Pump Bearings Service Intervals / Replacemant

[fairpilot]

Glad to know you can get the grease plus oil bath option all should be ok

 

[swatski]

One bottle enough for both pumps? Going to tackle this soon.

if you asking about the OEM grease, yes - that 8oz bottle is more than enough for two pumps.

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[jdonalds]

2005 Honda Aquatrax with 400 engine hours + 2006 SX210 with about 250 hours. I pull the cone off each year. If I find water (never have) the pump needs to be pulled and checked. If no water I may add some grease and put the cone back on. None of my 3 pumps has ever needed service.

 

[KXCam22]

For me, the main advantage of the oil bath is that regular maintenance is now very. very easy. I don't even have to take off the cone, and I can be assured of superior lubrication that can get to all the bearings. With the OEM grease, when you take off the cone there is a nice swirl of grease evident, BUT, no way to tell if that grease has fully lubed that outboard bearing or not. Its not easy to get the grease out of that bearing, so the corollary says it not easy to get grease into that bearing. The only disadvantage I see is that if you had a massive seal leak the oil would get out whereas grease would stay in, although in both cases you would get the same result of grenaded bearings. While the grease has proved reliable, 0il or a slurry is a superior lube media. Cam.

 

[fairpilot]

I check these every year now, my left one has some water mixing with grease, I cleaned it out and added fresh grease, I too order the grease from Redi Driver. I also ordered new seals for the cone. The rear bearing is the only one you can see unless you remove the impeller. One bottle has allowed me to open them up twice and remove old grease from cap, the bottle has a nice spout you can insert between the ball bearing and squeeze out some old grease with new. I generously apply grease to this bearing then fill the cap up 1/3rd .

 

[Bruce]

@fairpilot, that water mixing with the grease scares me. Especially since you can not access the forward bearing and knowing that you boat in salt water. @Murf'n'surf has a great example of why you do not want to let those bearings fail.

One of the reasons I prefer the oil bath is that I can change it, almost all of it.

 

[fairpilot]

Im curious as to where the water is entering the bearing, looking at the bearings that i can see they look great, no pitting or discoloration. Ordered new o-rings for the caps. These bearings are now 12 years old. Do you know for sure that if I force grease through the outside bearing that it is not reaching inside bearings, is there no way to lube the inner bearing, sounds like a terrible design but they are 12 so i guess it works I will prob attempt to change them over winter but dont have a press so I gotta find somewhere that can do it for me unless i buy one.
My new issue is I have some water leaking into the boat, after we are out for the day I have about 5 gallons of water in boat the drains out, I filled my boat with the hose at home till ski locker was full and engine compartment was half full, no water leaked out. I have no clue where it is coming in. I keep forgetting to feel the water that drains and see if its warm, maybe exhaust water or something.

 

[Bruce]

There is about 3” between the front and rear bearings in that housing. There is no way that grease pressed into one bearing gets to the other. In this picture the bearings are on the right side of the shafts with a spacer between them.

 

[boudin]

Over the years I've used both plain old wheel bearing grease and the method of Amsoil synthetic grease mixed into a slurry with synthetic gear oil. They work. But lately switched to Maxima waterproof grease on the advice of a few folks at greenhulk.net. Seems to be working fine and easy to get.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WK8VV8

When rebuilding a pump always use OEM parts including seals, bearings, and the pump cone o-ring. Don't use aftermarket parts as they are not always manufactured to the same specs. Spend the extra money for OEM.

-Greg

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Yamaha has one of the best pumps out there I have over 600 hours on my pumps with no issues other than pump liner swelling issues around 350 hours but that is normal when you have stainless liners in an aluminum pump so I replace those.
I had a Kawasucki 250 that blew pumps every 60, hours, They were using the regular pumps on supercharged engines that just did not hold up and when they finally added an extra bearing that one lasted 160 hours never buying a Kawasaki again.
I also refuse to buy a sea doo with the single angle bearing pumps because those don't work for me at all, the earlier sea doo style with 2 bearings was ok but nothing holds up like a Yamaha pump in my experience.

 

[boudin]

The problems with the pre-2011 Kawi 250/260/300 pumps was when the bearings go out, the axial force would walk the pump shaft into the motor and destroy the thrust washers, then everything goes boom. Just look on eBay for Kawi cases--most have thrust washer ledges that are destroyed.

In addition the extra bearing, the post-2011 pumps have a nut on the rear (cone side) to prevent this from happening. You can update the pump, but you either have to buy a new pump vane or machine the old one to take the newer shaft and nut.

Agree on the Yamaha pumps. If rebuilt with genuine Yamaha parts should last a long time. The rental guys are saying the newer pumps in the boats with TR1s don't last as long.

-Greg

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I fixed the Kawasaki issue I will never ever buy anything with that name on it again I don't care what it is, their warranty service sucked as bad as their product also. Live and learn .

 

[boudin]

As evident by only 5% market share for the company that has a trademark on the name 'Jet Ski'.

-Greg

 

[swatski]

The rental guys are saying the newer pumps in the boats with TR1s don't last as long.

Do you meant the newer skis with TR-1s?
Newest pumps - with one piece wearing etc.? That would be a bummer.

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[boudin]

Yes.

 

[rtucker11]

Over the years I've used both plain old wheel bearing grease and the method of Amsoil synthetic grease mixed into a slurry with synthetic gear oil. They work. But lately switched to Maxima waterproof grease on the advice of a few folks at greenhulk.net. Seems to be working fine and easy to get.

Amazon.com: Maxima 80916 Waterproof Grease - 16 oz. Bottle : Automotive

When rebuilding a pump always use OEM parts including seals, bearings, and the pump cone o-ring. Don't use aftermarket parts as they are not always manufactured to the same specs. Spend the extra money for OEM.

-Greg

Do you mix the Maxima into a slurry with synthetic gear oil? Any idea on how much grease to gear oil?

 

[Street glide]

Has anybody tried the stuff from island racing . I'm trying to decide what is the best stuff to use .

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Without going back over this old thread again here is the last results from adding some normal automotive gear lube in with the stock grease and resealing the original O ring on the pump cone My original 2014 pumps lasted from day 1 until I sold the skies, both had close to 900 hours of what most would consider hard riding, the impellers were also never touched but I did change to the nylon liners about mid way, here is my take on waterproof gear lube etc. If water gets in you have a problem either way but water is not supposed to get in and usually does not unless you remove the cone and don't seal the o ring. So with the pump and intermediate bearings waterproof is irrelevant , not true on wheel bearing grease as the bearing buddies have a tendency to let some water in so that would be a good thing in that application. Just my opinion based on my own experience.

 

[zelone]

One of the MAIN reasons that it is important to use a grease that FLOWS back to the bearings. OEM YAMAHA PUMP GREASE ( that hard to find Epnoc 0 ) doesnt cut it! NOWHERE near "liquidy" enough.
When doing an impeller job or something that requires pump removal, other than a pump rebuild, we will remove the pump cone, DISPOSE of the OEM grease, and refill the cone with our LIQUID PUMP GREASE. in order to "thin out" the OEM stuff a bit.

Do a test for yourself. Lay the cone with the OEM stuff on the bench. Come back in an hour. guaranteed it will still be in the cone. If it is still in the cone it isnt flowing to your bearings.
some people may like a nicely lubricated cone.

@ISLANDRACING do you have link to this LIQUID PUMP GREASE? I'd like to buy some. Thanks!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Been adding gear lube to my pumps and my intermediate bearings for years do a search on here lots of info and on the intermediate bearings if you add gear lube the way I describe you won't blow the seals, I NEVER PUMP GREASE IN THOSE BEARING HOUSINGS I add gear lube day 1.