newbie... just bought a 97 SJ.. need to know necessary mods

[shaunsteezy]

hey guys i just bought a 97 SJ and im wondering what the most necessary mods are so that i dont sink or damage my ski. it looks like it already has a riva package deal with alum. head, intake spacer, pipe, filters, prop... yada yada but no bilge or scupper. how does water that gets in the hull get out with out either of thoes?

also how do u post pics? i took a couple to give u an idea of what im workin with...

 

[FlightPlanDan]

Stock bilge operational? Even if so, bilge first. All scuppers leak.

Pics: "go advanced"......manage attatchments....browse....


IMO scuppers are for those who compete. They must submerge so many times in so many minutes etc..... and as I said they all leak.

What kind of riding do you do? Flatwater? Surf?

P.S: Welcome to the "X"!

 

[Boris]

Add a bilge pump for now but please, DON'T DRILL A HOLE ON THE SIDE OF THE BOAT.
Use your dash to mount a bilge outlet.
There's nothing worse than a perfectly good ski with a ghastly hole in the side.

 

[FlightPlanDan]

Add a bilge pump for now but please, DON'T DRILL A HOLE ON THE SIDE OF THE BOAT.
Use your dash to mount a bilge outlet.
There's nothing worse than a perfectly good ski with a ghastly hole in the side.

Guilty! (me)

 

[shaunsteezy]

i mostly ride flat water (lakes n river) but im guilty of tracking down ski boats to jump their wakes. iv had a couple 650sx but they just didnt have the performace i was looking for and i always found a way to break/sink them. i wana make this ski idiot proff (me) bc i tend to beat my skis. also the previous owner removed the water box... what is that going to mean? just louder or actual performace gains i would notice?

 

[FlightPlanDan]

water box is not only a "muffler" but also adds some back pressure. If carb jetting works with it, well... but it's gotta be loud.

We're all idiots.
If you figure out how to idiot-proof your ski...please post!

 

[yamarider]

Add a bilge pump for now but please, DON'T DRILL A HOLE ON THE SIDE OF THE BOAT.
Use your dash to mount a bilge outlet.
There's nothing worse than a perfectly good ski with a ghastly hole in the side.

Is it not standard procedure to drill a hole in the side?


Tidy looking 97 by the way

 

[tipafew]

I love my scupper, but a bilge is quick and easy for now. I agree, use your choke hole or something in your dash panel.
If it truly doesn't have a water box I think you will want one.

If you are riding mostly flat water there really isn't a need to reinforce.

 

[shaunsteezy]

thanks guys for your oppinions. looks like im going to put the water box back in.. it doesnt apear to be a stock one but i hope it just fits right in. i may put a bilge in too and i like that idea of using my choke hole on the dash

also what chin pad would you recomend? he lost the stock one when he was towing on the freeway. i was looking at the waterdawgs one is there any others that have the nice dimond turf?

 

[McDog]

I vote against the dash bilge outlet. Oil/gas in the tray sucks.

 

[chriselmore_1]

X2

 

[tor*p*do]

I vote against the dash bilge outlet. Oil/gas in the tray sucks.

truer words have never been spoken
it is dumb to discharge your bilge into the tray IMHO
dump that nasty bilge water out the side!!

 

[Boris]

truer words have never been spoken
it is dumb to discharge your bilge into the tray IMHO
dump that nasty bilge water out the side!!

You can use a 90* fitting that will shoot water out the side or here's a thought. Keep your bilge clean.
Never had any dirt or oil flow out onto my tray as the oil is mixed in with the fuel not the outside of the motor and dirt has no place anywhere under my hood.

 

[toomessedup]

You can use a 90* fitting that will shoot water out the side or here's a thought. Keep your bilge clean.
Never had any dirt or oil flow out onto my tray as the oil is mixed in with the fuel not the outside of the motor and dirt has no place anywhere under my hood.

so you have never spilled fuel in your ski? i wouldnt want oil and gas and anything else that gets into the motor compartment coming onto the tray. if you drill a hole in the side and end up wanting to move the bilge somewhere else, it is pretty easy to glass over the hole.

 

[shaunsteezy]

i didnt even think of junk in engine compartment gettin spewed out onto my tray...:banghead: thats not gonna work for me.

anyways.. does any one know what this thing is? i found it dangling inside the hull. from what i can tell it looks like it goes to the ignition?

 

[aramis]

that's the stock overheat sensor. It mounted to the stock head, and your aftermarket head doesn't have a spot for it so they left it dangling. Pretty common practice to remove it, so don't worry about it. It can be cut off and/or removed from the e-box, or left connected and tied up neatly some where.

 

[Boris]

so you have never spilled fuel in your ski? i wouldnt want oil and gas and anything else that gets into the motor compartment coming onto the tray. if you drill a hole in the side and end up wanting to move the bilge somewhere else, it is pretty easy to glass over the hole.

Guess you missed the part where I mentioned a 90* bilge fitting that shoots water out and over the sides.

Yes, I have spilled a bit of fuel in my bilge, having an internal fuel fill tends to make that easier. A few drops of fuel diluted in bilge water will never make your tray slippery even if you premix 32:1 like I do. Dump a few gallons of fuel in the bilge and you tray might get slick but who does that ?

 

[toomessedup]

Guess you missed the part where I mentioned a 90* bilge fitting that shoots water out and over the sides.

i saw that but i know even 90 degree bilges when the water level is low in the engine compartment the water wont shoot over the sides, but will dribble in to the tray. even my dual 800 gph bilges wont shoot the water out of the tray when the water level gets low. im not trying to dis your setup but im offering another opinion. i like my bilges out the side where i dont have to stare at water shooting all over the place

 

[Liquid Graffix]

SHAUN- Welcome to the board! Your not too far from a few of us so we should get a riding group started if you are interested in riding surf. Nice pick up on the ski!

 

[shaunsteezy]

ya im deffinatly interested in riding surf! but like i said i dont really know what its gonna take for my ski to be sea worthy. where do you commonly ride surf? just ocenside and pismo?