3 replies to this topic

[Bryan S.]

I have a 2007 speedster 215 hp. The bilge blower pops its fuse the moment I turn it on, everytime. I'm assuming it has seized up as it has not been used for two years. I have the 2007 Speedster shop manual but it doesn't mention rivet size ect.. I have a few questions:

1. What size rivets does Sea Doo use to fasten the bilge blower to the fiberglass? I am planning on drilling them out and re pop-riveting them (I have never used rivets before nor have I removed them). The blower is on the way from the manufacturer which cost me about 1/5 the price the dealership wanted to charge me ($29 vs $130).

2. Do I need to get a new male connector or can I reuse the one that is attached to the current blower? If I need a new one, where can I find that part?

3. Any pitfalls I should be aware of? Am I going about this properly? There is a local boat shop that said they would mount it for me but they wouldn't give me a price so I'm going it alone.

The manual didn't have the information I was looking for and I'm completely new to boating repairs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

[Kevin Leclair]

1) Try giving World of Powersports a call, http://worldofpowersports.com/. They should be able to provide you with the part # or point you in the direction of where to look up the part which should be here, http://fiche.worldof...m/Seadoo_JB.asp.

2) I don't see any reason why you could not use the same connector unless it is damaged. If you need a new part use the same method as above.

3) There are no obvious pitfalls that I am aware of.

By the way welcome to the site. Keep us posted.

[Bryan S.]

Thanks for the help Kevin.

I have successfully removed the old Bilge Blower and will install the new one today or tomorrow.
I was able to identify the type of rivets from an online Sea Doo parts website (http://partsfinder.o...emicrofiche.com):
Rivets are 3/16 and washers are 5mm: Lines 38 and 39 on their diagram.

The connector was not named so that took a bit of research. It turns out these connectors are Weather Pack 2 pin connectors (used on a lot of GM cars http://www.weatherpack.com/). You can buy a new connector from several places including Amazon or NAPA (You will also need to buy the special crimping tool[$50] and terminal release tool[$10]). I got mine from NAPA locally in Annapolis MD. However, you might be better off just splicing the existing wires with the connector already on. Weather Pack also makes some water resistant splices (http://www.whiteprod...m/splices.shtml)

The Blower was a Detmar Water-Resistant 4" In-Line Blower (bought from overtons.com @ $29.95)

Here was my removal experience: I first tried to drill the pop rivets out, but the rivet ears on the blower are tucked under the widest part so you can't drill straight on; causing you to drill at an angle and your drill will likely rub the old fan or damage the original holes. I ended up using a wireless Dremel to grind the head down to the washer and then using a drill (3/16 bit) for the last tiny bit. That popped the top of the rivets out. The left most rivet is pretty hard to get a visual on due to the angle and size of the fan, so remove the right one first and then rotate the fan around to get a better view. (Caution: When you grind there will be sparks, if your engine bay smells like gas fumes you may want to find a way to get rid of the fumes before grinding just to be safe. You will be grinding about a foot from your plastic gas tank after all. And ALWAYS wear eye protection while grinding).

After the fan is off, the backs of the rivets will still be in the holes of the hull. The inner hull and outer hull are pretty close to each other so it might be necessary to grind down the remaining stems a bit more before you can push them through with a nail set. Take your time with this part and try not to touch the engine bay hull with the dremel (obviously).

I will update the post and let you know whether I re-wired a connector or just spliced the old one. I'm leaning towards re-wiring a new one so it looks original.

[Bryan S.]

Here is the follow-up:

The new blower is attached and working properly. I re-used the old connector but purchased new terminals to connect the wires too. I also had to purchase the GM weather pack terminal release tool and the GM weather pack crimper. $60 for both. The terminal release tool barely worked and I thought it wasn't going to work at first. It took quite a bit of frustration and pushing for it to actually release the terminals from the already build connector. Maybe the tool I got was faulty (too narrow perhaps?). If you rebuild the terminal make sure to use the green stoppers in the back for a tight water seal.

The only other problem I had was choosing the proper rivet grip length. For the 2007 Sea-Doo Speedster 150, the grip length was 1/2". I had a choice of small(1/8), medium(1/4") and large(1/2"). After trying the medium grip and failing, I tried the large 1/2" and it worked perfectly.