Sticky Engine compartment latch - Sportster 150

[mrtockley]

The engine cover latch on my '05 Sportster 150 seems to be sticking. When you pull the cable is actuates the spring to release the latch stud, but the cover does not pop up automatically like it's supposed to. I got my girlfriend to pull the lever while I checked the release mechanism out and it seems to be pulling the lock free, but the cover won't go up unless you pull it up yourself. Could the gas struts be the issue or is it likely to be something else? Has anyone else had this problem and know a fix?

Cheers,

Kris.

 

[devonte007]

Yep, you need new gas struts. A very common problem and should be a cheap easy fix. See the thread below for detailed information. The stock struts are each charged at 50 psi, but I stepped them up to 60 psi each which helped get the engine cover up more quickly. Not sure how easy it is to order parts to your part of the world, but hopefully you can find a local supply.

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?40775-Replacing-GAS-shock-for-seadoo-sportster-2004&p=180712#post180712

And if you need to replace the strut on the storage hatch by the helm, this is a good thread to read:

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?47624-Speedster-150-storage-hatch-gas-spring-replacement&highlight=gas+strut

Good luck!

 

[mrtockley]

Yep, you need new gas struts. A very common problem and should be a cheap easy fix. See the thread below for detailed information. The stock struts are each charged at 50 psi, but I stepped them up to 60 psi each which helped get the engine cover up more quickly. Not sure how easy it is to order parts to your part of the world, but hopefully you can find a local supply.

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?40775-Replacing-GAS-shock-for-seadoo-sportster-2004&p=180712#post180712

And if you need to replace the strut on the storage hatch by the helm, this is a good thread to read:

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?47624-Speedster-150-storage-hatch-gas-spring-replacement&highlight=gas+strut

Good luck!

Thanks for that! I was hoping it would be the struts. How did you step up the PSI?

 

[devonte007]

You can typically order the struts to whatever PSI you want. So I just ordered the new struts with a slight increase in PSI. I have heard that ordering parts from the US can be expensive for you guys down there, so you might just take one of the old ones off your boat and bring it into a local auto parts store and they can probably order something for you. These struts us the same hardware as do struts on most cars, just be sure to order the correct extended length, compressed length, and PSI. You should be good to go!

 

[mrtockley]

Thanks again

 

[mrtockley]

Ok, so one of the things that sucks about Australia is the postage of small light weight items from the States. The small gas spring that holds up the front compartment is over $50 just in shipping! I've found the 2 larger engine compartment springs on ebay - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-GAS-SP...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4abb4e6f61 Works out to be just over $60 for the 2 with shipping which isn't too bad. For a laugh, I rang my local Sea Doo dealer and they wanted about $80 - $90 for EACH strut! WTF??

I emailed a local re-gassing guy that can come to my house and re-gas all 3 struts so hopefully he gets back to me with a decent price. Out of interest, the same bloke on eBay that sells the 50 PSI struts, has the same 28" struts with 70 PSI. would that be too powerful for the engine cover?

 

[devonte007]

Bummer about the shipping costs, I have heard that shipping costs to many other parts of the world can be quite expensive. Is there any way to get the struts from any other country with better shipping costs? These struts are so universal (used in most cars around the world) that they must be manufactured somewhere with lower shipping costs to you. Did you try a local auto parts store?

As far as the re-gassing, I'm not sure if that would work too well. The reason the old struts fail ( I think) is because the o-rings inside start to wear out and the pressurized gas leaks out. Re-filling them would probably work for a while but they might fail again sooner. I am no expert though.

I think the 70psi struts would be too much and you would have a hard time closing the hatch; not to mention it might be too hard on the latch itself. Glad I could help and good luck!

 

[mrtockley]

Thanks for the advice again. I think I'll just bite the bullet and order the new parts. Did you check out the eBay link? They'll fit the engine hatch yeah?

 

[devonte007]

Just looked at the ebay ad, and the specifications on the page look like they will be an exact OEM fit.

 

[mrtockley]

Sweet. Hopefully the hatch will be fixed soon

 

[jfree40]

Any idea on where to get the handle that opens the hood?? I needed to look under the hood the other day and when I pulled on the handle, it cracked! I checked the forum store. Couldn't find it....

 

[SeaDoo Fan]

At the top of this page is a link to OEM parts. This link should be the one: http://fiche.seadoowarehouse.com/se...b&a=105&b=19&c=0&d=-HULL---ENGINE-COMPARTMENT

Look at part number 5. Looks like the T handle is not sold separately. $85.