How to remove and re-install the Polaris 148mm jet pump

[K447]

Use an impeller removal tool to undo the impeller.

There are several Polaris compatible impeller removal tools on the market, but I ended up using this home-made version when I couldn't find my proper Solas tool

Flats on the end of the stub shaft are held by a strong vice or a large wrench.

Impeller is torqued to 100ft-lbs when installed, so expect it to be very tight to undo.

Be careful with the sharp edges of the impeller blades.

Check impeller stub shaft seals for damage.

Also check the drive splines inside the impeller nose for wear or damage. Do NOT stick your finger in there - metal splinters are painful.

Inspect the blades for damage, dings, bent blades, and curled over sharp edges.

YouTube - Polaris PWC 148mm jet pump - removing the impeller

[K447]

Inspect stator blades. Look for dings, cracks, bent blades, rough edges. Check for corrosion on the rim surfaces where the sections mate.

The stator in the video is not bad overall. It needs a little file work to smooth out the leading edges of the vanes, but otherwise it seems fine.

Remove any corrosion build-up on the rim surfaces. You want the stator to mate cleanly with the other pump sections.

YouTube - Polaris PWC 148mm jet pump - inspecting the pump stator

[K447]

Lots of things to do here.

First make sure all the pump sections are clear of corrosion, and fit together nicely.

Don't forget to clean off any corrosion around the rim of the pump base, which is still inside the pump tunnel.

Inspect the ride plate, jet pump intake area and pump tunnel while you can see everything easily.

Check the steering and reverse cables. Make sure the rubber seal boots are in place. I like to inject some waterproof lubricant inside the rubber boots.

It you have a trim nozzle, check that linkage too.

Make sure the stator tail cone is in place, lightly greased at the O-ring and the screws are snug. Do not over tighten the tail cone screws.

Grease the drive shaft splines, and the O-ring, and insert it into the impeller. Make sure the rubber bumpers are in place on BOTH ends of the drive shaft.

Use Marine grade waterproof grease. I use the synthetic waterproof grease sold by Amsoil, but there are other good greases out there.

I like to run a 5/16 thread tap into the bolt holes on the pump base. This clears out any corrosion and old thread locking compound, and makes inserting the long bolts much easier. It does take a few minutes, especially for the lower two holes where the ride plate gets in the way.

If the bolt threads look like they need it, I run a 5/16 thread die along the bolt threads to clean them up.

Grease the engine end of the drive shaft splines. I also squirt some grease right into the open end of the drive coupler, before inserting the drive shaft.

Position the assembled pump, and slide the drive shaft into place. It must fully seat in the PTO coupler on the engine. You may need to jiggle the impeller to get the drive splines to align in the coupler, as I did in the video.

As you guide the pump into place, make sure all the sections mate properly. Don't allow any of the joints to mis-align.

Hold the pump in place, and install the nozzle assembly. Make sure the plastic water tube inserts into the pump nozzle properly. If you don't check this, you might crack the pump nozzle, the water tube, or both.

Hold it all in place, and insert the four long bolts. Finger start each one, then use hand tools to take up the slack. Keep checking the pump to be sure nothing drops out of place.

Note: The use of Loctite Blue 242 thread locking compound is recommended, but some owners prefer to use nothing, and some use anti-seize compound instead.

Once you have most of the slack taken up, you can confirm the nozzle assembly is square with the hull and level. This is important as it affects steering while riding.

Snug the bolts up some more, and check the pump again. Look and feel for any gaps between the pump sections.

Final bolt tightening is done in a criss-cross pattern. Specified bolt torque is 18ft-lbs.

YouTube - Polaris PWC 148mm jet pump re-installation

[K447]

Torque the LONG jet pump bolts to 18ft-lbs torque, using a criss-cross pattern.

Confirm pump nozzle is level and square.

Then re-connect steering and reverse cables.

Make sure the washer is on TOP of the steering cable end. If the steering rod end were to wear excessively and fail, the washer will keep the rod end from coming right off the bolt. The steering would get sloppy, but that is better than no steering at all.

Move the reverse lever to full reverse position, which extends the reverse cable to give you more working room.

YouTube - Polaris PWC 148mm jet pump installation - bolt torque, steering and reverse cables

[K447]

Make sure swivel at the end of each cable is not twisted, then re-connect.

To retain the reverse pin in pace, I prefer to use cotter rings rather than the stock split cotter pins.

YouTube - Polaris PWC 148mm jet pump - reverse rod reconnection

[bgaidan]

What year is your ski? Does it have both reverse and trim? Is the reverse electronic or manual? I've always wanted both, but with the early SLs you had to choose one or the other....and I choose trim over reverse.

I'm wondering if I could retrofit that reverse gate on to one of my SL hulls...

[Cliffy]

I just wanted to post up this is a brilliant guide

Ill be doing this job myself tomorrow as i have taken the day off work to do it, i was really worried until i found this thread

Thanks K447 for going to the effort of doing it, its really gonna help me tomorrow and it has helped settle my nerves to

[aksobe]

Brilliant! Very detailed, thank you K447 for taking the time to do this!

[partshunter]

Installed a jet pump from a polaris in a sugar sand boat--Sugar sand used polaris engine and pump parts. After running on water splines on the Drive shaft spun on the coupler. I aligned the pump the way i thought it should be but must of been wrong. Any ideas on what i should try next time.

[K447]

Welcome partshunter.

What failed exactly? Did the splines themselves strip, or did the coupler have a rubber insert that let go?

How did you do the engine to jet pump alignment?