RXT lost intake grate bolts... and gone!

[Michael211_2000]

I have a 2006 RXT I purchased (with full disclosure that the intake grate was missing from underneith). This evening I finally got under the hull with a new grate and all 4 bolts and washers to install... to find that 2 of the 3 rear bolt holes had pulled out completely (since the 2 holes are larger than the size of the bolts I have for it, I'm presuming there was a metal insert in each that was threaded and the entire inserts pulled out!).

For now, I went ahead and put the grate in (w/blue threadlocker) with only the front bolt and 1 rear bolt (the middle of the 3 rear bolts is the only 1 for which there are still threads in that plate thing they screw into).

Is there any way to repair the other 2 bolt holes, or should I just fill them up with silicon and ride the thing? Any ideas on this issue?

Thanks.

- Michael

 

[rxtxfreak88]

I would try to put the other two in there. You can take a bolt and put it through and put a nut on the top side with a washer but you have to be really flexible to get underneith everything.

 

[Michael211_2000]

That means I'd have to drill these 2 holes out and get longer bolts + self-locking nuts, correct? I wasn't sure what I might hit on the inside, if I drilled the holes out.

- Michael

 

[red2blue]

Is there any way to repair the other 2 bolt holes, or should I just fill them up with silicon and ride the thing? Any ideas on this issue?

You need an intake grate girdle made by R&D.

http://www.performancecatalog.com/Seadoo-RXP-Intake-Grate-p/123-10010.htm

p.s. I wouldn't ride that till you've fixed it...cruising along at 60-65 when that thing decides to come off?...no thanks

 

[Michael211_2000]

Thanks for the link.

However I find it highly unlikely that the grate would pull off thatta way... maybe in a high-g turn the back end of the grate might, just might, be able to pull the single remaining rear bolt out.

It would seem to me that that single front bolt IS the most important load-bearing bolt holding the grate on. That's the bolt that apparently came loose and fell out, leading to the original grate's disappearance along with the 2 bolt inserts from the OEM PVC plastic pump shoe. The grate actually broke just forward of the center rear bolt, as it pulled both of the forward rear bolts and inserts right out of the hull! It left the 3rd bolt in place along with a small part of the grate still on the hull.

The rider (and previous owner) said he didn't feel a thing, and didn't realize the grate was gone until he put the RXT back on the trailer and saw water running out of the underside of the hull and looked under there to see why... no grate, bolts gone (front bolt goes thru the hull and is supposed to have a factory applied silicon mound covering it, but apparently this one didn't get that treatment).

If I ever have the engine and all out of the hull again, I may try to replace the PVC plastic pump shoe with a new one... but, I just got this whole thing back together and I'm not wanting to pull it all apart again just for that.

I'm looking at that girdle thing right now, and I honestly don't see how it works. It adds 2 additional bolts to the end of the grate somehow??? Seems like it would cause alot of turbulence, but maybe I just don't understand how it mounts to the hull... can anybody with one of these things explain how it works for me?

I appreciate it!

ps. I'm thinking of using a high-quality plastic epoxy to epoxy 2 stainless steel nuts back into the holes (using a little saran wrap to keep the epoxy out of the threads, and maybe a wooden hole pattern jig to insure the nuts are aligned correctly)... just thinking at this point, no decisions on this yet. I really don't like the idea of drilling thru the pump shoe completely and putting washers and nuts inside the intake tunnel (I believe that's where the holes would go into).

- Michael

 

[ak67sd]

I like the idea of epoxying in hex nuts or a threaded collar (harder to find), just make sure you keep the threads clean...you could put a short bolt in there while it sets...

ak

 

[Michael211_2000]

I've taken it to the lake 3 times so far, with only the 1 front and 1 rear bolt holding the OEM grate in... no problemos. But I'm not driving it aggressively (not going over 40mph really, no extreme hard turns or anything), I just wanted to get it wet while the weather is so very favorable to boating here in Texas and the lake water is not yet too cold... if the weather holds thru next weekend (and trust me there's no significant rain or ANYTHING in the 7 day forecast... we are DRY beyond belief!) I may take it out at least 1 more time as-is. I'll take the grate out and work on these 2 empty holes over the winter when there won't be any rush to get to the lake with it.

Thanks ya'll.

- Michael