Impeller Bearings Trashed ...lots of rebuild Pics pg 6

[Julian]

Great thread with fantastic pics and steps....added this to the FAQ under maintenance #5!

 

[itsdgm]

Welcome aboard @Big Shasta glad you found us.

On my seadoo skis and boat, it was annual maintenance to drain and fill the cones with a special gear oil. It seems pretty rare that water gets into those housings. But it sure does a lot of damage when it does. Thanks for posting up your experience with this issue. I'll probable add it to my check list too now.

 

[Big Shasta]

Holy crap Ken @Big Shasta, welcome! Sorry about the trouble's but certainly glad it didn't happen to you sooner on your vacation. A few years back I replaced the grease in the cones of my old 230 while changing my impellers out and I used the stuff from Island Racing - as noted by Bruce above. I highly recommend it! I'd be more than happy to send you the one I have, I bet it would fit. Send me your address I'll mail it tomorrow.
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That is a great offer....I'll take you up on it. I know I'll get the chance to pay it forward when someone else needs it. Messaging you my address.

The Island racing stuff is highly recommended, I'm just disappointed in their ordering process. Email them my address and credit card number? Naw, I'll pass.....doesn't look like they even have a phone number to call to order. I might try the tech line and see if I can place a phone order. At this point, I'm leaning toward tapping the cone for a plug and filling it with gear oil. I like the idea of being able to change it easy and the fact that it'll definitely flow into the bearings and not just sit in the cone. Although the island racing stuff looks like it would easily too. I'm about to go to the middle east for a couple weeks for work and my parts won't be here till after I leave anyway so I have time to think about it.

Thanks again!

 

[4x15mph]

@Big Shasta , it sounds like you have what you need. If you haven't already, order "Yamalube Molybdenum Disulfide Grease 10 oz. Tube" since you should use this on the splines of the impeller shaft when putting it back together. I found this on Amazon when I needed it

 

[KXCam22]

The Belray waterproof grease is also great on the shaft. Available at any motorcycle dealer that sells dirt bikes. I converted my cones to oil bath so I can do quick oil changes, like what itsdgm describes with his jet skis. Cam.

 

[Gym]

Welcome @Big Shasta. Glad you found us. I adopted the "inspect every year" approach after @Murf'n'surf's issue. I found it easy to remove the 4 mounting bolts and pull the impeller and housing as a single unit. Then toss it on the bench for inspection.

 

[Big Shasta]

I looked around some more and couldn't find any specifics on the plugs such as tap size, a plug source...Did I just miss the discussion? Anyone have details.

 

[txav8r]

Welcome to jetboaters.net Ken! You will find it very active and helpful...the way it used to be "over there". Anyway, glad you made it over and I imagine you will recognize many names here, some changed to protect but same guys! Glad to have you aboard, @Big Shasta

 

[Big Shasta]

Thanks Mel.

I think it's hilarious that I couldn't post a link on "that site" to this site without it getting automatically changed to be unusable. I made the link through a Google search but I fully expect it to be removed. animosity much?

 

[Big Shasta]

Any recommendations for the plug size if I go that route? I'm going with the 316 SS version at Mcmaster carr. 1/4" sound right? bigger would be better to pour gear oil through....how big can I go?

Actually looks like the 1/4 plug is probably big enough....if the 1/4" hex size is the hole, the plug is around 1/2" seem too big?

 

[Gym]

Looking forward to a write up on this @Big Shasta. One question I have is will the plug throw the hub out of balance causing possible vibration and bearing wear or will it equalize after removing the hub material required to insert the stainless steel plug?

 

[Ronnie]

The fill plug, assuming that is what is being discussed, sits in the side of the cone at the rear end of the pump assembly (after the stator/stationary fins and housing), the cone does not rotate so shouldn't cause im balance problems.

 

[Big Shasta]

Ronnie is right, the cover is stationary just houses the spinning bearings.

@KXCam22 Thanks for the great tip on the plug and oil bath conversion. I'm doing it when I reassemble. Any thoughts on the size of the plug? I found 1/8" and 1/4" plugs but in NPT the hole is much larger for those sizes..... 7/16" drilled hole for the 1/4" plug/tap. Sound like a good size or too big? Not sure of the drill/tap size for the 1/8 plug". Obviously I want enough room for thick gear oil to pour in and out but not too big that it removes too much material.

 

[Big Shasta]

Holy crap Ken @Big Shasta, welcome! Sorry about the trouble's but certainly glad it didn't happen to you sooner on your vacation. A few years back I replaced the grease in the cones of my old 230 while changing my impellers out and I used the stuff from Island Racing - as noted by Bruce above. I highly recommend it! I'd be more than happy to send you the one I have, I bet it would fit. Send me your address I'll mail it tomorrow.
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THANKS @Rigger . Finally got home from my 1st trip, got the impeller tool. Can't thank you enough. Got a good night sleep and a welcome back from the wife....time to hit the road again, flight leaves at 11 am. It's going to kill me knowing these parts are all sitting here waiting until I get back on Friday. Saturday he gets the goods installed!

 

[Gym]

THANKS @Rigger . Finally got home from my 1st trip, got the impeller tool. Can't thank you enough. Got a good night sleep and a welcome back from the wife....time to hit the road again, flight leaves at 11 am. It's going to kill me knowing these parts are all sitting here waiting until I get back on Friday. Saturday he gets the goods installed!

Not to worry @Big Shasta. We'll just talk your wife through the repair. It'll be ready for ya when you return.

 

[Big Shasta]

Not to worry @Big Shasta. We'll just talk your wife through the repair. It'll be ready for ya when you return.

Awesome...The box of parts are in the garage, beer fridge has lots of choices and I have every tool you can imagine! But you better do it while she just watches if it's gonna work right....she's not much for tools.

 

[Cotay]

I'm in the process right now of changing out my starboard impeller and both port/starboard impeller housings (actually I've just started and have the pump housing on the starboard off as of 5 minutes ago). I am surprised to see that I have a plastic bearing cone on a 2005...I expected to see a metal cone. Anyone else with an '05 have plastic cones?

Anyway, I have the impeller removal tool, Island Racing grease (just in case) and some Yamalube for the shaft splines upon reassembly. Anything else I'm forgetting?

I had to remove my Cobra jet spring to get the sucker off, but that is the only extra step I see. It looks like the cone is 1/3 full of some orange/red grease but I can't be sure until I remove it. I suspect the prior owner likely had to replace a bearing at some point since my grease/cone certainly don't look like stock. I'll take some pics if I can, but the leading edge of the impeller has slight damage only...dings, chips, slight raised edges in some spots. This was likely not a necessary change, but I'm glad to be getting more familiar with the boat.

EDIT: Man I am having a heck of a time getting this impeller off of the shaft! I have put all of my strength into it and it simply won't budge. I'm getting ready to take it to the dealer three hours away!

 

[Cotay]

 

[Cotay]

This one looks like some sealant is missing:

 

[Big Shasta]

Plastic cones on my 05 too. ALL your parts look MUCH better than mine with the exception of your leading impeller edges, mine look almost perfect which surprised me. I guess I haven't sucked up too much of anything in 300 hours.

So I'm finally back on this project and dammit if It isn't fighting me all the way. I spent about 2 hours trying to get the port impeller to slide out. Using a prybar/dead blow hammer on the lip from the intake side and even prying from behind the impeller fins from the outside. I got so pissed I didn't even care if I bent the impeller trying to get it out. SO, I switched to my 24 inch prybar and used my foot prying from the outside....it WILL NOT budge. at this point, I think I'm going to try pulling the boat out of the yard and hooking a ratchet strap around the shaft from the back and hooking it to my wifes car and trying to ratchet it out. (NO, I will not pull on it with the vehicle, just use the vehicle as an anchor.) I'm worried the sharp edges of the impeller will cut the strap but I don't know what else to do. Anyone else have any suggestions? I soaked it with PB blaster but I have a feeling the shaft seals keeps it from getting to the splines.

I took apart the stbd side and it came completely apart in about 20 minutes. Looks perfect. Bearings are good, grease was good. BUT, I'm still going to press the shaft out and replace the seals on the inside. That shaft is tight in the bearings, I got the impeller off (mad props to @Rigger for the tool) but I'm going to have to take it to work with me so I can press the shaft out, replace the seals and press it back in. Luckily we have a big press....no other way to get it out, right?

So a question for the guys that have used the gear oil. I see now how easy it is to take the entire impeller housing off and do this on the bench. Also, it gives me a chance to grease the splines every year so I don't every have one frozen in again. BUT, if I have the housing on the bench, why do I need a plug? I can just stand the assembly upright when I pull the cap and inspect/change the gear oil. Seems like that will be much easier to see how much gear oil I put back in. I planned on filling the cap about half way, standing the assembly up and pushing the cap/oring on from underneath then laying it down and putting the screws in. Make sense? Not sure why I would drill/plug it....maybe a little cleaner when it comes to changing it?

Finally got the seals out of the port side housing.

WOW, Port housing looks like CRAP.

Stbd bearings looks perfect.

Leading edge of Stbd impeller. Looks surprisingly good for 300 hours.

So this is where I'm stuck. I called it every name I could think of. I'm 6'4" and about 300....so I wasn't going easy.

Just for reference...STBD impeller PN...NON HO