smoking wear rings please help

[thehag]

i have a 2004 sportster that is on its third wear ring this season they are wearing a hole through one sideand i have replace the impellar and all bearings are good
when i replace it it all goes together nice with proper clearances but after 10 hours power is diminished and wear ring is worn extensivly on one side
any help would be appreciated

 

[Coastiejoe]

I'm thinking motor mounts.

I bet you can shake it and it moves. If even one is broken it allows the engine to lean which takes the shaft and impeller with it. Which then wipes out the wear ring.

 

[KK40384]

You have a faulty motor mount from the sounds of it like Joe stated.

 

[thehag]

well i will definately check them and i hope thats it
they cant be too much to change or purchase
if it is i hope they are in stock close by im going on holidays next week and want to sort this out
thanks so much for the input

 

[Coastiejoe]

well i will definately check them and i hope thats it
they cant be too much to change or purchase
if it is i hope they are in stock close by im going on holidays next week and want to sort this out
thanks so much for the input

[MENTION=41828]Minnetonka4me[/MENTION] will likely have them used. They also have a heavier model available.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

were you using WSM wear rings or OEM? If WSM thats your problem.

If not, I would guess your prop shaft is bent.

 

[thehag]

were you using WSM wear rings or OEM? If WSM thats your problem.

If not, I would guess your prop shaft is bent.

no i was using original equipment
where is that place to order, is that online, any idea how long it takes
thanks again

 

[Coastiejoe]

Minnetonka4me Brings up an good point,,

If the mounts are all good and tight and the engine does not move, then I would go for a bent shaft as well...

 

[thehag]

would a bent shaft not cause alot of vibration and take out the bearing,,, is the alignment of the shaft another possible cause

 

[chlarson23]

If your mounts are good and you got good bearings and the pump is bolted in right than the alignment should be good. I have taken my engine out and as long as everything is in correctly and torqued right, i can't see how it could be out of alignment. i could be wrong, but that's the impression i got from mine.

 

[Coastiejoe]

would a bent shaft not cause alot of vibration and take out the bearing,,, is the alignment of the shaft another possible cause

Yes and no. Depends on how bent it is if it is bent. I'm still think mounts as there isn't vibration.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Boats specifically...the hulls distort over time so they can get de-aligned.

I dont have a lot of experence with the 4 stroke boats, all the info Im giving is based off 2 stroke experience.

Ever have a rope get wrapped up in there?

 

[thehag]

are the mounts a big deal to change

 

[Coastiejoe]

are the mounts a big deal to change

They are no fun for the simple fact they are at the bottom of EVERYTHING and it is tight inside the hull.

That said, not a bad job and pretty straight forward.

In your case, if you find it to be a single mount I'd remove it and say good to go. More than one mount, replace them both or all to eliminate future issue but get an alignment tool and do the job right at that point..

 

[thehag]

They are no fun for the simple fact they are at the bottom of EVERYTHING and it is tight inside the hull.

That said, not a bad job and pretty straight forward.

In your case, if you find it to be a single mount I'd remove it and say good to go. More than one mount, replace them both or all to eliminate future issue but get an alignment tool and do the job right at that point..

the motor mounts are fine how do i get the driveshaft out of this thing
should i be able to move the driveshaft around
should the carbon ring be loose on the shaft

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Boats specifically...the hulls distort over time so they can get de-aligned.

I dont have a lot of experence with the 4 stroke boats, all the info Im giving is based off 2 stroke experience.

Ever have a rope get wrapped up in there?

Quite right, especially if the trailer bunks aren't adjusted to support the hull correctly and the boat sits on a trailer most of the time, the hull can develop a hook, too.

 

[Coastiejoe]

the motor mounts are fine how do i get the driveshaft out of this thing
should i be able to move the driveshaft around
should the carbon ring be loose on the shaft

Drive shaft should NOT be able to be moved around. If so, that is the issue.

 

[thehag]

Drive shaft should NOT be able to be moved around. If so, that is the issue.

so what would be worn out to allow it to move around

 

[Coastiejoe]

so what would be worn out to allow it to move around

Bearings, bearing support, shaft splines but not likely.

 

[thehag]

when i grab the shaft at the boot i can move everything around freely ,, the part going to the engine and the driveshaft side both move around,note this is with the pump off, is this normal
up down and side to side

 

[Dr Honda]

CoastyJoe:

Yes... with the pump removed... the shaft will move around a lot. It's a floating design, and is supported by the pump.

 

[Dr Honda]

OK... to the original issue.

If you are eating rings... then

1) The pump housing is warped.

2) The bearings in the pump are shot

3) If you pump has the short screws in the sides, to capture the ring... you are over tightening them

4) You keep riding in the same water (debris, sand, small rocks, etc) and keep damaging the ring. OR... do you "Beach" the ski??? If you do... kill the engine before you get close.

5) You are riding around in very shallow water, and are sucking junk off the bottom.

 

[Coastiejoe]

CoastyJoe:

Yes... with the pump removed... the shaft will move around a lot. It's a floating design, and is supported by the pump.

I didn't catch that the pump was out,,,

 

[thehag]

OK... to the original issue.

If you are eating rings... then

1) The pump housing is warped.

2) The bearings in the pump are shot

3) If you pump has the short screws in the sides, to capture the ring... you are over tightening them

4) You keep riding in the same water (debris, sand, small rocks, etc) and keep damaging the ring. OR... do you "Beach" the ski??? If you do... kill the engine before you get close.

5) You are riding around in very shallow water, and are sucking junk off the bottom.

shaft is fine so is alignment ,put a new ring in and am wearing it out also but needed the doo for holidays, im thinking the housing is weak and flexing, does this happen often , can someone confirm that the housing could be the problem and can i buy a better housing
all info is appreciated,, is there a way to check it

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

shaft is fine so is alignment ,put a new ring in and am wearing it out also but needed the doo for holidays, im thinking the housing is weak and flexing, does this happen often , can someone confirm that the housing could be the problem and can i buy a better housing
all info is appreciated,, is there a way to check it

Do you have the plastic or bronze housing and if plastic, are any of the stator vanes cracked or missing? I can see the potential of a plastic housing flexing, possibly, and causing the phenomenon you're experiencing.

Of course, this is only a possibility, but I happen to think you're on the right track. It could also be some sort of issue with your transom flexing under load, I suppose..... and any of the various ideas expressed above.