I bought a 1996 GTI and it cavitates badly until on plane. I took out the jet pump and saw the wear ring was falling apart. Hope that will fix the problem.
@@865-customz I ordered the wear ring and I hope to install it the day it comes. I bought the 96 GTI on a trailer for $425, knowing it needed work. The previous owner told me it needed a starter and a battery. He was right. I changed the starter and after four years sitting in his garage it started up. But the first time I took it out, I found it cavitated until it got up on plane at about 11 mph, then it took off. Unfortunately, after about an hour of riding around, I felt it was getting unbalanced and the overheat light went on. I suspect the previous owner knew of these problems, but I can't complain. 1. I knew the ski would need work, 2. the trailer alone was worth more than what I paid. I told my 16-year-old granddaughter who was riding with me, "the hull is flooded." The engine conked out and we fell over into the water. I had an airhorn with me and began to blow it. Within 5 minutes a boat came over, picked us up and towed the jetski to the boat ramp. Thankfully it didn't sink. I got it up on the trailer, opened the drain plug and when the water in the hull emptied, I saw that the outlet hose had come loose from the plastic shut off valve, pumping all the water circulated through the engine into the hull (that's why it didn't sink; once the engine stopped, no more water entered the hull). When I got home, I reconnected the hose and tightened the hose clamp on the valve and that solved that. I also tightened all of the hose clamps, some other were indeed loose. I took out the plugs and ran the starter and of course water shot up from the cylinders 6 feet in the air until emptied. I then put the plugs back, shot some starter fluid into the air box and after about 5-6 squirts of starter fluid the engine started continuously, taking gas from the tank. Thankfully the engine was OK. I took the jetski back to the lake and it still cavitated until up on plane, and some water was still getting into the hull but not nearly enough to impede operation. When I got home, I actually filled the hull with water (not enough to invade the engine) to find the leaks. The drain plug socket was leaking a little. In addition, I discovered two nuts on the tuning pipe were very loose. Thus I sealed up the drain plug with gasket maker rtv, and tightened all the bolts and nuts I could find. I also bought a carbon seal kit. I returned to the lake and ran the ski without the seat on (I had slung a floatation pad over the back handle and sat on that). In this manner I was able to see what was going on in the hull. I saw that not only had the leaks into the hull been stopped, but that the old carbon seal was working fine; not leaking and apparently not allowing air into the water chamber causing the cavitation. That's when I pulled the jet pump to work on the cavitation problem and discovered that the wear ring was shot to hell.
Depends on how bad it is bent and if it’s in the middle or one of the ends. Need to put the shaft on v blocks and use a guage to find the bend. Most times it’s easier and better to just replace the shaft.
@@865-customz thanks for the response. I’ve been getting water in the hull and I’m assuming through the carbon ring (50 hrs on it) but I just removed my impeller to dig into it and it was lose on the threads so it could vibrate, I wonder if that could vibrate at the carbon ring enough to leak but I should be good if I tighten it back up?
Love the choice of music you got there. I am glad y’all are close by. Going to give y’all a call.
I bought a 1996 GTI and it cavitates badly until on plane. I took out the jet pump and saw the wear ring was falling apart. Hope that will fix the problem.
Gaps and missing pieces of the wear ring will cause cavitation for sure.
@@865-customz I ordered the wear ring and I hope to install it the day it comes. I bought the 96 GTI on a trailer for $425, knowing it needed work. The previous owner told me it needed a starter and a battery. He was right. I changed the starter and after four years sitting in his garage it started up. But the first time I took it out, I found it cavitated until it got up on plane at about 11 mph, then it took off. Unfortunately, after about an hour of riding around, I felt it was getting unbalanced and the overheat light went on. I suspect the previous owner knew of these problems, but I can't complain. 1. I knew the ski would need work, 2. the trailer alone was worth more than what I paid. I told my 16-year-old granddaughter who was riding with me, "the hull is flooded." The engine conked out and we fell over into the water. I had an airhorn with me and began to blow it. Within 5 minutes a boat came over, picked us up and towed the jetski to the boat ramp. Thankfully it didn't sink. I got it up on the trailer, opened the drain plug and when the water in the hull emptied, I saw that the outlet hose had come loose from the plastic shut off valve, pumping all the water circulated through the engine into the hull (that's why it didn't sink; once the engine stopped, no more water entered the hull). When I got home, I reconnected the hose and tightened the hose clamp on the valve and that solved that. I also tightened all of the hose clamps, some other were indeed loose. I took out the plugs and ran the starter and of course water shot up from the cylinders 6 feet in the air until emptied. I then put the plugs back, shot some starter fluid into the air box and after about 5-6 squirts of starter fluid the engine started continuously, taking gas from the tank. Thankfully the engine was OK. I took the jetski back to the lake and it still cavitated until up on plane, and some water was still getting into the hull but not nearly enough to impede operation. When I got home, I actually filled the hull with water (not enough to invade the engine) to find the leaks. The drain plug socket was leaking a little. In addition, I discovered two nuts on the tuning pipe were very loose. Thus I sealed up the drain plug with gasket maker rtv, and tightened all the bolts and nuts I could find. I also bought a carbon seal kit. I returned to the lake and ran the ski without the seat on (I had slung a floatation pad over the back handle and sat on that). In this manner I was able to see what was going on in the hull. I saw that not only had the leaks into the hull been stopped, but that the old carbon seal was working fine; not leaking and apparently not allowing air into the water chamber causing the cavitation. That's when I pulled the jet pump to work on the cavitation problem and discovered that the wear ring was shot to hell.
Bend it back or buy new?
Depends on how bad it is bent and if it’s in the middle or one of the ends. Need
to put the shaft on v blocks and use a guage to find the bend.
Most times it’s easier and better
to just replace the shaft.
@@865-customz thanks for the response. I’ve been getting water in the hull and I’m assuming through the carbon ring (50 hrs on it) but I just removed my impeller to dig into it and it was lose on the threads so it could vibrate, I wonder if that could vibrate at the carbon ring enough to leak but I should be good if I tighten it back up?
if you freeze the whole pump you can move the ring with ease
If the carbon seal is intermittently not flush because of a bent drive shaft, it would surely leak.