How many hours before mechanical problems?

My 01 Wakesetter LSV now has over 600 hours. Just curious how many hours it will take before I start have problems with the V-Drive, Trani, and engine. Does anyone have experience with this??

I do not have any experience, but I wanted to know if you liked your Malibu? Prefer something else? I am looking at one and just trying to determine if it is a good boat.

J-rod I have seen boats go for 1200 the most was 2000 hours and all that was needed is regular maint. Like belts plugs and fluids. Just keep up on her and she will keep going.

what's the first thing to go squid? What's the weak link?

Clint. I love the Malibu. 600 hours and never one let down. Never had a single problem. My only regret is, I wish I would have got the 21 foot VLX instead of the LSV. VLX wake is better.

Weak links are starter, alternator, and water pump. Other weak links are fuel injection seals.

Depending on how much weight your running, but I would say first major problem would be tranny. Have you ever thought about getting a new one. When I bought my boat I bought the 5 extended warranty on the engine and drive train and as soon as that is up I plan to get a new one with the same warranty or if not sooner. I could probably sell my boat alot faster with it still having a transferable warranty with 1 or 2 years left on it. I could be wrong about that, but i'm about 75% sure the warranty is transferable.

my boat is out of warranty. I don't think you can get a extended warranty once the factory one is already expired

What I mean is buying a new boat. I'm just considering the amount of hours. Will the boat be harder to sell with more and more hours. At what point what can you justify buying a new boat before you start having major problems. Kinda like cut your losses type of thing.

J-rod I see the most going out is the trannys but that is mostly due to lack of maint. I have a 2001 super air with 650 hours and its doing fine. Just change the fluids. I change my tranny every 100 hours and also the V-drive and the oil.

J-Rod,

My 2000 Mob-V with the standard 310 carbed Indmar, has never given me a single problem in the 540 hours I've run it. For this reason alone, every time I've looked at nicer newer boats I always decided against it.

V-drive's

Most people are concerned with the tranny/V-drives going out from all the additional weight wake boats run. When I looked for info regarding the one in my boat, I found that the same model is commonly used in salt water commercial fishing boats that weigh four times as much as mine. The mechanic told me that everything else around my tranny and V-drive would probably fall apart before I ever had a problem with them, and that if properly maintained they should never fail in a ski boat.

Thanks guys. This was a big help.

Lance,

New boats depreciate so fast it's scary. But you're right. When you start breaking down, it might end up costing the same. And I'm sure it will be hard to get rid of with 1000 hours!

I have 700 hours on my monsoon. No problems. I saw a guy with a really old malibu... ford motor, and he said he had 1300 hours on his with no problems.

It's scary that my tranny fluid is like new after 100 hours when I pump it out, and my oil is still not that dirty when I pump it out after 50 hours of use each time I change my fluids. Top end is still around 47 mph... the same as it was with 200 hours on it when I bought the boat.

I did replace the water pump at 500 hours cause it was dripping a little.

For recreational applications, the ZF-hurth transmissions are specified duty for over 500/hrs a year use...V-drives drive are over 400 hrs/year...

Keep fluid in them and they will outlast your engine. Water pumps, manifolds, injectors and hoses are things that will need help over time, especially with intermittent use.

I think the most common problems for both boats are:

1) dead batteries
2) rough shifting (i/o's)
3) performance from bad fuel (from sitting around un-used or water in the fuel)

Using your boat 50 hours a year and properly winterizing (if you need to) are very important.

I think warranties aren't that important after 200 hundred hours. Defects would have shown up by then. And to transfer a warranty costs money. I didn't bother when I bought used.

Maybe Peter Chandler will post on this thread. He knows engines well.

I had to replace my battery this year. I put in a blue top Optima.

At the end of the season, I always fill my tank, run some StaBil in the gas to ensure it's well distributed.

At the beginning of the season, I always put in some "heat" water absorber, and replace my fuel filters after the first tank is gone.

I got 1,025 hrs. on my '03 Master Craft..all it takes is regular maintance and a good eye and ear to pick things up asap...

Man, I must have gotten a lemon. I have a 99 Sportster and since about 250 hours, I've been having problem after problem. Multiple carburator problems, just changed the water pump, had to change the regulator in the alternator...it has gotten to the point where Malibu is not even a possibility for my next purchase.

Oh no! Jon, mine's got 243 hours. Don't say that!!!

I just had to replace the starter this year on my 98 sportstar with 450 hours. Although the reason it failed is probably because the bilge pump failed last year and the water rose up to just below the carpet level and therefore covering the starter. It was rusted to hell when it was taken apart.

Key point... Use your boat!
Ever notice that the engines with a lot of hours seem to have less problems with dead batteries, water in gas, carb problems etc...

Awesome. I'm feeling better about the amount of hours I have!

for me the most problem you can have come from the water you have in your bilge. the humidity is really not good for your electrical parts (starter, alternator, gauge). i keep my bilge dry and i am really sure it help.
the engine in ski or wake boats are really strong and are already used in cars from 40 years now, so they are "mature" now. for V8 engine, the worst is high RPM, but when you ride, your engine is not so high. the trany are calculated to hold the power of the engine.
but you have to remenber that it is still mecanic and sometime mecanic broke (like my trany with 179 hours)

I've got 380 hours on my Sportstar with no problems, although the dealer did replace the starter before we bought it used with 230 hours. I think it might need a new circulation pump (or at leatst the gasket soon, there is a very minor leak coming from that. Also, the manifolds have no more than 1 (maybe 2) seasons left in them, but that's just due to the boat being a saltwater boat (yes i do flush every time)

2370 hours..no problems..yet.lol

The engine in my MC was replaced at 1500 hours mainly due to lack of use (it sat for 3 years without any preventative maintenance) and when we started using it again it was siezed. However with the new engine we used all the old ancillieries (waterpump, starter, carb, trans etc) and its close to 2000 hours now. Need to replace the engine waterpump as the bearings are noisey but no other problems.
The boat has spent its entire life in salt water too.

Look after and regular servicing you should expect 2000 hrs without problems.

Complicated thread! For sure, engine compartment ventilation is a very important issue for starters and alternators. If that is properly taken care of and proper maintenance performed then engines are good for a long long time. I know several people that have put over 3000 hours on their boats.
To wake pimp, your problems on your boat cannot be blamed on Malibu. Malibu has nothing to do with any of the problems you complan of. They are Indmar and Chevy's fault! Alternators go bad on every engine ever made (especially 350s). The carb problem is no different than any carb problem that any of us had to deal with on boats before FI. And while I speculate, I bet the water pump problem could have been avoided with regular impeller changing, unless you're talking about a closed system.