Help please: Rope into intake grate and wrapped on drive shaft

[goldade]

I need some advice on getting the rope unwound from the impeller shaft of a 2008 Challenger Seadoo which I just bought 1 week ago. I was able to remove some of the rope wrapped around the drive shaft reaching through the grill covering which covers the intake but can still see more rope further back I can't reach. I am fairly certain I can remove the remaining rope if I remove the intake grill cover which has 3 smaller bolts at the back and 1 slightly larger at the front. I was able to remove the 3 bolts at the back easily but the 1 bolt at the front loosened about 3 turns and then got very hard to turn so I stopped and called the dealer as I felt I was going to break the bolt off is I went any further. He told me that the grill should not be removed as it is sealed and if I remove it and the bolts then water may leak in once I reinstall it. That might explain why the front bolt is hard to remove as it must be 'sealed' into place or some special type of thread coating. He said to remove the rope they may need to remove the pump and it could take hours. It still seems strange to me that they build the boat with what appears to be a removable intake grill, and then the dealer says it should not be removed!?? Does anyone know if this is infact the case? Am I able to remove the last remaining bolt at the front end of the intake grill cover, and if so, why is it so hard to take out compared to the three smaller bolts at the back of the cover.

Lastly, if the best approach is to remove the ‘pump’ to get the remaining rope out, exactly what does that entail and how hard is it to do? What is the 'pump' exactly? I presume it is the back part behind the impleller that the pressurized water is forced out? Also, when people talk about cavitation, what exactly does that mean? Sorry bout all the questions but I really hate the idea of taking the boat back up to the dealer who is 6 hours away for what sounded like could be hours and hours to remove this rope at a very costly charge. Besides I am somewhat mechanically enclined if I can just get some diretcion from a knowledgable source on the forum.

Thanks in advance for anyone who can shed some light on this topic(s)! Cheers…Blair

 

[jamin690]

This happened to me last year, this may not be the best technical info, but this worked for me. First I used a razor to start cutting the rope from the impeller shaft (as much as I could reach sticking my arm in the intake). then I went into the engine compartment and removed the cover from the shaft and spun the shaft the opposite direction (there is a bit of compression but not too bad). that released the rest of the rope and I was ready to tube once again, minus about 10 yards of rope.

hope this helps.

 

[Mike Brownen Sr.]

This also happened to me last summer. I ended up taking the intake grate completely off. Just make sure you use a good quality sealant when re-installing if you decide to go that route or you can cause cavitation.
As far as the bolt not coming out, it could very well be locktite holding it in.

"Cavitation" is what happens when the impeller doesn't catch enough water to propel the boat, causing the motor to "rev up".

Another "McGyver" suggestion would be to split a small slot in a 1 x 2 or narrow enough piece of wood to go in between the slots and put a razor blade in it to reach up into the area you can't reach by hand. Cut the rope from the shaft and then turn the shaft from the PTO by hand until you can clear all the rope.
Hope that helps.:cheers:

 

[seadoosnipe]

Welcome to the world of jet boats!

Welcome to our world of fun!......Your not the first one to catch the ski rope in the pump. There are some of us who have done it more than once.

This is one of the first things a new owner does when they buy a jet boat. I was very careful, but last year, I caught mine too. But I had one benefit. My Challenger is equipped with a weedless grate. I have a handle under my dash board to the left of the steering wheel. I twist and pull it and my grate drops down. I was able to cut mine out, by catching a breath, going under the boat and cutting a little at a time. Very grateful that I bought a model with the movable grate. I don't know why they quit putting them on.

Your problem with the front bolt is because it goes all the way through the boat. You'll need someone to be on the inside to hold a wrench on that nut, while the other works the bolt out from the bottom.

Of course the guy at the shop wants you to bring it back. These guys are like sharks......always hungry. They eat their own kin. At about $90 bucks an hour........they make good money.

Don't worry about the seal. Get someone to help you with that last bolt, then, when you get the rope out, use a good 100% silicone sealant in the holes where you put the grate back on. That one your having problems with is the only one that passes through the hull.....so make sure, when you put the bolt through the grate and hull, you spread the sealant all around the threads from the inside, then tighten the bolts back up.

Your other questions appear to have been answered by other members.
Good luck.............and come back to tell us how your doing......:cheers:

 

[goldade]

Very Helpful! Thanks Everyone!

WOW! I am amazed I got 3 awesome replies within a couple hours of posting this message. I can't wait to get home form work and look into my problem of tacking the remaining rope issue. I am going to step back a bit in my rope story and tell you very helpful folks that it was not even a ski rope or tube rope I got caught. I have used my bros little speedster over the years and knew well enough to keep the rope out of the intake. The family and I were just finishing up a full 2 days at the lake trying to get the 10h breaking complete to get the oil change and service. I sent my wife and child with the truck and trailer to the dock and was going to drive the boat over to load up for the night, about a 1 mile quick trip down the lake. As I was zooming along I noticed a boat stranded and someone waking a paddle frantically so I went over to see what was up. It was a family with a small child having boat problems and all looking scared and cold. They were in a fairly bogging area with a fair bit of vegetation in only about 4-5 ft of water. I went over slow and told them I would try and tow them. Unfortunately the only rope we had was anchor rope, a basic yellow 3/8 rope which we tried to get hooked onto my boat to tow without me having to go any further into the weeds etc. Of course I was all alone trying to maneuver my boat and not get into the weeds and catch and hook up their tow rope to my boat on a windy evening. It was quite a rodeo..lol. Anyway, before I knew it this pathetic tow rope ended up under my boat and I knew it immediately and turned the engine off (recognised the sound from my bros boat eating rope the previous season...lol) We ended up cutting the rope off as close to the intake under the water as it would not pull out. I started the engine and limped back to the dock at 1-2 MPH as cavitation occurred at any higher speed. Got the boat onto the trailer and between the rope and lake weed its no wonder I could not go any faster. Anyway, I don't regret helping out the stranded folks....but man it was a terrible way to end the awesome weekend with our new Challenger 180. Again, thanks to all for the advice so far...I'll keep you all posted and with any luck I'll be able to cut the rope out as per posting #1 or else hopefully remove the intake cover plate provided I can find the nut to the large bolt hidden in engine compartment as per posting #3. Thanks again so much for the response to my posting, it is greatly appreciated and I'm glad to know there are others out there who are willing to lend a hand as well. Cheers for now! Blair

 

[radioman]

always keep a long, sharp blade knift in jet ski

 

[goldade]

Thanks again guys! Rope is out!

Hey guys, thanks again for your advice. Went to work on the boat when I got home form work and after a few minor cuts with a long handled knife and some manoeuvring with a long blade screw driver the rope is out. It never did go into the impeller thankfully and all looks well except for the 2 inches of black rubber sleeve covering the back of the drive shaft just ahead of the impeller. When I was busy cutting out the rope I didn't realize the rubber sleeve was there under the rope and it got cut on about 1/4 inch on the end furthest away from the impeller and closest to the drive shaft stainless steel cover. I did not have a chance to put the boat in the water but will go for a test drive tonight after work. Can anyone tell me if this black rubber sleeve serves a purposeful role as I now have a small cut in it. I don't want to spend huge dollars getting it repaired at the dealer if it is not going to affect the boat operation.

Also, Seasoosnipe I tried to find the one top bolt for the intake cover which protrudes into the hall and had no luck. It must be hidden in a spot that is hard to see looking down from the top of the engine compartment. I even had a mirror in there to see if I could find it. Should I ever have to remove the intake cover I'd love to find this little critter. Also, being as I had tried to remove it and turned it some I was thinking I may need to apply some more silicone to the bolt in the hull to prevent any possible leaking. Any chance you can give me a description of exactly where I would find this bolt sticking through into the hull?

Lastly, out of curiosity, how hard is it to remove the jet pump at the back of the boat should I ever need to perform that operation? I suspect again once bolts and the pump are removed it requires some precise sealing when reinstalling the pump in order to prevent water leakage into the hull?

Cheers guys and again, thanks for all of your help. Blair

 

[Rotex 155]

This happened to me last nite

I had a dock line suck up in to my intake last nite, I was going
about 2 knots in a no wake and didn't realize the dock line slipped out
next thing I know the engine just get off yikes
I pushed start button and sounded like somthing was not allowing engine to crank, tried again and same thing so i dint wanna try again
So my dock line must be wrapped pretty good I assume ???

I think I am going to have to take the grate off, but what about the
black plate a rear of boat behind grate do I remore that, it looks like there is
black sealent all around it, already will that re-seal ok if I do
and what type of seaent should I use on bolts,
What is my best approach

07 Seadoo Speedster