97 GTX melted counterbalance???? Please help

[Puppydog123]

I would be so grateful if someone could tell me what has happened to my 97 Seadoo GTX 800.

It was out on the river when it appeared to run out of fuel. It was switched over to the reserve tank restarted and it continued running for a short time before once again stalling. After this the motor would crank over but would no longer start. On examination after leaving the water a part of the housing on the motor (possibly the counterbalance?) had a hole in it as thought it was melted (see photos).

Is this a common problem? Does anybody know what this could be? Is this just a coincidence and not the problem?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

[LouDoo]

Hi, and welcome to the SeaDoo forum,

It looks like to me that you have dropped a RAVE valve, on the second picture. It looks like the RAVE valve stem broke and the pieces probably fell into the cylinder. I would go ahead and remove the head and see what damage has been done.

RAVE valves need to be serviced at least once a year. Are you using API-TC oil, full synthetic?

It would be hard to tell about the counterbalance unless you disassemble the motor. Anyway check out the RAVE valves first.

Lou

 

[bigJake]

PuppyDog,
Like Lou said, the plastic piece in your pictures is your RAVE piston. There are 2 on your engine. Are both pictures of the same one, or a picture of each piston?

Lou, in the first picture, I can't tell if that might be an aftermarket piston that doesn't have the cap portion over the RAVE threads or is the cap melted away?

In the 2nd picture the cap portion looks melted away and it looks like the spring that should be on top of the piston is inside of it.

If you are lucky the RAVE valve itself may be all gummed up and stuck in the slot and not broken. Unscrew the plastic piston from the threads on the RAVE valve. Remove that and the red rubber bellows. Then remove the 2 hex bolts that hold on the valve housing. You should then be able to lift the RAVE valve out of the slot.

If the RAVE valve is damaged at all you will need to remove the head as Lou said and investigate for piston/cylinder damage. If they are intact, clean them with Easy Off oven cleaner. It is not good to use a wire brush on them. Use something that will not damage them, eg bristle brush, piece of wood, piece of copper.

When a rave piston melts like that it is usually due to a bad o-ring on the RAVE valve.
One was melted like that on one of my skis when I got it and the whole o-ring was disintegrated.

Depending on what you find regarding the condition of the RAVE valves, it looks so far like you are going to need new RAVE pistons, bellows, o-rings, gaskets and the springs that hold the bellows on the RAVE piston.

Here is a picture of the parts:http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/seadooforums/Seadoo_oem/Seadoo_PWC.asp?Type=13&A=43&B=5

RAVE piston is part #9
bellows is part #8
o-ring, part # 4
gasket, Part #5
spring, part #10

For reference, The RAVE valve is part #3

Post back with pictures after you get the RAVES apart.

When you pull the RAVE valves out, take note of the orientation. the guillotine end is slanted and TOP is marked on one side. The RAVE valves MUST be placed back into the slots in the correct orientation or they will hit the piston.

 

[Puppydog123]

Thank you so much for your answers.

I am not very mechanically minded but I want to give it a go.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with a newbie.
I have a feeling I will be using the forum a lot.

Thanks Again

PuppyDog.

 

[BMANN06]

Just too add, you might need part #5 aswell. I continued to melt the plastic caps. I learned from a member on this site that the housing can wear and causes hot exhaust gases to melt your caps away. See post:

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthre...new-issue-.Melting-Black-Rave-Caps&highlight=

it might be worth checking before you melt away another set of caps. (they aren't as cheap as you think).