Impeller Upgrade - 787 GTX

[digital sol]

Alright, I have done a ton of reading, searching and the rest and wanted to get real opinions on which route to go.

Model: 97 GTX Sea Doo, 787
Stock engine but am ordering a worx intake grate.

I am torn between two options

1) Skat Trak 17/22 - $260
2) Solas Concord 15/23 $170

Price point the solas has it beat by nearly $100 which is nice because that would help pay for the new wear ring, bearings etc however I dont want to pull this and have to swap it out again.

I have read online the skat trak 17/22 is going to provide more low end/mid range but may lose a few mph up top. I also read the solas 15/23 will give the same low end as the skat but gain top end speeds from a reputable sea doo race shop.

With that being said I found a thread online stating the guy lost 6mph using the solas but there are so many variables there that could cause that sort of issue besides just the impeller so its hard to base a decision off one review. I am inclined to go with the Solas 15/23 as GroupK seems to be a very reputable shop & reports that is the prop they find to work best.

I was confused however as on Solas website the 787 which It appears is called a "782?" shows the 15/23 is for the "Limited Engine". Not the stock 787 motor?

Can someone shine some light on the subject? I don't want to pull the trigger and regret my decision down the road
I dont understand why the 787 may be referenced as a 782 on Solas web site? And or the differences between stock and limited on their selection chart.

Thank you so much for your time and knowledge!

 

[digital sol]

Dang no 1 running a diff impeller on their 787? Was hoping to pull the trigger by Monday.

 

[LouDoo]

Really not much to be gained by changing the impeller, the stock impeller is a good mix, very little bang for the buck. If the money is burning a hole in your pocket get the skat trak.

Lou

 

[JCJ256]

Sol,
I replace the impellers, wear rings and intake grates on both my twins a couple months ago. One had the factory original 17/25 in pretty rough shape. The wear ring had seen its better day as well. The other had an updated factory 15/23 reman and an almost new wear ring, though it was a cheapy. Although the latter had a noticeably better hole shot, both ran 54/55 on the top end.

After the my research, I bought the Solas 16/24 Concords, along with the Worx intakes and new wear rings. Both now have a great hole shot, decent mid and both are now screamers at 60+ on the top end.

Though I can't speak for the Scats, based on my experience I don't see how you could go wrong with the Solas

 

[digital sol]

Sol,
I replace the impellers, wear rings and intake grates on both my twins a couple months ago. One had the factory original 17/25 in pretty rough shape. The wear ring had seen its better day as well. The other had an updated factory 15/23 reman and an almost new wear ring, though it was a cheapy. Although the latter had a noticeably better hole shot, both ran 54/55 on the top end.

After the my research, I bought the Solas 16/24 Concords, along with the Worx intakes and new wear rings. Both now have a great hole shot, decent mid and both are now screamers at 60+ on the top end.

Though I can't speak for the Scats, based on my experience I don't see how you could go wrong with the Solas

[MENTION=80466]JCJ256[/MENTION]

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. For my hull do you think I should go with the 14/22 or 15/23? It says the 15/23 is for the "limited motor" but I am not sure what that is. I was under the impression the 97 gtx only had "1" motor option with is the white 787 engine. Going off solas site I dont see that the 16/24 would work with my particular ski? Group k also mentioned the 15/23 is ideal for my ski but wanted to confirm as solas web site mentions that particular model impeller is for the "limited" motor.

I really appreciate the help & information with this decision, I am still confused on all the different options as there is so much conflicting info on the web for this particular discussion.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

There's a difference between impeller swaps on a xp, and a gtx. Not the same ski, so comparisons are not going to be accurate. Best way to make a gtx faster is to sell it and buy a gsx or xp.

The "limited" is the 98/99 951 version.

You can only Rev up daddy's station wagon so far.

 

[digital sol]

There's a difference between impeller swaps on a xp, and a gtx. Not the same ski, so comparisons are not going to be accurate. Best way to make a gtx faster is to sell it and buy a gsx or xp.

The "limited" is the 98/99 951 version.

You can only Rev up daddy's station wagon so far.

Dang, that's what I was afraid of. Just trying to make the most of it while its torn down. Selling it wont be an option but after next summer I might look into a smaller/lighter ski to have more fun jumping etc. For being a big ole 3 seater when it was running well it would show consistant 58-61 when the water was ice. Granted the speedo isn't the most accurate thing it screamed pretty good. Was just looking to give her a little more oomph while she is getting a makeover. She is slow getting out of the hole doing spins etc but I ordered a pump rebuild kit so she will be fresh for next summer either way.

 

[JCJ256]

Sol,
I don't think the "limited" they are speaking of is the limited SEADOO... I believe they are actually referring to a "limited modified" engine on your craft. If your engine is stock, go with the recommended Concord 14/22. If it has light engine and/or hull modifications you could up that to the 15/23 and if it is heavily modified, further to the Concord 16/24 ( notice the progression in relative pitches). There is NOTHING wrong with your GTX. While it is true that it is a different craft than my XP's and not designed with the same intent in mind, it is still capable of some really cool performance fun. There are so many variables involved in watercraft performance, you just can't narrow it to one or two mods and get a drastic change in performance or speed. Start small, be smart and don't be discouraged. Impellers, wear rings and good maintenance are good, smart starting points, IMO.

 

[jhjesse]

96 & 97 GSX have 787 engines. 98 & 99 GSX Limited have a 951 engine with a bigger pump.

98 and up XP's have 951 engines

 

[Spimothy Leary]

Dang, that's what I was afraid of. Just trying to make the most of it while its torn down. Selling it wont be an option but after next summer I might look into a smaller/lighter ski to have more fun jumping etc. For being a big ole 3 seater when it was running well it would show consistant 58-61 when the water was ice. Granted the speedo isn't the most accurate thing it screamed pretty good. Was just looking to give her a little more oomph while she is getting a makeover. She is slow getting out of the hole doing spins etc but I ordered a pump rebuild kit so she will be fresh for next summer either way.

I think anything over 55 is not accurate, i'd estimate that model around 53-55 top end as a stock setup.

with that said, I've never modified a 787 gtx, as my research on the topic pretty much came up blank as far as good idea's and most of the knowledgeable guys basically said 'don't bother'. So I'll willingly eat some crow if you inf a way to push it 10% faster, and i'd be very interested.

Top speed can ONLY be accurately measured with a GPS, the speedo is pretty good at lower/mid range speeds but top speed is rarely accurate and should not be used if you want actual real world numbers.

with that size hull, (big) and that size motor (small) then its a simple matter of physics, it will be in the mid 50's top speed max, and it will take its time getting there.

So again, I would love to see someone find a way to perk those models up, i'm sure it can be done, at least a 4-6% improvement but I can't see you squeezing more with just a grate/impeller.

The only good thing is that you could always re-sell or re-use the parts on another model or sell them for a small loss, so its an interesting experiment either way. Most people gave up before even starting on that idea. So, not trying to discourage you, just trying to be realistic.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

Sol,
I don't think the "limited" they are speaking of is the limited SEADOO... I believe they are actually referring to a "limited modified" engine on your craft. If your engine is stock, go with the recommended Concord 14/22. If it has light engine and/or hull modifications you could up that to the 15/23 and if it is heavily modified, further to the Concord 16/24 ( notice the progression in relative pitches). There is NOTHING wrong with your GTX. While it is true that it is a different craft than my XP's and not designed with the same intent in mind, it is still capable of some really cool performance fun. There are so many variables involved in watercraft performance, you just can't narrow it to one or two mods and get a drastic change in performance or speed. Start small, be smart and don't be discouraged. Impellers, wear rings and good maintenance are good, smart starting points, IMO.

nope: when it comes to 2 stroke Seadoo, the term Limited is pretty clear cut,,, its the 951 models. I'm sure the term might cross over in some circumstances but 99% of the time it means 951, to differentiate the model from the 787 version.

 

[digital sol]

Thanks for all of the information everyone I really appreciate it. After speaking with a few shops I have decided to order & try out the Solas 15/23 Concord impeller. I will be pairing it with a grate worx intake grate for my 97 gtx 787. Yes technically according to their spec sheet this is the wrong pitch for my model but after speaking with some shops that have done some of their own testing they have confirmed the 15/23 showed them best overall performance on my model ski. Ill keep the stock impeller around just in case I need to swap but looking forward to trying it out.

-Solas 15/23 Impeller
-Worx Intake Grate
-OEM Wear Ring
-New Pump Bearings, gasket and cone oil

Eventually I might look at getting another ski "smaller" but for now I just want to get 1 nice reliable summer out of her before I add another to the mix of things.