Gallery: Easy Detailing Tips to Look Good All Summer Long

April 25, 2019

Oh the pains we take to look good. Nobody likes their ski looking like it was just pulled out of the sideyard, especially when joining a group for a full day’s ride. For those of us in wetter climates, mold and mildew can grow quickly, discoloring seats, traction mats and more (if left to flourish). Dirt, pollen, and heavy caked-on waterspots are just as bad. Moreover, the damage that neglect can occur when left untreated can result in permanent wear and tear, if not wholly expensive to repair.

Our 2019 Yamaha FX HO WaveRunner came to us after a relatively short life of rather brutal living. The vehicle itself was the very same used for all of the 2019 product photography and video; the early media introduction; dealership demonstrations and much, much more. By the time we received it, signs of wear were everywhere – despite its short 20-plus-hours of operating time. Frankly, it hurt our hearts a little; like rescuing a neglected or mistreated dog from a shelter. From there it became our mission to bring back its as-new luster.

As always, we whipped out our trusty pressure washer and knocked off as much of the topical dirt, pollen and grime with our 25-degree nozzle. We also came in close to try to blast off any spots where dried-on sunscreen, grease, grim and tree sap had collected. Then we switched to a soap broadcaster nozzle and filled it with (*gasp!*) XPS Boat & PWC Wash and Wax. Not because we prefer it over any other brand, but because we have a ton of it to use. Plus, it really does do a nice job.

The first issue pertains to a couple of cosmetic decisions Yamaha designers have been hip on for some time now: white bumpers, rub rails and seats. Obviously, each of these items are made from different materials, receive damage in different ways, and require unique solutions to be cleaned. For 2019, the new FX models feature large portions of white plastic bumpers, both at the rear corners as well as at the front. The six pieces (three at each end) are made from durable plastic that also happens to be textured.

The texturing of these pieces also makes them porous, meaning that dirt, grime and other contaminants can embed themselves making most cleaners ineffective. We tried the usual suspects: vinyl cleaners, general surface cleaners and even PWC brand-specific cleaners to no avail. What we did find was that non-chlorinated brake cleaner applied to a microfiber towel works astoundingly well. Modern non-chlorinated brake cleaners from brands like CRC’s Brakleen do not leech out valuable oils from the plastic and is non-flammable as well.

For tougher stains, we wetted a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and rubbed on the particularly nasty spot. Once satisfied, we rinsed off the bumper, and applied a suitable vinyl protectant. While our methods are somewhat unique, we also don’t want to leave those harsher chemicals on the plastics for too long. We also purposefully avoided any agents or cleaners with bleach as it could discolor the Yamaha’s traction mats or blue highlight trim parts.

The white rub rails are not nearly as porous but can be discolored nearly as easy. We found the Magic Eraser worked swimmingly here as well, as the WaveRunner had (what we believed to be) dried tree sap hardened on the front fairings, fender and railing. And like the bumpers, we watered down the rail once we were done and coated it with a vinyl protector. We’ve heard that Magic Erasers do tend to leave a visible chemical film on darker plastics, so we were mindful to only use it on white, and to wash it off once we were done.

White vinyl seats are nothing new to boating and personal watercraft; yet, the materials used are. Yamaha’s newest WaveRunners employ a durable, tear-resistant canvas that isn’t slick like old vinyl seats of yesteryear. These new seats provide improved grip and traction without chaffing exposed skin and also reflect heat, so they won’t scald after sitting in the sun too long. With the new material comes new ways of treating them. Vinyl cleaners simply cannot penetrate the tightly woven fibers.

We attempted a little of our brake cleaner on a rag in a small section and weren’t happy with the results either. So we skirted off to a local boat dealer for suggestions. While we were showing discoloring from dirt and exposure to the elements, we weren’t showing signed of the dreaded “pink mold” which often appears with white seats. The dealer’s service department suggested we try Babe’s Seat Soap, a dedicated upholstery cleaner meant for larger pontoon boats and even outdoor furniture.

Not a slick coating but an actual fabric cleaner, we found that the Babe’s Seat Soap lathers quickly and penetrates into the seat material with a little scrubbing with a microfiber towel. Babe’s worked well on the white panels but struggled to really deliver the finish we wanted on the seat’s darker center section. Here, the Starbrite Ultimate Vinyl Clean stepped in. While, not as successful in cleaning the white portions, it did get the last few spots off of the black panels. So a marriage of the two is what we found to be the most successful.

Much to our chagrin, the beautiful CNC-cut Hydro-Turf traction mats are also a massive pain in the butt to get mud out of. The pressure washer couldn’t do it. None of our upholstery or vinyl cleaners could cut the mustard either. The mats feature a very fine, horizontal pattern that red Georgia mud has simply penetrated and refused to leave. So we pulled out the big guns, and put a bristle-topped can of Turtle Wax Performance Plus Power Out! Upholstery Cleaner to work.

Purchased after a very angry toddler dumped fruit-and-vegetable smoothie in the family car, the industrial-grade upholstery cleaner was our nuclear option when it came to cleaning and restoring our traction mats – and boy, did it not disappoint. Scrubbing the rich oxidizing foam into the mats was all it took. We literally wiped down the mats with a towel and BAM! they looked as good as new. It was also the most laborious part of our day, but well worth the effort.

Being left outside, the WaveRunner had collected quite a bit of debris during a very active Tennessee springtime, and needed a little bit more detailing than what we have given to previous loaner units. This meant whipping out the detailing “toothbrush” to get into the smaller cracks and crevices. One particularly problematic spot was the gap between the LCD digital touchscreen dashboard and the top of the steering cowl, where leaves and pollen had nested. That too required a bit of time, but the right tools makes for easy work.

While sitting in the seat, we figured it was the right time to install our Factory Yamaha Accessories’ RAM mount puck and cup holder. These two items didn’t come with our FX HO a little less than a month ago, but were “must have’s” on our list. We have a handheld Garmin GPS that we use regularly for navigation and data gathering, and would be lost without it. So too was the cup holder, which allows for taller water bottles and drinks to be carried at speed without fear of toppling out. (FYI, Yamaha sells and packages each of these electroplated hex-head screws separately, so pay attention to order accordingly.)

Speaking of hardware, we also noted that many folks online were painstakingly removing all of the exposed hex-headed screws and either having them replated or simply replacing them with stainless hardware. This is because the coating on the factory screws is thin, and does not guard against discoloring, scaling and rusting well at all. While nowhere near as permanent of a fix, we found simply scuffing them on a red Scotch-Brite pad to knock the loose scaling off and dusting them with a few passes of Rust-oleam semi-gloss enamel (and a pass of gloss to replicate the factory sheen) made for a good semi-solution.

The final act of the day was also our most controversial. To many, there is no greater technology than ceramic coatings. And rightfully so, as the hard-bonded material provides a near-perfect protecting layer over paint. Unfortunately, the process is exceptionally laborious, requires several hours to apply, longer to cure and if done wrong, can actually damage paint and other surfaces. Considering this, automotive and marine cleaner and detailing leader, Meguiar’s developed an advanced Hybrid Ceramic Wax.

The one-step spray was painstakingly developed to simplify the ceramic coating process; and while Meguiar’s itself admits won’t provide the same level of protection as a professionally-applied ceramic treatment, does provide UV and contaminant protection and durability far beyond that of a conventional wax that is both easy to spray on, rinse off and dry. Because our FX had never been coated with Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax, we needed to first spray on and dry off to set an “initial application.”

The spray comes out as a thick, high viscosity spray that can go on all surfaces (including decals, plastics and even upholstery, although we avoided the traction mats and seats, as well as the touchscreen). With a microfiber towel, we wiped down and dried the ski completely – not needing the multiple passes a wax job normally requires. Then, per Meguiar’s instructions, reapplied the Ceramic Wax and brought out the hose again.

Spraying from the top down with a “strong stream,” we rinsed the Yamaha down a second time. Per Meguiar’s, “the hydropower of this rinse will spread the product, coating all the exterior with our Hybrid Ceramic protection.” After doing so, we dried the ski off again, and viola! We had a newly ceramic-coated WaveRunner. In all, the process took us about 3-and-a-half hours, but that included taking pictures and stopping to try new and creative ways to rid those pesky stains – so expect to spend half the time replicating our results.

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Gallery: The Great Sea-Doo 18.5-Gallon Fuel Tank Upgrade

Jason Chait

April 22, 2019

It was a rainy Saturday on the Jersey Shore when two friends, Tommy Branella and Jason Frank, decided to perform a fuel tank swap on a 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300. Since the ST3 platform was first released, a lot of gripes about fuel consumption sprung up. Yet, when Sea-Doo released the 2019 Fish Pro this year with a 18.5 gallon fuel tank and many asked, “Can that tank be retrofitted into all ST3 models (both 2018 and 2019)?” The answer is yes! But with some slight modification, of course.

So with that said, here is the breakdown of what parts we needed to convert our 2018 RXT-X – and any ST3 hull Sea-Doo – to the Fish Pro’s larger fuel tank! First, you’ll need the 2019 Fish Pro Fuel Tank (PT# 275500997); the 2019 Fish Pro Fuel Tank Filler Neck Hose (PT# 275500999); and the 2019 Sea-Doo Front Storage Compartment Bucket Bin Compartment (PT# 264000144).

Above: Here you can plainly see the differences between the 2018 and 2019 (and up) ST3 storage bins. The concave bin on the left is the 2019 (and up) unit, while the flat-sided bin is the 2018. This relief is to fit the larger 18.5-gallon fuel cell.

Above: Of course, here are the fuel tanks in question; the 15.9-gallon 2018 model being on the left and the 2019 (and up) 18-5 gallon tank on the right. We will show you all of the steps necessary to fit the new 18.5-gallon tank in your 2018 and 2019 ST3 models.

Above: With the seats and access panel off, we removed the three pop rivets in the front; one on each side of leg panels and dead center of the front seat.

Now, if you own a 2019 model, you do not need to order the storage container as all 2019 models come with the redesigned “slanted” storage container. So that’s one less item you need being you already have it. Also note that for the storage bin, you will need to remove the foam seal strip from the 2018 bin and place it in the 2019 once installed in craft. This is fairly straightforward install; most semi-mechanically minded folks can do it themselves in 4-to-5 hours in the comfort of their own home.

First and foremost, the seats were removed and the access panel unbolted. After that, we removed the three pop rivets in the front; one on each side of leg panels and dead center of the front seat. We removed those with flat head screw driver but you should probably use a rivet removal tool. Also as seen in the picture there is more of the same bolts you removed from access panel. Well, they have the same T30 head, but just are a different type of screw. Try and keep them all separated and managed for the re-installation.

Above left: We also needed to remove our BRP Premium Sound System speakers, which was thankfully pretty simple. Above center and right: With the speakers removed, we could begin unbolting the storage bin.

Above: We looped a strap around the handlebars and a rafter in our garage to keep the storage lid from falling down.

Above: With the bin removed, you have unfettered access to the factory air box, filler neck, fuel lines and fuel tank. Above right: Next we siphoned all of the fuel out of the factory 15.9-gallon fuel tank.

For those with speakers, you’ll be relieved to know that the speakers are fairly simple to remove. They have one bolt at the top and in the bottom where the grille is. We found that there is a hole for a large long flat head screwdriver to go into. This accesses the pop rivet that needs to be pressed to remove the speakers. It’s fairly simple once you get it, but takes some forcing. Once they are pressed down and out of the way, you’ll find more T30 bolts holding the panels on – and also silver bolts 8mm head for removing the panels. All easy to access with proper extensions on the drill or hand socket.

Now comes the removal of 2018 storage compartment. The new bin was molded with an angled wall to make room for the 18.5 gallon tank, as the tank itself is longer. We removed all the T30 screws holding the compartment down. We also slid the front panel out of the way that snaps on to the exterior once the bolts were removed.

Above left: Reaching the 4 straps holding the 15.9-gallon tank down is straightforward but challenging given their position and tension. Above center and right: With the tank unstrapped, the fuel lines and filler neck can be disconnected and the tank removed with relative ease.

Above: While this next step isn’t mandatory, we think anyone who owns a Sea-Doo would be most grateful for: We removed the filler neck from the old tank (which we chose to re-use in the new 18.5-gallon tank) and bent the float arm down a bit so the low fuel buzzer no longer comes on at 5 gallons! It now comes on at 2.5 gallons! No more dreaded buzzer with ¼ tank of fuel left!

At the same time, we had to unscrew the shock from the mounting base in the storage compartment. That’s fairly simple; just snip the two small zip ties top and bottom and slide the rubber boot up, grab the shock and unscrew off the base. Then you can reach the one T30 bolt head and move the lid up and out of the way! For stabilizing it we took a tow strap and looped it around the handle bars and tied it off. This secured it up out of the way.

Now we had to siphon all of the fuel out of the 15.9-gallon tank. With the ski now empty, we were able to remove the tank. We began by removing the filler neck, unplugging the tank and removing the fuel supply line. The line snaps on-and-off but word of caution: the line could be pressurized. So have a towel and/or some rags handy to immediately place over the end of the line in case any fuel comes pouring out.

Above: Rather than purchasing new foam specifically molded to the new tank, we saved a few bucks by manually trimming the foam base to fit the longer tank.

Above: Like the foam base, which the tank sits on, the front lip of the tank also rests on the forward foam pads. These needed to be shaved down at an angle to fit the front of the tank. This took some trial fitting, requiring us to drop in and remove the tank a few times to get the shape right.

Above left: With our foam finally shaped correctly to the contour of the tank, we were able to finally install the tank for the last time. Above center: The reshaped tank also requires a new filler neck. Above right: With the straps attached, we were ready to reverse our steps and put our RXT-X 300 back together.

Once you’ve pushed all of hoses to the side, the smaller stock tank slides right out the giant compartment. Beneath it we found the foam that the tank rested on needed to be removed and slightly altered to fit the larger tank. The front lip of the foam tray needed to be cut with a sharp knife. We also shaved the front foam to allow perfect fit of the new 18.5 gallon tank. Remember this tank is longer, so we had to test fit it a few times to make sure everything was shaved perfectly and fit properly.

With our foam properly shaved to fit the new larger fuel tank, we had to install the four rubber straps. With that said, we began retracing our steps by hooking up the fuel line, installing the new re-angled filler neck tube, and of course, the new 2019-and-up center storage compartment bin. We are excited to extend our day with these 3 extra gallons of fuel, and who knows, maybe add an extra 15 miles of riding (conditions permitting, of course). Thank you to Sea-Doo for expediting these to the best Jersey Shore Dealer around, East Dover Marina and getting us these in a expedited time and price!

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