Quote:
Originally Posted by WeLoveTheLake
Thank you for all the replies.
So, now where do I go? I am confused.
I also would love to hear the #sinkdoo story.
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I missed the sinkdoo question before, sorry. So, Sea-Doo uses a replaceable "carbon seal" to seal their driveshafts from water entry (not to be confused with the "wear ring," which lines the gap between the impeller and its shaft—multi-page arguments about the value of the replaceable OEM vs. metal exist there as well). Because it is a carbon-based material, as opposed to metal/different materials on Yamaha and Kawasaki machines, it's possible to unevenly/prematurely wear and allow water to enter the hull, resulting in, you guessed it, sinking.
It was my main, really only, concern with buying a Sea-Doo, but it was hard to get a handle on just how often it happens and if it's totally preventable. What I discovered is that it can happen in three ways: 1. Bad parts. Supposedly, BRP had a run of poor carbon seals in the late teens ('18/'19, I think). 2. Engine misalignment. If the engine is misaligned, it can cause improper wear and premature failure. 3. Running the machine out of the water for too long. Because the carbon seal will not be getting lubricated, it will prematurely wear down.
From what I gather, it is mostly #3 with a few more of the others in there as a normal result of mass production. When one looks inside the hull, it is possible to see wear/how the CS is wearing both by looking at it and by a line that sometimes develops inside from the carbon material "whipping" off the ring and hitting the hull.
Best I can tell, Sea-Doo does this so that if there's a failure it doesn't destroy the driveline or motor unlike what might happen with less forgiving materials, but, given their market share and sheer number of machines, I think it's impossible to make sure everybody is taking care of things right and keeping an eye on the signs that could predict failure.
This is my summary after both researching, seeing failures across the web, and talking to dealers/authorized techs.
Ultimately, I love everything about my machine, so if that's the risk—again, no idea of the overall numbers—I accept it. I mean, that's why we have insurance, right?!
Here's a pretty good article about it:
https://watercraftjournal.com/debunk...bon-ring-seal/
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