- BiRkS_
Active Member
Well my current project ski ('98 xp limited) which started off as a quick flip and tossing in a new engine took a nose dive.
After battling issues with the starting system, chewing up a starter because the MPEM started to fail and "pulse" the starter. Then the internal charging regulator failed. Cavitation issues, spedometer issues, VTS issues, i finally got it back together and running great. Took it out for a gps speed run and hit 68 mph. Yes that is right. This puppy flies! it has some sort of aftermarket intake grate, but everything else is bone stock. new wear ring, new engine,carbs, etc.
So after the speed run, i took a leisurely cruise back up the shoreline, doing some carving then started to head back to the cottage. Cruising at about 5500 rpm then all of a sudden she shut off. Now its done this before where the key may have been bumped and it shuts down, so i re-install the key, press start and "CLUNK". F$%*!
I thought for sure the engine packed it in. But i was curious because it didn't bog or make any noises before locking up. Then i thought at idle, ever since i had it, there was a weird "wurring" noise but would go away when revved up. Not the jet pump rattle, it was strange. Long story short the carrier bearing (part of the suspension seat bracket) locked right up.
I was unaware that this bearing has a grease zerk. Most likely because the nipple was missing and the hole must have been upside down.
I was just able to get the bloody thing apart today after many afternoons of cursing. For anyone who has ever worked on these xp's and hx's with suspension seats, you know how little room there is between the through hull fitting and the carrier bearing. It was so seized i had to unbolt the bracket and use an angle die grinder with a cut off wheel to slice a wedge out of the carrier and relieve stress on the bearing. When i cut through it, i then realized the bearing had melted to the shaft! I got it moving but it was still stuck. Ended up taking the caveman method...Wrapped a chain around the end of the driveshaft (pump removed) bolted it up tight and used a 2 ton come-a-long and pulled that sucker out. A little emory paper and a light file and the shaft is as good as new. Unfortunately i didnt think about taking pictures before and after, but i have some of the after carnage, and the cleaned up shaft.
So the lesson of the day is if you have one of these skis.....GO AND BUY A NEW CARRIER BEARING ASAP and install. and grease frequently. I would have wished to pull the engine and rebuild it than to go through this nightmare again. There is no shop manual procedure to get this done. Now the good news is that the carrier isn't that expensive from OSD parts. I paid 40$ and 25$ shipping. Not bad. But from my brp dealer up here, you have to order every part seperately (bearing, 2 seals, grease zerk, and housing/carrier) for the outrageous sum of nearly 180$! The needle bearing itself was 38$ from the dealer! Changing this bearing out is worth every penny just for the peace of mind and performance. It literally left me stranded in the middle of the lake without warning. And was a bigger pain to repair! Will post pictures tomorrow. There is lots of carnage!
After battling issues with the starting system, chewing up a starter because the MPEM started to fail and "pulse" the starter. Then the internal charging regulator failed. Cavitation issues, spedometer issues, VTS issues, i finally got it back together and running great. Took it out for a gps speed run and hit 68 mph. Yes that is right. This puppy flies! it has some sort of aftermarket intake grate, but everything else is bone stock. new wear ring, new engine,carbs, etc.
So after the speed run, i took a leisurely cruise back up the shoreline, doing some carving then started to head back to the cottage. Cruising at about 5500 rpm then all of a sudden she shut off. Now its done this before where the key may have been bumped and it shuts down, so i re-install the key, press start and "CLUNK". F$%*!
I thought for sure the engine packed it in. But i was curious because it didn't bog or make any noises before locking up. Then i thought at idle, ever since i had it, there was a weird "wurring" noise but would go away when revved up. Not the jet pump rattle, it was strange. Long story short the carrier bearing (part of the suspension seat bracket) locked right up.
I was unaware that this bearing has a grease zerk. Most likely because the nipple was missing and the hole must have been upside down.
I was just able to get the bloody thing apart today after many afternoons of cursing. For anyone who has ever worked on these xp's and hx's with suspension seats, you know how little room there is between the through hull fitting and the carrier bearing. It was so seized i had to unbolt the bracket and use an angle die grinder with a cut off wheel to slice a wedge out of the carrier and relieve stress on the bearing. When i cut through it, i then realized the bearing had melted to the shaft! I got it moving but it was still stuck. Ended up taking the caveman method...Wrapped a chain around the end of the driveshaft (pump removed) bolted it up tight and used a 2 ton come-a-long and pulled that sucker out. A little emory paper and a light file and the shaft is as good as new. Unfortunately i didnt think about taking pictures before and after, but i have some of the after carnage, and the cleaned up shaft.
So the lesson of the day is if you have one of these skis.....GO AND BUY A NEW CARRIER BEARING ASAP and install. and grease frequently. I would have wished to pull the engine and rebuild it than to go through this nightmare again. There is no shop manual procedure to get this done. Now the good news is that the carrier isn't that expensive from OSD parts. I paid 40$ and 25$ shipping. Not bad. But from my brp dealer up here, you have to order every part seperately (bearing, 2 seals, grease zerk, and housing/carrier) for the outrageous sum of nearly 180$! The needle bearing itself was 38$ from the dealer! Changing this bearing out is worth every penny just for the peace of mind and performance. It literally left me stranded in the middle of the lake without warning. And was a bigger pain to repair! Will post pictures tomorrow. There is lots of carnage!
