Typical Leak Locations - 2007 GTI - but in general as well

[ckoosh]

Hi all,

I recently bought a 2007 SeaDoo GTI, it runs perfect, but there's a leak somewhere in the hull.

Some background:
- It doesn't leak when it's moving faster than idle
- It's a slow leak, when left overnight it had about 6-7 inches of water in it - filled just above the impeller shaft
- It's not an engine issue - no water is coming out of hoses or seals inside the engine compartment

My thoughts:
- It's either a loose seal or missing bolt of some kind - I got underneath it and checked it, but no bolts are missing
- It's probably not the hull itself, there are no visible cracks anywhere

I just want to know if there is a typical area that would let a small amount of water in overnight, or a common place that I don't know about that might be the cause of the leak - washers, connectors, impeller seals, etc. Otherwise I'm docking and drying it and pouring water into the hull until I find where it's running out, but if there's any other advice you guys might have, I'm all ears.

Thanks!

 

[dothadoo]

It could be the plugs. There is a little rubber ring on those plugs and they tend to wear out pretty quick. My Speedster leaks where the deck and hull meet on the stern. There is an adhesive bond that holds them together and I think my seal has broken somehow or just wasn't sealed completely. They are also held by the rub rail, which is riveted in place, but that in itself would not hold out water. I bought some of that Flex seal from Wal mart and will spray it this weekend to see if it works. Also, run the Doo with the seat off and see if you see any water intruding in from exhaust system, as that should be the only area of the engine that uses the water in the engine. Be careful not to goose it and fall off or hook it up to the hose. Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

[ckoosh]

Thanks, maybe a stupid question, but by plugs do you mean spark plugs or drain plugs? My drain plugs seem solid and show no signs of wear, but I can double check. Seeing as it's the middle of winter I can't give any more details on what's wrong, but I'll do some work in the spring and see if I can post what was wrong with it.

I'll also do a thorough hull check to make sure there are no hairline cracks in it, because I'm sure it was ripped around before I bought it (it was a rental).

One more question, is the exhaust system the only place (or most likely) place that there would be a slow leak (it doesn't leak when I'm riding it, only when it's sitting), could there be any other typical locations within the engine that could be leak locations? Sorry for being so general, but I need to troubleshoot it and I need some starting points if the hull isn't where it's leaking.

Thanks for the help!

 

[devonte007]

I think dothadoo was referring to the drain plugs on the back of the ski. He is correct, they can get dirty and/or worn and leak water into the hull.

Another thing I would consider is the drive shaft carbon seal. Not sure how many hours on the ski, but if it was a rental and not replaced recently I would look there. There is a rubber bellow, or cover that you will need to pull back to check the carbon seal. Do you have any cavitation issues? Usually if the carbon seal is leaking that much water you would also have cavitation issues.

It is probably not an exhaust cooling leak, because that would most likely only leak when the engine was running. Unless it was the through hull seal.

If you cannot spot the leak in the water, then as you already mentioned, pull the ski out of the water and fill the inside hull with water then let it sit and look for leaks on the outside.

Looks like you may need to wait until the ice thaws to do some of this work! Post back and let us know what you find.