yardsale

there is a fuel pump inside the canister, check the hose that is 3" long from which the pump dangles. that is a known failure point. hose cracks, you lose pressure and boat sputters at low rpms.

 

there is an upgrade kit out there.

waterskiproshop in Boise, ID is sitting on a 1997 ski nautique bubble butt with 372 hours, and the gt 40 motor, asking 12500. exterior is horrible, interior is nice. that boat in that era was by far the best thing offered in the market. the 97-01 nautiques were ahead of their time. offer 9 and see where it goes.

Skiing died for the same reason stand up jet skis did. They're hard things to do. They take strength, effort, and athleticism. Most people aren't like that.

 

 

https://memphisgrills.com

 

is connected to wifi, has a probe. all controlled electronically. couldn't be any easier and zero maint to use. the smell is amazing. neighbors start wandering over b/c they know what you're up to.

 

I looked at every other option out there from eggs, to traegers, webers; I'm so happy I ended up with this one.

Horton, a Memphis Grill would suit your needs. Best thing I ever bought. Burns pellets, has a temp range of 180 to 700F. Can be a grill, can be a smoker, oven...the taste is so much better cooking with this thing. Best move I made. My weber gas is collecting dust.

easy to then also change the fuel filter once you have the separator unscrewed and found a spot for the gas it contained.

another bugger on the gt40 is, the 1/2" OD x 3" long rubber hose that is connected to the small fuel pump inside the fuel separator/filter. sometimes that hose can crack and cause motor to stall/cut out, behave poorly, etc. as it cannot hold fuel pressure.

 

There is a retro kit sold for it on planet nautique, I believe. Pull the fuel separator apart and inspect the hose. Pretty easy to get at.

From my understanding, Force motors were rated at the head, whereas other brands are at the prop. You lose a certain amount of hp thru the drivetrain like a car. So a "70hp" force might perform like a "60hp" Merc.

 

which was a reason I think they were less expensive for the "same" model, i.e., a 70hp merc and 70hp force.

Bcm, we had our 100 acre lake infested with weeds last year. Tried everything. Eventually it died out, but at one time was so bad it looked like you could walk from one shore to another. Like foam on the surface. If we didn't ski everyday, our path would weed over and we were done.

 

Any advice for large scale weed control? Was milfoil, duckweed, Alge, and probably a few others.

Will also add those drysuits that skibrain has above, best product out there. I went to one of those hybrids after many uncomfortable years in a barefoot international. Drysuit, head gear, warm gloves, and a boat heater....is like mid July. Well, pert near.

Just south of you on gervais. We were our December 15th and again March 15th the day ice went out here. The head gear is really clutch. Would never ski cold water without it.

 

I also go the deep dive insulated gloves out of overtons- the ones that look like you're playing soccer goalie.

 

With your young one, that's pretty awesome. Some serious determination. Good quality to have. Warmer weather on the way.

Have a 97 and considered a new motor. The 343 or 330 if you can still get it, are both direct drop in replacements. Same trans and plug and play. Approx $10k

 

The 409/450 is probably more like a $15-17k option. Contact Jody seal on this forum. He's done many. For mine, that 1997 is a classic boat and I would definitely do it if my gt40 was bad. However, it's fine. I was just thinking of the upgrade because I like this stuff and had winter boredom.

Nice thanks. Was looking for people's experience from stock. I kept having to move mine forward on my Goode.

When mounting your boots, are you guys staying at spec or forward holes or back? This is on a 2016 lith vapor.

great info, my ankles thank you.

Just curious, how do these release? ...say when a guy goes out the front....

 

 

I've been on powershells for many years and that has a pretty obvious plan b with the interlock.

Keller is now so weed infested it's crazy. Looks like foam on the surface of the water it's so bad.

Jody is in FLA, I'm in MN and there is a reason i spoke with only him about doing my 97 nautique.....I think she'd be a dandy with a 6 L.

 

 

For whom does it matter? The skier, ask them.

but is the improvment in its skiability worth that? probably not for most people.

you've arguably got the best boat nautique has ever made when you consider the present day value of that vintage, and what it would cost to upgrade to a new CB200. The difference between the two boats is probably a minimum of $50k.

 

plus the classic look of the bubble butt........so nice.

Same weight, actually a little less, and footprint good to use stock engine cover? Where do I sign up?

Exactly

does a guy need a new transmission with the 409?

i knew a guy that had a 502 in his. a monster and he used it for footing, problem was the big block was noticible in the wake as it had a lot more weight. i don't think the 409 is any heavier than my gt-40?

 

although skiing is the priority, we like to long line foot on occasion and id think this motor could pull 4 guys. the gt40 struggles with two. have a 4 blade acme on there too. 13p i believe.