boat won't go...

[Tahiti Owner]

Took the boat to the lake this afternoon and wouldn't you know it didn't want to start. Thank god I remembered the jumper cables. Brought the truck to the water and brought the boat to the shore and the cables did their job. Now for the fun part... after a few seconds it quit running...I restarted it and she ran GREAT! I pushed the lever forward and gave a little gas and nothing. I shut it down and checked to make sure the jet was open and again restarted it only to go no faster than headway speed no matter how much I pushed on the gas...anyone got any clues as to what to look for???

[HalletDave]

Tahiti,
Maybe something blocking the intake or something wrapped around the impellor shaft.
Good luck, let us know what you find.
HD

[oldphart]

I dorpped in at Camp Far West at the north ramp once, started the motor and it immediatly quit and wouldnt restart. sum bright sumbitch dumped an old rope at the dock and I sucked 75 foot of it in my Jacuzzi. 2 hrs with a knife and it was running again

[AZKC]

What kind of rpm was it turning? 1000,5000
Could be fuel, plastic bag, bad throttle linkage blah blah blah.
KC

[Cas]

or a catfish....

[bilgewiper]

My jet ran just fine with a catfish in it. A little vibration though......LOL

[OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET]

you did take the boat off the trailer right....I still laugh when I hear that story about the boat that wouldn't plane.

[Moomawnster]

Is the pump "cavitating" ? it only takes a very small object in the bowl to cause blowout ....

[Liberator TJ1984]

Might be a big ol'Rat or opossum in there... eek!
made him a nice new home in the Off Season :D

[Tahiti Owner]

VERY clever answers guys!!! Thanks for the "helpful" hints!
I took the cover off the top where you can view the impeller and well lets just say my jet sure sucks seeing as it looks like is vaccuumed the floor of the lake. I'm still having a hard time with the sizes of some of the rocks that made it in there! the impeller looks ok, nothing bent and no noise. Looks like I will have to make sure I have a full charge on the battery from now on or bring the portable jumpstarter.

[Moomawnster]

Debris is the FIRST thing to check for ..... :D I can't believe you didn't hear a horrible noise if there is that much stuff in there ... eek!

[AZKC]

Portable jump starter, don't leave home without it.
Glad ya figured it out, didn't it vibrate real bad my Panther will shake your fillings loose when its got crap in it.
KC

[Tahiti Owner]

nope! no noise! I guess I better play the lottery tomorrow huh?

[H.B. Brett]

I managed to get a nice size flat rock wedged in my Carrera. No bad vibration or noise, but no matter what RPM I was at I was confined to about 5mph. That was a wet 3 hour ride home. At least we had a good stereo, and lots of CDs. Couldn't reach the rock from the inspection cover. Learned the jet inside and out in the Cottonwood Cove Marina parking lot under a 100 degree sun. Back up and running the next day though :) .

[DansBlown73Nordic]

idea Maybe you should give some thought to a V-Drive!!! :D
Sounds like you tried to run it in four wheel drive... eek!

[BiggusJimbus]

You might also have a failing coil.
I've seen exactly that behavior from a coil taking the dump.
Jim.

[Tahiti Owner]

all the rocks are out and everything is fine...all I can say is I'm sure glad my girlfriend had small hands and thin arms. I guess now I owe her one!