Super Jet Advice on how to seal a surf jet louie SN hood?

[Skirunner24]

I bought this ski a few months ago and according to the seller, this ski "never takes on water because of the great hood and seal". One of a few big lies he sold me on this ski... So, after riding surf a number of times, I realized the current hood setup was not going to cut it. Every time I attempt any type of maneuver that places the nose in the water (e.g. stab), I end up ingesting water and the ski runs like crap until I change the plugs or get lucky and clear it out. I've slowly been addressing the problem, but haven't been able to solve it yet. I changed back to a stock flame arrestor (helped a bunch) and also replaced the junk home depot seal with a watcon hood seal. Problem is, I'm still sucking water. It's better, but not there yet. The bilge is constantly running after any good sub-type trick. I don't know the history of the hood, but the right side of the hood lip has been ground at a taper starting at the bow and increasing to the stern (see pic). There is compression of the seal all around, however it is very light in the area that it was ground. The other obvious entry way is through the pole cable hole. As of right now, the rubber boot is really just floating around the cables and not anchored in any significant way.

So my question is, how do I seal up this hood? I'm planning on glassing the area that was ground down, back in on the hood lip. I'm also considering blocking off of breather tube or two. Is it necessary to have all four? I also have intrusion when I sink the ski deep, a$$ first off a decent wave. I feel like that could be due to the proximity of the breather tube and FA (the tube terminates right in front of the FA opening). I'm at a loss on how to seal up the cable hole. How do you guys do it?

Any recommendations would be great! I'm sick of sucking water at every ride!
Pics to follow...

 

[davy87nj]

I would think extending those tubes further into the bilge would help keep water from getting into you intake. I have the same problem with my SN cable/wire boot. Stick it back down, and it pops out after riding a bit.

 

[dbattersby20]

i would make sure those tubes go for far enough into the hood and then far enough down into the hull.

 

[BruceSki]

are you running hood hooks and a latch? or a ratchet strap setup?

I have seen an improperly adjusted set of hood hooks cause the front of a hood to not seal 100% Make sure to check that.

Also lengthen those hoses so they reach way low in the bilge. Cap off two holes. Two vent hoses should be plenty on that ski unless you are running a 900cc or bigger motor.

 

[Skirunner24]

Good stuff...I'll look to lengthen and seal those tubes. I'm running a jetmaniac ratchet strap with no hood hooks. Not running anything crazy, just a limited 701.

 

[chad]

I think not running front hooks and a latch in addition to the strap is a problem . If hoses dump on top of your carb block it off . And then extend the other hoses.

 

[Skirunner24]

I'm running a hazard bracket and a SJL hood. I don't even know how I would get a hook setup going. Never had any problems ratcheting. It gets nice and tight except in the small area that has been ground down.

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[deftons56]

Can you post pictures of where the straps attach to on your hull?

 

[Skirunner24]

I'll post up some when I get home tonight.


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[McDog]

All hoses need to reach bottom of hull. Then lay a bunch of dollar bills or hundreds or newspaper strips (whatever you have laying around) all along the hoodseal. Then strap it down and see where the paper is loose and fix it by stuffing more hoodseal there. Rinse and repeat until the paper it held tightly everywhere.

 

[DEVIN]

So i own one of these and when i bought my ski would drink like a fish come to find out the hood fiberglass hood line that seal to the hood seal is not plane on any sides, so if yours is like mind you have to get a foam hood seal. but when you order the 20 dollar seal off ebay you have to shave a a portion so that it is squared off. after that i could do 3 second subs with little water getting in. if you want any more advice just PM me.

 

[Nemo]

So i own one of these and when i bought my ski would drink like a fish come to find out the hood fiberglass hood line that seal to the hood seal is not plane on any sides, so if yours is like mind you have to get a foam hood seal. but when you order the 20 dollar seal off ebay you have to shave a a portion so that it is squared off. after that i could do 3 second subs with little water getting in. if you want any more advice just PM me.

Maybe adding a surf seal, along with what you have now, would help to solve the problem?

 

[MADMAT]

I saw a ski once that had n o hooks and only straps...except the straps at the font were flush with the hood line...which meant it had no downward tension on the hood....so you could lift the hood in the front. It was tight in the back and it was hard to notice the front unless you looked.

It was a huge gap and it was letting tons of water in. He redid the front of the straps...made them lower than the hood..so it was pulling down on the hood...

 

[WAB]

For some reason on almost every SN hull, the hood seal area (just behind the pole bracket) ends up sagging lower than the rest of the hood seal area.
I fill the hood seal channel & use extra hood gasket material in that area to make it more even with the rest.
I also have my hood straps going to the pole bracket bolts nearest the hood to pull thefront of the hood down.

 

[Skirunner24]

Thanks - some great advice up there ... I too have my straps bolted down under the pole bracket so I'm pretty confident that there is plenty of downward tension. I'll definitely block a tube or two and lengthen the remaining tubes. I'll give the paper trick a shot in the next day or two and see if it really is loose in the areas I suspect. Anyone else have any advice on the pole breather tube?

Pics...
Tough to make out, but you can see the strap has some good downward force on the front of the hood...

And yeah, I know my pole spring end is not where it's supposed to be. Haven't gotten around to fixing that yet...

 

[Honda118]

Block the 2 tubes on the right b/c that is the carb side?

 

[Pablo]

I had a Louie hood on my SN and had good results with the oem hood hooks, oem hood seal, and a ratchet strap. I ran the breathers all the way to floor. Make sure ur breather tubes are secured to hood as well...silicone or 5200 if ur brave.