A brief insane moment and $300 purchase of 1994 Regal Rush

[RedBarron55]

I bought a Regal Rush 90 hp. Sport Jet boat the other day, mostly for spare parts for my Hobie Jet Skiff.
I figured that just a few parts would cover the cost.
The engine feels like it has good compression (by turning the engine over by hand) and the wear ring I have already built up with JB Weld.
Now my problem is the urge to fix things!.
My thoughts were originally to use the boat for a test fixture to get the engine tested and running.
Towards this end I have bought a 3 cylinder CDM harness and mounting plate (along with the rest of the engine harness. Also bought three CDM 200 hp. modules. With the investment of $70.00 for the electronics I think that the engine (has the red stator) can be brought up to speed fairly easily.
That leaves me with a boat that is close to running condition and in pretty good condition visually.
So far the remaining problem is this particular boat has a threaded impeller and there is a bent blade tip that needs to be repaired.
I see where some have had Impros repair impellers, but I don't know if they do threaded Sport Jet impellers.
Does anyone have a lead on a threaded impeller P/N 820544?

 

[boudin]

Impros should be able to help you. Call and ask.

 

[ar240owner]

Sounds like a fun project , pics ?

 

[RedBarron55]

OK here are some pictures.
I need to take the steering wheel off and free up the shaft.
Sitting for a few years has got some corrosion or other gunk in the shaft and it was frozen and now turns very stiff.
I have knocked the starter Bendix back down from where it was stuck in the flywheel gear.
I can turn the motor and can feel good (very good) compression.
I really bought this boat to get a few spares like a good powerhead or at least a rebuildable one.
The carbs are old style with the choke plates and solenoid and the pump with the threaded impeller.
Now I need to either find a socket deep enough to fit the impeller, find the Mercury tool or most likely cut the socket I have and weld a piece of pipe as a spacer to make it deep enough.

 

[RedBarron55]

I have ordered an engine harness for a later model mercury electronics force with the ignition plugs for the CDM modules (three) to go with it.
The trigger on the old style ignition and flywheel has four magnets stacked in the center ring where the trigger pickups are (for lack of a better explanation) are stacked one N ans one S with a coil for each.
This flywheel and trigger will work with the new style CDM modules, but you cannot mix the new (post 1996) trigger and old flywheel.
I made this modification on my 1995 Hobie Jet Fisherman and it has worked well for me.
These engines have a bad reputation for reliability problems and the later engines were much more reliable, but the reputation had already been established.
Adding the XR post fix for Extra Reliability wasn't enough to do the trick.

 

[RedBarron55]

Whew! I got the threaded impeller off!
There is some damage and I hope that Impros can fix the torn blade.
Something must have gotten stuck between the impeller and the stator.
Note the very rough home made impeller socket (welder not working correctly, but it held long enough to get the impeller unscrewed.

 

[RedBarron55]

I decided that since I bought the boat for the spares and really i mean REALLY didn't need it I did what I intended to do from the start.
I pulled the engine and started evaluating it.
The electrical plate on the side had been removed along with the jet parts and bent impeller, indicating to me that there was a problem with the engine as well as the impeller.
Well! On the inspection I got the starter drive out of the ring gear on the flywheel and the engine turned smoothly - except for a little scraping sound in one place on the turn.
Pulled the head and saw perfect cylinders with nice color and no scoring whatever. The plugs had some oil and soot on then, but not bad, just not firing.
Pulling the flywheel I found one magnet loose and that was doing the scraping and as I tugged on the other magnets I found another one loose, but still in position.
Cleaned up the flywheel with some sandpaper and acetone and the magnets and epoxy glued them back in place.
By the way IF you do this make sure that you get the magnetic poles correct when you glue them back in.
A BIG ALSO I found that the key was sheared and this was most probably the reason that the boat was discarded as the ignition work was never going to fix that particular problem with parts other than that $10.00 key.
I do have a set of CDM ignition modules and harness for the late model engines that should help with the reliability and in my opinion the basic Force engine might not be a modern as some, but should be solid if well treated.

 

[Frankhuckabee]

I just bought a Rush Xr2 with a 120 mercury for $200. I hope to make it a project boat for my grandsons. the Regal company was kind enough to send me a PDF of the owner's manual and a wiring diagram. I will be looking for a wiring harness and gauges. I have a jet ski repair guy in a town near me who says he has some parts for me to look at, just waiting on the grandson to have time (they should have lots of time now that schools are on hold). Any help or hints would be appreciated as this is my first boat project.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Do A search I posted a lot of info about the electrical issues and how to avoid them simply by replacing the electrolytic capacitors of the charging system using a jet ski rectifier in it's place and some other info that may be helpful with those boats.

 

[Frankhuckabee]

Thanks I will

 

[RedBarron55]

Cobra Jet ,
Thanks for the help on my boat and making the old style fins for me.

 

[drs1250]

Red Barron do you have any regal rush parts to sell

 

[RedBarron55]

Not really as I sold the remains of the boat and trailer to recoup some of the cost. I plan to keep the parts that are common with my slightly newer SJ 90. I have a few parts that came off easily and did not take up much space, but you probably don't need them. What are you looking for in particular?
By the way I figured out how to use the CDM ignition modules with the old style flywheel and trigger. They will not work properly just hooking them up to the trigger coil as there is no bias circuit for them in the old style trigger coil unlike the new style.
The trigger coils are not interchangeable due to different magnet arrangement in the flywheel. And the new style flywheel is not compatible with the old crank as the hub diameter is larger. (Special up grade flywheels WERE available, but no longer).
So it takes engineering bias circuit between the CDMs and the trigger coil to generate the negative bias to offset the increasing trigger voltage with increasing RPM.
It only took me a year or so and an engine rebuild and then a replaced piston to figure this out.
But it works great now and no more CDI boxes!

 

[drs1250]

Looking at a 1995 needs starter, steering is lock up, shifter binding in reverse, missing front seat and all upholstery, have purchased yet, but will offer 300.00 if. Motor has compression in spec

 

[RedBarron55]

Starters are cheap, my steering was locked up as well. I have the rear seat bottom and perhaps the front. In fair condition. I kept those in case I could use them in the Hobie, but I will never use them.

 

[drs1250]

Was your steering the helm or a cable issue

 

[RedBarron55]

The steering wheel was solidly stuck as I remember. I put major force on it and WD40 etc with no joy.

 

[drs1250]

Any idea how much you want for the seats can you pics when you have a chance

 

[RedBarron55]

If they have to be shipped it would be more than I would pay as the bottom of the rear seat is ~50 inches or so long. Where are you located?

 

[drs1250]

In Massachusetts, but I have had car seats shipped for cars I have restored shipping wasn’t that bad. Just wrapped then. In plastic and add label.