clean 94 echelon

[meb885]

On the water you say? here we go.....

can you tell based on photo quality which pic is new as of this month and which may be almost 10 yrs old and taken on a non smart phone.... cell phone cameras have come a long way!

 

Edited July 28, 2016 by meb885

[echie]

Love the way these boats look sitting on the water!!!

They have really nice lines!!

Very easy on the eyes that's for sure...

[meb885]

4 hours ago, echie said:

Love the way these boats look sitting on the water!!!

They have really nice lines!!

Very easy on the eyes that's for sure...

i get stopped by 2-3 boaters on the lake EVERY time i'm out... some people with 100k boats i'd LOVE to own... complimenting ME!  Had a great guy just the other day in a beautiful wakesetter (looked like a VLX or LSV didnt look that hard) ask me if i'd take him skiing in exchange for wakeboarding behind his boat..... exchanged numbers....like this prospect...

it's simply amazing the quality standard Malibu built these Echelons to.... one of the guys said it best in this thread... the SV23 Hull and Echelon in general put Malibu on the map in tournament skiing. 

[echie]

3 minutes ago, meb885 said:

i get stopped by 2-3 boaters on the lake EVERY time i'm out... some people with 100k boats i'd LOVE to own... complimenting ME!  Had a great guy just the other day in a beautiful wakesetter (looked like a VLX or LSV didnt look that hard) ask me if i'd take him skiing in exchange for wakeboarding behind his boat..... exchanged numbers....like this prospect...

it's simply amazing the quality standard Malibu built these Echelons to.... one of the guys said it best in this thread... the SV23 Hull and Echelon in general put Malibu on the map in tournament skiing. 

I can believe it!  Very nice looking classic ski boat...

I've only had mine for 4 days now and I am blown away by the craftsman ship of the boat.

These things are built like little Tanks!!!   Lol...

Can't wait to get mine on the water this coming weekend!!!!!?

[Michigan boarder]

I'm buying one on Sunday for our ski team to use, and it has 1500 hours on it.  Still going strong.

Here are some pics of mine:

[Michigan boarder]

[Woodski]

@echie:  The challenging part to the platform support is the attaching screws are screwed down from the top which unfortunately has a rather large fuel tank sitting over them.  So as a word of caution, don't simply decide to screw up from the bottom because you will drive the pointy end of the screws in to something you really don't want to have leak!  You can see why they get pulled off as that is not the most effective direction for clamp retention given the load path.   I ran mine without the support but don't have any heavier passengers either.  I did notice some springiness in the platform at the center.  An alternative is to stiffen the platform itself with a transom saver strip (strip across the top to keep skis/boards from hitting the transom) and/or across the bottom to act like a 2x4 flipped on end which is what I did when I used my teak platform.  Off topic, I believe I have the very same cover you do (Carver), it is actually for a Sunsetter but fits acceptably and covers the platform which is nice, only drawback with the elastic waistband is a good wind will lift it off at the windshield unless you tie it down.  Mine sits on a lift so I have clips to the support frame.

To All:  some awesome pics, I envy the 200 hour Echy but you need to get out on the water and play!  I notice that any picture showing the pitot (Speedo pickup) is a pressure style, or one as delivered in the day.  The speedometer (expensive and hard to get Airguide) failure mode tends to be a leak which then allows water to migrate up the tube in to the speedometer causing damage to it and a leak at the dash.  The fix is simple, get a pair of the newer Venturi style pickups (SKIDIM has them P/N 1804).  They work great, don't get clogged are much more weed tolerant and will potentially save the Airguides.  http://www.skidim.com/TOURNAMENT-PITOT-ASSEMBLY/productinfo/769B/

 

 

[jk13]

30 minutes ago, Woodski said:

I notice that any picture showing the pitot (Speedo pickup) is a pressure style, or one as delivered in the day. 

Mine's had venturis since shortly after I bought it. In the pic of mine where they are visible I had just brought it home. They were the next thing to be removed before the gel coat work was done.

Decent upgrade for sure. And cheap.

Edited July 28, 2016 by jk13

[echie]

47 minutes ago, Woodski said:

@echie:  The challenging part to the platform support is the attaching screws are screwed down from the top which unfortunately has a rather large fuel tank sitting over them.  So as a word of caution, don't simply decide to screw up from the bottom because you will drive the pointy end of the screws in to something you really don't want to have leak!  You can see why they get pulled off as that is not the most effective direction for clamp retention given the load path.   I ran mine without the support but don't have any heavier passengers either.  I did notice some springiness in the platform at the center.  An alternative is to stiffen the platform itself with a transom saver strip (strip across the top to keep skis/boards from hitting the transom) and/or across the bottom to act like a 2x4 flipped on end which is what I did when I used my teak platform.  Off topic, I believe I have the very same cover you do (Carver), it is actually for a Sunsetter but fits acceptably and covers the platform which is nice, only drawback with the elastic waistband is a good wind will lift it off at the windshield unless you tie it down.  Mine sits on a lift so I have clips to the support frame.

To All:  some awesome pics, I envy the 200 hour Echy but you need to get out on the water and play!  I notice that any picture showing the pitot (Speedo pickup) is a pressure style, or one as delivered in the day.  The speedometer (expensive and hard to get Airguide) failure mode tends to be a leak which then allows water to migrate up the tube in to the speedometer causing damage to it and a leak at the dash.  The fix is simple, get a pair of the newer Venturi style pickups (SKIDIM has them P/N 1804).  They work great, don't get clogged are much more weed tolerant and will potentially save the Airguides.  http://www.skidim.com/TOURNAMENT-PITOT-ASSEMBLY/productinfo/769B/

 

 

Yeah I noticed that last night when I went out to see where those screws came thru on the inside of the boat, and like u said a big gas tank in the way!!!   Lol...    So I figured I will just keep my weight towards either side for now when using the swim platform.  Until the day comes that I need to remove the gas tank!!    Future project!!   Lol..   And that's a good idea also about strengthening the platform itself...  Once the tank comes out I will fab something up and thru bolt it from the inside with some stainless hardware..

[echie]

2 minutes ago, echie said:

Yeah I noticed that last night when I went out to see where those screws came thru on the inside of the boat, and like u said a big gas tank in the way!!!   Lol...    So I figured I will just keep my weight towards either side for now when using the swim platform.  Until the day comes that I need to remove the gas tank!!    Future project!!   Lol..   And that's a good idea also about strengthening the platform itself...  Once the tank comes out I will fab something up and thru bolt it from the inside with some stainless hardware..

I will have to see what brand the cover is..   I really like how it covers the platform also!!

I'm so glad I put the cover on it the first night I brought it home, because I came out the next morning and a cat decided it liked my boat and decided to mark it as his own!!! Lol..    Needless to say there was a wet spot starting on the windshield down to a yellow puddle on the deck of the bow!!!

That cover paid for itself the 1st night!!!!

I guess animals like cool things 2!!

Lol

[Michigan boarder]

FYI, pulling the tank is less than a 1 hour job, no big deal at all.

[echie]

Just now, Michigan boarder said:

FYI, pulling the tank is less than a 1 hour job, no big deal at all.

Yeah it doesn't look like a bad job at all to get it out, I just figured I would make it a future project and go ahead and order all new fuel lines and replace and fix it all at 1 time..

Always makes working on something a little better when u can put new stuff on!!

Lol..

[coldwater-echelon]

My Echelon never had the center platform support, although I could see it was there originally.  I never had any problems but it was a little springy in the middle.

[Michigan boarder]

Just now, echie said:

Yeah it doesn't look like a bad job at all to get it out, I just figured I would make it a future project and go ahead and order all new fuel lines and replace and fix it all at 1 time..

Always makes working on something a little better when u can put new stuff on!!

Lol..

Yep, that's the way to do it.  I pulled mine to do the STE tips and replaced the fuel line, vent tube, and filler tube.

It's a big, wide tank.  I siphoned out most of it and it only had about an inch or two of gas in it when I removed mine.  I lifted it up and went to go over the side and that gallon or so of fuel sloshed over and almost pitched me over the edge, kinda funny.

[John I.]

46 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

FYI, pulling the tank is less than a 1 hour job, no big deal at all.

Especially with all that extra room in the middle of the boat. 

[EchelonMike]

Great boat - I had a 1997 Echelon LX as my first Malibu and loved it.  Wish it had more space inside to handle our big family or I would have kept it!  None of my boats since have gotten as many compliments at the dock or ramp than this boat...gorgeous.

Enjoy!  Mine never gave me problems - same engine as yours.  When I bought mine the propshaft packing was leaking a lot so I changed that to the Gortex cord.  Carb always fired easily and never missed having EFI.  

 

 

[Devin7]

[Arick]

On 7/28/2016 at 0:21 PM, echie said:

Yeah it doesn't look like a bad job at all to get it out, I just figured I would make it a future project and go ahead and order all new fuel lines and replace and fix it all at 1 time..

Always makes working on something a little better when u can put new stuff on!!

Lol..

I too am missing that support.  However I don't think its a big deal, I'm about 240 ish and use it all the time with no issues!

[Sethro]

Everybody is posting pics of their Echelon so I figured I'd join the party...mine's a 98 and I absolutely love the boat.  Just waxed it today in fact after skiing this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2016 by Sethro

[powbmps]

Echelon for sale in NH:

https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/5694048428.html

[Arick]

1 hour ago, powbmps said:

Echelon for sale in NH:

https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/5694048428.html

I have a 94 echelon I will be putting up for sale soon.  If someone is looking...

[echie]

Maiden voyage!!!

[vshockey10]

On July 27, 2016 at 8:22 AM, echie said:

 

Clean boat and trailer! Hope I can find a trailer that clean to replace mine!!

[Michigan boarder]

On 7/28/2016 at 4:21 PM, EchelonMike said:

Great boat - I had a 1997 Echelon LX as my first Malibu and loved it.  Wish it had more space inside to handle our big family or I would have kept it!  None of my boats since have gotten as many compliments at the dock or ramp than this boat...gorgeous.

Enjoy!  Mine never gave me problems - same engine as yours.  When I bought mine the propshaft packing was leaking a lot so I changed that to the Gortex cord.  Carb always fired easily and never missed having EFI.  

 

 

My favorite Echelon gel coat is yours right there, always thought that looked beautiful.

 

[BlindSquirrel]

Are the Echelons all closed bow? I'm looking for my first personal Malibu, my parents have a Sunesetter lxi I get to use but want something of my own.