2003 GTX 4tec Supercharged Learners Key? PLEASE HELP!

[rtrevin]

I have read many forums about learners key and that it is limited to 35 MPH but this is my issue:

I bought two used 2003 GTX 4tec. Identical. One of them has a key with a yellow floaty thing and that beast runs fast and out the gate. It gets upwards of 60mph no problem. The other one has a key with no floaty thing. No color. Nada. When I gun it, it literally red lines all the way to max and slowly gains speed and eventually goes. The max speed I get out of it is 45 mph.

Is there any way that I can tell if I have a learners key? Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Coastiejoe]

If it pegs the RPMs, you have a cavitation issue, not a key issue. I bet the wear ring is wiped out. Take a pic and post it.

 

[rtrevin]

Coastiejoe,

Thank you for your quick response however I think your request may be a little above my pay grade. I will probably send it to a dealer and have him look into the wear ring. I thought it might be a quick issue. Maybe not. I appreciate it very much!

Rick

 

[Coastiejoe]

Are you able to look into the nozzle from the back of the ski and take a picture of the impeller and wear ring..

If so, we can confirm this is the issue and to be very honest, we can talk you through a repair. It is pretty easy to do actually.

To give better detail, the impeller (looks like a propeller but it is called an impeller in a jet application) rides within the impeller. The clearance from the edge of the impeller to the wear ring should be no larger than the width of the dime. It is this minimum clearance that allows for good performance. If the wear ring is worn and or damage, the impeller spins at great RPMs but basically acts like a car when you floor it.

With a car, if you floor it the tires spin and the engine RPMs go up. But since the tires are spinning, you don't really go anywhere fast. This is exactly what is happening with cavitation. The impeller is spinning fast but there is no traction (water is slipping by the wear ring due to the clearance being to large).

Hope this helps ou to better understand the basic principle...

 

[rtrevin]

 

[rtrevin]

 

[Coastiejoe]

I can't see what I'm looking for. Trying to see the gap from the impeller to the wear ring. If it isn't the wear ring, the the shaft spline has stripped. IMO, you need the pump pulled no matter what as either issue requires the pump to be pulled.

 

[ski-d00]

The 2003 gtx 4tec sc had the crappy plastic pumps that eat wear rings. Your other one will eat it soon, too. The only real solution is to change to an aluminum pump that seadoo switched to in 04. Seadoo knew it was a problem and tried to put a metal bracket on the side of the pump as a Band-Aid but even that didn't work. I've swapped a lot of these out over the years and I think the best solution is to get a complete SBT aluminum pump. I am an SBT dealer and can give a decent discount on these. PM me if interested. They are not hard to install so no need for a dealer.

 

[rtrevin]

So I am close to purchasing Solas Impellers with wear rings on ebay. I found someone that can install them at a good price. Does anyone know anything about them? I am considering replacing the impellers in BOTH my seadoos. From what I read, they are pretty sharp

 

[Coastiejoe]

Solas Impeller is fine. But don't get some cheap aftermarket wear ring. OEM or Delrin is best.

 

[rtrevin]

They claim it is OEM style wear ring.
This is the link to the ebay post:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SeaDoo-GTX-...id=100033&rk=3&rkt=4&mehot=ag&sd=222041043755

 

[Spimothy Leary]

I think there is a question to ask before buying that is "has anyone noticed a performance improvement on a 185 with a solas only"?

I know generally we discourage mods to the 155 models, so perhaps the 185's respond better...?

I'm just questioning if you'll see an improvement as a standalone swap. Don't want to see you waste money.

I know that Riva pushes the 13/20R in their packages, but that comes with intake/wedge/grate, etc...and claim about 4mph improvement.