EMT

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EMT

Boat Repair Facility & Small Batch American Tackle Builder. www.elitemarinetexas.com 936-239-1209 Independent marine service provider.

No affiliation or endorsement by Mercury, Suzuki, or Yamaha.

18/08/2025

Compatible with 2 stokes & 4 strokes. We are the only coast key dealer/installer in Texas. Give us a call, kits run $530-$995. 936-239-1209- Livingston Texas

18/08/2025

DOES YOUR BOAT VIBRATE IN GEAR? Most boat owners dont know this or what its actually called.

Prop Shaft Runout — What It Is and Why It Matters

Ever notice vibration at higher RPM, props that wear unevenly (larger boats), or a lower unit that just doesn’t “feel right”? You might be dealing with prop shaft runout and most boaters don’t even know what that is.

🔧 What Is Prop Shaft Runout?

“Runout” refers to how much the propeller shaft wobbles or deviates from true center when it spins.

Even a tiny bend — as little as 0.005” can cause:

Vibration at speed

Premature wear on props, seals, and bearings

Grease slinging off

Water intrusion from damaged seals

Stress on the upper driveshaft and carrier

🚩 What Causes Runout?

Striking a stump, sandbar, or rock (similar to the shaft pictured which not only suffered runout, bur bent splines as well)

Prop hits dock or trailer bunk

Aggressive holeshots with a slightly bent shaft

Even factory new lower units can sometimes have minor runout. If youre replacing your lower unit with new, its a good idea to check this so you can send it back for a straight one. (Weve seen it too many times to count where theyre slightly bent right out of the box)

🔍 How We Check It:

We use a dial indicator tool mounted to the case to spin the shaft and measure deviation.
Acceptable runout is usually under .003” — anything above that = problem.

✅ What We Recommend:

Inspect shaft runout any time you replace a prop or reseal a lower unit

If you feel vibrations or notice seal leaks, this is one of the first things we check

Don’t ignore it — a bent shaft can cost you a whole gearcase if left alone.

We can check this in-house at EMT with precision tools

💬 “If it don’t spin straight, it won’t run right.”

Got prop chatter? New seals leaking again? Prop shaft runout might be the issue — and we can help before it becomes a major failure.

If you dont feel confident doing it on your own, bring it to us at EMT. We are here to help.

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

16/08/2025

Diagnosing some issues with a Yamaha 200HPDI that came in from another shop that couldn't figure it out. Thankfully we know a thing or two about these engines. Weve brought a few back from the dead 😎😎😎

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

16/08/2025

🗣"MY GRAPHS WONT WORK" "MY IMAGES ARENT AS CLEAR AS YOURS" "I CAN ONLY RUN MY UNIT FOR HALF A DAY BEFORE THE BATTERY DIES"

LISTEN UP! 😎

🚨🚨🚨If youre rigging your boat with $15,000+ in electronics, its in your best interest to spend some money on their power supply & delivery compoments. Theres nothing more frustrating than spending a TON of money and not being able to utilize your equipment to its full potential! Possibly even worse with a 5000$ burned up graph thats not covered under warranty! OR STUCK ON THE WATER WITH NO WAY TO START YOUR ENGINE.

If you're running multiple 10"–16" sonar screens + a live sonar module (or more) off a single little 12V wire…
You’re choking the entire system—and leaving performance (and money) on the table.

🔍 Here’s the Problem:

Most of these new sonar units and live imaging modules aren’t just display screens anymore—they’re full-blown computers, processors, and digital signal engines.

They need:

High amperage

Stable voltage

Thick, clean wiring over long distances

Yet we still see $15,000+ worth of graphs running through:

16–18 gauge wire

Shared circuits

Long runs with poor ground returns

📉 That leads to:

Dim screens

Laggy response

Grainy or unstable live sonar

Early failure of sonar modules due to undervoltage stress

🔋 WHY HEAVY GUAGE CABLES & LITHIUM POWER SUPPLY IS IMPORTANT:

✅ Voltage drop is real
— Over a 20+ ft round trip, small gauge wire can lose 1+ volts under load
— A unit asking for 12.5V might only get 11.2V once it's running full brightness with sonar + networking

✅ Clean voltage = clean image
— Weak power = sonar glitch, weak returns, delay in target redraw
— You’re not “just seeing interference”—you’re starving the system

✅ Lithium gives fast, stable current
— Unlike lead acid, lithium batteries can keep high-voltage output even under full draw
— That’s crucial for all-day clarity and performance

💡 Our Advice:

Use dedicated power runs for sonar units wired into on/off battery switches and the appropriate inline fuses or breakers in the system to stop potentially harmful power surges from wiping out your whole system.

Upgrade to 6-8 gauge marine wire, fused correctly

Run sonar and graphs direct to battery or clean bus, not shared accessories

Use lithium to handle the surge draw and get more runtime on graphs, pumps, and poles

🧠We’re not saying you need to spend big just to spend big. But if you’re dropping $15–20K or more in graphs, poles, and modules—it’s worth doing it right. Otherwise, you’ve bottlenecked a high-end system with gas station jumper cables.

We rig high-power systems the right way—from battery to screen.
If your sonar isn’t sharp, stable, and smooth—we can fix it.

As always we hope this helps you understand how these systems work. If its not something youre up to on your own, bring it to us. We are here to help 😎

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

16/08/2025

🤯 Who knew a NITRO could be so FAST 🤯
Super slick Z20 all the way from Wyoming to the EMT shop for our complete Elite Set up package! This boat started at 69mph and after we got thru putting our heads together she skates the lake at 79MPH with a 25p Bravo1!!! And still has some rpm to play with!

If youre interested in getting better performance and handling out of your boats, contact us today.
Thank you for the business & have a safe trip home!

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

15/08/2025

Immaculate 2017 203 Bay Pro/Evinrude 115 E-tec in the house for full service & diagnosis of some trolling motor issues. We really appreciate the folks that take great care of their boats. It really helps with the headaches of trying to get things right for yall. Thank you, we appreciate the business.

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

15/08/2025

2017 Seadoo rxpX 300 in the house for some electrical diagnosis. No start no power. Moved over the entire unit with power probes and OHM meters to find the issue in the brain 🧠

The owner reported jumping it off his truck at some point and blew the main relay. Its amazing what the correct tools will do for finding electrical bugs.

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

15/08/2025

2016 Lund 1975 ProV all way to EMT from Minnesota for our Full elite set-up service. We were able to get this rig MOVING! Started at a sluggish 55mph with a 19p Tempest plus. After pulling strings, turning wrenches, and pulling tape measures we were able to get it to 65mph with the same prop! Thank you for the business, the ride to Texas was very much so worth it 🚀🚀🚀

14/08/2025

IS YOUR BOAT SLOWER IN THE SUMMER HEAT??

Its not always the prop & water temps! Although this plays a part, its not always the case! Especially on newer 4 stroke engines with v***r returns & fuel demand systems! Listen up!!!!

FYI: Some parts of today’s fuel blends start to boil as low as 100°F. Your under-cowling temps can pass 150°F after a shutdown. That’s where v***r lock starts causing fuel starvation and hard restarts.

Lets break it down-

VST V***r Lock – What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Catch It

If your outboard starts fine cold…
But once it’s hot it stalls, bogs, or won’t restart without sitting a while—
You might be dealing with VST v***r lock.

🔍 What’s VST V***r Lock?

The V***r Separator Tank (VST) is where fuel gets stored and pressurized before it hits the injectors.
In summer, engine bay temps can hit 150°F+. If the VST gets too hot:

Fuel inside starts to boil

Bubbles form in the high-pressure pump or pickup screen

Result = engine sputters, dies, or won’t restart until it cools

Think of it like a v***r bubble in a drinking straw—you can’t pull liquid through it.

☀️ Why It Happens in Summer:

Long idles or trolling = less airflow, more heat soak

Shutting off a hot motor = heat builds up in the VST

Cheap or contaminated fuel = v***rizes faster

Fuel pump struggles = pressure drops = rough running or no start

⚠️ Common Symptoms:

Starts cold, dies hot

Rough idle or stalling after a long idle or shutoff

No restart for 10–30 minutes

No codes or alarms—just “acts weird”

✅ How to Prevent It:

Run non-ethanol or top-tier fuel when possible

Keep the fuel filter and VST internals clean—varnish buildup holds heat

If you’re running graphs or pumps off the start battery—keep that voltage strong

In extreme cases, we’ve added venting or heat shielding to VST tanks to fight soak

💬 We post this stuff because it drives guys crazy and doesn’t show up on a scan tool.
If you’ve been fighting hot-start issues, random stumbles, or stalls after long idles—we’ve seen it, diagnosed it, and fixed it. This isnt ALWAYS the case, BUT its a good possibility if the problem isnt obvious!

EMT
Livingston Texas
936-239-1209

14/08/2025

Kayak melted due to climate change thanks to modified diesel trucks. $400 down the drain.

14/08/2025

New plastics going up on the website in the next day or two. Some are formulated for trailers and some are built to spec for our customers. All of them are absolute 🔥 Yall get an early peek at them 💪

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 18:00
Thursday	09:00 - 18:00
Friday	09:00 - 18:00
Saturday	09:00 - 18:00

Telephone

+19365376551

Website

http://www.elitemarinetexas.com/

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