Cheap trim adjustment

[scooper77515]

I was given this 96XP when the previous owner could not get it running. I have about $300 invested in parts for the ski and it is running great, now needing only a new wear ring and a VTS motor. Now the VTS trim adjuster is a really neat toy, I have used them on this same model when they were new. But I cannot justify paying that kind of money on this old ski that has ??? life left in it.

I was thinking of popping the wood screw out that holds the trim adjuster arm to the nozzle, threading it for a 1/4-20 stainless bolt, then cutting the hex head off and drilling a hole through the bolt for a clevis pin.

I will then drill 2 new holes on the nozzle flange so that the bolt can be quickly un-clevised, put in a different hole, and re-clevised, giving me 3 different angles of trim with just the pull and push of the clevis pin.

Now, before I get too far into this, are there any other suggestions for a cheap trim adjustment? Preferably on-the-cheap?

So far, I have less than $3 invested in parts (a stainless bolt and a clevis pin).

This will force me to stop the ski to adjust trim, but that is fine, since I have been driving it since I got it in the full downward position.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Vts......

That sounds rather ingenious. Low budget.
I did see a VTS on ebay the other day for a pretty good price. I like to use ebay as a source of either hard to find parts or cheap ones!

 

[scooper77515]

There is one on ebay now for 175, but it is used. I don't like to buy used electrical stuff...And it is STILL pretty expensive.

I have been periodically checking ebay and finding them, but always in the $300 range.

Babbitts has the motor for $150, but I bet I will need many more parts once I get in there and pull that all out.

 

[scooper77515]

Pics of finished product

Got it done, took about 20 minutes. Hardest part was drilling that small hole. Pics show the bolt inserted into the plastic elbow. All the threads are inside that plastic housing, so it goes in a good inch or so. Cut the hex head off, drilled the hole a little larger than my clevis pin, and reinstalled for test...Pics are at center setting and full up. There is also the stock position of full down that I didn't picture here.

 

[kustomkarl]

Great Idea Scott,Is the bolt a stainless steel bolt? Looks like it should work just fine.
Nice Job!
Karl

 

[Gazjen]

Did you try putting 12v Directly on the motor?

the control unit is U/S on my brother but i thought of wiring something up via a relay direct to the motor, as the switch on the bars and the gauge work fine

 

[scooper77515]

I never messed with the motor, and will probably take it out and chunk it. the previous owner let that seal on the VTS dryrot, and it filled the VTS unit with saltwater for who knows how long. The motor is rusted solid. The unit is watertight, though. All the water stayed in the box and did not leak into the hull.

I am pretty sure that is what stopped him from getting the ski to run, leading to him giving it to me. I unplugged all the VTS stuff and put in new coils, and it has been running fine since then.

It is cold an windy today, so I am trying to gather up the momentum to take the ski out and test out the different settings...might just wait for the wind to die and warm up a little tomorrow.

And thanks for all the compliments. I can switch back to the VTS by just taking my stainless bolt out and putting the old screw back in, so no permanent damage was done.

 

[kustomkarl]

Scott, you might be happy just leaving the Trim in the middle setting and be done with it. Like the old saying goes. If it ante Broke don't fix it. I think you would only want to trim up or down if you had a passenger or a tube behind.

 

[scooper77515]

Yeah, I was going to try it on all three settings and just leave it in the one I like. I might find that it works better in the waves on one setting, but better on flat water on another.

Speaking of tubes...will this thing pull up a skier after I swap the wear ring? Or just tubes and kneeboards? Or maybe drag dad and his surfboard out past the waves...

 

[kustomkarl]

That xp should have enough power to pull a tuber or maybe a 2ski skier. I would check your local boating rules as to if you need a spotter(second Person) to pull a tuber or skier behind you.

 

[scooper77515]

Well, it is officially winter down here. About a month or so late, but too cold and windy to take the ski out.

Time to start shopping for wear ring, carbon ring, etc for repairs before spring pops up...

 

[kustomkarl]

Yea it's cold here too...like 82* water is 72* geez I know what you mean...lol
Just kidding, Im heading out for quick run myself today. If you need any more help let us know. As always, we are always here to help.
Karl

 

[scooper77515]

Took it out again yesterday...

...and tried to pull me up on a small surfboard (5'8" or so, older model wide and thick, 3 fins). I tried to get up like you would a kneeboard starting in the prone position. The ski worked fine, but my wetsuit arms filled up with water as dad drug me through the water adding all kinds of drag and extra weight. Will have to either try a 9' longboard first, buy a strap on wake board, or wait until I can get out without a wetsuit.

Water is down to around 55, air was 75 yesterday when we tried this, but dropped to 60 with pretty chilly wind today. We chickened out today...

New trim adjustment is working GREAT!!!

 

[kustomkarl]

That's great news about the trim adjustment!

 

[JPX]

That such a cool mod! Excellent idea for "hard-wiring" the trim. :cheers:

 

[scooper77515]

Thanks! I am just too cheap to sink big money into this FREE ski. So I can justify cutting and drilling into some stuff to make it work for the rest of this thing's life.

 

[scooper77515]

Update

Last weekend, I had enough time to mess with all three adjustments of the trim. Of course, the lowest setting was great for taking off and doing sharp turns and maneuvers. The highest setting was fun, and may make the ski faster, but when I make sharp turns, the butt end pops out of the water and slides around. Fun, but too slow out of the hole. My "audience" (dad and wife) said it threw a really nice rooster tail. Just too slow on the takeoff.

So, it is stuck in the middle where i have been running it since i did this mod. Still really fast out of the hole, and gets to 58 mph on the flats. Holds a turn, and doesn't "spin out".