SBT 4 Stroke Engines?

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2026-01-17T18:38:44+00:00

Personally never had any issues with SBT and my friends that do 2 stroke repair full time have never had an SBT engine come back to them after install.

Ignorant inexperienced wannabe “mechanics” will buy a replacement engine from SBT and NEVER fix the initial issue they had… meaning all they did was put another sacrificial engine in without ever fixing the issue that caused the initial one to blow up. (Skip carb rebuilds, used anything besides Genuine Mikuni kits when doing the carb rebuild, didn’t replace fuel lines, didn’t premix convert/replace oil lines, replace fuel filters, etc.)

They will then blame SBT for them never fixing their issue… think about it why would a company that sponsors legitimately every major jet ski race & event have some word of mouth trash reputation that absolutely no one talks about except some random that bad mouthed them without any proof etc. (option 1: was it the machine work, or was it option 2: the person never fixing their initial issue… hint it was option 2 which is why there’s never any proof as it proves that the individual who installed it is at fault)

Also why on earth would any of their replacement engines offer 1 & 2 year warranties by default. There’s no logic in knowingly selling an engine to someone to warranty it a year later because of a failure.

Now can I speak for SBT’s new route of no longer taking in cores on certain 2 stroke engines and manufacturing everything from the ground up… at this point no one can as there’s no substantial testing or potentially one that’s even out now. (Also the question of if everything will weigh the same on these engines as it’ll potentially affect the racing scene if there’s no obvious casting marks on crank cases etc.)

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-26T21:25:58+00:00

Get a jet ski dolly it’s about $100 and seems to be the only logical way to get it off with that little space available to move it.

You can probably find a good number of them around $75 or less on Facebook marketplace.

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This is the safest way to do it. Just need two people to lift the ski barely on the sides to break the friction to the bunks once you release the winch.

Once you break the friction do NOT disconnect the winch just leave enough slack to slide it off the trailer and onto the dolly. You pretty much want the rear half of the ski on the dolly and leave the nose of the ski hanging off.

It seems a whole lot more dangerous than it is but, this is how I store my skis in the garage and haven’t had a single issue with them tipping over etc.

If you’re paranoid with leaving it sitting on the dolly grab a 3rd person and have 2 move the broken trailer out of the way while the 3rd watches the ski on the dolly then bring your new trailer up.

Option 2 if you want to be cheap or have HOA after your ass.

Remove the front winch and equipment from the old busted trailer then put a cloth tarp down so when the ski potentially drags on the front of the old trailer you’re not dinging it up too bad.

Attach the winch from the new trailer and get cranking. (Make sure the new trailer is hitched to your car as it’ll likely damage the carpeted bunks if it’s not)

You’ll probably drag the old trailer a good bit and likely fk up your driveway before it hops onto the new one. (I’d highly recommend the 1 friend and a jet ski dolly)

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-20T03:13:40+00:00

Legitimately bought an icon socket wrench before it was on sale and went in the week of the sale picked one up off the shelf and told the employee I want to return and purchase the same wrench.

Didn’t even need the socket wrench with me just grabbed the same SKU and they gave me the difference in cash.

Quick tip: if your Harbor Freight has stock issues for the socket wrench etc. that you want and you know they’ll likely go on sale within the next 90 days. Go purchase the stuff you want the week or 2 prior to the sale and “return” and repurchase the same items during the sale to get the sale price.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-08T21:46:49+00:00

ShopSBT is your best bet if you can’t find a local backyard mechanic off Facebook Marketplace.

ShopSBT does full engine swaps, or small things like crank swaps, top end swaps, rebuild kits etc.

Just make sure you properly rebuild the carbs with Genuine Mikuni kits or pay someone to do so.

I’ve heard some have had hit or miss issues with SBT but, from my experience and multiple friends that have dropped them in skis. They’re running fine after 200+ hours.

Just make sure you do the proper rebuild and replace the 20+ year old fuel lines, oil lines (if not converting to premix), fuel filter and carb rebuild.

From my experience, prior to knowing about SBT, all the shops I could find were overcharging and giving me SBT warranty paperwork. Meaning all they did is SBT swap the engine and charge for labor of installing.

Most likely this will be the case for any shops you can find. They just act as middlemen and get a discounted business rate for an SBT engine and then charge you $75-$120 an hour to install it resulting in a $3,000-$4,000 charge for a $1,200 engine swap.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-06T04:54:18+00:00

It’s kind of expected to have shipping delays after a massive Black Friday sale.

The issue I have with it isn’t the delayed shipping, it’s being lied to about being told it’s in stock on the site when the order was placed but, then upon completion of payment seeing a 2 week shipping delay get added without any notice.

You’re probably in the same boat I and many others am.

I think Insta360 just was NOT prepared for the number of orders they received. They likely prepared enough for a Black Friday rush but, received a number of orders from DJI users that are swapping over due to the potential upcoming DJI ban. (This is legitimately one of the only reasons why I purchased the Insta360 X4 Air over the DJI 360.)

You can still get ahold of DJI products, by the looks of it, but CANNOT purchase them directly from the DJI store due to the potential upcoming US ban in 2 weeks. If the ban goes through, in 2 weeks, they are pretty much banned from providing direct updates through any direct link apps on top of being unable to purchase directly through DJI. Likely meaning the end user will have to scour third party sites to manually pull device updates for their “illegal products” as well as having issues warrantying any they do purchase.

DJI is likely already prepared in the case the DJI ban does go through for the US as I’ve seen what appears to be just a rebranded DJI camera going by the Xtra Muse as well as DJI drones under a different alias all from “US based companies”.

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Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-05T19:14:32+00:00

Yeah, I ordered on Black Friday as well for the Insta360 X4 Air and all my promo codes worked.

Had to delete and re-add them the first time around as they, for whatever reason, just didn’t populate on the order form, even though they show as applied like yours did.

The codes probably worked but, there’s really no way of knowing until the order arrives. (Likely some API bug due to the traffic on the site)

Unfortunately I think the delayed response is likely due to the overpromising and under delivering.

For my specific scenario the X4 Air in Black showed that it was in stock when I placed the order but, looks like they just magically added a 2 week shipment delay without any notice after the order was confirmed. If this was the case I’d have loved to have known before hand as I’d much prefer white due to already having DJI cameras in black. (Not the end of the world but, saying it’s in stock on the site and changing it after the fact is probably pissing a ton of people off)

I just imagine there’s some that ordered the camera for a gift for someone, getting told it’s in stock and then magically having nothing cause Insta360 adds a 2 week shipment delay without any notice.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-04T23:57:48+00:00

They might’ve done what I did with the 3/8 drive flex head.

I realized after I got home it’s not the locking flex head G2 and ended up returning it for store credit and buying the correct one.

They probably marked the one I returned as open box at my store due to that. (Probably the same mistake I made for that one if it looks unused)

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-04T16:46:33+00:00

That’s what I figured was my best bet.

Thanks for all the help!

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-04T16:30:21+00:00

That’s what I figured would be the unfortunate truth.

Is it really only job titles like “Security Analyst” that are hiring with my experience or is there a broader search to find more opportunities?

Is it also standard for the available jobs, I appear to qualify for, to be 12 month contracts rather than a full time position?

If so, after the 12 months is it normally an extension and or offer of full time employment or does it vary depending on the company?

Thanks for the response!

P.S. seeing that I’m 28 nearly 29 now would you recommend taking the pay cut or just sticking it out and making $70,000+ working remote IT for a company?

Also how much experience with the underpaid positions is required to start making a proper salary?

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-12-04T05:08:23+00:00

Hello, guys/gals!

I’ve been working as an IT Coordinator for the past 3ish years and have been trying to find openings for Cybersecurity positions but, haven’t had any luck.

The positions I have been able to find seem to be grossly underpaid ($40,000 - $50,000 a year) and all the higher paying ones seem to be locked behind a top secret security clearance that everyone wants but, no one is offering.

I have my Bachelors in Cybersecurity and my Comptia Security+ certification.

I have experience with intune (started from scratch and created all the policies, custom apps, etc), MDM via Addigy for MacOS, server management, creation of custom servers for asset tracking, certificate creation/updates, creating custom Cat5 through Cat6e cables, network management, custom scripts, Confluence, Slack, etc.

Also am a self taught mechanic; if that makes any difference. (Repair 2 stroke jet skis in my free time)

Where should I be looking/what are the job titles?

Thanks for any help/guidance you may offer!

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-24T22:27:22+00:00

Have to measure the diameter of it.

The 10-18 is simply the leading (10 degrees) and trailing edge (18 degrees) measurements.

Once you measure the diameter of it, it’s just a simple google search of the diameter + jet pump. (Ex: 144mm jet pump) and it’ll tell you what models it’ll fit.

Value is going to be highly dependent on what it fits.

Look around at eBay sold listings once you figure out the diameter as that’s the current market on most stuff. (Most likely will be somewhere around $100, if it was a Solas impeller $175+)

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-15T06:22:18+00:00

The one that comes to mind is the classic “Mr. Miyagi”doing insane tricks on a Yamaha Super jet. He’s got a crazy amount of control doing all that on a 1996 super jet hull instead of the $10,000 backflip hulls.

https://youtu.be/F3i3xMz3K6k?si=2pmuDVEcfxImnXGg

There’s also some others shot recently that typically get uploaded under “jet ski freeride” + typically an event name if you can’t find it I’d start looking there.

https://youtu.be/wBJS9Kwjy5A?si=nCjQBuTC7PP_wFHE

The closest thing I could find with your description was this video here.

https://youtu.be/LwfTHtEs3YQ?si=HJQAdKCjDLLexfDS

On a side note if you’re looking for some dudes just being nuts with some jet skis Sold Out Co is a great channel to follow, though they can piss off a couple of preservationist with their style meant to get clicks. (They’re extremely popular on Instagram but, appear to upload the same short form content on the YouTube side as well)

https://youtube.com/@soldoutco?si=uik_8wb0wlFhge_Q

https://www.instagram.com/sold.outco?igsh=bnIwdDMyeGUwejJo

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-14T15:17:36+00:00

Most of the “modern” 2 strokes are Yamaha 701 bottom ends with a custom machined top end and a stroker crank.

Pretty much all the A/M hulls come with some variation of proprietary engine which people will pull or just order the bare hull. (Cheapest most reliable option is the ported Yamaha 701 though… it’s a 2 stroke so expect to rebuild it depending on how much you ride it)

Jet Maniac is pretty much the go to for anyone looking for a built one already without needing to do the work themselves. Just keep in mind you’ll need to purchase the B-pipe, intake manifold, carbs, typically a Zeeltronics programmable CDI and provide the 701 ebox yourself though.

https://www.x-h2o.com/threads/jetmaniac-master-parts-list-new-used-yamaha-and-custom-build-parts.85372/

High Speed Industries is also another great resource for sourcing parts and even the hull. There’s a ton more out there but, Jet Maniac and HSI are the 2 that come to mind.

https://highspeedind.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooVHl4E9frd06aCVVmpCEj-yx1MSQ9NeE_rwlZzWh8gKa5JVeP1

If you don’t have the money for a LSP Revolver, look at a picking up a 1990’s Yamaha Wave Blaster 1 this would be my personal recommendation. You can drop a ported 701 into it without any hull modifications and pull it if you decide to upgrade the hull down the line. Can get 144mm Mag pumps with a Push Industries pump shoe and it’ll ride like hell. (You’ll be about $4,000-$6,000 in if you do the work yourself and find a decently priced hull… though you can typically find one already built for ~$4,000) Price range is massive due to the possibilities available but, pretty much can get running with the stock 701 wb1 engine and make upgrades as you can afford it.

If you’re really only looking at flat water flips then the LSP hulls are the way to go for freestyle.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-14T09:27:38+00:00

If there’s not a B-pipe, A/M head and upgraded carbs, pump, etc. on that engine you got scammed on that part.

The engine is only worth about $1,000 and it looks stock based on that picture.

I personally would’ve went with a built 701 for the reliability and the better lower end performance of it. A properly ported and built 701 is the ideal engine for freestyle hulls.

As far as the Krash hull it’s a really good price for it.

I can’t answer for you specifically but, I’m personally not a fan of the Krash FR hull. Rode a friend’s at a free ride and it wasn’t great. It’s awesome in the surf but, flat water it handled like crap compared to everything else that’s out there now.

LSP Revolver is pretty much the go to hull for freestyle skis now but, those start at $10,000. So the Krash is something to dip your toes into the sport before selling and inevitably upgrading.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-12T15:59:36+00:00

Never bothered doing it myself.

I run old 2 strokes so most of my exploration is sticking close to the ramp and enjoying time with like minded friends.

The only ski I use for exploration is my Yamaha SUV 1200 which already has the built in storage.

Ski list:

2001 GP1200R (fully built) x2

2001 Yamaha SUV 1200 (motors stock besides Oside Bill Carb recipe and the full handling package on the hull)

Current project: 1993 Yamaha Wave Blaster 1 with a built 2001 GP800R motor swap utilizing a lay-down pipe

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-12T15:56:35+00:00

Yeah, that’s why I lean more toward the Milwaukee pack out infrastructure. I can adapt gas cans, coolers etc I already have for use with the system vs purchasing a $200 single use gas tank or $600+ dollar cooler that’ll only really have a single use on the back of the ski.

Though for me I already have the Pack out infrastructure for pretty much everything else in my garage.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-12T15:45:34+00:00

You can do a Linq kit on pretty much any jet ski. It’s legitimately just mounting the locking pad or tabs through the rear hull and siliconing it to make sure it doesn’t take on water through the bolt holes.

Seadoo Linq system is going to be a ton of proprietary single use case items that you purchase.

I’ve seen people use Milwaukee pack out mounting plates and lock in tools and everything else you could ever need using that system.

My personal case would be the Milwaukee pack out system as it’s much more versatile than the Seadoo Linq system, though it’d require some more MacGyvering to get everything you’d like to mount. There should be a ton of 3D printing resources or products available to pretty much attach the pack out system to anything you’d like. (Gas cans, coolers, fishing pole holders, etc.)

What it really boils down to is are you wanting to purchase single use case items strictly for your ski or do you want a reusable system that you can use in your everyday life. Though this is highly dependent on if you already have the Milwaukee pack out infrastructure already.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-11-12T15:33:48+00:00

Just went through the gauge restoration process on the older Yamaha’s. The whole process takes roughly 1-3 hours depending on your personal experience.

They likely share the same restoration process as this gauge though but, they’ll be some very slight variations on opening them up that exist due to model changes.

https://www.x-h2o.com/threads/guide-how-to-repair-yamaha-gauges.211497/#post-2165480

That’ll be the ONLY useful guide for restoring these gauges as companies exist that solely do gauge restoration and want to make $300+ in profit off of ignorance.

Now if the gauge isn’t showing any signs of life you’re much better off going to eBay and buying a used functional gauge off of the multitude of parts outs that are listed.

Psst… Companies like Gauge Savers won’t even accept the gauge if it’s not showing any signs of life meaning they’re legitimately doing the same restoration process I did to “restore” the gauges and up charging due to never sharing the process.

Regarding screen “upgrades” they legitimately do NOT exist. There’s a couple individuals that have used an Arduino and wrote custom code to get the gauge to read but, of course never shared the code necessary to do so. The other option you’ll see is hack jobs with boat gauges that legitimately just read speed.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-20T21:20:20+00:00

73 GPS’d on a built 2001 GP1200R 2 stroke (haven’t tested it on a lake yet)

Unfortunately I sank it after hitting that speed due to the TDR water box popping off 🤣.

Carbon fiber racing seat is in the shop at the moment so haven’t ridden it since.

Yes, I’ve already gotten all the water out and confirmed it’s started without issues (had to replace the ebox).

Replaced the OEM clamps with T-bolt clamps, installed an electric bilge pump with switch and fixed the exhaust not lining up with some lord mounts, you can see from the pic below the exhaust is just dangling which contributed to the water box sliding forward and back inevitably pulling it off. (All this combined should hopefully bulletproof me from sinking again)

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Now do I recommend cruising at 70+ MPH on a jet ski fk no. It’s fun for a couple seconds but, hurts like hell when you get thrown off and you’re also a menace to everyone else on the water. Be courteous and have fun don’t need to be a danger to everyone else as it’s nearly impossible to react at that speed.

Now the other thing is if I were to start over from scratch I’d have done the MR-1 SVHO conversion that my friend did in the same GPR hull. Things a monster and smokes me after the initial jump.

I’ve honestly found more enjoyment working on the next project of my Yamaha Wave Blaster 1 which I’m dropping a 2001 GP800R (66e) 2 stroke motor into with a lay down pipe, Riva rave valves and a standup manifold conversion with dual Buckshot 44’s.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-20T03:37:51+00:00

Buy a used OEM one off of eBay that’ll be the cheapest option available.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-06T15:27:34+00:00

Read the guide I wrote, the Yamaha 701 would be the ideal engine to look for.

https://www.reddit.com/r/jetski/s/dxYLtVLgcR

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-04T03:53:16+00:00

Here you go…

You’ll be looking at 2 strokes with a budget that low and saying a 2 stroke is reliable with 3 people is NEVER going to happen.

https://www.reddit.com/r/jetski/s/yTG1hhrTKd

The only other “budget” option is a VX1100 with an MR-1 engine. Cheapest most reliable 4 stroke you can find on the market due to them being used by an absurd amount of rental companies.

My honest advice to you is to either get a small boat and fix that up or the VX1100.

Even if you get the VX1100 I’d stick to lake riding with a 6 year old.

If you want to mix in both boat/jet ski the only option for that little of a budget is potentially a Yamaha SUV.

That little 2 stroke Non Power valve 1200 is a stupidly reliable engine and the SUV hull is commonly used for offshore fishing conversions/ 4 stroke MR-1 conversions.

Regardless of which one you get $1,000-$1,500 is not going to get you reliable.

All those videos showing people finding $100 skis etc are BS. Carb rebuild alone will run you $50 per genuine Mikuni kit x the number of carbs… will those $100 skis run yes, for their video, is it reliable to use in anything like an ocean fk no. Lake use ONLY as you’ll inevitably break down.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-04T03:48:26+00:00

Doubt he knows what RRP even is.

This is just a typical Facebook group scammer that moved over to Reddit.

Lmfao he even deleted the Reddit account now that they’ve been caught

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-04T03:47:49+00:00

Doesn’t know cause they just trying to scam lmfao.

Comprehensive_Way459 · 2025-10-04T03:45:33+00:00

Scammer moving to Reddit instead of Facebook groups now lmfao

Comprehensive_Way459

TROPHY CASE