snikwad003
Well-Known Member
Some 97xp parts interchange there?
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RESTO 96' HX Resto
- Thread starter mikidymac
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Pretty much all the parts are the same except for the PTO and the front driveshaft.
Seadoodoc
Active Member
nice work! you work fast. seemed like the older hx had the yellow coupler and newer had red. we were always updating to newer design which you have. engine alighnment and coupler failure was always an issue. Once took out gas tank on failed shaft! You shud loose that rear shaft carbon seal ring and backdate to 95 bearing carrier. 30 bucks on ebay. your at a good crossroad to do 787 swap!
You are correct, it had the yellow coupler on the rear but I think they put the red one on the front after it already failed. The red one looked too good compared to how bad the metal fingers were and the aluminum safety loop was mangled so it looked as if the driveshaft tried to escape at some point.
I already have 2 new red ones waiting.
Why don't you like the carbon seal on these? I have never had an issue with them on the 97+ XP's with the same setup and other than being worn down this carbon seal looks fine.
Don't get me started on the 787 swap as I have already been thinking this but in the end I have never been on an HX so I am not sure I want that investment in time and parts for something I might not like. Plus I like my stuff minty stock and have a 96' XP and 2001 XP if I want to go faster. I have been thinking about the Group K Sleeper though.
Seadoodoc
Active Member
haha Mikid your a good guy! SD carbon seal had one purpose only.. solve failed bearing failures while on garden hose flushing. The carbon ring weak point is modified boats have such violent suction it pulls back carbon ring and cavitates. Dont get me started on violent nature of 4tec in xpl on carbon ring..lol bottom line is if your salt water guy heavy flush activity.. carry on.. btw our 787 hx is wicked fast.
So got a little more done today.....
Carbs taken apart. Pretty dirty and filters filled as expected. They will clean up fine.
And the dreaded green goo.
I decided to pull the hood to flip the ski to work on the bottom.
So to do this myself I wrap a single tie down around the steering stem them up to the garage door opener support then just remove the hinge bolts and push the hull back while guiding the cables out. I need a new steering cable and they are discontinued so hopefully Minnetonka has one because I don't trust SBT.
Stripped hull
And some help from the neighbor and it's over on the stand.
Damn I hate the keel guards, all that's left is the evil double sided tape.
took about an hour with a heat gun and two blistered thumbs to get it off.
So my method to fix the holes is to grind out the shattered glass with an angle grinder and abrasive discs.
These two were already patched but I want to gel coat patch them so they aren't so obvious.
I did some grinding then used a pencil to find the high spots. You want it lower so the gel coat patch can fill it in and be sanded flat.
Little more
Now to fill the holes I mixed up some BondoGlass. The damage wasn't bad enough to have to use glass and epoxy resin like I had to on the 01' XP.
Sanded.
And...... I can't find my gel coat repair kit so I ordered a new one and while I am waiting I decided to get the hull ready for buffing. For now I am saving the graphics although the bottom ones are pretty rough. If the HX is as fun as everyone says then I will order new ones from PWC Graphics. So the way I do this is cover in painters tape and trace each outline with an Xacto knife one layer at a time. If you get too many layers of overlapping tape at once it is hard to see the decal underneath.
And now we wait for parts......
Carbs taken apart. Pretty dirty and filters filled as expected. They will clean up fine.
And the dreaded green goo.
I decided to pull the hood to flip the ski to work on the bottom.
So to do this myself I wrap a single tie down around the steering stem them up to the garage door opener support then just remove the hinge bolts and push the hull back while guiding the cables out. I need a new steering cable and they are discontinued so hopefully Minnetonka has one because I don't trust SBT.
Stripped hull
And some help from the neighbor and it's over on the stand.
Damn I hate the keel guards, all that's left is the evil double sided tape.
So my method to fix the holes is to grind out the shattered glass with an angle grinder and abrasive discs.
These two were already patched but I want to gel coat patch them so they aren't so obvious.
I did some grinding then used a pencil to find the high spots. You want it lower so the gel coat patch can fill it in and be sanded flat.
Little more
Now to fill the holes I mixed up some BondoGlass. The damage wasn't bad enough to have to use glass and epoxy resin like I had to on the 01' XP.
Sanded.
And...... I can't find my gel coat repair kit so I ordered a new one and while I am waiting I decided to get the hull ready for buffing. For now I am saving the graphics although the bottom ones are pretty rough. If the HX is as fun as everyone says then I will order new ones from PWC Graphics. So the way I do this is cover in painters tape and trace each outline with an Xacto knife one layer at a time. If you get too many layers of overlapping tape at once it is hard to see the decal underneath.
And now we wait for parts......
So little more progress. We are actually getting real rain here in California. 3" in 24 hours. The news says it's the "storm of the season ". Spent the morning chopping up my cousins fallen tree then some HX love.
The side hole was soft so I patched it with more Bondo glass then mixed some gel coat patch.
Since it won't be perfect I started looking in the vault for some retro decals to cover the most obvious side patch......
Found this retro picture of some cool 90's guy too in the sticker folder
. Wow! That was a long time ago.
And the stickers
In the end I will probably represent the West Side Power Sports.
It is pretty cold in the garage tonight, 50 degrees so hopefully the gel coat cures enough to buff in the morning.
The side hole was soft so I patched it with more Bondo glass then mixed some gel coat patch.
Since it won't be perfect I started looking in the vault for some retro decals to cover the most obvious side patch......
Found this retro picture of some cool 90's guy too in the sticker folder
And the stickers
It is pretty cold in the garage tonight, 50 degrees so hopefully the gel coat cures enough to buff in the morning.
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Good looking progress there.
Once again a little more on the o'le HX.
I wet sanded it with 800 then 1000 and finally 2000 and although less than perfect it is as good as it is going to get considering how beat up the bottom was.
Now I have always followed Jetskigoodies buffing process but I was out of almost all the buffing compounds so I got on the old interwebs and started looking at Meguiar's marine products so I gave them a call. They were very nice and explained that old dry gelcoat is very different from automotive paint and their marine line has a lot more oils and lubricants because of this. They recommend their Power Cut followed by the Oxidation Remover and finally their Marine Polish. Of course nobody in town has it so I went to Amazon but they sent mislabeled wax instead of the polish so I am waiting on that.
Here is the first pass with the Power Cut.
Now the Oxidation Remover.
And finally the last drop of machine glaze I had.
in the last picture that is the reflection of the rub rail rivets. I would say it turned out pretty good and I think the marine products are easier than the automotive line.
I also tried some Starbrite Mildew Remover on the seat. Before
And just like the label says spray on let sit 10 minutes and wash off. Not bad I would say
it's not perfect but much better.
The top has been wet sanded and old mats removed.
More buffing today. Stay tuned.
I wet sanded it with 800 then 1000 and finally 2000 and although less than perfect it is as good as it is going to get considering how beat up the bottom was.
Now I have always followed Jetskigoodies buffing process but I was out of almost all the buffing compounds so I got on the old interwebs and started looking at Meguiar's marine products so I gave them a call. They were very nice and explained that old dry gelcoat is very different from automotive paint and their marine line has a lot more oils and lubricants because of this. They recommend their Power Cut followed by the Oxidation Remover and finally their Marine Polish. Of course nobody in town has it so I went to Amazon but they sent mislabeled wax instead of the polish so I am waiting on that.
Here is the first pass with the Power Cut.
Now the Oxidation Remover.
And finally the last drop of machine glaze I had.
I also tried some Starbrite Mildew Remover on the seat. Before
The top has been wet sanded and old mats removed.
More buffing today. Stay tuned.
snikwad003
Well-Known Member
Lookin good, how them arms feelin?
Ha ha perfectly fine. My friend Dewalt did all the hard work at about 1,500 rpm.
Ok, hull is completely done. The hood was a pain because it was so faded.
Before....
Being a sucker for stock decals I masked them off just like the hull.
And done....
So now that I have done a ski with the Meguyer's Marine line I prefer it over the auto line that JSG uses. It seems to work faster and one fewer compound.
Now I am stuck waiting on parts.
Before....
Being a sucker for stock decals I masked them off just like the hull.
And done....
So now that I have done a ski with the Meguyer's Marine line I prefer it over the auto line that JSG uses. It seems to work faster and one fewer compound.
Now I am stuck waiting on parts.
I think I am going to need some pictures from you then with wire and hose routing. This one had a hard life before I got it.
dan87951
Active Member
Sure, I can do that.
The ski's are still in storage as it's still kinda of cold in Michigan. When I get them out remind me and i'll send you whatever you need.
nice detail work! I get itchy thinking about your grinding.. I make junior do it. haha
LOL that looks pretty familiar. I have an old sweatshirt and a 3M respirator for fiberglass work so no itching here.
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