south wind questions?

[willow valley river rat]

I just was given a 18' south wind jet. The price is right, but its one of those boats that might be a headache!! Its got a 455 olds and a jacuzzi wr. The motor fires up but is getting water in the oil. The previous owner said he tried everything and still no resolution. The pump looks org. and God knows when it was serviced. I was wondering if anybody had ideas on how to fix this problem or knew of a good boat mech. in the riverside area. As far as the jet goes, is it a decent unit? I've noticed that getting a diverter for it might be difficult. Is it worth rebuilding? I don't want to blow a bunch of money on this thing. What to do....what to do..... any advise on how to do this for as little amount of money as possible?

[atxwrangler]

not to rain on your parade,but,i would put a ford or chebby in it and be done,don't waste money on the olds just to have it lock up after about two trips to tha lake.i like to go fast and not baby my motor!:D

[Squirtcha?]

The motor fires up but is getting water in the oil. The previous owner said he tried everything and still no resolution.
Can you elaborate as to what "Tried everything" is?
I can about guarantee you he hasn't tried everything, or it would've been fixed by now.
The problem is repairable..........
My guess is that it's probably one of two things.
1. Too much pressure supplying water from the pump to the motor. This can also be the cause of potential problem #2.
2. Bad intake manifold or head gasket.
I was wondering if anybody had ideas on how to fix this problem or knew of a good boat mech. in the riverside area. I don't want to blow a bunch of money on this thing. What to do....what to do..... any advise on how to do this for as little amount of money as possible?
I'd also like to make a suggestion and I'm not trying to be a wiseass. If you're going to own a boat, learn how to work on it. As with most toys, unless you're rich it's pretty much a necessity that you spin your own wrenches (at least to some degree).
I'm no ace mechanic, but I do 95% or the work on my boat. It's both fun, and in my case, a nece$$ity.

[moneysucker]

the first thing I would do is change the head and intake gaskets. Before running the boat installl a ball valve on the water inlet line at the pump to restrict the water pressure to the motor. a full open hose delivers WAY too much pressure to a motor designed for 15 PSI. This should fix the problem and you will be out less than 100.00. If the oil is still milkshaking, try running block sealer through the motor using a trashcan full of water (With the pump disconnected) and blocksealer supplying the motor with a bilge pump. Thhis should solve your problem. I would never switch motors in a boat however that was free with a jucuzzi. Fix it, run it and when you are ready selll it and buy one with the pump motor combo you want. Money ahead.

[BrendellaJet]

Is the pump a wj? you mentioned "wr" which I dont think exists. I've heard of a WJR, which I think is a factory modified WJ. Confirm what you have. If its a WJR you are lucky and I would keep it. If its a WJ its not a bad pump, most people on here are berk owners and dont know anything about the Jacuzzi pumps other than to "buy an energizer for it".
The WJ is a good pump! The olds can be made to run, you just need to do your homework and operate the motor within its potential.

[CARLSON-JET]

do your homework and operate the motor within its potential.
That is some great advice. take it to heart. work with what you have to keep the cost spin under control until you know it is the type of boat you want. From here on out, every dime you put into it will most likely just be fun money. There is not a big return on this type of investment. USE THE SEARCH OPTION on this forum you will learn a wealth of knowledge. Almost everything has been discussed you will want to know. Good luck and have fun learning about jetboats. R.B.