1996 Xp cavitation

[BanOne]

Have a 1996 seadoo XP that I just got running again. Have had it our a couple times and ran great (no cavitation), but other minor problems cut shot those trips. Yesterday spent the entire day out and engine ran great but started experiencing cavitation and could not pull up a skier and ski would just not go like it had been earlier in the day. I thought the wear ring maybe going but Dr Honda suggested an air leak from the carbon ring may be the culprit. i also found pieces of the neoprene seal poking out from between the hull and the jet pump, like it deteriorated and was coming apart. I will check clearance on the wear ring today, but I am wondering if that neoprene seal couple be the source of the air leak.

Thanks
Doug

 

[Jeffspx]

Yes that Neoprene seal could very well be the cause of the problem. Remove the pump and replace it and while your in there you might want to consider replacing that carbon seal just so you dont have to pull the pump again. When I got my 95 spx, I had cavitation due to an air leak also, however my leak came from the driveshaft carrier hoses leaking air into the pump at full throttle(older style bearing carrier).
Good luck with it
Jeff

 

[BanOne]

I have pulled the cone before but not the pump, in the manual there is a special puller tool used, do i need this or is there a work around

 

[Jeffspx]

You might need a puller but you might not. Try removing it first and if you cant then youll need a puller. You can build a puller for cheap out of all thread and some 2x4's. If you need to build one search on here. Theyll tell you how to do it. Dont worry its pretty easy to remove the pump and to build a puller if need be.
Goodluck
Jeff

 

[BanOne]

Got the pump pulled and the wear ring has basically deteriorated to nothing so a rebuild will be in order.

Got questions though:
Drive shaft has surface rust is it an issue?
Black mastic on transom does it need to be replaced or left in place?
Rubber boot between drive shaft and flywheel had special clamps holding in place, can I use normal hose clamps?
Do I need the alignment tool when i put this mess back together?
Drive shaft stayed in ski when jet pump came out, manual shows you having to remove shaft after things come out of ski, did something go wrong and i did not realize it?

Thanks and sorry for the 20 questions?

Doug

 

[Jeffspx]

Glad the problem is apparent. If your anything like me, finding a real problem rather then just throwing parts at something always makes me feel better, anyway, your questions
1. As long as the rust isnt on the bearing surface where it goes into the carrier or on the splines, shouldnt be an issue
2. Dont know what you mean by black mastic though, do you mean the neoprene seal? If your ordering parts anyway the seal is only 6 bucks, I would put it in to be sure anyway. If your refering to the black silicone, you will need to remove it from the transom and pump and clean the areas and apply new silicone to the pump just around the bailer and cooling hose fittings to seal them where there going thru the hull when installing.
3. If the black boot your refering to is the small one that goes between the pto and clamps on the driveshaft and spins with the engine, then its probably best you dont use regular hose clamps because the large worm screw can make the driveshaft a little off balance. The boot just holds grease in so I've heard of some people using zip-ties to hold it in place, when i pulled mine, I managed to keep the clamps from getting bent up
4. As long as you did not move the engine at all, ie loosen the mount bolts or anything, then you shouldnt need to re-align, but if you have never done it before, and your not certain its definitely straight, its not a bad thing to think about doing as mis-alignment can cause problems later on down the road.
5. When I pulled my pump last month, the driveshaft stayed in the ski too. Its no problem.
Good luck. Its relatively easy job to do. Just take your time. Any more problems, just post back.
Jeff