The steering has been an issue on my boat for a while, but this weekend one of the two bolts that hold the nozzle to the pump backed of and almost fell out. I'll tell you that it's impossible to steer the boat when that happens! So I had to rebuild the nozzles.
Each nozzle is held with two SS bolts that go through two SS sleeves that ride on a nylon bushing. The idea is the bolts and sleeves would be stationary and torqued down, and the nozzle would swivel on the nylon bushings. Well, after 10 years in the water, the Al has been corroded and I think the corrosion tightened the nylon bushing to the point where the SS sleeve was turning with the nozzle and caused the bolt to back out.
I punched the SS sleeves out and polished them up with some emery cloth. Then took a hand reamer and opened back up the bushing to 0.5" The result was a nozzle that would swivel on the jet pump like it should! Steering is much easier also! If you want to replace the nylon bushing, you can order them from McMaster. They are english, not metric, bushings.
While I had them out I also blasted them to get the old paint and corrosion off and resprayed them.
Hope this helps someone else or at least reminds you to look at those two bolts to make sure they're tight. Or just to re-loctite it!
Each nozzle is held with two SS bolts that go through two SS sleeves that ride on a nylon bushing. The idea is the bolts and sleeves would be stationary and torqued down, and the nozzle would swivel on the nylon bushings. Well, after 10 years in the water, the Al has been corroded and I think the corrosion tightened the nylon bushing to the point where the SS sleeve was turning with the nozzle and caused the bolt to back out.
I punched the SS sleeves out and polished them up with some emery cloth. Then took a hand reamer and opened back up the bushing to 0.5" The result was a nozzle that would swivel on the jet pump like it should! Steering is much easier also! If you want to replace the nylon bushing, you can order them from McMaster. They are english, not metric, bushings.
While I had them out I also blasted them to get the old paint and corrosion off and resprayed them.
Hope this helps someone else or at least reminds you to look at those two bolts to make sure they're tight. Or just to re-loctite it!
