leader in wake boats). Brand loyalty & demand can / does impact price and total boat volume probably has an impact on individual boat price (offset fixed costs). There are some threads on this site detailing issues with the 3 top brands, worth a read as you ponder your decision. In my area, Action is clearly the premier dealer, they do an awesome job and a very customer focused. Happy shopping.

'as the snow finally melts' 😆 Brighton / Alta / Snowbird receive record snowfall this year and will probably be open through June at this rate and hit the 800" mark. Snow and waterski in the same day! @Such_a_brett - Nice, although I would alter the bridge structure at the turn island, make it like a walkover bridge at a race track, ie: no obstruction in the water path. Can one barefoot? Do you plan on end lake stops to change rope length? Can you tell me how much the cost would be to reserve and ski 200 sets / 100 days? That would be my comparison to my current ski boat / set expense. Do you have an average wind chart for the area? Thx.

It is a good practice to measure what comes out and make sure the same amount goes back in, I use old milk jugs for these type of processes. As the excellent write up indicates, the system appears to need a few burps to get all the air out.

Match this wake! What ZO settings did he use:-) If you get the chance to attend one of these races, they are very cool, boats are really fast and the racing is close.