What does the contact side of the plate look like? And a person could maybe use a small nail file on the contacts on the brush plate to make sure they are not pitted at all. I can't tell from the pics but can the thermo cutout plate be turned over?

1 hour ago, CTSunsetter said:

Speaking of allegations? Do you have proof that Tommy's "pressed the button to make the boats show up"? Do you have proof that Malibu wasn't culpable? Have you read the filings?

Why only Tommy's? Maybe they were venerable. Maybe other dealers were smarter than Tommy's. Maybe Malibu couldn't pressure a dealer such as MarineMax because they are a public company. 

There is a dealer portal that all boat orders go through. There will be electronic signatures, authentications, IP addresses, etc stored for each order. You can't just phone in a boat order. And you have to sign for the boat upon delivery before the transport company will leave it. Every stock boat you see at a dealership is still a custom order from that dealership, not a bunch or automated builds that a factory pumps out.

Could they have been pressured to keep buying? Sure. Every dealer always is. Could they have been given additional incentives if they bought more? Sure! That's how the dealer agreement works. Could they have been forced to take more against their will? Hmmmm...Seems like there are lots of checks and balances in place to prevent that. Could Malibu threaten to cancel their contract if they didn't take boats in their contract? Sure. That contract is an at-will contract by both parties and that's how it works. You agree to a certain level. You don't like what they are pushing, you can walk away. 

But not paying off the floor plan for a boat that you have been paid for is a big no-no.  This puts the customer, the floor plan company and the manufacturer at risk. This one data point alone says a lot about a dealership in my mind. 

1 hour ago, CTSunsetter said:

If you think Malibu is going to be the same company on the other side of this, invest all your money in MBUU!

I'm sure this will have an impact, but the corporation has diversified over the years and Malibu specifically has moved lots of things in-house like towers, trailers, motors, etc. I don't see this completely wrecking the brand. 

Well been 7 years with our T22 now and I'm starting to itch for something new.  The market is looking solid for carryover '23s at a price that's making me consider an upgrade.

Here's the questions I have for the crew today:

1. What's really different between the 23ft MXZ & the 24ft MXZ (besides 1' and 15k).
2. What's really new in 2024 on the 23' MXZ?  The website says "all new for 24" but doesn't really say much about what actually changed (ie do I care if I find a great deal on a 2023 model).
3. How would you compare a 23' LSV to a 23' MXZ (or the 24' MXZ) - Comfort, fit, ride, surfing (primarily)
   1. Seems the MXZ adds a lot to the price, I like the bigger front and I've seen notes that malibu cut quality corners on the LSV by comparison but I've not seen them side by side in person to compare.
   2. I would assume the MXZ w/ more nose weight would likely surf better but too cold to try it yet.
   3. Is the M5D enough motor?  I test drove one and had no issues but it felt higher revving and slower than my '18 Axis (it has less power) - My gut says pay for an M6 if going with a Bu.
4. The other boat my wife and I like is the Supra SL450 - any opinions from those who've rode/surf'd/owned both (yeah I'm asking on a malibu site I get it)

You didn't tell us what engine you have, and if it has a carb or is injected.  I suspect with the age that it is a Mercruiser with a Rochester Quadrajet carb.

First things first: do a complete tune up consisting of plugs, points (if applicable), rotor, cap, and wires.  If it has a carb, I strongly suggest a rebuild.  If it is injected, use carb spray to completely clean the inside of the throttle body.  If this doesn't fix it, come back for more troubleshooting.

You might as well find the fuel filter and change it.  Heck, I would also change the whole fuel lines out if it were mine.  The odds are fairly good that they are part of the problem.  I would change the exhaust hoses too.

Carb rebuild is DIY territory.  I suggest buying the gallon can of carb dip since it has better cleaners than a can of spray stuff to get things squeaky clean.  Compressed air helps get the passages all clean, too.  The spray can cleaner will substitute for air if you need to.

38 minutes ago, CarveItUp228 said:

The blue wire went through a kind f bus, where a plate carries the current across to the other side.

That definitely looks like a thermal switch.  The metal plate should be a bimetal part that bends up as it gets hot, breaking the connection.  That is more likely to happen as the brushes wear and clog the commutator gaps, which increases current and reduces motor performance.  I'm thinking you could remove it completely and use a slow-blow fuse in its place elsewhere in the circuit.

Congratulations on the repair so far.  I hate to see people throw stuff away before a full investigation is done.  Most everything can be repaired if you get creative enough.