!996 xp Leaking Water

[joelmatt89]

I have a 96 xp it was working fine and then it started leaking water all of the sudden. I found two things I thought it was, first the vts boot, and then I realized one of the bolts was missing off the intake grate. After fixing that it doesn't seemed to have helped at all. It really only does it at high speed which makes me think it is the cooling system. I have ran it without the seat on and all I can see is that it is taking on water, but I can't see where from. I know the clamps on the drive shaft are fine it isn't coming from there. Is there any where I should check that is hard to see or that I wouldn't be able to see very easy. Where is it common for hoses to fail or gaskets to fail. I'm not sure if this is relevant or not but the water doesn't seem warm like it is after the engine but maybe it wouldn't, even if it was after the engine.

 

[kustomkarl]

Check the complete bottom of the HULL for any cracks or openings. If it was cooling water it would be warm as it passes through the engine...It might be a line just coming in from the impeller area and isn't seen till it is at high velocity like at high speed.

Karl

 

[derek]

sounds like the cooling hose before it gets to the motor. it is at the pump's 10 o;clock position. you would see it as 2 o;clock looking back into hull thru seat hole. on the garden hose that hose has no water in it at all. when running it gets more pressure as pump pressure builds. there is a T-fitting on that hose. it splits and water goes to cyl head to cool engine and to water injection regulator on the big exhaust can at rear of ski.

 

[joelmatt89]

I found out today it was the bailing hoses apparently if they get clogged a certain way. they work the exact opposite.

 

[kustomkarl]

Glad you found the problem...it's hard to see from the computer sometimes.

Karl

 

[scooper77515]

My bailers did the same thing. I rode it around with the seat off and when I let off the throttle, the hoses would shoot water into the hull.

I cut them out and plugged them and it fixed much of the leak.

But I still have a leak in the hull somewhere on the left side of the ski.

I can sit in shallow water, dry hull, and put weight on the left rear side, and I can hear it coming in, and can see it getting wet, but I cannot see where it comes from.

I hooked up a cheap small bilge pump from West Marine (Wal-mart and Academy have the same one) and since my VTS doesn't work, I wired it into the VTS button. Every 20-30 minutes, I hit the button, and...

I have since talked to the previous owner, and he said there was a "minor collision" which sunk the other ski, and caused this one to leak thereafter. Something about two drunk college students hitting at a 45-degree angle at a pretty good speed, and bouncing off each other. I would guess my leak is from the left central area where the two pieces of hull come together under the black "bumper" material.

 

[bethron1]

Here's a thought
On my Tigershark, the pump works all the time, wet and dry when the motor is on. Find a hot wire when the engine is on and let 'er rip. That way you won't have to worry about forgetting to hit the button.

 

[derek]

i like scooper's set-up. pump running alla time is a strain on the charging system, and burns up the pump.

 

[kustomkarl]

Full time bilge is not a good thing...unless you want to spend more money...

Karl

 

[joelmatt89]

I found out from another site that the bailers back flowing is caused by four things and if you fix them you normally don't have to buy anything I haven't tried it yet but here is what he said: 1. make sure the actual part that sits in the hull or any other part or hose is not clogged basically just wash out all the hoses etc. 2. The plastic elbow that is near where the seat latches has a small hole make sure that is not plugged. 3. Where the jet mounts to the housing unit there are two o ring those should be in good condition. He said it is common for people who have changed the impeller etc. to forgot about those. 4. Inside the jet where the hoses end there are the two small white plastic tubes make sure those are not broken, clogged, or not in all the way. He said if you check all these things the bailers should work.

 

[scooper77515]

He said if you check all these things the bailers should work.

Mine didn't...

I got tired of messing around with them.

 

[joelmatt89]

Just to let you know I did get it fixed, I did what I said and it was still pumping water in, so on a complete guess I ended up putting 2 and 2 together, the vts boot had broken a few weeks ago and the vts stopped working I think it shorted out, but before it shorted out it seems like it apparently moved the vts all the way down, which caused my steering to be funny as well as the fact that apparently with it too far down like that it made the water flow back into the tubes. I moved it up about an inch, then i took it out and it pumped my hull dry as a bone.

 

[joelmatt89]

that last post may have been a little confusing when i said I took it out, it was reffering to the jet ski

 

[scooper77515]

I wonder if that was my problem also...the VTS was in full down position at that time.

I have since modified it so it can be changed by hand to one of 3 positions, but at that time, it was stuck full downward...