1997 GTX Rave Valve update kit

[cloudmaster_321]

I had my 97 GTX out this past weekend. Did it's typical 6,600RPM at the start of the day. By the end of the day, it was down to 6,200. I thought the worse, ended up checking compressions, looking at plugs. No issues. Went to the raves, and found one was not actuating due to the plastic top part had unscrewed from the valve, almost all the way. It made it so the valve stayed closed.

I'm reading there was an updated kit for this machine at some point. Changed the red bellows to green, so on. Anyone have reference to this SB or the kit part number? Wondering if the kit is available any longer. I'm wondering how long this valve was unscrewing, may have been my issue for a long time. Appears to be original bellows yet.

 

[mikidymac]

THere is no update kit.

For ones that get stuck at 4,500 rpm the slotted rave valves that are an update help but you are not having that issue.

The bellows just changed suppliers from red to green.

Just fix what is broken.

If you have melted the threads out of the plastic caps it is typically because the o-rings have gotten hard and old and are not sealing.

 

[cloudmaster_321]

Seadoo SB 97-20. Outlines the new valve, and the housing. I'm going to change over to those if i can get the parts.

 

[cloudmaster_321]

Got the new green rave bellows installed from OSD. Throttle transition sucks now. Not sure what’s going on, but feels like raves don’t open till north of 6,000 rpm. Adjusters in the same spot. I don’t have the reds with me in vacation. Can I adjust the adjuster out a few turns to compensate? I see some folks say they run with them all the way in. Not sure how that would work. Seems like that would take forever for the raves to open then.

 

[mikidymac]

You can adjust them all you want and can even run with the caps off it won’t hurt anything but you will definitely feel the transition change. Try running them with the adjuster flush.

 

[cloudmaster_321]

You can adjust them all you want and can even run with the caps off it won’t hurt anything but you will definitely feel the transition change. Try running them with the adjuster flush.

Tried screwing around with the adjusters. Seemed the best I could get was with the adjuster out one turn from flush. I had set flush with the reds. Still sometimes, the rpm’s would hang at 5,500 or so at wot unless I let go of the throttle and immediately went to wot. It would then transition quick to full rpm. Never had this with the red bellows. I’m putting those back in.

 

[burtshaver2021]

I’ve seen this with snowmobiles as well where the green bellows are to stiff

 

[1997GTX787]

I just went through similar problems with my 97 GTX.

Previous owner sold it to me with a melted RAVE piston cap. I replaced the whole rave assembly with one from ebay.
I replaced gaskets and O-rings for both RAVE valves.
The OEM red rubber bellows on kept slipping off the pistons limiting me to about 6200 rpms.
I ordered the aluminum RAVE pistons from amazon. The original red rubber bellows again slipped off the edge.
I ordered the new green rubber bellows. They also slipped off the aluminum pistons. Poor machining on the groove.
I ordered the OEM piston caps. The bellows stayed on. But still had low RPMs.
Red adjustments are flush with caps.

Found a pinhole in the water pressure regulator bellows. Replaced it. 3 turns out on the red adjuster. Now it finally runs like it I expect.

After a lot of frustration, this combo finally worked for me:
OEM black plastic RAVE pistons Pardon Our Interruption...
Green RAVE bellows Amazon.com: Fit Sea Doo 787 800 Rave Valve Rebuild Repair Kit Carb XP SPX GTX GSX Twin Pack : Automotive
New black water pressure regulator bellows. Amazon.com: Replacement Water Box Bellow, 420260721 Replace Part Number Rubber Material Water Box Bellow Yacht Accessories Simple Installation for Sea Doo RFI : Automotive

6900-7000 rpm. 55-57mph.

 

[cloudmaster_321]

I just went through similar problems with my 97 GTX.

Previous owner sold it to me with a melted RAVE piston cap. I replaced the whole rave assembly with one from ebay.
I replaced gaskets and O-rings for both RAVE valves.
The OEM red rubber bellows on kept slipping off the pistons limiting me to about 6200 rpms.
I ordered the aluminum RAVE pistons from amazon. The original red rubber bellows again slipped off the edge.
I ordered the new green rubber bellows. They also slipped off the aluminum pistons. Poor machining on the groove.
I ordered the OEM piston caps. The bellows stayed on. But still had low RPMs.
Red adjustments are flush with caps.

Found a pinhole in the water pressure regulator bellows. Replaced it. 3 turns out on the red adjuster. Now it finally runs like it I expect.

After a lot of frustration, this combo finally worked for me:
OEM black plastic RAVE pistons Pardon Our Interruption...
Green RAVE bellows Amazon.com: Fit Sea Doo 787 800 Rave Valve Rebuild Repair Kit Carb XP SPX GTX GSX Twin Pack : Automotive
New black water pressure regulator bellows. Amazon.com: Replacement Water Box Bellow, 420260721 Replace Part Number Rubber Material Water Box Bellow Yacht Accessories Simple Installation for Sea Doo RFI : Automotive

6900-7000 rpm. 55-57mph.

Yeah, my symptoms are a bit different than yours. My rpms will hang much lowwer until the transition happens; around 5,500. I'll have to let go of the throttle, and then back to wot to get through sometimes. It's annoying. Started after going to the green exhaust bellows.

I'll order a new plastic cap, as i have one that keeps backing off form some reason. doesn't seem melted though.

I think i'm still going back to the red's, as i didn't have the problem with hanging up at 5,500 rpm until i went to the green.

Did you change the housings and the valves to the new style?

I have not looked at my water regulator, i should do that. May be why i can only get 6,600 rpm's.

I'm curious where you have your carb fuel needles set? Are you per the book at 0 on the high's, or per the new specs at 0 on mag, at 1/2 out on pto?

 

[cloudmaster_321]

Update on this. I put the old red bellows back in, adjusted the caps flush. Runs like it did before the piston unscrewed itself. The Green bellows i got did not work as well clearly. I did notice however, that my valves were pretty gunky already, and were sticky in the cylinders. I had these cleaned very well start of the season. I run the good BRP oil. So not sure why so gunky already. I'm considering getting the new style valves, and housings and running my red bellows for next year. Maybe those valves will actuate batter.

I'm currently getting 6,750 rpms with a bunch of stuff in the front storage, and approximately 250lbs worth of passengers. Still a few hundred RPM's from where it should be. This is with both high speed needles set to 0. If I back out the PTO high speed needle to 1/2 turn out, my rpms drop to 6,600.

I'm going to look at the water regulator bellows next.