Looking at a Merc powered SeaDoo?

[Dr Honda]

Hi All,


OK... several times this season (still have snow where I'm at) I have been asked about buying a Merc powered boat. I normally say to stay away from them for one main reason... They are crazy expensive to fix.

Here's some proof. Here is a USED pump for a Merc boat. It's listed for an Islandia, but will work for any of them. It looks like it's been used in salt... and the guy wants $1,000 for it. (it could have seal or gear issues)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sead...50094636272QQptZPersonalQ5fWatercraftQ5fParts


I sold a used 140mm pump (common on all the 2 -stroke boats) and I got $70 for it. And it was in much nicer condition.

Anyway... there is proof so people don't think I'm feeding them BS.

Oh... and you will never find a shop to install it for you... so you better be ready to do the work yourself, or pay a non-SeaDoo or Merc shop to do the work... and hope you find someone honest like me or Snipe.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Pumps...

I'm going to be easy on this one. Rookie101 (moderator) is kinda partial to his Mercury powered boat.

I'd agree that these boats might be harder to get a mechanic for but in the long run, if it's in good shape, just good maintenance practices should keep you from a service dealer. You can still find a few that work on them but it's done at the Merc shops, not Seadoo.

The Merc powered boats use a worm gear, two part jet pump. They are completely different than our axial flow pumps on the Rotax's. They do not use a wearing ring which in my opinion, is a huge design flaw. If you set out to buy the pump, basic casing, your looking at about $2000 brand new. If you wanted the complete unit, gears, shafts, impeller and all the other internals, your looking at roughly $5000 bucks. So yes, they are a lot more expensive to repair when something goes bad.

But, from members I've worked with and communicating with Rookie101, they seem to have fewer mechanical failures than most think. If something does fail, like a sensor or something, these parts are fairly easy to find through Overton's. We have a sticky in the boat section for them.

When you look at Mercury's largest engine for the Seadoo, the 250hp DI engine, you have to compare this engine with the 255 hp Rotax. This is basically why BRP moved away from Merc. Rotax developed the 4-TEC that was actually more powerful and occupied less room and weight than the Mercs. So, it was a no brainer business wise.

I wonder if Mercury found a way to increase single engine horsepower from the 250 hp to a 325 hp, would BRP be willing to go back to the Merc powered boats again (until Rotax caught up with an engine even more powerful).:cheers: