1994 152 Medallion with bad engine

[jdn116]

My dad just bought a pristine 1994 Donzi 152 Medallion with trailer for only $100.00 - the catch is the engine doesn't work. Any ideas what a replacement engine might cost and is it worth it? Maybe he should scrap the boat and sell the trailer?
Thanks! :yes:

[Mr X]

I have seen them on ebay in perfect condition between
$1500.00 and $2000.00

[Trueser]

LETS SEE SOME PICTURES!!!!!
I have a spare 350 layin in the garage.

[onesubdrvr]

Hey there, sounds sweet! Why don't you shoot us some pictures? Anyway, before you get over zealous yanking things out, go one step at a time (unless the previous owner said "hey listen, the engine is locked up because I don't believe in preventative maintenance, never checked the oil, and ran it dry). For example, an engine could seem locked up, but infact be a starter or ground problem. Anyway, my input on it,...

Have fun, that's what it is all about!

Wayne

[jdn116]

Thanks for all your responses. I've taken some pictures and will try to get them posted in the next couple of days.

[jdn116]

OK. Here's the pictures. The boat looks in worse shape than it is - it needs a good cleaning and wax job. My dad said he took the head off and it was rusted in side. Are there other types of available engines for this other than the one currently in? Thanks!

[harbormaster]

Both the Sport-jet 90 and 120 have FORCE power heads.
The 90 had millions of problems.

Look for a Merc 175hp V-6 Sport Jet powerhead.

[dauthus]

Both the Sport-jet 90 and 120 have FORCE power heads.
The 90 had millions of problems.
Look for a Merc 175hp V-6 Sport Jet powerhead.

will the 175 fit right into the medallion in place of a 90?

[SilverBack]

I had one of these and I sold it to my cousin. It is really well built but the 90 is really not nearly enough power for that boat.

HM ...can you just change the 90 out for a 175 power head? That would make that a very fun little boat!!

[Just Say N20]

The short answer is NO. But, the 175 pump assembly will Replace the 90 pump assembly, and then you can bolt the 175 on top of it. The opening in the hull is the same for both of them. However, the 175 sits about 4.25" higher when installed than the 90 does, so check first if there is that much clearance above the 90, or you will have to modify the engine hatch so the 175 will fit.

I did this engine/pump assembly swap (not in the 152). Very much worth it if you like the boat. You can read about the swap at the link below if you want to. There are some good pictures comparing the 90 pump to the 175 pump. You will have to replace the shift cable and the steering cable as the 175 pump uses a different set up. The throttle/shift control will have to be modified to fit the new shift cable. Equally important, you will want to swap out the original 90 degree helm (the steering wheel only rotates 1/4 turn lock to lock) with the 270 degree helm. This requires much less steering effort. If you do the swap, it will dramatically improve EVERY aspect of the boat's performance; it will plane effortlessly, stay on plane at a lower speed, top speed will improve by 40+%, it will turn much sharper with more control, reverse will actually work, and the 175 is a much smoother running, trouble free engine than the Force 90 could ever be.

Unfortunately, the small jet boat craze happened before adequate power was available. Most companies, including Donzi offered a small jet, when the only power choices were a 90 hp or 120 (also a Force engine) from Mercury, or 90 hp and 115 hp units from OMC. By 1996, most of the mini jets stopped selling because the performance was very lacking. In 1997, when Mercury introduced the 175 Sport Jet (which had performance almost matching most personal water craft of the same vintage), there were only a few manufacturers still making the small Jets (Boston Whaler, Sugar Sands, Bayliner Jazz are a few, and even Sea Doo used the Mercury V6 offerings in some of their larger boats). These sold OK, but I think most people were dissillusioned by the whole minijet idea because the original offerings were so weak.

With good performance, the idea of a small/mid-size jet is sound, as evidenced by the Yamaha 230 Jet being the #1 selling boat in the US last year.

Depending on how much you have to spend for an engine and a pump, the conversion could cost approaching $4,500. Maybe there is some other boat you would prefer to spend $4,5K on. But if your boating desires are intrigued by a small, very convenient, very safe boat, you would have a nice performer with a 175 Sport Jet.

http://www.realityboatco.com/RBCtalk/viewtopic.php?t=14

[Barry Eller]

Both the Sport-jet 90 and 120 have FORCE power heads.
The 90 had millions of problems.
Look for a Merc 175hp V-6 Sport Jet powerhead.

Harbormaster is correct. I had a Regal Rush with the Sport-Jet 90. It was slow, used as much fuel as my 502, and was unreliable...now junk it and get the 175.

[f_inscreenname]

I would find me a 4.3 and a outdrive and tear some sh*! up with it. :p