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Sell it or fix it? 1996 vlx, my dream gone nightmare!


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So anyway, this website is amazing I've learned an infinite amount about my boat. I bought a 1996 vlx last year 11,500$, I had it inspected by a mechanic I pay him 1200$ to drain fuel replace impeller, iac valve, new bilge and some hoses and water recirc. pump which he ends up not doing after inspecting old one.  I replace vdrive warning light with led after discover it's shorted.  I though the inspection and service was cheap insurance but motor blew after 3rd time out.   Didn't feel confident with the inspecting mechanic so on reference from storage chose another mechanic for replacing engine,, six weeks later I pick up boat in pieces and bring to another mechanic.  This guy takes 2months to get a long block and put together and install engine at a total cost of 4500$. I pick up boat and he has damaged gel coat, ripped interior, ripped cover, boats filthy And fuel pump leaks, blower hose ripped apart and detached.  I remove pump and fix leaky return line fittings, leak fixed.I repair blower and off to break in engine.   Engine sounds like a sucking air tornado, I get on Malibucrew and learn to do timing, loud sucking noise from iac is gone after correcting timing in service mode but timing jumping a degree.  I put in ten hours and start increasing rpm and smelling burning oil.   I'm looking for a leak and move oil drain hose and fitting breaks off in pan.  Oil fills bilge and I clean it up and make a mini extractor to extract other half of fitting. Replace hose fitting, seal and replace oil.   I then find leak in tranny hose cooler line, I fix it.   I notice small leak from intake below distributer, maybe source of smell.  I continue break in and am getting horrible burning oil smell.   I find another mechanic with great reviews, ask him to check timing issue, engine alignment, leak at intake manifold and burning oil smell.  He recommend new wires, new plugs cause new ones weren't gapped right, new icm, he realign as .017 off, says leak was probably distributor not tight enough.   I pick up pay 800$, then go test drive.   Im at 20 hours and try wot seem to be reaching full rpm around 5200 and put in storage till now.   I pick it up last week from storage and go test to not reach full Rpms only 4800 and smell burning oil.    I replace pcv and fuel filters and changed vdrive fluid and go out today. At first wot shot I get 5000  then stop observe engine for any leaks and resume to not reach max rpms and smell burning oil.   I open hatch and start engine, I decided to go wot in neutral and engine hesitates at above 4800 and shoots oil out leak at intake manifold.   I live in Sacramento California and have been through 4 mechanics and can't seem to find a fair and knowledgeable guy,. Should I just sell this thing or continue my pursuit to fix this thing?

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Wow, Your story reads like an April Fools Joke.

Sorry for your troubles. Live in Pgh, PA, so I can not offer help. But just wanted to say I feel for you.

But, maybe time to cut your losses

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so you're at least 18k into a 1996 vlx with damaged gel coat, interior, and ripped cover, and oh yeah, it still doesn't run right.  That thing isn't worth much of anything to anyone but you, make it personal now.  It sounds like you're somewhat mechanically inclined based on what you've done behind those lousy mechanics.  My vote is to slow down, take it one step at a time, and post questions with pictures/videos here.  

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