Well, It is Fall 2022 and I can report several years of trouble free usage out of this great boat. I've caught so many Steelhead and Salmon out of it than is probably believable.
Last Thursday the fishing was epic in the driving rain. I was catching a nice 10lb or so steelhead about every half hour trolling along. The next morning as I was heading up river with fishing buddy and all of a sudden...WHAM!!! the engine couple that connects the drive train blew apart and took out the drive shaft on its way out.
Left me upriver with the trolling motor to bail me out of the river with a now leaking boat.
I have tore the engine, mid bearing and jet pump out of the boat as soon as I pulled in the driveway returning from the river. Somehow I was pretending I was going to repair it and finish the short salmon season...
That was totally delusional. Big fish will do that to a person.
7/30/2023
I have spent considerable time rebuilding the drive system from the engine out. I was able to get the pump rebuilt with a new output shaft. I had the6re mid-shaft rebuilt but was hesitant to use due to it feel like there is a bit much resistance. I put it on a drill and spun it and sure enough it got pretty hot. I decided to just to buy a used mid-shaft for about $60.
I noticed the alignment seems a bit off between the engine output coupler and the mid shaft. -ugh...more to follow
9/11/2023
August was hell. I broke a tunnel, bent another shaft when a horrible vibration emerged when firing up after re assembly. After inspection. When the Skat-Trak impeller was installed before my ownership a spacer ring was left out causing the impeller to come loose and cause some more damage.
At least these parts are cheap.
To get things rolling I decided to go with a complete pump upgrade. I purchased a Solas Pump stainless stator to go with the new shaft. Along with a replacement mid-shaft there is pretty much new parts all through the Yamaha 144 pump system .
9/18/2023
The Whaler is back up and performing like it should.
Here was the culprit:
A missing spacer between the impeller and pump. Not sure why it wasn't replaced when the Skat-trak stainless was installed.
Just in time for this years Salmon fishing season though.