I have a 1996 spi I took it out for the 1st time yesterday. While I was riding it if I was going 5mph and hit the throttle the engine was revving but I wasnt going anywhere it seemed like the impellar was sucking in air but once I got up to speed it quit doing that. after an hour of riding the ski at full throttle the engine would surge RPMs would go up and drop and then go back up in a cycle after a few minutes of that the ski would not rev up to the usual RPMs anyone else have this problem?
96 Spi
- Thread starter kevlh20
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inspection?
It sounds like you are either cavitating or your wearing ring is shot. I'd check your impellor and wearing ring.
:hat:
It sounds like you are either cavitating or your wearing ring is shot. I'd check your impellor and wearing ring.
:hat:
Wheels & Waves
New Member
Basically, pump cavitation is like a transmission slipping on your car. The water going through the pump is being turbulated by pump damage, foreign objects in the pump or by air introduced in the positive pressure side of the pump. First, you need to visually inspect the pump from the discharge and intake sides. You will be looking for a large stone, stick or other object lodged between the impeller blades or the pump stator vane. If you do see something, you may be able to dislodge it with a long screwdriver. The wear ring is a composite ring that is pressed into the pump housing around the impeller. This ring does a couple of things. First, it keeps the impeller to pump housing clearance to a minimum for the best possible pump pressure. Second, it also protects the pump housing from damage by being damaged itself. This ring is replaceable for about $45. You can tell if your wear ring is damaged by looking for deep grooves that look like they have been cut into the ring. Also, if the clearance between the ring and impeller becomes too much, it needs to be replaced. So, getting back to the problem, you either have a damaged impeller, wear ring or stator vane housing. It could be a combination of all of these. You need to take a good close look at all parts. As far as the engine "surging", lets take care of the pump problem first. If your pump is not working properly, your cooling system is not either. You may have been experiencing an overheating problem as well.
Thank you, you have been so much help OK so 1st off is the wear ring located under a shield connected to a short rubber tube right behind the engine in the engine bay? and when I was riding there are 2 strems shooting out the rear of the ski obviously for cooling one stream was pretty hot and one was not even warm. I'm thinking both streams should be hot.
Wear ring?
When the wearing ring went out on my pump this past season, the engine had revs and some water came through the pumps discharge. But I had no water coming from the tell-tell that told me the cooling system was working. I was towed back in and when I did my inspection, the wear ring had actually come apart and was 80% blocked against my stator blades. I had to replace the impellor also, but was able to use a file to clean up the stator.
Let us know what you find out!.........and we'll all hope for the best!
When the wearing ring went out on my pump this past season, the engine had revs and some water came through the pumps discharge. But I had no water coming from the tell-tell that told me the cooling system was working. I was towed back in and when I did my inspection, the wear ring had actually come apart and was 80% blocked against my stator blades. I had to replace the impellor also, but was able to use a file to clean up the stator.
Let us know what you find out!.........and we'll all hope for the best!
Wheels & Waves
New Member
wear ring location
The wear ring is located in the pump on the outside of the ski. You will need to remove the pump from the ski to replace the ring. If there is any damage to the impeller, SBT offers an impeller exchange for only $25. Can't beat that for a reworked prop!
The wear ring is located in the pump on the outside of the ski. You will need to remove the pump from the ski to replace the ring. If there is any damage to the impeller, SBT offers an impeller exchange for only $25. Can't beat that for a reworked prop!
Wheels & Waves
New Member
The rubber tube holds the carbon friction ring that rides on the friction seal. This assembly keeps the water from getting into the ski when the driveshaft turns. It is normal for this assembly to move around the driveshaft. Your problem is with the pump.
Kevlh20?
I think your missing the point. Take off your nozzle (on the outside of the ski) and check the wearing ring, impellor and stator.
I think your missing the point. Take off your nozzle (on the outside of the ski) and check the wearing ring, impellor and stator.
Wheels & Waves
New Member
YOU HAVE PUMP PROBLEMS. You can remove the entire pump assembly on your ski in 15 minutes. Remove the steering cable from the nozzle, remove the 4 bolts holding the venturi/nozzle on (13mm socket), remove the 4 nuts holding the pump stator assembly to the pump support (17mm socket) and pull off. Yea, it's that simple.
Impellor?
Looking at the impellor at the wearing ring, how much clearence is between them?
The impellor doesn't work under the same principle of the propellor of an outboard motor. It's more like a compressor. It compresses the water coming in from the suction side (low pressure area) and creates positive pressure on the nozzle, hence jet drive. If the wearing ring does not ride up really close to the impellor, then your losing thrust. How does your stator look?
If you say the wearing ring doesn't look that bad and the clearence to the impellor is within a 1/16 of an inch all the way around, then also check your splines on the impellor and shaft.
I'm not to sure where to go from there, but your descriptions in your post is pointing directly to your impellor and wearing ring.
I hope you can get it together and get a little more ridin in before winter!
Looking at the impellor at the wearing ring, how much clearence is between them?
The impellor doesn't work under the same principle of the propellor of an outboard motor. It's more like a compressor. It compresses the water coming in from the suction side (low pressure area) and creates positive pressure on the nozzle, hence jet drive. If the wearing ring does not ride up really close to the impellor, then your losing thrust. How does your stator look?
If you say the wearing ring doesn't look that bad and the clearence to the impellor is within a 1/16 of an inch all the way around, then also check your splines on the impellor and shaft.
I'm not to sure where to go from there, but your descriptions in your post is pointing directly to your impellor and wearing ring.
I hope you can get it together and get a little more ridin in before winter!
Too much
If you have a 1/4 inch of clearance, then that's too much. You may have lost the outer casing of the wearing ring. The wearing ring has a hard (light metal) center the the rubberized/plastic coating adheres to. You may have lost that entire inner piece and have the ring and it's backing left.
I know when I replaced mine last year, it had completely seperated.....
Between the ring and the impellor, is it smooth all the way around or are there any brittle edges.
I'd like to see the pictures if you can get them uploaded...
If you have a 1/4 inch of clearance, then that's too much. You may have lost the outer casing of the wearing ring. The wearing ring has a hard (light metal) center the the rubberized/plastic coating adheres to. You may have lost that entire inner piece and have the ring and it's backing left.
I know when I replaced mine last year, it had completely seperated.....
Between the ring and the impellor, is it smooth all the way around or are there any brittle edges.
I'd like to see the pictures if you can get them uploaded...
Pump?
When you get the 4 nuts off the bolts that secure it to the hull, so some heavy wiggling from side to side and up and down while pulling pretty hard. There was silicone sealant holding my pump on. I don't know if it came from the manfacturer that way, or if someone else put it on. But if it's really hard, either the shaft splines are seized up on it or there is silicone. Or maybe both.
Let me know how you come out. :hat:
When you get the 4 nuts off the bolts that secure it to the hull, so some heavy wiggling from side to side and up and down while pulling pretty hard. There was silicone sealant holding my pump on. I don't know if it came from the manfacturer that way, or if someone else put it on. But if it's really hard, either the shaft splines are seized up on it or there is silicone. Or maybe both.
Let me know how you come out. :hat:
Thank you!.....
Job well done!.......congrats:hurray:
You can see where your wearing ring came apart. On that outer edge of the picture, that black rubber at one time covered the entire inner area of the wearing ring.....and now, the inner liner is all that you have left. The rubber surface was partially blocking the impellors discharge at the stator, that's why you couldn't move.
You'll need to get an impellor removal tool and remove the impellor. They cost about $20. Then get a propane/butane torch from "Lowe's or Home Depot"....Walmart may even have them. Then with the bearing cup removed, you'll be able to lock the shaft in a vice and quickly heat the inner spline area of the shaft to break the Loctite bond. Then using the impellor removal tool, to take it off, counterclockwise.
While you have the impellor off, this could be the time to rebuild/replace the pumps bearings and oil. Oil will be mandatory. (SeeDoo synthetic for pumps)
After the impellor is off, you'll need to cut the fiberglass liner. I used a hack saw blade that I broke in half and then put tape on one end to hold it with. This work would probably be done easier with an angle Dremel tool. Be careful not to cut into the pumps casing. I scratched mine up a little with the hacksaw blade, but it didn't really hurt it.
Then you just take your new wearing ring (about $40) and put a little soapy water on it, sit it evenly on top of the casing and put a piece of 2X4 on it and gently tap it with a hammer evenly till it seats all the way in.
You really need the manual to get into the bearings. The manual would also be recommended to do the wearing ring......It's a great reference if you get stuck.
The picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks for the upload. No doubt about it, it was your propulsion problem. You'll also want to check your engines water intake. To make sure with the contiued attempts of running the ski, you may have ingested material from the wearing ring.
You might PM "Wheels and Waves" and let Don know you got your pump off and you've uploaded your pix. He may be interested to see what happened and offer you some tips that I missed.
Again, Congrats on the pump removal. Now, the fun begins!......
Job well done!.......congrats:hurray:
You can see where your wearing ring came apart. On that outer edge of the picture, that black rubber at one time covered the entire inner area of the wearing ring.....and now, the inner liner is all that you have left. The rubber surface was partially blocking the impellors discharge at the stator, that's why you couldn't move.
You'll need to get an impellor removal tool and remove the impellor. They cost about $20. Then get a propane/butane torch from "Lowe's or Home Depot"....Walmart may even have them. Then with the bearing cup removed, you'll be able to lock the shaft in a vice and quickly heat the inner spline area of the shaft to break the Loctite bond. Then using the impellor removal tool, to take it off, counterclockwise.
While you have the impellor off, this could be the time to rebuild/replace the pumps bearings and oil. Oil will be mandatory. (SeeDoo synthetic for pumps)
After the impellor is off, you'll need to cut the fiberglass liner. I used a hack saw blade that I broke in half and then put tape on one end to hold it with. This work would probably be done easier with an angle Dremel tool. Be careful not to cut into the pumps casing. I scratched mine up a little with the hacksaw blade, but it didn't really hurt it.
Then you just take your new wearing ring (about $40) and put a little soapy water on it, sit it evenly on top of the casing and put a piece of 2X4 on it and gently tap it with a hammer evenly till it seats all the way in.
You really need the manual to get into the bearings. The manual would also be recommended to do the wearing ring......It's a great reference if you get stuck.
The picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks for the upload. No doubt about it, it was your propulsion problem. You'll also want to check your engines water intake. To make sure with the contiued attempts of running the ski, you may have ingested material from the wearing ring.
You might PM "Wheels and Waves" and let Don know you got your pump off and you've uploaded your pix. He may be interested to see what happened and offer you some tips that I missed.
Again, Congrats on the pump removal. Now, the fun begins!......
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