- Messages
- 1,595
- Reaction score
- 899
- Points
- 247
- Location
- Ottawa, Canada
- Boat Make
- Scarab
- Year
- 2015
- Boat Model
- 165 G
- Boat Length
- 16
Your jet pump is an extremely important component. It's often compromised due to debris or wear due to many factors. As such, it's a really good idea to inspect it regularly through the intake grate and through the jet nozzle. Use a good flashlight and inspect all around the pump for anything abnormal.
Beyond this, it's recommended that you remove the pump entirely every 2 years. Some do it yearly if you do lots of boating.
The first step in accessing the pump is to remove the entire reverse assembly and jet nozzle.
This is the best video to follow:
You'll need an impeller removal tool. The right one for your boat. That depends on your engine and pump.
- Next, remove the rubber impeller boot (REVERSE THREADED). This is the rubber piece where the drive shaft is inserted. So you have to spin it CLOCKWISE in order to unscrew it. The factory usually has some loctite on this so you'll have to grip it well with pliers or something. I recommend using a rag as to not to rip it.
- Then, place the pump on the impeller removal tool locked in a vice, nose cone up.
- Remove the nose cone by removing the three hex bolts, then pry SLOWLY all around the nose cone equally and gradually. It's useful to have something to maintain the gap as you work around like Popsicle sticks. Inside there's grease or oil which creates suction as you pull it off. So it has a habit of going back down. You need to break the vacuum slowly, then it will release.
- Once the nose cone is off, it's time to inspect everything. Check the condition of the grease or oil (either can be used assuming it's the right type of XPS pump grease/oil or gear oil, 75W-90). If it's milky, then water is getting in there and you have a problem. Is there rust? Grit? The inside of the nose cone should be pristine!
- Run your fingers along the inside of the grease and you should feel the two o rings. Pull them out delicately. Then inspect both for cracks, nicks, etc. I recommend having spares on hand before doing all of this. They are inexpensive.
- Usually, if you get here, you might as well replace that grease/oil. You can reuse the old stuff if it's in good condition, but it's pretty cheap. You need 24 ml (0.8 oz in American units), essentially up to the second o-ring, no more). Too much and you'll have a hard time closing the nose cone due to pressure.
- Nose cone to be torqued to 35 lbf.in or 4.0 Nm. They are supposed to have loctite but frankly, if you regularly check the pump as recommended, you definitely don't need it. Manual states 66 lbf.in or 7.5 Nm but that doesn’t make any sense. WAY too tight, it will deform the plastic nose cone.
- Time to inspect the wear ring and impeller. The tolerance between the impeller and the wear ring should be 0.35mm or 0.014". That's pretty darn tight! Feeler gauges are useful for this. But essentially, the impeller should right up almost touching the plastic. Check all around the wear ring and impeller. Make sure the clearance is consistent and TIGHT! This is where your performance comes from, including fuel efficiency.
- If you decide to remove the impeller, you must use the correct impeller removal tool with the correct drive shaft splines (normal direction for threads). So counterclockwise to remove. You'll need a large wrench or ratchet with the right socket to unscrew the impeller.
- You can file out little nicks as needed. But if the impeller is damaged, you'll need to replace it.
- The wear ring can last a long time, or a VERY short time. It all depends on your waterways, debris, how you tend to run the engine in shallow water, what's at the bottom in those shallow waters, etc. Suck up one, single rock, and it MAY need replacing already. For reference, mine is approaching 300h. Still in great condition. Original ring and impeller. I'm lucky to boat in pristine waters and I know how to avoid damaging it. Replacing the wear ring "just because" isn't necessary. It's all about the condition of it. Small, shallow scratches will barely matter.
- If you need to replace the wear ring, then YouTube Sea-Doo wear ring replacement. There are many videos showing various techniques to do this. In short, put the new wear ring in the freezer for multiple hours. This CONTRACTS the ring to make it smaller. Cut out the wear ring inside the pump or else rip it out somehow. Then stick the entire pump in the oven for an hour. Lowish temperature like 175F. This EXPANDS the pump housing. Then, take both out and attempt to squeeze the ring in the housing using EQUAL pressure and ensuring it goes in PERFECTLY straight. A 2x6 and a good hammer comes in handy... Or a press if you're lucky enough to have one.
- Reinstall the impeller. Torqued to 92 lbf.ft or 125 Nm.
- Inspect the rubber gasket around the pump and ensure it's in good condition and well seated.
- Wire brush any debris off of the pump.
- Marine grease the drive shaft splines thoroughly and reinsert the pump.
- Pump assembly bolts need to be torqued equally and like a car wheel until you reach 23 lbf.ft or 31 Nm.
- Reverse gate bolts to 15 lbf.ft or 21 Nm.
- Steering link to 115 lbf.in or 13 Nm.
- Reverse gate cable nut to 22 lbf.in or 2.5 Nm.
Done! This all looks intimidating, but it really isn't. A great winter project for those that have solid water during that time. Scared? Time to call a dealer.
Beyond this, it's recommended that you remove the pump entirely every 2 years. Some do it yearly if you do lots of boating.
The first step in accessing the pump is to remove the entire reverse assembly and jet nozzle.
This is the best video to follow:
You'll need an impeller removal tool. The right one for your boat. That depends on your engine and pump.
- Next, remove the rubber impeller boot (REVERSE THREADED). This is the rubber piece where the drive shaft is inserted. So you have to spin it CLOCKWISE in order to unscrew it. The factory usually has some loctite on this so you'll have to grip it well with pliers or something. I recommend using a rag as to not to rip it.
- Then, place the pump on the impeller removal tool locked in a vice, nose cone up.
- Remove the nose cone by removing the three hex bolts, then pry SLOWLY all around the nose cone equally and gradually. It's useful to have something to maintain the gap as you work around like Popsicle sticks. Inside there's grease or oil which creates suction as you pull it off. So it has a habit of going back down. You need to break the vacuum slowly, then it will release.
- Once the nose cone is off, it's time to inspect everything. Check the condition of the grease or oil (either can be used assuming it's the right type of XPS pump grease/oil or gear oil, 75W-90). If it's milky, then water is getting in there and you have a problem. Is there rust? Grit? The inside of the nose cone should be pristine!
- Run your fingers along the inside of the grease and you should feel the two o rings. Pull them out delicately. Then inspect both for cracks, nicks, etc. I recommend having spares on hand before doing all of this. They are inexpensive.
- Usually, if you get here, you might as well replace that grease/oil. You can reuse the old stuff if it's in good condition, but it's pretty cheap. You need 24 ml (0.8 oz in American units), essentially up to the second o-ring, no more). Too much and you'll have a hard time closing the nose cone due to pressure.
- Nose cone to be torqued to 35 lbf.in or 4.0 Nm. They are supposed to have loctite but frankly, if you regularly check the pump as recommended, you definitely don't need it. Manual states 66 lbf.in or 7.5 Nm but that doesn’t make any sense. WAY too tight, it will deform the plastic nose cone.
- Time to inspect the wear ring and impeller. The tolerance between the impeller and the wear ring should be 0.35mm or 0.014". That's pretty darn tight! Feeler gauges are useful for this. But essentially, the impeller should right up almost touching the plastic. Check all around the wear ring and impeller. Make sure the clearance is consistent and TIGHT! This is where your performance comes from, including fuel efficiency.
- If you decide to remove the impeller, you must use the correct impeller removal tool with the correct drive shaft splines (normal direction for threads). So counterclockwise to remove. You'll need a large wrench or ratchet with the right socket to unscrew the impeller.
- You can file out little nicks as needed. But if the impeller is damaged, you'll need to replace it.
- The wear ring can last a long time, or a VERY short time. It all depends on your waterways, debris, how you tend to run the engine in shallow water, what's at the bottom in those shallow waters, etc. Suck up one, single rock, and it MAY need replacing already. For reference, mine is approaching 300h. Still in great condition. Original ring and impeller. I'm lucky to boat in pristine waters and I know how to avoid damaging it. Replacing the wear ring "just because" isn't necessary. It's all about the condition of it. Small, shallow scratches will barely matter.
- If you need to replace the wear ring, then YouTube Sea-Doo wear ring replacement. There are many videos showing various techniques to do this. In short, put the new wear ring in the freezer for multiple hours. This CONTRACTS the ring to make it smaller. Cut out the wear ring inside the pump or else rip it out somehow. Then stick the entire pump in the oven for an hour. Lowish temperature like 175F. This EXPANDS the pump housing. Then, take both out and attempt to squeeze the ring in the housing using EQUAL pressure and ensuring it goes in PERFECTLY straight. A 2x6 and a good hammer comes in handy... Or a press if you're lucky enough to have one.
- Reinstall the impeller. Torqued to 92 lbf.ft or 125 Nm.
- Inspect the rubber gasket around the pump and ensure it's in good condition and well seated.
- Wire brush any debris off of the pump.
- Marine grease the drive shaft splines thoroughly and reinsert the pump.
- Pump assembly bolts need to be torqued equally and like a car wheel until you reach 23 lbf.ft or 31 Nm.
- Reverse gate bolts to 15 lbf.ft or 21 Nm.
- Steering link to 115 lbf.in or 13 Nm.
- Reverse gate cable nut to 22 lbf.in or 2.5 Nm.
Done! This all looks intimidating, but it really isn't. A great winter project for those that have solid water during that time. Scared? Time to call a dealer.
