I have a '97 GS with the Rotax 717 engine. I haven't run this ski for a few years, before I layed it up it started instantly and ran perfectly, never had any problem with it.
It was recently lost (washed away) from my dock by Hurricane Hermine but was recovered in a marsh some 18-20 miles from my house by a couple of guys with an airboat and I have gotten it back. It was unscathed, not even scratched, and the only evidence of anything is the missing black trim molding in the right rear corner and the cover was torn off.
On opening the engine compartment to clean out a very little bit of water in there, I noticed the case is warped and split for about a 1/4-1/2" at the top and is separated from the top of the engine (cylinder head?). See the pics.
My question is, can this be repaired without spending a fortune for a rebuilt engine, is the lower case a separate part I can buy and replace without any special tools, and what is in there? Is that water for cooling, exhaust gasses, or nothing? Is that Rube Goldberg repairable with something like JBWeld to close the opening and seal it off?
I haven't pulled the plugs yet to see what's in the cylinders, but, as it had no battery in it and before doing anything, I turned it over with an external battery twice for one second, to make sure it wasn't frozen, that the engine still turns.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated so I know how to proceed from here and how much to expect to repair this.
It was recently lost (washed away) from my dock by Hurricane Hermine but was recovered in a marsh some 18-20 miles from my house by a couple of guys with an airboat and I have gotten it back. It was unscathed, not even scratched, and the only evidence of anything is the missing black trim molding in the right rear corner and the cover was torn off.
On opening the engine compartment to clean out a very little bit of water in there, I noticed the case is warped and split for about a 1/4-1/2" at the top and is separated from the top of the engine (cylinder head?). See the pics.
My question is, can this be repaired without spending a fortune for a rebuilt engine, is the lower case a separate part I can buy and replace without any special tools, and what is in there? Is that water for cooling, exhaust gasses, or nothing? Is that Rube Goldberg repairable with something like JBWeld to close the opening and seal it off?
I haven't pulled the plugs yet to see what's in the cylinders, but, as it had no battery in it and before doing anything, I turned it over with an external battery twice for one second, to make sure it wasn't frozen, that the engine still turns.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated so I know how to proceed from here and how much to expect to repair this.