VTS Restoration Thread?

[RocketFox650]

I've gone through 6 skis now with a VTS, none of which worked (I've never seen one that works when I buy them), and after being irritated about my personal ski for a couple seasons, started tearing into them. No where online have I found an actual restoration or rebuild thread. Sure, I've seen the Trim Fuc threads, and the threads from when Radio Shack still existed, but never one that really addresses the problem other that to say part slap it and be done. 6 out of 6 of mine have all been completely fixable from home now, but I'm an electrical engineer and have been doing mechanical work for years, so the little bits of useful info I found here and there were supplemented by decades of experience. So now I'm just curious if, since Google turns up zero results, anyone is still interested in fixing these things or did I just miss the decade and everyone moved on?

Every single one I've opened was completely functional once I tore it down and rebuilt it. I remove a lot of corrosion, and it takes a little effort, but my total investment is usually a little lube, a couple zip ties, some grease and some RTV. I've got one right now that the position magnet was rusted up, but cleaning it out and resealing it seems to have fixed it. There's no real substitute for new boots of course, but I've had to work around that now too. I just finished 2 at once and of course didn't take pictures, I just decided to wing it and see where it got me, but it wouldn't be the end of the world to tear one back down and do a step by step. This forum helped me out immensely when I first started, but when I get into anything more complicated now, finding real info is impossible, like they run on voodoo if the problem isn't bad gas, plugs, or filters and lines. I imagine a lot of the problem is in how the search results turn up, but still I feel like if I'm able to blunder through so much of this stuff, there's 1- a lot of old timers out there a lot better than me, and 2- there's got to be other people who either want to try, are trying, or are searching for a way to try and can't find it either.

I just rebuilt 3 657X series skis this week mostly by taking them apart and seeing how they worked plus common sense. Anyone who says just use the service manual, well those things are mostly useful for a pad for the front post of the trailer to not sink in. I've got them for every year, and other than some very specific information, which is easier to find online most of the time, they generally just say "buy a new one" for any issue. Actually I think I mostly just use them for the pictures, lol. But the PDF versions often cut pictures in half and lose a chunk of the center.

Maybe I'm the odd man out here, but the amount of business I get at work now on these makes it seem like others could use more too. If someone wants to explain how/where someone did all these walkthrough threads 10 years ago, please please do! Cuz I've spent countless hours trying to find out every detail I can on almost every model through the 90s, and after my first year it turned into mostly just take it apart and put it back together, or going cross platforms to learn a topic like lurking around dirt bike forums or classic car sites and amateur radio/electronics DIY folks.

 

[mikidymac]

I would love a diy on these, I have 3 bad ones sitting in my garage at the moment.

 

[SpitandDirt]

I've gone through 6 skis now with a VTS, none of which worked (I've never seen one that works when I buy them), and after being irritated about my personal ski for a couple seasons, started tearing into them. No where online have I found an actual restoration or rebuild thread. Sure, I've seen the Trim Fuc threads, and the threads from when Radio Shack still existed, but never one that really addresses the problem other that to say part slap it and be done. 6 out of 6 of mine have all been completely fixable from home now, but I'm an electrical engineer and have been doing mechanical work for years, so the little bits of useful info I found here and there were supplemented by decades of experience. So now I'm just curious if, since Google turns up zero results, anyone is still interested in fixing these things or did I just miss the decade and everyone moved on?

Every single one I've opened was completely functional once I tore it down and rebuilt it. I remove a lot of corrosion, and it takes a little effort, but my total investment is usually a little lube, a couple zip ties, some grease and some RTV. I've got one right now that the position magnet was rusted up, but cleaning it out and resealing it seems to have fixed it. There's no real substitute for new boots of course, but I've had to work around that now too. I just finished 2 at once and of course didn't take pictures, I just decided to wing it and see where it got me, but it wouldn't be the end of the world to tear one back down and do a step by step. This forum helped me out immensely when I first started, but when I get into anything more complicated now, finding real info is impossible, like they run on voodoo if the problem isn't bad gas, plugs, or filters and lines. I imagine a lot of the problem is in how the search results turn up, but still I feel like if I'm able to blunder through so much of this stuff, there's 1- a lot of old timers out there a lot better than me, and 2- there's got to be other people who either want to try, are trying, or are searching for a way to try and can't find it either.

I just rebuilt 3 657X series skis this week mostly by taking them apart and seeing how they worked plus common sense. Anyone who says just use the service manual, well those things are mostly useful for a pad for the front post of the trailer to not sink in. I've got them for every year, and other than some very specific information, which is easier to find online most of the time, they generally just say "buy a new one" for any issue. Actually I think I mostly just use them for the pictures, lol. But the PDF versions often cut pictures in half and lose a chunk of the center.

Maybe I'm the odd man out here, but the amount of business I get at work now on these makes it seem like others could use more too. If someone wants to explain how/where someone did all these walkthrough threads 10 years ago, please please do! Cuz I've spent countless hours trying to find out every detail I can on almost every model through the 90s, and after my first year it turned into mostly just take it apart and put it back together, or going cross platforms to learn a topic like lurking around dirt bike forums or classic car sites and amateur radio/electronics DIY folks.

Over the years members such as myself have attempted similar repairs on the VTS. Obviously the biggest obstacle is the potting compound / epoxy. I've tinkered with several and without a doubt, that potting compound can really break your spirit when you are trying not to damage the components underneath.

There isn't a magic brew of chemicals readily available(and reasonable cost) that will desolve the epoxy but leave the plastic shell and circuit board intact, so you are left with manually scratching and scraping away the epoxy until you can break off chunks. Most people don't have the patience.

I've been experimenting with different removal tools and once I've found a tool that doesn't break the bank I'll be happy to share the info.

It's only a matter of time before seadoo stops making the VTS units. I dont like the VTS fix either simply because I like the clean installation of the stock unit.

 

[RocketFox650]

Over the years members such as myself have attempted similar repairs on the VTS. Obviously the biggest obstacle is the potting compound / epoxy. I've tinkered with several and without a doubt, that potting compound can really break your spirit when you are trying not to damage the components underneath.

There isn't a magic brew of chemicals readily available(and reasonable cost) that will desolve the epoxy but leave the plastic shell and circuit board intact, so you are left with manually scratching and scraping away the epoxy until you can break off chunks. Most people don't have the patience.

I've been experimenting with different removal tools and once I've found a tool that doesn't break the bank I'll be happy to share the info.

It's only a matter of time before seadoo stops making the VTS units. I dont like the VTS fix either simply because I like the clean installation of the stock unit.

Huh, I haven't had that problem yet. There's a few things we use at work to remove different epoxy though, I'll look into it more. I don't want to say any more about my methods on that until I look at it more, lest I give someone the wrong idea and they mess up their board.

No, every single unit I've opened has been a mess of rust and corrosion, and simply opening every single part of it and cleaning it out, basic electric motor servicing like we did in the trade decades ago before they became disposable, and they're good as new. I use a brass or stainless brush to clean the circuit board as it's firm enough to remove anything bridging circuits. Steel brush on the inner motor case, the CASE ONLY, and brass or nylon to remove anything to do with motor surfaces/windings. Have to be careful what cleaners you use or you'll dissolved the varnish on the windings. Re grease/lube any bearing surfaces, pack the worm gear housing appropriately. Clean and reseal the positioning magnet. RTV on boots followed by grease. I've been leaving my cover off until I saw how well it held up, but I'm not getting any leaking or build up.

I'm waiting to see one with the board bad at this point. The case seal is always a huge issue though. I wire wheel all the mating surfaces, and generally use a grease that will keep them water tight. After it's all done and sealed, I've painted a final coat or used nail polish over the seams too. It's not much, but it's not supposed to be. It's just one more layer to help keep that seal intact.

 

[mikidymac]

Huh, I haven't had that problem yet. There's a few things we use at work to remove different epoxy though, I'll look into it more. I don't want to say any more about my methods on that until I look at it more, lest I give someone the wrong idea and they mess up their board.

No, every single unit I've opened has been a mess of rust and corrosion, and simply opening every single part of it and cleaning it out, basic electric motor servicing like we did in the trade decades ago before they became disposable, and they're good as new. I use a brass or stainless brush to clean the circuit board as it's firm enough to remove anything bridging circuits. Steel brush on the inner motor case, the CASE ONLY, and brass or nylon to remove anything to do with motor surfaces/windings. Have to be careful what cleaners you use or you'll dissolved the varnish on the windings. Re grease/lube any bearing surfaces, pack the worm gear housing appropriately. Clean and reseal the positioning magnet. RTV on boots followed by grease. I've been leaving my cover off until I saw how well it held up, but I'm not getting any leaking or build up.

I'm waiting to see one with the board bad at this point. The case seal is always a huge issue though. I wire wheel all the mating surfaces, and generally use a grease that will keep them water tight. After it's all done and sealed, I've painted a final coat or used nail polish over the seams too. It's not much, but it's not supposed to be. It's just one more layer to help keep that seal intact.

Are you talking about the VTS motors or the brain box that is in potting compound?

The motors are not that big of a deal and all 6 that I have replaced in the last couple years had good motors, it is the electronics inside the sealed potting compound that has failed on them.

A diy fix on the actual control module would be greatly appreciated.