rhino89523

That was the part I used a socket. I separated the coupler into 2 halves, I put a socket on top of the shaft after removing the nut, then I used longer bolts and squeezed the two halves together and pushed the shaft out.

I am not really sure the exact question, but I have the same boat and have taken the shaft out and it wasn't that big of a deal. The shaft itself if it was bent could be straightened by my prop guy, he has the full truing stand for doing it and I used him on my brother-in-laws boat when he hit hard. So if it was me the shaft is supported by the cutlass bearing in the strut, if it has shifted up top it probably shifted your motor mounts a bit. I would undo the coupler from the V-drive to the shaft then rotate the shaft and inspect the cutlass bearing for play. If I could figure out a way to attach a dial indicated caliper to check the shaft for straight I would do that, if not it is pretty easy at that point to remove the shaft completely. Just put a socket or something between the two coupler halves and use some longer bolts and it will separate the coupler from the shaft. Remover your prop before doing so then the prop just slides out...some boats you may have to remove the rudder but that is pretty simple as well and is easy to get to from the locker. Then I would either roll the shaft across my wife's glass table to check for straight or I would run it down to the prop guy. If you know the shaft is straight then you need to align the v drives output flange to the other half of the props flange or coupler. If memory serves you are supposed to get it within .003 max....that is pretty square or you will wear out cutlass bearings or your shaft seal. If it were me, if you are this deep and don't have a drip-less seal already installed...do it. There are videos on shaft alignment and it is fairly simple, just takes a little patience and you ar doing the feeler gauge check blind...you cant really see what you are doing. Mine was perfect on the up and down and had moved side to side. The side to side adjustment is done with a crowbar...for real. you have to loosen the sleeves on the motormounts, hit them with some penetrating oil because they can be a little stubborn to slide. while prying on the one side you may need to tap on the other one to get it to wiggle. Getting something within .003 with a crowbar is where the patience is required. Up and down adjustments are done with a wrench on the motor mounts and is easier. Take time and you can get it. I wrench better than I type, it took me a couple hours to do mine, I was just doing cutlass bearings, dripless seal, and then aligning the motor...it took me 20 minutes to type this reply haha

I have not pulled the motor out of this boat but have out of others. The coupler I have pulled out of my Avy and its a piece of cake. You cant see it really just feel it. Four bolts and it just pushes out of the way. Check alignment when you put the motor back in. Yank the exhaust and electrical and it seems like there is enough room to pull the whole thing out as a unit tipped.

I did mine without pulling the Vdrive, used the Glide bearing kit and did the cutlass bearings at the same time. It was pretty much blind work all done with feel but it only took an hour or so. The hardest part was alignment of the shaft which I believe was what caused the bearings to take a dump. really a piece of cake other than not really being able to see what you are doing.

I run an avy and use a shaper because we switch back and forth a bunch. I am a big guy and had trouble staying in on the listed wave and do better with the shaper. Gas mileage probably isn't great but we go all day on the tank. I don't fill the center tank because it doesn't do well with that one full for some reason my prop wont get her going good when that tank is full but it does fine with sides under the seat filled up. I'm on the lowest pitch I can get for a prop and I run 5000' and above most of the time. Avy throws a good one. I'm goofy and I'm 6'4" 270ish and it pushes me along good. Most waves I see coming off much more expensive boats don't have a wave like mine.

I have not used the online prop guys for repair but do have a good relationship with a local prop guy...most cities have one. The can fix them up for about 25% cost of a new one usually, they can repitch usually a degree or so and they can usually tweak the cup as well. My guy will let me try different props too and see what I like the best. A lot of times the prop shops will have used ones as well.

The other thing I have used on the gel coat is furniture polish. I use it as my speed detailer on both my boat and Harley. Nothing ever has made my fiberglass bags on the bike look as good as furniture polish, again I'm kind of cheap but only if it has results. I've used almost every speed detailer available at an autoparts store and find pledge to do a better job than any of them for less. I use it on dirtbike stuff as well because dirt and mud wont stick to it. I basically do a full detail on the boat at the end of the year. I do a full polish with the wheel, I have used Meguiar's since I was a kid working in a detail shop so I just stick with it because I am used to it....but I think they all probably work well. I'll cut it a little with rubbing compound if I have scratches or anything and then just mirror glaze it. I hit the interior really heavy at the same time, clean it out really good and then treat it with the 303 interior product. Throughout the year I just wipe it down after use, I'm not totally anal about it. I like to have fun and I like everyone on my boat to have fun so I don't get crazy with the rules. When we are done playing if it was a dirty lake or I have hard water spots I chase it with vinegar and water and follow that with a quick furniture polish rub. if there are no water spots or grime ring I just furniture polish it. I do that all year until the end and then a full polish. The vinegar and water also works well on the wifes stainless in the kitchen.

white vinegar and water cleans up a scum ring quick and cheap. I hit mine with it when I run mud holes, just have it in a spray bottle and hit it with a rag.

Weird, kind of sounds like 2 issues ...something isn't right or I don't understand. The tranny is either in or out to my understanding. You roll the throttle forward and you can feel where it catches the gear....thats that, after that speed is just a function of rpm's. If it is falling out of gear that is one problem and your motor run condition is another. so when you hold it at say half throttle, it throttles up and launches forward, then 2 to 3 seconds later it throttles down....at this point it is neutral just floating in the water no steering no nothing? If thats the case for starters I would be looking at the tranny. My other thought is maybe when they tied in the head unit somehow they grabbed some of the prefect pass wiring...total long shot but when I take off and forget to turn off the perfect pass that is about the time it takes before the perfect pass tries to take over operation, I have to go back...put it in neutral and wait for it to wind in while everyone on the boat says "You forgot again" maybe a few too many hits to the head.

Same here, Mine is well insulated and I love it. I think it is a really great spot for a cooler and you can stuff that thing.

I am a mechanical guy so for me its all about how everything functions and weather it was beat up or not. I really don't care that much about anything because I can fix it all but I use things I find wrong as talking/talk down points. Mechanically I would check the fluids in every hole, that's motor, tranny, and V drive. Motor oil should be super clean at this point in the year if it was serviced before winterizing. It should always be stored with fresh fluids as old fluids will become acidic and rust out internals. The tranny fluid should smell like new tranny fluid, burnt tranny is distinguishable, has sort of that big rig truck burning up his brakes on a steep downhill. The Drive should also have semi fresh looking fluid as it doesnt seem to get the same beating. Mine always comes out like I could have gone longer. All holes the fluid should not be water contaminated and you shouldn't see a metalic sheen on the dipstick. The tranny may have a little metalic sheen but not much. I also like to pull the oil cap on the motor while running, it gives you a quick assessment of blowby without doing the full compression check. I like to see a trend of maintenance that has been performed before shutting down for the season....Or I like to see a really low price tag. Then I would do what you said and make sure everything works.

Any upholstery shop should be able to make one. You need to decide what you want to use for the base. Either wood or something like King Starboard. After that piece is cut its just foam and vinyl.

I have one with a walkthrough, it makes a difference on resale value, it makes a difference if you don't want to see a visible bladder and plan to surf it...other than that I don't think it makes any difference at all. I guess maybe the seating, but for really long days on the lake we often stuff an additional cooler right there and people will sit on that. When we went to Lake Powell I had 5 gas jugs chilling in the walkthrough so we could do a bunch of exploring. I paid 20 for mine a few years ago and have been very happy with it. The wave for surfing is really solid both sides. The wake for boarding is a little temperamental to weight, I usually leave my underwalkway bladder full, just move a few people around. Cruising comfortable is pretty easily done, the Avalanche cuts rough water well, the only issue with cruising is if you surf a lot you end up with a seriously flat tug boat prop and your top cruise speed suffers from flat prop pitch. The 2001 Avalanche will have the 1 to 1 V drive ratio unless someone has changed it, at altitude that ratio requires the flattest prop made to run significant ballast....at or close to sea level not as much of an issue. The one thing I don't know much about is if the hull design was different in 2001, mine is a 2005. I know some of the earlier Centurions had this huge cutout and that does make a difference for the surf wave. I just don't know the Hull years all that well.

For overall motor health I kind of like a leak down test but either gives you a decent overall condition of the motors top end. To be honest though I buy vehicles all the time and even with my boat I didn't do a compression or leakdown test...I just went out and ran it. With my boat the motor ran great but the steering was tight, was able to knock another G off the purchase price knowing it needed a steering cable installed...worth it to me, the cable cost $100 or so and it took less than an hour for me to put it in. A compression or leakdown test says nothing about the multiple sensors, fuel system, cooling system etc. I'd rather run it than test it if given only one option. Most of the problems I see encountered these days has more to do with sensors, electrical components and fuel system components than times I see a motor with bad valves or rings. I'd almost rather have it scanned than a compression test given the choice.

Mine is the Avy with the walk through, I bought it for 20G at the end of the season (like now) the walk through drives the price down and it had scratches through the stickers into the gel coat that allowed me to talk it down some more. I took all the stickers off and buffed the scratches but it is still a walk through. I run the bag that runs up under the seats on the regular wave side of the boat (port) we run a #350 I think it is under the walkway and an #800 in the walkway. I fill to level and use the shaper to go side to side. We are 50/50 surfers just in the family and about the same among friends so being able to go side to side quick is important. I have a bow sack but rarely use it. I normally have enough weight from people up front and the boat seems to like dragging it's tush a little to make a good wave.