JD the myth buster 😅 thanks for doing this video I've had my delete in close to 50 hours and not a problem yet KEY is as you say make sure to clear the water in the boxes after flushing 👍
Excellent video and detailed explanation. My experience has been just like yours. I know it takes a lot of effort to put out good content like this! Good job!
I did the same thing you did. First, i got more power removing this. If they wanted to they could of used a plated gold or platinum steel or used a salt resistance stainless option. They went with that cheap iron. It broke on mine. Get rid of it asap.
That filter was the primary reason I stayed with Ultra 160lxs. Now that I hear bypassing is a reasonable alternative I may have to check the 310 again.
After talking to one of the top shops here in the US- they tell me that they have never seen an engine fail specifically due to the exhaust filter bypass. I know you are very much “in the know” with the your Kawasaki stuff- so I don’t need to tell you this- but it’s all in how you maintain the ski..do you baby it? Or ride hard and put it up wet? lol
rev it real good after flushing, then come back next day and rev it a few times again. Theres probably still a bit of water but that will get most of it out. An accessible drain port would be nice
on my 2020 when i was riding mostly in fresh water (a couple weeks a year in salt) I didn't have to replace it as often as JD. I think at around 75 hours I noticed something funky, couldn't figure it out and took it to my trusted shop. The filter had mostly disintegrated and part of it had broken off and ended up in the water box. WHAT A PAIN! But, to your point, it took longer for me to go through my filters. I have the bypass from Kawi Performance now on my 2020 and will probably put it on my 2022 this spring.
I had my first 25 hours exclusively in fresh water and mine looked just like JD's when I replaced it. Welds were broken. In fact every filter I have replaced has had the same issue. I agree saltwater might speed up the process but as a mostly fresh water lake rider who does meticulous maintenance, every filter I've replaced had the welds broken.
Several good points here but my question is, what’s the need for this bypass item? Wouldn’t the old filter bracket minus the honeycomb element work the same? I seen an earlier video you did where the filter actually separated leaving the plate portion that could be bolted in with new gaskets. Wouldn’t this work the same as the bypass part?
Yes, if you took a dremel or file and cleaned the broken welds up and used a new set of crush gaskets, I’m sure you could use the original filter plate as a bypass. The aftermarket plate is billet anodized and transfers heat a bit better than the stainless one is what I’ve been told- cannot actually provide data to confirm either way lol.
Yes you are one of the guys that was basically telling me all along I should ditch the filter lol. So glad I finally did, now must spread the good word!!
@JDsWaterWorld would be helpful if Kawasaki built in a drain plug for the box as well, but I understand why they didn't...side note, the aftermarket waterbox/mufflers hold less water
Hi Jd, I've watched many of your videos and they've been a great help. I'm trying to find a problem with my 300x ultra. When flushing the intercooler engine off I'm getting water in 2 cylinder heads. Could this be due to a poor gasket I've fitted to the exhaust filter bypass. Any help would be really appreciated.
Intercooler cooling circuit is not connected to engine circuit. Your intercooler is leaking and getting water into your engine through the throttle body. You need to remove your intercooler, confirm failure with pressure test, and then either re-core and repack it or replace ir
Thanks jd. I've just been reading up about this. I guess this is my next job, I've noticed some milky residue leaking out the flush port too. I've also seen some people saying they have fitted a seadoo intercooler but it looks like a bit of work is involved. Is it a big job to recore/ repack it? I'll do a bit of research on that now.
No lol don't put a SeaDoo one it's much smaller and not equipped to handle the heat. You are probably better off finding a used one in good condition on the internet...
I would rather keep it standard, I don't like to mess about with things anyway. It's coming off this week to test it. I've seen lots of companies selling cores, I'm not sure if to buy a second intercooler or a new core. Don't want to be sold a second hand one to find out it's damaged. Not sure what's best to do.
Hi Jd, sorry to bother you again. Yes intercooler core is damaged! My question is, are the 250/260 cores same as 300 apart from the capped top. I've noticed some advertised as fitting both models and some only specifying one model. Also ones advertised for the 260 are a lot cheaper. Thank you for your help, it's tough here in uk and most don't know much about the kawasaki's.
Yo. Going through my 2020 310, I saw this pink tube by the airbox. It's filled with liquid halfway almost. Is it drain tube? Do I just dump the fluid out?
There is a drain on the airbox but it’s more of a brownish translucent tube and has holes in the end so water can drain out- bend it downwards and it should drain. Not supposed to have water in it really unless somehow water is being introduced into the intake tract or engine..maybe in your case it’s excessive condensation?
JD I fish off of my ski and so sometimes I jet out to a spot, and fish off the ski with it turned off for say maybe 30 min to an hour before I turn the ski back on, I can't clear the waterbox while in the water. Would the delete plate work against me since I can't clear it out? Should I be sticking to the stock exhaust filter since I'm on water?
@@JDsWaterWorld Could I get a longer use out of my exhaust filter if I sprayed it down with anti corrosion spray before installing? Or would the spray be causing problems?
Hi JD, wasn’t sure how to contact you directly, hopefully you will see my comment, although might be a bit off topic for this video - still relates to the exhaust though. Would you please share any knowledge you might have about the use of and installation of tow taps or tow valves on the Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310 please? Cheers Mark (QLD, Australia)
Mark, you don’t actually need a tow valve on the Ultra 310 or 160- old and new models- you can tow it at will without issue. I am speaking from experience!
@@JDsWaterWorld Thank you, yeah right. There is alot of talk about tow taps on jet skis around here, especially if you have broken down out to see and need to be towed. The talk mainly relates to the force of the water getting pushed into the engine and exhaust whilst the engine is switched off. Sounds like you have not had any issues like that?
I hear that the seadoos need a valve or they will flood out- but I have personally towed Ultras and not had any issue with water intrusion. See what Jamie at Kspeed in Brisbane has to say about it- he’s a great resource in AUS
@@JDsWaterWorld asking because I just bought it for my 2023 STX-160LX. Now that I have owned this ski a year, I figured I’d get some upgrades. Also getting the KSpeed stage 1 kit for the STX. I’ll let you know how that goes
Who in the hell would want a Kawasaki with all that freaking maintenance? Seadoo or Yamaha.... Gas and oil and forget about it. I have a 2021 GP SVHO 203 hrs, Absolutely 0 issues. The only real maintenance is greasing the main Bearing and changing the oil. And maybe Clutch work Every 250 hrs
The supercharged Yamaha 1.8s have major oiling issues, head cracking issues, and we can open a new thread on the sprag clutch issues. 2) the GP hull (which is paper thin and experiences major flexing especially on the rear deck) has the worst coating in the industry- the automotive paint is a nightmare for long term ownership. I have seen these hulls delaminate. 3) The Yamaha pumps all cavitate, even my 1996 waveventure..they don’t have the best design on the transom plate either- they leak. The Kawasaki Ultra 310 has a fiberglass and gelcoat hull that is 100% more durable and more suited for a 6’3” 200lb male adult like me..the 1498cc engine has no know issues with the current iteration. The Kawasaki jet pump, which was the first to receive a US patent, has been perfected over more than 25 years and does not have any cavitation. YES, you have exhaust filter, and yes you have belt- but these items are less work to change than a SeaDoo carbon seal or sprag clutch. Supercars have heavy maintenance, most high performance machines do- I get that it might be a lot for some people, but it’s not necessarily accurate to say other brands require less- just the items required are different.
Very poor engineering for kawasaki on this exhaust filter design. While kawsaki doesnt have catastrophic failure issues like seadoo with the carbon seal and yamaha with their sprag supercharger clutch, they do have issues like this and many others.
If you’re going to add an expensive wear item-component, that’s fine. But the issue is that the filter barely makes it to the suggested maintenance intervals..it needs to be made of a higher quality metal or coated with a better plating to withstand the rigors of marine environment. Yes, atleast the Kawis don’t sink, crack, fail, blow up, or peel apart on us! They can do better!
@@JDsWaterWorld Between you and Kevin Shaw how can we not get a sit-down with their head of engineering? All we want to do is just make their products better so we can keep giving them money!💰
@Razorpee I think that because Kawasaki is involved in so many industries they dedicate only a minority of resources to the Jet Ski division especially when compared to Motorcycle and UTV
@@JDsWaterWorld These sound like excuses. We don't need all the resources just that the resources allocated do their best work. 80/20 rule in full effect, especially in this instance. I work in marketing, there has to be a consumer insights department. You down for a road trip?
Not according to the KTech News+ bulletin that states due to failures the filter must be checked or replaced every 25 hours. Ask your dealer for a copy, search Google, or email me and I’ll send you a PDF of the official release
JD the myth buster 😅 thanks for doing this video I've had my delete in close to 50 hours and not a problem yet KEY is as you say make sure to clear the water in the boxes after flushing 👍
great video and was great to see someone break this down!
Excellent video and detailed explanation. My experience has been just like yours.
I know it takes a lot of effort to put out good content like this! Good job!
Ah piece of cake! I get asked about this so much figured the topic warranted another video!
This video Link should be on the first page of the user manual!
Hahah!
😂
I did the same thing you did. First, i got more power removing this. If they wanted to they could of used a plated gold or platinum steel or used a salt resistance stainless option. They went with that cheap iron. It broke on mine. Get rid of it asap.
Yeah definitely the filter itself is a good idea on paper but the execution and materials used do not hold up in the real world for most riders
That filter was the primary reason I stayed with Ultra 160lxs. Now that I hear bypassing is a reasonable alternative I may have to check the 310 again.
After talking to one of the top shops here in the US- they tell me that they have never seen an engine fail specifically due to the exhaust filter bypass. I know you are very much “in the know” with the your Kawasaki stuff- so I don’t need to tell you this- but it’s all in how you maintain the ski..do you baby it? Or ride hard and put it up wet? lol
Awesome video JD! Thanks for taking the time to put this together!
Thanks for matching man!
Great video. Thanks a lot.
Kawi should put a hand pump attachment on the exhaust to manually
remove the water. Or a suction pump for the rear.
rev it real good after flushing, then come back next day and rev it a few times again. Theres probably still a bit of water but that will get most of it out. An accessible drain port would be nice
cool vid and tips bruh 😃
Hahah - a SeaDoo guy that doesn’t give two fucks about Kawi but takes the time to comment anyway! You’re a true friend man! Lol
Thanks
When i rev our ski in at the ramp to get the water out of the water boxes, its the loudest thing at the ramp and i get some many looks 😂
I'm thinking the saltwater corrodes them. No problems with mine from lakes or Ohio river.
on my 2020 when i was riding mostly in fresh water (a couple weeks a year in salt) I didn't have to replace it as often as JD. I think at around 75 hours I noticed something funky, couldn't figure it out and took it to my trusted shop. The filter had mostly disintegrated and part of it had broken off and ended up in the water box. WHAT A PAIN! But, to your point, it took longer for me to go through my filters. I have the bypass from Kawi Performance now on my 2020 and will probably put it on my 2022 this spring.
I had my first 25 hours exclusively in fresh water and mine looked just like JD's when I replaced it. Welds were broken. In fact every filter I have replaced has had the same issue. I agree saltwater might speed up the process but as a mostly fresh water lake rider who does meticulous maintenance, every filter I've replaced had the welds broken.
I want to do this but I'm scared of voiding my warranty 😢.
Even with that radioactive Ohio River water?? Lol
@JDsWaterWorld just because I've grown an eye in my shoulder and 2 gills, you think there is something wrong with the water.@@JDsWaterWorld
Awesome video again mate. Hey where did you get those green exhaust and house connections. Assume they are billet aluminium? They look mint!
Much appreciated! Yes these are the full-billet anodized Ultra 310 Flush Ports from Unlimited PWC in Japan!
@@JDsWaterWorld Thanks buddy, keep these videos coming! 👍👍
Yea except they don't make them in candy burnt orange color for the SE models 😂@JDsWaterWorld
Couldn’t you just weld the honeycomb element to the flange to prevent it from breaking off? Just curious
The honeycomb element inside the ring degrades very quickly as well but assuming you had a rig to weld stainless steel..sure you could
Several good points here but my question is, what’s the need for this bypass item? Wouldn’t the old filter bracket minus the honeycomb element work the same? I seen an earlier video you did where the filter actually separated leaving the plate portion that could be bolted in with new gaskets. Wouldn’t this work the same as the bypass part?
Yes, if you took a dremel or file and cleaned the broken welds up and used a new set of crush gaskets, I’m sure you could use the original filter plate as a bypass. The aftermarket plate is billet anodized and transfers heat a bit better than the stainless one is what I’ve been told- cannot actually provide data to confirm either way lol.
Bypassed it way back in 2011 :-) Blow out the box thoroughly and you're fine
Yes you are one of the guys that was basically telling me all along I should ditch the filter lol. So glad I finally did, now must spread the good word!!
@JDsWaterWorld would be helpful if Kawasaki built in a drain plug for the box as well, but I understand why they didn't...side note, the aftermarket waterbox/mufflers hold less water
What about the excessive fouling of plugs once the filter has been deleted though?
That has not been a problem for me. My plug change interval is 25 hours, the same as with the filter installed.
Hi Jd, I've watched many of your videos and they've been a great help. I'm trying to find a problem with my 300x ultra. When flushing the intercooler engine off I'm getting water in 2 cylinder heads. Could this be due to a poor gasket I've fitted to the exhaust filter bypass. Any help would be really appreciated.
Intercooler cooling circuit is not connected to engine circuit. Your intercooler is leaking and getting water into your engine through the throttle body. You need to remove your intercooler, confirm failure with pressure test, and then either re-core and repack it or replace ir
Thanks jd. I've just been reading up about this. I guess this is my next job, I've noticed some milky residue leaking out the flush port too. I've also seen some people saying they have fitted a seadoo intercooler but it looks like a bit of work is involved. Is it a big job to recore/ repack it? I'll do a bit of research on that now.
No lol don't put a SeaDoo one it's much smaller and not equipped to handle the heat. You are probably better off finding a used one in good condition on the internet...
I would rather keep it standard, I don't like to mess about with things anyway. It's coming off this week to test it. I've seen lots of companies selling cores, I'm not sure if to buy a second intercooler or a new core. Don't want to be sold a second hand one to find out it's damaged. Not sure what's best to do.
Hi Jd, sorry to bother you again. Yes intercooler core is damaged! My question is, are the 250/260 cores same as 300 apart from the capped top. I've noticed some advertised as fitting both models and some only specifying one model. Also ones advertised for the 260 are a lot cheaper.
Thank you for your help, it's tough here in uk and most don't know much about the kawasaki's.
Yo. Going through my 2020 310, I saw this pink tube by the airbox. It's filled with liquid halfway almost. Is it drain tube? Do I just dump the fluid out?
There is a drain on the airbox but it’s more of a brownish translucent tube and has holes in the end so water can drain out- bend it downwards and it should drain. Not supposed to have water in it really unless somehow water is being introduced into the intake tract or engine..maybe in your case it’s excessive condensation?
JD I fish off of my ski and so sometimes I jet out to a spot, and fish off the ski with it turned off for say maybe 30 min to an hour before I turn the ski back on, I can't clear the waterbox while in the water. Would the delete plate work against me since I can't clear it out? Should I be sticking to the stock exhaust filter since I'm on water?
The filter only relevant while the ski is being stored for longer periods, makes no difference while in the water or while ski is being used
@@JDsWaterWorld Could I get a longer use out of my exhaust filter if I sprayed it down with anti corrosion spray before installing? Or would the spray be causing problems?
Hey JD, does my 2023 STX 160X have this exhaust filter?
No, the naturally aspirated jet skis have a downdraft style exhaust with no exhaust filter and a single water box.
Theme music from seadoo jake?
No clue who that is, and also this is open source music from GoPro music library
Hi JD, wasn’t sure how to contact you directly, hopefully you will see my comment, although might be a bit off topic for this video - still relates to the exhaust though. Would you please share any knowledge you might have about the use of and installation of tow taps or tow valves on the Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310 please? Cheers Mark (QLD, Australia)
Mark, you don’t actually need a tow valve on the Ultra 310 or 160- old and new models- you can tow it at will without issue. I am speaking from experience!
@@JDsWaterWorld Thank you, yeah right. There is alot of talk about tow taps on jet skis around here, especially if you have broken down out to see and need to be towed. The talk mainly relates to the force of the water getting pushed into the engine and exhaust whilst the engine is switched off. Sounds like you have not had any issues like that?
I hear that the seadoos need a valve or they will flood out- but I have personally towed Ultras and not had any issue with water intrusion. See what Jamie at Kspeed in Brisbane has to say about it- he’s a great resource in AUS
@@JDsWaterWorld yeah that’s what I’ve heard also. I know of Jamie at Brisbane Kawasaki, so will touch base with him, thank you.
Do you have the KSpeed through hull bearing support?
I do not, I have the original stock one still
@@JDsWaterWorld asking because I just bought it for my 2023 STX-160LX. Now that I have owned this ski a year, I figured I’d get some upgrades. Also getting the KSpeed stage 1 kit for the STX. I’ll let you know how that goes
@@JDsWaterWorldand what about impeller? Still running stock impeller?
On the 310 yea I have the stock impeller- which is the best one you can get for this ski!
Who in the hell would want a Kawasaki with all that freaking maintenance? Seadoo or Yamaha.... Gas and oil and forget about it. I have a 2021 GP SVHO 203 hrs, Absolutely 0 issues. The only real maintenance is greasing the main Bearing and changing the oil. And maybe Clutch work Every 250 hrs
The supercharged Yamaha 1.8s have major oiling issues, head cracking issues, and we can open a new thread on the sprag clutch issues. 2) the GP hull (which is paper thin and experiences major flexing especially on the rear deck) has the worst coating in the industry- the automotive paint is a nightmare for long term ownership. I have seen these hulls delaminate. 3) The Yamaha pumps all cavitate, even my 1996 waveventure..they don’t have the best design on the transom plate either- they leak. The Kawasaki Ultra 310 has a fiberglass and gelcoat hull that is 100% more durable and more suited for a 6’3” 200lb male adult like me..the 1498cc engine has no know issues with the current iteration. The Kawasaki jet pump, which was the first to receive a US patent, has been perfected over more than 25 years and does not have any cavitation. YES, you have exhaust filter, and yes you have belt- but these items are less work to change than a SeaDoo carbon seal or sprag clutch. Supercars have heavy maintenance, most high performance machines do- I get that it might be a lot for some people, but it’s not necessarily accurate to say other brands require less- just the items required are different.
Very poor engineering for kawasaki on this exhaust filter design. While kawsaki doesnt have catastrophic failure issues like seadoo with the carbon seal and yamaha with their sprag supercharger clutch, they do have issues like this and many others.
If you’re going to add an expensive wear item-component, that’s fine. But the issue is that the filter barely makes it to the suggested maintenance intervals..it needs to be made of a higher quality metal or coated with a better plating to withstand the rigors of marine environment. Yes, atleast the Kawis don’t sink, crack, fail, blow up, or peel apart on us! They can do better!
@@JDsWaterWorld Between you and Kevin Shaw how can we not get a sit-down with their head of engineering? All we want to do is just make their products better so we can keep giving them money!💰
@Razorpee I think that because Kawasaki is involved in so many industries they dedicate only a minority of resources to the Jet Ski division especially when compared to Motorcycle and UTV
@@JDsWaterWorld These sound like excuses. We don't need all the resources just that the resources allocated do their best work. 80/20 rule in full effect, especially in this instance. I work in marketing, there has to be a consumer insights department. You down for a road trip?
Hahah. I can promise you this: If Kawasaki Jet Ski R&D division wants my insights they know where to find me 🥸🥸🥸😜
Exhaust Filter needs to be replaced every 50 hours not 25 hours!
Not according to the KTech News+ bulletin that states due to failures the filter must be checked or replaced every 25 hours. Ask your dealer for a copy, search Google, or email me and I’ll send you a PDF of the official release