The Little Prince (1984 JS440)

[Big Kahuna]

What really keeps the hood in place is the groove that is created by the hood when it is clamped down repeatedly, that being said I wonder if you could for lack of a better word rout a groove into a Hydroturf seal with a router or shaper ?

Watcon makes a hood seal I do not know the density of it compared to the Hydroturf seal though , maybe someone else here does .

I remember when Jetski Solutions came out with those hood seals for the SJ (McMaster Carr), It was similar to the 550 seals but not a foam type, Did not create a groove........... Ugggh.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Without the groove I see nothing to stop it from sliding around , I also remember one of my old 440's having edge trim on the hood , it still created a groove but it was a bit wider .

I think my 440 was a 78 model.

 

[mrfist9]

so the problem from my observation
Cause the JS's actually have a solid lip along the sides to keep the hood from sliding off.
But the Hydroturf foam is just so thick and tall and refuses to deform enough. It sits just high enough to make it over the lip with a good nudge.

A friend used some cheap Amazon crap that looks like it would've been shipped with a cheapo AC window unit. Porous and soft as can be. Don't wanna do that.

I've seen where folks suggest making your own with Hydroturfs "9mm Plush" but meh
may explore some mcmaster options

 

[BennyB]

Leave it in the garage over the winter with a couple ratchet straps around the whole thing to compress it and create a groove?

 

[mrfist9]

Leave it in the garage over the winter with a couple ratchet straps around the whole thing to compress it and create a groove?

It's got a groove, it's over a years worth of it being on there. Despite the speculation of it needing a groove.
If the foams 1" thick
I'd say the groove is maybe 50% squish at best so 1/2" of float or so

I ordered a roll of this

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

1x3/4 "extra soft" so we'll see. I really want the hood to sit a tiny bit lower so that inside lip has a better chance of that hood sliding off again.

I stand on the hood a good bit, already broke the hood once and ride pretty hard if that's not obvious. This hull and 650 are no strangers to a nice drink of lake water through the intake.. I can control that, but be nice to minimize this episode ever happening again, can't put a cost on that.

 

[BennyB]

That looks like it should work well, I'm also curious about the extra soft. Let us know how it works out. I already have a new hydroturf seal to go on my 440 this winter but if this stuff is significantly better I'll probably just go that route