help with my speedster

[lagwagon777]

I have a '97 Speedster with a rock resting against the impeller in my right engine. I do not know all the part names, so please try to follow me here.....The rock is all the way inside the jet unit (is that the right name?) resting against the impeller, about 10" from the end of the unit. I cannot reach it with my long needle nose pliers. I can take the 4 large nuts off the connect the jet unit (the black plastic piece) to the hull. What I cannot get off is the metal bar the operates the gate (lifting it up or down) or the metal bar that turns the jet unit left and right. I do not even know if taking off the jet unit is necessary to access the rock. I have also tried taking the grate off, but the screws cannot be removed. They just spin freely, but again, I do not know if removing the grate will let me access the rock or at least shoot some water in with my hose to try and dislodge it.
Please help me, there is only one person in my city that works on seadoos and he is very backed up. Is this a repair I can do myself? This is a boat that also has cavitation issues that have been addressed this year and were not fixed, so I do not want to even buy an o-ring or a tube of silicone. Please help me!

 

[Dean P]

Do you have a long screwdriver? Maybe you can move the wedged rock? Does the impeller rotate freely? You stated you cannot remove the nuts/bolts. Why is that?

 

[Beachbummer]

The grate is very difficult to remove. The easiest thing is to pull the pump. There are 14 fastener total that need to come off. The steering cable to steering nozzle nut and bolt, the Reverse cable to reverse gate bolt and nut, then the 8 bolts holding the gates to the pumps, and finally the 4 nuts holding the pump to the boat. The pump will then be free to be pulled off the boat, and the rock will be much more accesible. If you rig your drill or impact driver for the 8 bolts you can make quick work of this. a Deep Socket 17mm will help with the nuts. It's several fasteners total, but not a complex job.

Try first to pry the rock out , pushing the rock out of the impeller and towards the tunnel where it came from. If that fails, you may need to remove the pump.

Best of Luck

 

[lagwagon777]

Do you have a long screwdriver? Maybe you can move the wedged rock? Does the impeller rotate freely? You stated you cannot remove the nuts/bolts. Why is that?

I have one, but it is about 3" too short. The rock seems to wiggle a little, and I have not tried to spin the impeller yet. I can remove the 4 large bolts and washers the hold the jet pump tp the hull, but I can't seem to disconnect ( and not sure it I'll mess things up worse) if I disconnect the two linkages for the gate and the steering. The bolts I am referring to that I cannot remove are on the underside of the boat, that hold the grate in place.

 

[lagwagon777]

The grate is very difficult to remove. The easiest thing is to pull the pump. There are 14 fastener total that need to come off. The steering cable to steering nozzle nut and bolt, the Reverse cable to reverse gate bolt and nut, then the 8 bolts holding the gates to the pumps, and finally the 4 nuts holding the pump to the boat. The pump will then be free to be pulled off the boat, and the rock will be much more accesible. If you rig your drill or impact driver for the 8 bolts you can make quick work of this. a Deep Socket 17mm will help with the nuts. It's several fasteners total, but not a complex job.

Try first to pry the rock out , pushing the rock out of the impeller and towards the tunnel where it came from. If that fails, you may need to remove the pump.

Best of Luck

Thanks, I appreciate the advice. I've actually take notes four nuts off already that hold the pump to the hull, I think those are the 17mm nuts you refer to. I put them back on because I had not taken off the linkages yet for steering/reverse so nothing came off the boat. After I do remove the linkages, why do I need to remove the gate before the pump? Won't it just come off in one piece?

 

[lagwagon777]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice. I've actually take notes four nuts off already that hold the pump to the hull, I think those are the 17mm nuts you refer to. I put them back on because I had not taken off the linkages yet for steering/reverse so nothing came off the boat. After I do remove the linkages, why do I need to remove the gate before the pump? Won't it just come off in one piece?

Also, since I am removing the steering linkage, and I going to need to go to the dealer to have the two jets realigned after I do this?

 

[Dean P]

Also, since I am removing the steering linkage, and I going to need to go to the dealer to have the two jets realigned after I do this?

You should not need to do that. please post a picture of the jet with the steering connected.

 

[Beachbummer]

The gate'steering all comes out as one piece. but it's one piece for both motors, so take the 8 bolts off and remove both gates and nozzles. Everything comes out as one piece and you can see the 2 pumps still on. Then you can remove those nuts.

You can also just remove the big nuts on both sides, but both pumps come off with all steering and gates attached. It is a bear to handle and reattach as a whole (I've done it so It can be done, but it's not pleasant). I recommend you do instead remove it by pieces. That way the good pump stays on, and it's much easier to reassemble.

 

[Weeb]

I think your your confusing the reverse bucket on thee nozzle and the intake grate. You don’t need to take off the intake grate underneath to pull th pumps.

 

[lagwagon777]

The gate'steering all comes out as one piece. but it's one piece for both motors, so take the 8 bolts off and remove both gates and nozzles. Everything comes out as one piece and you can see the 2 pumps still on. Then you can remove those nuts.

You can also just remove the big nuts on both sides, but both pumps come off with all steering and gates attached. It is a bear to handle and reattach as a whole (I've done it so It can be done, but it's not pleasant). I recommend you do instead remove it by pieces. That way the good pump stays on, and it's much easier to reassemble.

So I remove both gates as one piece, then I can take just one pump off? I remove the steering and reverse linkages of both engines, then the nuts holding the gate to the pump (on both sides, 8 nuts each). Then the plastic gates and the long metal bar connecting them at the bottom comes off in one piece? After I take those off, I just remove the 4 nuts and washers holding the black jet pump to the white hull, and the pump should come off? I have read to pull it off very straight and that the impeller will be inside on the pump I remove, is this true?

The rock is in front of the impeller, kind of between the impeller and the exit for the jet pump. So if I remove the pump and the impeller is inside it, I won't be able to get to the rock correct? I need to take off the jet pump just up until the impeller if I can.

 

[lagwagon777]

I think your your confusing the reverse bucket on thee nozzle and the intake grate. You don’t need to take off the intake grate underneath to pull th pumps.

I know that the grate is underneath, I am pretty sure that the reverse bucket is the plastic "cover" that flips down over the jet pump when I shift into neutral or reverse, right?

 

[Beachbummer]

Yes, that is correct. and both the gate and the nozzles come out in one piece. for both motors when you take off those 8 hex bolts

 

[Beachbummer]

When you pull the pump out you will likely have access to the rock from the front of the impeller that hits the water first.

 

[lagwagon777]

Can I disconnect the metal bar under the nozzles that connects them together (I assume its so they turn together) so that I only need to take off the one gate and nozzle?

 

[lagwagon777]

Beachbummer, you mention the 8 bolts to detach the nozzle/gate for each engine. All I see are 4 bolts per side (in the first picture here), are these the bolts you are referring to? The two on top inside that grey piece, and there are two more on the underside. So just to get this straight (sorry if this is repetitive, I don't want to mess this up and make my boat an glorified anchor), I detach the gate linkage (to the left of the top of the gate, 10mm I think and its a ball joint) and the steering linkage (which is out of sight but I clamped my pliers onto it so you can visualize where it is). After I have those off, I detach the linkage under the gate that links the two engine nozzle together (the long metal bar, I think it's also a ball joint). After all 3 linkages are off, I detach the 4 bolts and the nozzle/gate should come off as one piece (the 4 bolts the seem tone holding that grey piece that look like in kinda surrounds the nozzle). Then I should be left with the rest of the jet pump, the impeller inside the wear ring inside the pump, then the Venturi (I think that fan shed device right infant of the impeller, then a cone that is filled with oil. Am I correct?

The boating season is so short here in interior Alaska (ends usually around Labor Day) that I want to get this fixed so we can use it till then and then sell it. It has been a money pit up to this point.

 

[Beachbummer]

Take off the 8 bolts to get both gates off. No need to disassemble the gates to pry them apart. There is more to it, and it's painful. Trust me, 8 bolts will come off like butter. The 8 you have identified holding the gate, plus reverse and and steering linkage, then the pump comes off.

 

[Beachbummer]

When you take the 8 hex bolts off, both gates and steering will come out together in one piece, and you will end up with something like the picture below. (not mine, taken from a sales ad) This way you don't have to separate the two sides in this piece, which is harder to do.

Be sure to open and close the gates for easier access to the bolts you are removing. I think the top are easier with the gate down, and top are easier with the gate up.

 

[lagwagon777]

I got the gate/nozzle assembly off this morning, and got the rock out. Thanks for your help! Pretty big rock too,I'm not sure how it got in there. Anyhow, now that I am ready to reassemble, is it difficult to put the nozzle gate assembly back on? And should I locktite any of the 8 bolts holding it on, or any of the linkage bolts?

 

[Robmoo]

I wouldn't bother with loc-tite. Just make them nice and snug. Did you inspect that water pump and more specifically the impeller and wear ring? A rock like that can do a lot of damage. When is the last time that the pumps were lubed or rebuilt?

How did you get that rock? I pulled my pumps for a rebuild and my 10 year old Skat's look like they are new off the shelf. Why? Because I pay close attention to the water depth and cut power to the engines when I get much under 3 feet. I sometimes idle at 1.5 feet, but that is pushing it a bit.

Good luck and have fun with your Speedster!