Other Towing 2001 Superjet behind boat?

[rapiddarby]

OK ...pretty new to stand up (all jetskis for that matter) jet skis and I just ran across this online: Towing a Jet Ski - how do I prevent filling the engine
with water?
If you read in your manual it states that you cant tow your ski over 5 mph or
engine damage may result (flooding the cylinders via the exhaust por t s ) .
The tow tap (tow-valve) solves this issue and is mainly done to allow people
to tow their pwcs behind boats at speed (above 5 mph).
All skis as far as I'm aware use the pump water flow downstream of the
impeller ,where the water is pressurised, to flow water through the cooling
system.
That is ... they don't have a water pump per se they just bleed pressurised
water off the main pump.
Because the water intake of the ski is far greater i n size than the pump
nozzle outlet it builds pressure by being towed. That is ..water starts to flow
through the pump when towed and has a smaller outlet than inlet so builds
pressure.
Water starts to flow through the cooling system now ... if this pressure gets
high enough it will overcome the gravity of the exhaust port height. Water
pushes ever more upward including the water cooled exhaust passages
...which lead to the exhaust port with an open exhaust valve which leads to
the particular cylinder that has has the open valve ... and the cylinder fills
with water .
A tow tap goes in the main feed line from the pump to the motor and you
close it to tow the craft and keep it safe from "tow flooding" the engine
cylinders via the exhaust cooling passages .
Check your owner 's manual to see if you can tow at speed with the Kawis . . I
don't think you can but check anywa y . . . Yamaha don't recommend towing
over 5mph for this reason.
Even the closed loop cooling system of the Seadoo Runabouts don't keep
them safe from this flooding as they run an open loop cooling through the
exhaus t .
You wont sink them .... but you may flood the engine cylinders with water !
Its kind of like running it on the hose with the engine off ... water is going up
the cooling lines with engine off when you tow it ....

I am a family man and I own a 2001 Superjet. The ONLY time I have a chance to use it is when we go as a family out on the boat. ...Last year I had an old 1995 550sx that I would tow behind the boat and when we got to a nice spot at a beach on the lake we would ancor and the kids and wife and I swim and hang out and I get to ride some. ...It worked out great and I never had a problem. I towed pretty fast ( I had never heard of it being a problem - didn't know it could be?) ... IS it REALLY a problem/concern? ...Is the "tow-tap" the answer? ...should I just not be doing that? other options? ...just go slow ( not really an option ) ....Just ride it I know, but thats not really an option either ...wife doesn't like to drive the boat and we go on the boat together for family time. If the "tow-tap" is the answer... where do I get one?

 

[crazy4sand]

Theirs really no way someone has to sit on the sj to keep the nose up and still water can enter into the pump and pump water into the motor with the motor off = no good.

I wouldn't risk it without something fancy that u can tow and put ur jetski on top of it.

I'd suggest getting a pontoon boat with a deck up front and putting a harbor freight wheel chair hoist on it.. Worked great for us.

Or have one of ur kids ride it out and follow you always worls

 

[snirunner24]

Another problem you will have is that standups are very front heavy which means they tend sub during towing and some skis are more pron to this then others. Ive never towed my sj but my sxr its impossible without someone in the tray. Even if you are able to tow at high speed the skis nose will sit lower in the water because there is no weight in the tray. Water will come in through the hood vents filling the ski with water. The ski has a bilge pump but it works off the jet pump and the ski needs to be running in order to extract the water from the hull.

 

[lovetheriver]

Purchase an old inner tube and throw the ski on top of it, then just pull the tube. We did this on a trip we took, you still have to go slower then normal but it actually worked ( it was a pretty large inner tube).

 

[rapiddarby]

Now this is VERY dissapointing to find out
... My kids are too young to ride the ski out ... As far as the ski being too nose heavy ... I don't see that as a problem: I tow off of the wakeboard tower up high and yes the nose subs a little at the start, but pops right up at speed... It worked just fine with my old 550sx ( I know the superjet is heavier and possibly will tow a little different, but I justr don't see it towing THAT much different... biggest concern is not "water will come through the hood vents filling the ski with water" ... I know that will not happen --> as soon as you get going it plans right out and rides fine behind the boat, but the concern is engine damage / not flooding the ski. ...IF it tows ok , how Can I avoid the engine damage? ...Maybe I can wedge a piece of minicell foam in underneath the intake for towing to block water? ...other options? I know there has got to be a way!
I appreciate the advice and any suggestions. Thanks

 

[crazy4sand]

I've always wanted to take a old 3seat sea do chop off the upper deck and glass a deck on it and make some jetski rails and have that as a tow rig I'm sure it'll work.... I think Lol

 

[jeremy chambon]

I've towed at high speeds with some one in the tray and never had a problem filling the exhaust up there is a huge pressed difference between running and not running you could also run an fcv if you are running an after market pipe there is no way there is enough pressure to open that in toe when mine doesn't open till half throttle. Just a shot in the dark can't you weight the back of the tray or build a scoop (small) that hook to the rear tow hole and when your moving water pressure pulls down the back of the ski. Is your boat in board or out board or in board out board you could just pull the ski up fair enough wher the rope pulls the nose up

 

[rapiddarby]

I'm not concerned about the way it tows ... The bow comes right up at speed... it subs at slow speed. The concern is how do I avoid engine damage. Totally stock ski. ...There has got to be an EASY solution?..??

 

[schicks]

couldn't you just put a shut-off valve in the cooling line between the bulk head and motor? that way water can't enter the motor. Wouldn't want to forget to throw it when you start riding though.

 

[jeremy chambon]

X2^ but really it could be an excuse to the wife to get a pipe for the ski

 

[Matt_E]

The easy solution is to pinch the cooling line going to the bottom of the exhaust manifold closed.

 

[markbedell79]

I would love to see a picture of the way you set your lift up if you have one.

 

[stefan]

Get a wakeboard tower for your boat, i have one a have towed my ski att 25 mph no probelm. And i have been thinking about the shut off valve too.

 

[rapiddarby]

As I stated...

I use the tower to tow and it works great... my main concern is engine damage.

It seems the easy way is ...."pinch the cooling line going to the bottom of the exhaust manifold closed" - I guess I would just use a flat pair of "vice grips" ..or install a shut-off valve? ...Can anyone cofirm and explain WHICH line that is?

 

[schicks]

there are 2 water lines going through the bulk head; 1 for the stock bilge under the drive coupler and the other is the cooling line that goes to the exhaust manifold. You want to pinch/add a shut-off to the line that goes to the manifold.

 

[Dunx90]

Say you were out in the surf and needed towed in how would you close it then?

 

[Matt_E]

Say you were out in the surf and needed towed in how would you close it then?

You would ask to be towed slowly or you would deal with the potentially swamped motor later. It's about priorities, and if you're in the surf with a dead ski far out enough to require towing....well then those cooling lines just aren't a priority at that time.

 

[FearMyWrX]

Personally, I call the who going slow thing BS.

In Oceanside, CA when you break down you have a 2-3 mile tow ahead of you. WHen I knew it was something sh!tty (ignition) and it would be a long fix then i'd get towed back slow and sometimes the other guys have somewhere to be and I get towed back at 15+ miles per hour.

Sometimes getting towed faster has resulted in almost no water intake (fired right up) while going slow really gave my cylinders a couple good swallows (go through the swamped engine routine).

The best idea we've come across is putting this on your water in so you can close it if need be. You just run the risk of forgetting to turn it back on at some point and you will cause more damage than your preventing.

All stainless check valve.

 

[102nd7]

Is it possible to tow it backwards

 

[Matt_E]

That's going to pressurize the cooling line just the same.