Stainless Steel versus Stock Plastic Wear Ring

[Green Hulk]

I see this topic up for debate all the time on the forum and wanted to offer some food for thought.

A huge myth is that Seadoo runs a plastic wear ring to protect your impeller. This is false! They run a plastic wear ring to keep money flowing from your pocket into their pocket. Plastic wear rings are one of the top sellers in this forums online store. You can buy one stainless steel wear ring and it will last the life of your ski, or you can replace 10, or more factory wear rings over the life of your ski..... do the math! Sea Doo wins, you lose!

Both Yamaha and Kawasaki both use metal liners/wear rings. Sea Doo should too!

Plastic wear rings wear out quickly and performance diminishes as they wear.

The popular "myth" is that the plastic wear rings protect your impeller. Let's be realistic. Lets say you suck up some soft debris, twig, leaf, seaweed, plastic bag, etc. then your plastic wear ring is toast and it's likely your day on the water is over with. Now, suck up the same thing with a stainless wear ring and that debris is chopped up and spit out without any damage to the wear ring or the impeller and you keep on riding and enjoying your day.

But what if you suck up a rock? Guess what folks, a plastic wear ring isn't going to protect your impeller from this. You will have damage to your impeller regardless if you have a plastic or stainless steel wear ring if a hard object such as a rock is sucked up.

Both Yamaha and Kawasaki both use metal liners/wear rings. Sea Doo should too!




The GreenHulk Store offers stainless steel wear rings at discounted prices, use the discount code: greenhulk at checkout!

	RIVA Stainless Steel Wear Ring for Sea-Doo 230 & 300HP - 161mm 100% stainless steel wear rings/impeller liners are the perfect replacement for your damaged original unit. Replaces original plastic unit on RXP &...	RS33-161-SRX	$189.95
	Original Sea Doo Wear Ring for 300 HP Sea Doo Skis Genuine Sea Doo replacement wear ring for 300 HP Sea Doo personal watercraft	267000638	$69.95

	RIVA Stainless Steel Wear Ring for 215/255/260 HP Sea Doo Skis 100% stainless steel wear rings/impeller liners are the perfect replacement for your damaged original unit. Replaces original plastic unit on RXP,...	RS33-159-SRX	$189.95
	Original Sea Doo Wear Ring for 215/255/260 HP Skis Genuine Sea Doo replacement wear ring for 215/255/260 HP Sea Doo personal watercraft and sport boats.	267000372	$69.95

	RIVA Stainless Steel Wear Ring For 185/155 /130 HP Sea Doo Skis Our heavy-duty, 100% stainless steel wear rings/impeller liners are the perfect replacement for your damaged original unit. Replaces original plastic...	RS33-155-SR	$149.95
	Original Sea Doo Wear Ring for 2003 185 HP & 2004+ 130/155/185 HP Skis Genuine Sea Doo replacement wear ring for 2003 185 HP & 2004+ 130/155/180 HP Personal Watercraft	267000419	$69.95
	Original Sea Doo Wear Ring for 2002-2003 155 HP Skis Genuine Sea Doo replacement wear ring for 2002-2003 130-155 HP Sea Doo personal watercraft	271000653	$69.95

[ptscon]

I run a stainless but plastic wear ring does protect the impeller edges. All my impellers rubbed the metal ring and the edges are now roughed up. Benefits outweigh it though.

[meeper]

I run a stainless but plastic wear ring does protect the impeller edges. All my impellers rubbed the metal ring and the edges are now roughed up. Benefits outweigh it though.

I agree the plastic deff is better for higher HP skis. I tried the SS once and had to keep having the impleller edges fixed constantly, it was deff not worth it IMO. I had to cut it out and threw it away.

I think for a stock HP ski the SS might be way to go because the impeller blades are not under the same about of stress on takeoff as higher HP ones will probly flex the blade out into the SS ring and cause wear

[Green Hulk]

I agree the plastic deff is better for higher HP skis. I tried the SS once and had to keep having the impleller edges fixed constantly, it was deff not worth it IMO. I had to cut it out and threw it away.

I think for a stock HP ski the SS might be way to go because the impeller blades are not under the same about of stress on takeoff as higher HP ones will probly flex the blade out into the SS ring and cause wear

All the more reason to run stainless steel on a high performance ski! The blade flex under hard launch and will groove out your plastic wear ring quickly and performance will drop off.
It's not a problem on Yamaha and Kawasaki who both use metal wear rings.... it's not a problem on seadoo either. Some roughness on the outer edge of the impeller is acceptable.... all normal!

[TommyD]

Do you have the upgraded pump seal for the new RXT 300?

[Green Hulk]

Do you have the upgraded pump seal for the new RXT 300?

Sure do! the new 2018 uses this seal

R & D Sea Doo Ultimate Pump Seal Replaces OEM Part 293200087 Fits all non S3 hull 4-TECH models 2003-2008 All 4-Tech 2009 All 4-Tech (Except 09 GTX LTD IS 255 & 09 RXT IS 255) 2010 All GTI, RXP-X 255/RS, WAKE...

163-81500

$38.95

[Clipper350]

Anyone ever run stainless on a big boat like a challenger 210? Mine need replacing and I believe the wear rings are all the same boat to ski. Just curious if it would be worth doing on a boat.

[nmpeter]

the way I see it:

open water where the chances of sand or gravel ingestion are minimal but the chances of getting a tow rope or other debris is higher means a stainless ring
Inland lakes where the ski will be subjected to gravel and sand ingestion, stick with the plastic ring

of course your results will vary and do what makes you feel confident about your drive-line.

you wouldn't catch me in the ocean with a plastic wear ring.

One trap line or a large plastic bag gets sucked in and your paddling

Metal pumps laugh at minor debris

[DinoMite]

the way I see it:

open water where the chances of sand or gravel ingestion are minimal but the chances of getting a tow rope or other debris is higher means a stainless ring
Inland lakes where the ski will be subjected to gravel and sand ingestion, stick with the plastic ring

of course your results will vary and do what makes you feel confident about your drive-line.

you wouldn't catch me in the ocean with a plastic wear ring.

One trap line or a large plastic bag gets sucked in and your paddling

Metal pumps laugh at minor debris

Elephant Butte New Mexico...kind of trek to the ocean from your location.

I have hundreds of hours riding in the ocean and never lost a wear ring, actually I’ve only had one wear ring get screwed up by a crab grab rope .. and It wasn’t a paddle home event. I’ve used stainless rings on two pumps and it blistered the edges of my impellers both times. I think there is a case for them say if you ride in area with a lot of vegatation floating around maybe but in general stock ring is 3 times or so cheaper than stainless and can go a lot of hours between changing as well as it is super easy to replace. Getting a stainless ring out that galvanically welds to an aluminum pump...well I couldn’t get mine out.

[nmpeter]

Elephant Butte New Mexico...kind of trek to the ocean from your location.

I have hundreds of hours riding in the ocean and never lost a wear ring, actually I’ve only had one wear ring get screwed up by a crab grab rope .. and It wasn’t a paddle home event. I’ve used stainless rings on two pumps and it blistered the edges of my impellers both times. I think there is a case for them say if you ride in area with a lot of vegatation floating around maybe but in general stock ring is 3 times or so cheaper than stainless and can go a lot of hours between changing as well as it is super easy to replace. Getting a stainless ring out that galvanically welds to an aluminum pump...well I couldn’t get mine out.

actually, I have quite a few customers that go to rocky point mexico for the winter, it's a quick 500 mile drive, gunfights and bribes notwithstanding.

they tell me the typical cost for any kind of traffic violation is $63. Have $83 when you roll the window down and you'll get a warning. otherwise you'll be there at least two hours as they go thru every pants pocket

having one of your safety chains touch the road is $63. Taillight not bright enough?...$63. Two late model pickups towing two big ski trailers and one towing a fifth wheel gets unwanted attention typically

good point on getting the ring out. I've had to do a couple of those too..and it's about as much fun as getting a stuck impeller off a shaft or grinding out the rear facing blower bolt.

if prepared, you can change a plastic ring on the beach

my "secret" on the stainless rings is to mix graphite powder with engine fogging oil for installation. lots of oil and graphite powder (dry lock lube). that keeps corrosion to a minimum, and generous hose off and spray age of wd 40 after every outing

the last metal ring I had to replace was the victim of a ski tow rope with a metal carbiner on it. love to have that snap back and hit me in the face.

it fractured the housing too. dressed it with epoxy and its still running.

it's always a good idea to have a spare ring available. it's a fun day saver

[TJS0712F]

Speaking from a Kawi perspective on stainless wear rings. I have replaced them in my pump because of an impeller bearing crash. They are cake to cut out. I also refurbed my own stock impeller by welding up the edges and machining it back down on a tool post ginder on my lathe. Worked tits. I set tight clearances that way.

[Hurricane1000]

Speaking from a Kawi perspective on stainless wear rings. I have replaced them in my pump because of an impeller bearing crash. They are cake to cut out. I also refurbed my own stock impeller by welding up the edges and machining it back down on a tool post ginder on my lathe. Worked tits. I set tight clearances that way.

I had a Sea-Doo Speedster 200 and run stainless steel wear earrings in both Motors Express them in using a press I never had an issue either in the intercoastal or in the ocean I highly recommend them but everybody's got their own opinion

[Green Hulk]

Yes! It’s definitely worth doing on the boats. The boats use the same wear rings as the skis.

Anyone ever run stainless on a big boat like a challenger 210? Mine need replacing and I believe the wear rings are all the same boat to ski. Just curious if it would be worth doing on a boat.

[dcuhpw]

I strongly recommend against a stainless steel ring. I tried it out on my ski and ran it for a few hours of ocean riding. Sand chewed it up bad and ruined my impeller. $190 part, ruined my impeller, and was impossible to remove so I had to have it machined out $$$. IMHO there needs to be a “fuse” in the pump and it shouldn’t be the impeller.

[Cochrane]

I have a 2006 Sugar Sand Tango Jet boat with a 240 hp engine, it has a stainless steel wear ring and it is all original never had a problem. I just ordered a 2019 Sea Doo GTX 230, does that ski have a plastic wear ring?