Trouble removing jet pump

[Hunterb]

Hi all,

My 1997 GTX suddenly stopped running properly; the engine was fine but it wouldn't accelerate properly at all so I know something was up in the drive train. So pulled off the reverse gate and found that the impeller had somehow managed to hook the wear ring and mangle it and get all tangled up with bits of it. So, clearly time for a new wear ring and probably a realignment of the engine. Removing the jet pump seemed fairly straight forward but proved to be otherwise. Once removing all the required bolts I pulled on the pump assemble expecting it to pull off like all the videos I watched but no, it would not come off. The pump was not stuck on the hull it was the impeller shaft preventing it from coming off. I was simply stretching the rubber boot on the PTO. I could not figure out how to separate the pump from the shaft. Eventually I gave up and removed the rubber boot on the PTO, removed the C clip under the carbon seal and then the pump came right out with the impeller shaft still attached. Is that what is supposed to happen? Did I miss a step somewhere? I can replace the wear ring with the impeller still in place and then slide the whole works back in and bolt it up but I can't figure out why the jet pump does not come off the impeller shaft like all the videos I watched.

 

[artr]

Maybe the drive shaft has some corrosion on the end that is causing it to be stuck in the impeller. There is a rubber boot on the end of the impeller that helps hold some marine grease that should be in there. Maybe you can remove that seal and shoot some lubricant/penetrating oil in there to help loosen things up. It may be difficult to remove the rubber boot if the drive shaft is still in there but penetrating oil should still get in if you can't remove the boot. Rock the shaft and tap with a hammer (not to aggressively) to help break it free after letting the oil work in for a while. If the old wear ring is broken up enough were you can get it out and clean the area without removing the impeller, then you could put a new one in. You should check the impeller spins freely and the bearings do not feel rough without side-to-side play after removing the old wear ring, otherwise the pump should be disassembled and the bearings more closely inspected.

 

[Hunterb]

Thanks for the reply. I will try to get the shaft out somehow. The shaft does rock back and forth a bit; the impeller does not so I think the bearings are OK. There is no way to remove the rubber boot but I may be able to get some WD40 down to the splines. Unfortunately there is really nothing to knock on with a hammer to try to knock it loose. One thing that I am a bit confused about is the wear ring itself. I removed all of the black plastic that was tangled up with the impeller and then the top section of it I got out by cutting a couple of notches in and prying it off, but when I look closely, it almost looks like there is another layer that needs to come off. It is a light coloured material that looks like a really hard plastic. Is it possible that the wear ring is a two layer design? All the wear rings I see on line look like just a single layer. I took a couple pics with my phone but I can't transfer them to my laptop here at the lake. Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hunterb]

I'm trying to attach a couple of pics of the stubbornly stick impeller shaft and the wear ring.

 

[Hunterb]

Update..progress made. I managed to get the impeller shaft out with a little persuasion with a hammer. It was just totally gummed up with old grease. It looks like someone put the wrong grease in it.
Now I just need to figure out if I have the whole wear ring out or if I still need to remove the white layer you can see in the pics. If anyone has a suggestion I'd be happy to hear it.

 

[artr]

Seadoo wear rings are a 2 piece design. There is a softer black outer layer that will give way to rocks and things so that the impeller will not get damaged. I don't remember the color of the hard second layer, but if your jet pump is black plastic and the piece that's in there is white then that is probably the other part of the wearing that must be removed in order for a new one to fit. I think your jet pump is a 140 mm in diameter. You can measure it and if the white plastic is taking up some of that 140 mm then that is not the jet pump body, but part of the old wear ring.

 

[Hunterb]

Thanks for the reply. I'm now quite sure that I have to remove the rest of the wear ring and to do so need to remove the impeller, and I don't have the removal tool. More shopping.
When looking for wear rings I see lots offered by JSP. Are they worth purchasing or are they Chinese junk. They claim to be made in the US.

 

[pantaloonz]

Thank you for sharing this, on my rebuilds I always run into shaft trouble.
I've now pulled 4 engines, and I can never get them to slide off the shaft (slide engine forward), In fact I usually have to remove the jet pump and man handle the damn thing out. (remove c clip and all that).

I just bought a wear ring replacement kit, and it came with a tool. -- Now I have two tools. I got the ~125.00 ish one from Bay Area Powerspots.

With as much effort as you've expended and the wrenching, wobbling, yanking etc. I'd be willing to bet you should consider a jet pump rebuild at this point.

I don't suppose you have the alignment tool? I got this one a few years back and and far as I'm concerned it's worth it's weight in gold.
If you didnt loosen the engine mounts then theorectically you should be in alignment, sounds like a bad installation at the pump.

my eyes are old, but it looks like a considerable gap in the prop to wear ring surface, that seal is also appears pretty darn wrecked. don't know the age or history, but a cone repack is probably due too.

Best of luck
-pantz

 

[Hunterb]

Thanks for the reply. I do not have an alignment tool unfortunately. I will definitely be putting new oil in the cone. The wear ring is destroyed. It is a two piece design and the inner black layer was completely ripped apart and all tangled up with the impeller. The picture of what looks like a seal is actually the top of the black plastic part of the old wear ring. There was no seal between the pump and the hull. I believe in 1997 they did not use a seal there because the top of the wear ring had a built in seal. I will be putting one in now though.
When I took it apart I could not get the impeller shaft to separate from the pump. I was pulling like mad on it and was only succeeding in stretching the rubber boot attached to the PTO. Once I removed it with the impeller shaft attached it just required some taps with a hammer to get it free. I think my engine may have been out of alignment already because I had to replace the stator last summer and I undid the motor mounts to lift the motor up to get the front cover off. I did not change the shims so I was hoping the alignment would not change but it may have.
I ordered a JSP wear ring and now I'm having second thoughts because I've seen some bad reviews. I guess I will wait for it to arrive and see how it fits. First thing I need is the impeller removal tool which won't be here for another week or so. I hope the impeller is not too stuck on but I'm guessing it might be. I have read not to use air tools to break it loose. I have a good impact gun which has broken all kinds of stuck stuff loose so I was thinking I might try it. Do you know why people say not to use an impact?

 

[pantaloonz]

When you undid the motor mounts, do you mean all of them, front and rear?
also, did you remove the shaft when you moved it ? I don't think it's a good thing to lift up the engine(signifcantly) with the shaft in place..

I've done several jet pumps, two of my own two for friends, I've had one that was a complete monster. I suppose the reason not to use the impact would be as to not to potentially disturb the seals and bearings.

I soaked mine with some penetrating oil and used a 6' peacemaker extending my 2' breaker bar. My fat ass hanging on that breaks em out.

-pantz

 

[Hunterb]

Thanks for the reply.
When I lifted the motor to remove the front cover so I could change the stator I had to.completely remove the front mount and loosen the two rear ones. I had to lift the motor about 2 inches in order to get the lower cover bolts out.
I'll soak the impeller in penetrating fluid while I wait for the impeller tool to arrive and hope it comes apart without too much trouble.

 

[pantaloonz]

Good Morning,

Well that doesnt sound like it would have caused your experience.. But good luck with the removal, I've seen some come off with a simple breaker bar, to other folks basically hanging off a 6' breaker bar to get em loose.. You'll get it!

-pantz

 

[BBird]

I have ordered everything I can from either OSD marine or Westside Powersports (used) and been much better off for it. Some of the things I ordered from Bay Area I got mulitples of because they were cheap, and they ended up being much more expensive in the long run with time chasing down things that SHOULD be fixed, but weren’t. Some worked some didn’t and like just about everyone else that has been at it a while, learned the expensive parts are worth it in the long run, especially for things like wear rings, carb parts, and electronics.