1996 Sunsetter VLX ?s

picking one up on Friday (if it looks as good as the pictures and runs well). And have a few questions as the place who has it now is completely ignorant about ski boats.

1. Does this boat have any tracking fins ?
2. Where do you change the impeller and is it easy to get to ?
3. Same question on the packing nut. where and how easy ?

On top of that, what other things should I look for or should I think about upgrading to make operating the boat go much smoother ?

1 - I believe so, my 97 VLX has a single tracking fin so I would imagine that a 96 would have the same but I could be wrong.

2 - The impeller will be at the very rear of the engine(actually the front but it sits in the boat backwards). It is tough to get to especially if the boat has the silent ride exhaust. There is not a lot of room between the backside of the engine and the transom. If you can get to it with both hands, then the 2 screwdriver prying method would probably work well. If not, some have suggested needle-nose pliers. You will want to lubricate it and just bump the starter very quickly to turn the impeller but don't start the engine. It will help loosen it up a bit.

3 - I have not had to yet but you will have to remove the section of the floor that is slightly recessed from the rear seat to the middle of the boat. Someone else can probably help more on this one.

What options does it currently have? I would suggest PP, tower, and some ballast if they are not currently installed. Depending on what you are looking for in a wake, you could also add the wedge.
You should definitely join http://www.themalibucrew.com if you buy the boat. You can get a ton of information about the boat over there.
Good luck.

mechanic checked it out today, and everything was good, only a suggested oil change and new spark plugs. Only 146 hours on the Monsoon 320hp.

I'll post some pics after we get it home and you guys will freak out for what price we got it.

A 1996 with only 146 hrs. WOW!!

Glad it turned out good for you. I would have been worried about an engine that has sat without use as much as that one but good for you for getting it checked by a mechanic. Sounds like you found a great boat. Be sure you join up on www.themalibucrew.com and share the pics there as well

congrats, sounds like a great find. There were 160 hours on my 95 SS when I bought it last year. Gotta love it when you get a ten year old boat that is almost as good as new.

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/1/8/80572718.htm


check it out. will post more pics soon. They haven't taken the ad down yet.

there's a single tracking fin. the impeller is fairly easy to swap compared to some other V-drives i've worked on. there isn't a whole lot of shrouding around the engine like most newer boats.

no need to pull the floor panel out for the packing gland - it's way behind there, under the V-drive unit. it's easy to see, but takes almost a contortionist to do anything to it. again, though, i've seen much worse.

V-drives are generally harder to work on than directs, but both are much, MUCH easier than most modern cars. }

just cheked the boattrader ad, and wow - excellent buy! beyond the usual board racks, PP etc upgrades, i'd recommend swapping the prop to an ACME 537. i finally trashed my old stock 14x18 OJ recently, and the ACME is a huge improvement. much more noticeable than i expected.

also, take a look at the steering cable. mine was mounted too close to the floor of the bilge, and it constantly worked the rubber seal off the end, leaving the open cable end frequently submerged in water. i found this problem when replacing the cable. shimmed it up a bit, and no problems since.

already have one monster tower rack, will order another soon. I already have a 600 lb. sac to put in the ski locker, Im guessing 400's for the engine sides would work well. A new prop is definitely something we will check out depending on what is on there now and how it feels. other things we plan on doing

- bimini
- add a side seat to make it wrap around
- change graphics
- tower speakers and new system

yeah, definitely get a bimini, especially out there in Lubbock.

i say this a lot, but i really prefer not having wraparound seating. i keep a 150 qt cooler on that side, and people sit on that. a cooler that size is majorly in the way in any other layout.

you will grow to hate the power lift hatch. i have hardware to finally convert mine to gas springs this winter.

i run two coverless 600's in the rear storage, a twin mattress in the ski locker, and a 750 Fly High Pro-X in the walkthru or under the cooler, depending on if we're surfing or boarding. the front sacks can't fill completely, but i'd say i could run 2400+. never had a complaint on the wake, and i've pulled some VERY good local riders. the new prop REALLY helps it get out of the hole loaded down.

i also moved my battery out of the rear storage, up under the useless cooler under the observer seat. this makes the rear storage areas more symmetrical as far as weighting i have dual Optimas under there now, another good upgrade. there's also a perfect spot to mount a Perko switch right in front of the observer seat.

Trace, how much does that twin mattress weigh filled up?

i have no idea what it'd weight just laid out on the ground, but inside the locker i'd guess it gets a little over 600 lbs. it fills pretty much every available space if it's not twisted or anything. the rear coverless ones can also expand to fill practically the whole rear storage.

whatever you do, get coverless sacks for enclosed spaces. they are much easier to get straightened out in the space than the ones with covers.

another thing that was a problem with my boat was the only drain plug was the one in the transom, which was about 4" above the low point in the hull unless parked on a hill. i added a garboard drain in the ski locker, in the flat spot where the other tracking fins go on the LX (DD) models. it's easier to get to, and drains the bilge much better.

pics, forgot to get some of the interior but its in great shape.