Super Jet continuous drip back left corner 93 SJ

[Liquid Chicken]

bought this ski a few weeks ago and for the last 5 years or so its lived on lake weatherford and the back end has sat in the water for no telling how long.

now after i ride there is drip coming from the back left corner (standing behind the ski) that lasts for days. no cracks in the hull and after riding there is very little water in the engine bay. i took off the railing to check for cracks and found nothing.

i have it tilted up in the front and the drip has become steady compared to sitting on my stand. this ski does have hydroturf mats and im wondering if something could be going on under the mat. it is bubbled up in a few places. i figured the person who put it in didnt know what they were doing..

anyway do any of yall have any ideas?

 

[Moondance]

My ski was doing the exact same thing - here were my findings. Cracked foothold, cracks in the tray, cracks along the rear (all under the lip) & probably some seepage between the bond line simply from age & wear & tear. Required a complete refoam & fiberglass repair. Went ahead & reinforced while at it. Also sealed all "nooks & crannys" while the hull was bare. Anything that went thru the hull got a good seal of 5200. Good luck....

 

[Liquid Chicken]

My ski was doing the exact same thing - here were my findings. Cracked foothold, cracks in the tray, cracks along the rear (all under the lip) & probably some seepage between the bond line simply from age & wear & tear. Required a complete refoam & fiberglass repair. Went ahead & reinforced while at it. Also sealed all "nooks & crannys" while the hull was bare. Anything that went thru the hull got a good seal of 5200. Good luck....

well hell. thats what i was afraid of. how did you get the water out before fixing everything? i knew buying it that it would have some issues. now im just trying to work them out.

i forgot to mention 1 thing and this may fall into what you were saying. i shimmed my ride plate down a touch and when i took it off i cleaned out the thread holes with air. there was one hole where it would pressurize and pop under the mat. keep in mind i was not holding the air wide open. just a cpl quick shots to get any crap out of there. i need to order my new mat and turf rails. when i do i will scrap the one on there off and see what lurks below.

 

[Boris]

Just ride it till the winter, than cut out the tray and reseal and refoam.

 

[SNOWMAN]

old superjets are known for this. the tray separates from the ski from jumping and stress from riding. then its basically trash, because the amount to fix it correctly is more than you paid for the ski.
thats why you never buy an old superjet, its a nightmare. i bought one too. it looked clean.
looks can be decieving...especially with a 15 yr old superjet. there is probably 5 gallons of water in your tray after riding.
not good to ride like that

 

[Liquid Chicken]

Just ride it till the winter, than cut out the tray and reseal and refoam.

thats looking more and more like the plan LOL

old superjets are known for this. the tray separates from the ski from jumping and stress from riding. then its basically trash, because the amount to fix it correctly is more than you paid for the ski.
thats why you never buy an old superjet, its a nightmare. i bought one too. it looked clean.
looks can be decieving...especially with a 15 yr old superjet. there is probably 5 gallons of water in your tray after riding.
not good to ride like that

agreed its not good to ride like that for sure. i really like the square nose skis but the thought has crossed my mind to sell this one as soon as the title comes in and get something else. i dont really want to do that but the deciding factor will be what i find when i scrap the mat out.

 

[SNOWMAN]

honestly bro, id sell it before you rip into it. the good news is there is always somebody out there that "needs to have a superjet"
let them deal with the hassle...if you want to ride get a newer sj with less problems. read i said "less" beacuse all skis have problems, just some have a multitude of problems that will prevent you from riding.
and thats what its all about. riding. not wrenching....hope this helps brah

 

[Boris]

And a newer SJ won't have water logged foam ?
Interesting.

 

[SNOWMAN]

a newer sj will have less chance of being a POS. still has a great chance to split, and crack. being that its newer its probably been through less hands and less abuse.
ultimately, kawis have their weak areas and so do superjets.
but the weakest of them all is an old SN
feel me?

 

[Boris]

Don't feel you at all.

I have taken out the trays on 4 SN's and 3 RN's. Guess what, the old SN's were in much better shape inside with far fewer leaks.
Luckily, refoaming and resealing the tray area is an easy job that can be done in little time. Wish my SXI hull was as solid and light as my SN but we all know that won't happen.

To the OP, don't sweat a tray leak. Just ride it and when you have some down time repair the hull to better than new.

 

[SJBrit]

It's really not that big a deal to repair and needn't cost a bunch. I think you'd be crazy not to ride out the season and then fix it this winter. There are plenty of threads on refoaming and reinforcement. For the cost of some fiberglass, resin, foam and time you can make this ski better than new. You'll pay WAY more getting a new SJ and there's just no need for that.

 

[Liquid Chicken]

i have been reading though the board on refoaming and fiberglass. i have never attempted fiberglass on my own but i do have some friends that have. i find the ping pong ball build strange yet fascinating and i think its a great idea.

i dont free style or do tricks at all, i just ride for my sanity and the freedom it offers. i do however want to fix the issues with the ski. i have always planned on pulling the motor and cleaning everything up inside the hull and having it repainted this winter. i just get worried when i have no clue what to do like with fiberglass and would rather pay someone who does know but thats not always an option. i do not mind doing the wrenching on it, hell i enjoy it actually.

if anyone has a specific thread for refoaming/fiberglass please post it. im sure i will find it eventually but i know some threads are better than others.

 

[Matt_E]

Check the Tech FAQ section of the board. There are a few good fiberglass threads in there.

 

[orangefinger]

I second what boris said, after numerous torn out trays I noticed that there is always a little air pocket between upper and lower foam underneath the tray which fills with water from various crakcs, I never had completely wet foam in any SN yet ( knock on fiberglass ) depsite the fact of numerous cracks and same " drip" coming from pump screw,exhaust end piece ,or rideplate screws.

I would recommend to tilt the ski up after riding, mabey install a drain plug or open up rideplate screw and do a thorough inspection in winter before start taking the tray out........

 

[Liquid Chicken]

I second what boris said, after numerous torn out trays I noticed that there is always a little air pocket between upper and lower foam underneath the tray which fills with water from various crakcs, I never had completely wet foam in any SN yet ( knock on fiberglass ) depsite the fact of numerous cracks and same " drip" coming from pump screw,exhaust end piece ,or rideplate screws.

I would recommend to tilt the ski up after riding, mabey install a drain plug or open up rideplate screw and do a thorough inspection in winter before start taking the tray out........

i think it was a post you made about having dry foam, and i read a few others talking about the gap. i have the ski in the garage on my stand lifted up with a floor jack. i put a 5 gallon bucket under that corner and had about an inch of water in the bottom. im guessing that about 3 cups ish.. that does not include what dripped out overnight when it was level.

for now this is my plan. i will get some marine epoxy or some 5200 and run a bead along the bottom of the rail once i see no more dripping. i figure that should help keep some water out. i am also going to install a drain plug on each side. if i am lucky and the foam is dry this may end up being for looks instead of function but at least they are there just in case.

soon i am replacing my rail with turf rails and my thought there is a double whammy bond.. 5200 1st, contact cement and turf 2nd and call it stuck like chuck and be done. if it is wet foam i will deal with that at another time.

 

[Moondance]

I second what boris said, after numerous torn out trays I noticed that there is always a little air pocket between upper and lower foam underneath the tray which fills with water from various crakcs, I never had completely wet foam in any SN yet ( knock on fiberglass ) depsite the fact of numerous cracks and same " drip" coming from pump screw,exhaust end piece ,or rideplate screws.

I would recommend to tilt the ski up after riding, mabey install a drain plug or open up rideplate screw and do a thorough inspection in winter before start taking the tray out........

I too agree with you & Boris. Even though I had water issues, my foam was surprising dry. It certainly wasn't waterlogged like so many people have had, whether SN or RN. Like Brit said, it certainly isn't a super expensive project. Ride out your season & tear down in the winter. It certainly isn't going to hinder anything & no need to lose summer time because of it.

 

[Matt_E]

Certainly.

 

[Boris]

Don't waste your time squeezing 5200 into the bond line from the outside.
Won't do much good and chances are that the leak is somewhere else.

 

[Moondance]

Don't waste your time squeezing 5200 into the bond line from the outside.
Won't do much good and chances are that the leak is somewhere else.

I actually dripped a bit of resin between the bond lines when I was doing my repairs - seems to have helped. Maybe it was just the power of suggestion...lol. I did however put 5200 around the bolts when I put my rails back on.

 

[Moondance]

Certainly.

haha... I watched too many Three Stooges episodes as a kid. Thanks for pointing out my flaws, Matt :kiss: