Sport Jet Owners

[Noff fishing]

I have been looking more and more into getting a sled and have been very impressed with the sport jets so I'm gathering all the data I can on them and to get the best info. I want to get it from the users. I'm looking at the 175 Merc. SJ right now. How are they holding up over the years, in saltwater. Anything would be great info.
Thanks,
Noff fishing

[Flatfish]

I went thru what you are doing this past summer.

They run well( 200 Merc powerhead is pretty much proven).

Lots of power.

Cheap.

Great performance for many conditions.


The negatives are....

Doghouse inside the fishing space( this may or may not matter to you. Or you are looking at the Motion Marine "Outback").

Cold starting( not too big a deal. But annoying in an unpteen thousand dollar machine).

If you suck up a rock, and are not mechanically inclined, it can be fairly expensive. Especially so when you figure what the same fix on a standard outboard is.

In killer big monster whitewater( Snake comes to mind) they cavitate more than other pumps( Hamilton 212 is king of whitewater. At least in the crowds I asked who run rapids as a hobby)

We wanted a guide style boat. The Motion Marine was very tempting. We ended up with an outboard. But not because I thought it was a better powerplant than the SJ. It just was the right boat for our parameters.

How long it lasts is a matter of hours, use, and maintence.

Good Luck.

Mark and the dog.

[ssteelheadsteve]

Yeah Proven to be junk !

[Noff fishing]

i'm looking at the Motion Marine Outback so I don't have to worry about the dog house. I like the cheaper motor, but I'm more concerned about quality in my motor. It's defiantly caught my eye though (boat and motor) and i'm looking more into it.

[HOGTIDE]

I have had a SportJet for about 3 years now. No problems whatsoever. Light, fast, reliable.

It's simply a Merc 200 Black Max...the most reliable outboard made, mounted on a simple, more efficient jetpump.

[WaterDog]

I've had my 18' MM outback for 3 years and 100 hrs. Other than the hard starting, it's been flawless. Remember the block is a Black Max which merc has produced for many years and has been proven to be a reliable motor.

Use the feature and you'll find enough reading and entertainment for the day. :smile:

[pearl]

Had mine for 3 years and never had a problem. Flat Fish laid out the pros and cons pretty well. One thing I do like is the hole shot ability they have. They get you up on plane in a hurry.

Just like all mechanical things, if you take care of it and maintain it, the SJ should give you hours and years of enjoyment.

Just my .02 worth

[finclipped]

I have had my sportsjet for a little less than a year. I like the motor, but believe there are pro's and con's. I have a 20' boat and it is very light. This causes some porpoising above 35 mph or so. You can adjust the weight (people) to help out a little. Also there is a trim tab on the motor that will help, but I haven’t tried it yet. Fuel economy is better than a V8 with 3 or fewer fishers, but putting in 4 or 5 guys is a load for the boat.

The engine has worked well overall, but I did have a problem with a fuel line (simple) and a battery that goes dead from time to time. I think it is related to the solenoid but haven't been able to find out for sure.

I have had mine in the salt water quite a bit, without problems, but it is still fairly new.

I think for the money, they are a lot of boat for the price you pay.

[Thumper]

Originally posted by pearl:
Just like all mechanical things, if you take care of it and maintain it, the SJ should give you hours and years of enjoyment.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Emphasis on "YEARS" plizz. :smile:

[pearl]

I was referring to the hour meter. Probably should have said fishing seasons and years to come.

I'm kind of of a "Type A" when it comes to keeping my boat clean and maintaining.

-Interior is always neat and tidy. Everything has a purpose and a storage spot.

-Motors are always flushed after seeing the salt.

-Run the fuel out of my troller if it's not going to see use the next day.

-Always have my 12 year old do a full boat wash down when we get home.

:grin:

[Grass Hopper]

Im not sure how they hold up to salt. Has anyone run one in salt for more than 4 years????

[Pickles]

If you do a search, you will find several old threads on sportjets, some good, and some bad. The good one's mainly come from sportjet owners, the bad one's come mainly from outboard, or V8 jet owners. I being a sportjet owner feel they are a great value for the money. My only suggestion is that if you buy one, make sure you order it with the optional rock grate. The grate has narrower channels which greatly reduce the amount of crap that can be sucked into the pump. :smile:

[TheRogue]

Originally posted by fish-addict:
If you do a search, you will find several old threads on sportjets, some good, and some bad. The good one's mainly come from sportjet owners, the bad one's come mainly from outboard, or V8 jet owners. I being a sportjet owner feel they are a great value for the money. My only suggestion is that if you buy one, make sure you order it with the optional rock grate. The grate has narrower channels which greatly reduce the amount of crap that can be sucked into the pump. :smile:

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I agree, except for AuntyM's well documented problems, the info over the years about the SJ's has all been great. I've had the 175, fish with 2 other guys who have the 175, and am just getting a 240SJ broken in now (3hrs).

Can't say enough good about them...the one drawback is the hard starting of the 175, which is not a problem with the 240 or the Optimax SJ's.

Personally, I wouldn't have the rock grate, according to the info I was given, it cuts the amount of water sucked in and the performance by about 5%, depending on the model.

TR

[Pickles]

I had wondered about loss of performance with the rock grate. After testing with both the rock grate and the standard grate, I have not noticed any difference between the two. My GPS states the same top speed with both grates.

[TheRogue]

Originally posted by fish-addict:
I had wondered about loss of performance with the rock grate. After testing with both the rock grate and the standard grate, I have not noticed any difference between the two. My GPS states the same top speed with both grates.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">thanks, yours is the only first-hand report I've heard.

TR

[Jennie@ifish]

Run in salt.... 6 years plus... Doing great!

Jen

[DownTime]

Got one and love it.When on the Snake last year,they had rental sleds with 175 sportjets in them that had 700-800 hours on them and still running strong.

JB

[HOGTIDE]

Well geeesh....looks like everyone who owns one loves it!That's pretty good testimony, I'd say :smile:

[Noff fishing]

Thanks for the info guys. I was at the boat show again today drooling over the Motion Marine outback with the sport jet. I'm taking a ride on Tuesday or Wednesday to see how it performs as this will be my first sled. I hope that after I get it some of you will be able to show me some stuff and kill some fish. Also for you sturgon fishermen I've never caught a sturgon, but if you get one around 5ft where do you put it. It won't fit in the fish box? Thanks guys

[SLEDDER]

It's uncanny how this thread popped up after my discussion with Court at Boise Jet. I have been looking at a 23' Titan 3/4 hard top with a 496/212 combo. The beam on this boat is 8'6". He mentioned doing a twin 240sj on this same boat. It would be used in remote areas, two engines is appealing in this area. What do you people think? I have been leary of Mercury due to their quality control program in the Kentucky plant.

[Mikeymoto]

I like mine. 19' NR, small dog house actually seems to have more usuable floor space than my friends 20' NR with the 350. If memory serves me right there might be 2 stators on a SJ 1 on top 1 underneath, and was told that the stator problem has been worked out and they were covered under warranty because they were a manufactures defect (may be incorrect though about the covered under warranty though). If you go to willies website they have some fuel consumption figures that seem to be fairly close.
MM

[willierower]

If you are going to get a Sport Jet, Got with the 240. It has a killer electronic injection system as well as electronic ignition.

Now that the SJ's have been around awhile there are some neat after market products available for them. Place Diverter now makes a diverter for the SJ, That will help with the porpoiseing problems some guys are reprting. Plus with the diverter you can throw a killer roostertail. Eagle racing makes a custom wedge for the nozzle and you can get different exhaust for them. The 240 SJ with the Merc dual exhaust sounds pretty mean for a 2 stroke.

Eagle racing of Canada, a company that builds jet boats for all uses has been doing a lot with the SJ's. I bet hey can be very helpful if you need any info.

[Pickles]

I like the 175 sj just fine, It pushes my 19 footer 45 mph, and has a great hole shot.

[Thumper]

Originally posted by willierower:
Plus with the diverter you can throw a killer roostertail .... The 240 SJ with the Merc dual exhaust sounds pretty mean for a 2 stroke.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Yeah!!! That's what I need. A killer rooster tail and a mean-sounding exhaust. Am I getting old? :whazzup:

[Silver Hilton]

87 hours on mine, about 1/4 in salt. Coming up on three years old. Other than the first start on cold mornings, have no complaints.

[Pete]

258 hours, only problem was a failed stator. That happened at about 120 hours, so it wasn't under warrantee. Boo hoo! I think, in spite of official word that it isn't, that it happened because the dog house collects moisture which condenses at the top of the engine compartment where the stator is. I don't think I'd add vents to the dog house as that would make it noisier. But after a day of fishing, I always prop the motor box open to let moisture escape.

Beyond that, I've had no problems and I run my motor pretty hard.

[Silver Hilton]

Pete, I thought the stator was the black gadget after the impellor, which would be wet all the time. What's up with this?

[Silver Hilton]

I was told that your exhaust already sounded pretty mean, and didn't smell too hot, either.

[SLEDDER]

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] :grin:

[willierower]

:shocked: :grin:

[billfish]

Run a sport jet 175 for a couple years on salt and fresh water and
had no problems. The only thing that I did not like was the cloud
of smoke when starting up that would fill the inside. Engine temp
had to reach operating temp or engine R.P.M. had to be above
3000 for the oil enrichner to shut off. The other big change that I
had with the upgrade to the 200 opimax was the gas mileage
improvement and the good cold start idle with no smoke.

[Silver Hilton]

Did you upgrade within the same boat? If so, how bad was that? Is it a bolt on replacement, or does the well need to be reworked?

[billfish]

SH
I moved up to a bigger boat with more V in the bottem.