Advice on a tuned pipe leak

[petey]

After just a quick search here, I found out that my problem is very common and I know what I need to do to fix it.

1997 GTX

Now here are my questions:

I just found the leak and I have planned a trip out of state with them for this weekend coming up, so I am in a little bind.

Will running it with a leak do harm to the engine (not enough raw water going to the engine) if I just instruct all drivers to watch for the high temp light? I noticed that the bailers keep up with the leak when it’s in the water (obviously not on the hose).

Is there a quick band-aid for this so the watercraft is usable for the weekend?

What is the real name for this pipe? I have heard it referred to as Tuned Pipe and Head Pipe. Is the Tuned Pipe broken into the head and the cone?

Last one

Can you separate the two in the craft? The FSM is fuzzy on that, or it could be from not knowing the exact names of the parts.

I assume everything is the same for the 96 XP also (I think that one is going to go anytime now too)

 

[bond67]

I believe it was this site where a guy had his tuned pipe leak so long it pretty much leaked through the rotary valve cover gasket making a rusty jelly substance inside... did not look very fun to clean up.

i took mine off, had it welded up for 50 (both bottom ones), and back on in like 18 hours

 

[Bills86e]

Ditto,...........Only fix is tig weld it up & Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ride it leaking, keep Your
left eye on the trim, the other on where you sit your beer down. I think you can
make enjoy as long as you are frugal.

 

[roneagan@cfl.rr.com]

Leaks...

I just had the same problem on my boat.. I was going to weld them but I decided to use JB Weld epoxy and it has worked great.. It's not my idea I got it from the forum.. Take a dremel and clean all around the area to be repaired.. In fact do a much bigger area then needed.. You will need the JB and some aluminum screen.. Just so you know I took the pipes off to do this..
Be sure the area is very clean and not to smooth so the epoxy has something to grab to. Mix the epoxy and let it stand for about 20-30 minutes so it sets up a little.. Use a plastic knife or something coat the area, then take the small sceen patch and put into the epoxy that you have applied.. Then put another coat over the screen and let dry.. It sets in 4-5 hours and is fully dry in 15.. It does a great job and will with stand temps to 500F.. I tested to day and all is good.. The stuff is just amazing, but the key is clean it well.. I put patches on all mine even those that were not leaking while I had the pipes out.. There is no pressure in the pipe just exhaust and water.. Use the marine JB..

 

[tcseadoo]

+1 on the JB Weld. I fixed mine with this about 5 years ago and it's still holding strong. Great product if you prepare the surface properly.
T C

 

[hawkeye50654]

agree on jb weld fixed a leak at begining of summer with jb weld ... no issues

 

[petey]

Well the weather is getting warmer so it's time to take the pipes off to get them fixed instead of the band aid that's on them.


I have them both off, and both had a lot of sand in the water jackets. That is odd because they are never beached and are flushed out really well after every use. The local dealer wanted 180 a piece to weld them last summer and this year they are down to 100 for each one. That price includes welding the 4 plugs grinding down some spots inside that are starting to corrode away and painting them black again. I am not a fan of the painting them black because the paint on both machines still looks good.


Can I get away with having them weld just the bottom 2 on each? What are the chances that the top ones corrode away?

We have a lot of marine welding places around (we have a good sized fishing port near by) that I could take them to that would probably be cheaper. Is there a special way to weld these things that they could mess them up or make it so it will not last as long? Would I be better off paying more and having a dealer do it who knows this problem well?

 

[voodoo]

You can apply an epoxy type repair and it will last for years, just clean it well so the stuff can adhere well, laquer thinner if you know a body shop, paint thinner leaves some oily residue behind, you could prolly burn it off with a torch then use 2part plastic metal.

 

[bond67]

Well the weather is getting warmer so it's time to take the pipes off to get them fixed instead of the band aid that's on them.


I have them both off, and both had a lot of sand in the water jackets. That is odd because they are never beached and are flushed out really well after every use. The local dealer wanted 180 a piece to weld them last summer and this year they are down to 100 for each one. That price includes welding the 4 plugs grinding down some spots inside that are starting to corrode away and painting them black again. I am not a fan of the painting them black because the paint on both machines still looks good.


Can I get away with having them weld just the bottom 2 on each? What are the chances that the top ones corrode away?

We have a lot of marine welding places around (we have a good sized fishing port near by) that I could take them to that would probably be cheaper. Is there a special way to weld these things that they could mess them up or make it so it will not last as long? Would I be better off paying more and having a dealer do it who knows this problem well?

way to go for the full fix but that price is retarded.... 200 bucks for an hour job and some scrap aluminum... ridiculous :ack:.

to answer your question about the top ones... don't worry about it, pretty sure the reason why the bottom ones corroded was due to water/other stuff just sitting there.

I would definitely shop around on the price, anyone that owns a tig welder should be able to weld that thing up, not going to buy a pricey peice of equipement if you dont know how to use it.. shoot an add on craigslist, take a look at the guys work before committing.

 

[petey]

way to go for the full fix but that price is retarded.... 200 bucks for an hour job and some scrap aluminum... ridiculous :ack:.

to answer your question about the top ones... don't worry about it, pretty sure the reason why the bottom ones corroded was due to water/other stuff just sitting there.

I would definitely shop around on the price, anyone that owns a tig welder should be able to weld that thing up, not going to buy a pricey peice of equipement if you dont know how to use it.. shoot an add on craigslist, take a look at the guys work before committing.

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah I wanted to get them welded so I don't have to worry. Last summer I just wanted to band-aid them because I found the leak one week before we were taking them on a weekend trip.


In the FSM it tells you how to weld these things so I can show them that but what thinness of aluminum should I be looking for 1/4, 1/8, 1/16?