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Old     (wakedoc)      Join Date: Jan 2003       04-15-2012, 7:30 PM Reply   
Hi All

This question is specific to the '09 X1 with MCX. We have had ours now for 3 1/2 years (from new), and from the very beginning it has had a vibration from 800-1300rpm that shakes the steering wheel, the dashboard, windscreen, and the tower. The vibration isn't horrendous, but it is enough to make the windscreen and steering wheel rattle, and boards in the racks shake.
Most people will say "must be a shaft/prop issue", but this occurs also in neutral. The vibration is prominent enough that 90% of the people who come into our boat will comment on it and wonder if the prop is out (then they realise that we are in neutral). It does appear to diminish above this rev range and is not noticable at wakeboard speeds.

We have had multiple marine mechanics go over this, and multiple theories. Unfortunately our local dealer went out of business soon after our purchase (and this may have meant that our issues were not communicated to Mastercraft properly at the beginning), but our local service agent has been dealing with Indmar and Mastercraft for well over 2 1/2 years now, and we had a replacement engine sent over (no difference), then a new transmission (no difference). Then everyone got concerned over oxygen sensors and injection mapping (but no answers).

The most recent development was a Mastercraft Engineer from Australia flew over to deal with the problem. He adjusted the tower (which was out of alignment - and is more solid now), and told me that this vibration was completely normal for the '09 X1 with MCX (apparently the EXT CATs required a different cam and ignition profile to get the power up after the cats were added, and this has resulted in a 'lumpier' feel at lower revs), and it is unique to this model due to exhaust harmonics and the narrow hull setting up a vibration.

I'm struggling to understand this, and how a boat that feels like this on the water could be sold as an example of the quality that Mastercraft represents. Before ordering this one, we test drove an '07 X1 (MCX) that was smooth, and recently I have spent some time in an '06 X1 (MCX) that is silky smooth over this rev range. I have never been in an inboard (and I've been in a lot) that feels like this.

I love our boat, but have concerns that this vibration could be causing some long term issues, and although I am not planning on selling this soon, when we do come to sell it this vibration will be seen as a problem (I know I would, and if I was looking to purchase a 2nd hand boat - I would be wary of buying this one).

We now have 375 hours on this boat (so it hasn't stopped us using it, but we would normally put 180 hours a year on - there has been a lot of time when it has been unusable while mechanics have had their heads in it, or parts out of it).

I have searched internet forums ad nauseum, and found no information. I have held off posting this in the hope that I could work with Mastercraft to find a solution, but now I just want to know if anyone else who has this boat (or has spent time in one) has the same issue (or am I being fobbed off).

I have no doubt that if I was in the US, this would have been dealt with long ago (even if it was a matter of putting it on a transporter back to the factory), but down here in New Zealand it is a bit more difficult.

I would welcome any opinions on this (it is specific to the 2009 X1 with MCX engine) - and if other owners tell me it is perfectly normal, then that will at least give me an answer.
Old     (snork)      Join Date: Jun 2007       04-16-2012, 5:33 AM Reply   
I've noticed a little rumbling due to the exhaust and swim deck proximities to each other. If you have the metal tip flaps they're knocking on the swim deck
Old     (chattwake)      Join Date: Jan 2010       04-16-2012, 5:47 AM Reply   
Check your motor mounts. I've never heard of this issue, and I have a few friends that are mc dealers. If it's as bad as you say, I'd be po'd.
Old     (wakecumberland)      Join Date: Oct 2007       04-16-2012, 9:25 AM Reply   
Check motor mounts and alignment. If you have a bad motor mount, you are most certainly out of alignment too.
Old     (ralph)      Join Date: Apr 2002       04-16-2012, 3:12 PM Reply   
Pretty much everything on this boat has been checked and replaced. New motor, new trans, new engine mounts, swapped exhaust system. Now MC are saying its "normal" for this model year. What Doc wants to know is, is it normal? Do other people experience this harmonics with this model year X1.

Personally I would keep it just so, the chicks go crazy when you fast idle.....
Old     (Raf1985)      Join Date: Mar 2012       04-16-2012, 4:19 PM Reply   
If it were so "normal", wouldnt they have said that before swapping out 80% of your boat? I'm sure they lost quite a bit of cash for a "normal" problem.......
Old     (wakedoc)      Join Date: Jan 2003       04-17-2012, 1:23 PM Reply   
Engine mounts have been checked, and replaced (didn't appear to be anything wrong with them, but we thought we'd try it), realigned. There was some concern last year that the bolts attaching the engine mounts to the stringers wouldn't tighten up properly, but that doesn't seem to be as much of a concern anymore (although I should check this again .........).

Thanks Ralph, but you know that it's driving my chick crazy in a whole different way ...........

Raf1985 - We were dealing through Indmar to begin with (as it was assumed it was an engine problem), and they were certainly concerned enough. Went through a lot of diagnostics, replacing some parts, pulling motor and heads etc, before deciding to send over a complete new engine (the only thing left in the boat was the exhausts post CAT - which have since been replaced as the last item). When the new engine didn't change the issue, we sent a video over (put the camera on the dashboard and ran it at 1200rpm) - straight away they sent a new transmission (just in case there was an issue at the input side - as it will still do this in neutral).

My concern is that this could be a hull construction issue, but I am assured by the Mastercraft contacts down here that this is a normal 'feel' - but there are no other similar boats here to compare to. There are plenty of earlier models, but no '09 (which is also when they changed ECM modules), so I can't make a direct comparison.

If anyone has an '09 (or possibly later, as I am told that it is the same) or knows someone with one, please let me know how it feels. It is only noticable when at 800-1300rpm. You don't spend a lot of time at these revs, but it is noticable when increasing idle back to a fallen rider etc, and when filling ballast (pumps run faster when at 1200rpm as voltage supplied is higher).

Thanks for the thoughts so far.
Old    sperbet            04-17-2012, 2:36 PM Reply   
My friend has an 07. Just had to have the engine and tranny pulled and re-installed. The shop told him it was installed/mounted more crooked then they had ever seen. So much so that the seal between the engine and the tranny wasn't doing it's job and the tranny was sucking up water. A few thousand dollars (outside of his warranty period and our local dealer also went out of business) later and it's apparently fixed. Maybe it could be something similar, engine/tranny mounted/aligned correctly?
Old     (wakedoc)      Join Date: Jan 2003       04-18-2012, 1:25 AM Reply   
Thanks Scott

We have considered this - the first service was done by a shop that our dealer recommended, and their comment was that when they loosened the engine mounts the engine 'sprang' like it had been under tension. We have had the engine/trans aligned, but I might get this checked (once again ......).

Thanks for the ideas.
Old     (wakedoc)      Join Date: Jan 2003       04-22-2012, 2:19 PM Reply   
Alignment all good - anyone else with any ideas (or current owners with an opinion)?

Help me in my quest for resolution!! (even if it does end in accepting that this is normal!)

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