Impeller issues for a newbie

[warno]

Hi, I've been reading this forum for a month or so since I bought my Polaris 750 SLT. I am a complete novie to the workings of these machines but have gained a lot of usefull info from reading many of the threads. Most of it is way over my head but I'm picking up on a few things.

Anyway, to my problem. I apologize if it's been covered before but I couldn't find my exact problems when searching.

I had the ski out at the lake on the weekend. There were a lot of weeds which I know are an enemy of my ski. I'd usually push it out a bit before starting so I would suck up as little debris as possible. Things went well until one run when the engine would rev but the ski wouldn't accelerate properly. I turned it around to head back to the beach to see if I sucked something up, but as I gave it a bit of throttle it seemed to clear itself out and rode normally again. I parked it on the beach later and when I went to start it again, it wouldn't turn over. I kept trying and it finally turned over and then died. Same thing when I tried again. I figured I was out of fuel(as the fuel guage doesn't work either, but I'll leave that for another day).
When i got home I checked underneath in the intake grate and saw a bunch of weeds wrapped around the impeller shaft. Didn't look to be tangled on anything else but wrapped around there pretty good.

My questions(sorry for being so long winded):
1. Would those weeds stop the craft from starting or could I have screwed something else up by riding with it like that.

2. How do I remove the intake grate properly in order to cut off the weeds. It has one screw at the front and two in the rear. I looked in the Manual posted here but it just describes taking off the ride plate first. Do I have to take both off? When reassembling is there anything special I should know about sealing the intake grate again(gaskets, sealants?, etc).

Thanks again for the help, and if this is answered somewhere else, please point me in the right direction.

[ph2ocraft]

I've seen everything from weeds to anchors stop the engine. LOL
I haven't done an intake grate in awhile but I'm sure you just unbolt it, angle it just a hair and pull her out. It might be a tad tight as it could be siliconed in place.

[warno]

OK, thanks!
If it is siliconed in, what kind should I use to to reseat it?

[beerdart]

It should be sealed at the rear where it slips under the ride-plate. You can use any good silicone sealant (RTV) Check for weeds in the Impeller also check the water inlet for the engine cooling it is located in the pump nozzle near the back.

[Rodneyae]

Just remove the one screw that hold the grate in place and pull, as the silicone makes for hard removal. I use black rtv silicone that you can buy at your local auto parts store.

[warno]

I'll make sure to do all that.
Thanks again for the quick advice!

[warno]

I'm back again. So I took off the intake grate and cleaned out all the weeds. I thought I would try starting it up just to see if I had solved the problem. I know not to run it for more than a second or two without a flush kit to avoid overhaeting.
In any case, it wouldn't turn over. The impellor would turn when it was cranked but the fins in the jet pump didn't turn at all. Is this normal? Is it as bad as I am feeling it is?

[mystahagy]

That impeller is the only thing you should see spinning in the jetpump. The stator housing (finned thingy) is stationary and holds the bearings, oil seals, impeller, etc.

Perhaps the condition still exists that made it die when you were at the lake. Check for fuel and spark, and I'm sure others on here might have a better idea of what to look for considering it's behavior you described out on the water.

[warno]

thanks, that actually helps me troubleshoot things better. I'm slowly learning how they operate a little better.
It's been a little work starting it for the first time each time I've had it out. Taking it in to get serviced in a week, so hopefully I'll get everything figured out then. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't originating in the impeller area.