Thanks Scott, Sometimes I do overthink things and / or am to cautious. I will check to see if the back rest cushion can be removed. If the panel behind it is solid then I'll likely cut an access hole.
Glad you found something that works and the fact you got a good deal on it don't hurt! Be safe and enjoy the boating season. I'm currently searching for a lightly used 2 person Mabel. My 3 person just takes up too much room and it weighs a ton, especially when some water gets between the...
Scott,
Well I'm not too excited about your reply but I do appreciate it and respect your experience with boats. I'm a engineer and pretty mechanically inclined but this problem has me at a loss for what to do. The best suggestion I've had so far is that the fixed back rest cushion that I...
I've thought of that but the area is very cramped to begin with, the side wall of the fiberglass vertical panel is very close and to make matters worse my boat has an 8.1 VP big block engine so there just isn't much room. I have had a suggestion that the back seat rest cushion in that area...
Hello fellow boaters. I have an Ebbtide fun cruiser that has a loose bimini top hold down bracket. It is on the starboard side in the back right next to the engine hatch. Both screws just spin. I can't tighten it or loosen it. The bracket won't lift up off the hull at all so I can't get...
That's how mine sounded. I did some research and found about the dreaded Volvo black powder coat on the inside of the fuel cells. Troy at ManCaveMechanic was a great help and has built a business replacing the fuel cells with cells that don't have the coating. I replaced mine year before last...
I don't know if the infamous fuel cell paint issues were present in 2000 or perhaps your boat got a replacement fuel cell made when they painted the inside of the cells! I know, who could have thought that was a good plan but nonetheless it has been a problem for many years. My 2011 8.1 Gi-J...
My first two boats were fish and ski boats. We loved them but 8 adults in a 19 to 20 foot boat is not practical. If you really need to haul that many on a regular basis then you need a larger bowrider / deckboat in my opinion. My first fish & ski was an Ebbtide Dynatrak 18' with a 115 merc...
I had to replace the fuel cell (complete - both high and low pressure) on my 2011 VP 8.1 Gi-J last year. I had the high pitch whine and was able to tell with the engine cover up that it was coming from the fuel cell. It didn't whine all the time and I think that at certain engine rpms the...
Depending on what you want to use the boat for as in how far and how fast if it was mine I'd maybe consider putting a 5 hp on it and save some money and weight. I'd think 5 hp would push it pretty good and the 5s are light and easy to carry opening up the possibility of not having to leave it...
Thanks, this makes sense. If I understand what you are saying correctly it is that the engine pumps the oil from the pan through the engine and then it goes through the filter. I can see that since as you point out the filter is on top of the engine. I'm glad that prefilling didn't hurt...
Thanks, I thought it was a good idea but it isn't mentioned in the factory VP manual. Hindsight is always 20/20 as they say and I started to worry that adding the oil to the filter canister might somehow cause it to over pressurize. Your experience makes me feel better.
Hi All, I hope you all are doing well and are either already on the water for this season or getting very close. I recently de-winterized by VP 8.1 Gi-J and changed the fluids and filters. I thought sharing my experience along with a couple of questions might help someone else. I followed the...
I have the Super Mabel tube and yes it is for sure a very large water toy. My grandkids like it because it is pretty stable for the younger kids when pulled fairly slow without sharp turns but it can also provide a pretty exciting ride for the older kids when pulled faster with sharper turns...
