PoA Jet Ski Project

Here are my comments from tonight; the ski's first start in over 2 years (if the seller is to be believed):

  • I'm still not clear whether the fuel gauge is working. It wasn't pegged on the lower stop but it showed basically empty. Ski now has 4 gallons in the tank. I'll see what it reads when the tank is more full.
  • My oil level light remained off after the initial test illumination. I wasn't sure whether this would happen since I unplugged the entire oil level stick from the molex plug. The other possibility was that the light would remain lit. This is a good result since I converted to premix.
  • The crank sounded nice and robust after I put a top-off charge on my new battery.
  • The ski would not start with the choke knob out. In the video you can see me cranking with the choke out, and the ski finally starts after I push it in and try again. I don't know that this means anything other than that it's not cold enough for the engine to have trouble cold starting?
  • It smoked a LOT, but I guess that's to be expected with a 32:1 first-tank premix and the WD-40 I had down in the cylinders.
  • Water was coming out of the exhaust and it was warm.
  • Water was coming out of the pee hole on the starboard side, but it wasn't warm. It wasn't cold, either, just kind of tepid. Is this water supposed to be as warm as the exhaust water?
  • I didn't see any leaks in the hull other than some pure oil that existed before I tested tonight. I think some of the oil drained from the oil injection lines before I removed them from the ski.
  • It seemed to idle pretty well. Agreed?
  • I was hesitant to rev much without it in the water, but at least the throttle appears to work.

I'm working on a list of things I still want to complete before I'm "done" with it (like dielectric grease on the connectors, waterproof grease on the e-box gasket, etc). What are some things I should do before I consider it ready for full blast on the water?

Thanks!
 
asechrest said:
Here are my comments from tonight; the ski's first start in over 2 years (if the seller is to be believed):

  • I'm still not clear whether the fuel gauge is working. It wasn't pegged on the lower stop but it showed basically empty. Ski now has 4 gallons in the tank. I'll see what it reads when the tank is more full.
  • My oil level light remained off after the initial test illumination. I wasn't sure whether this would happen since I unplugged the entire oil level stick from the molex plug. The other possibility was that the light would remain lit. This is a good result since I converted to premix.
  • The crank sounded nice and robust after I put a top-off charge on my new battery.
  • The ski would not start with the choke knob out. In the video you can see me cranking with the choke out, and the ski finally starts after I push it in and try again. I don't know that this means anything other than that it's not cold enough for the engine to have trouble cold starting?
  • It smoked a LOT, but I guess that's to be expected with a 32:1 first-tank premix and the WD-40 I had down in the cylinders.
  • Water was coming out of the exhaust and it was warm.
  • Water was coming out of the pee hole on the starboard side, but it wasn't warm. It wasn't cold, either, just kind of tepid. Is this water supposed to be as warm as the exhaust water?
  • I didn't see any leaks in the hull other than some pure oil that existed before I tested tonight. I think some of the oil drained from the oil injection lines before I removed them from the ski.
  • It seemed to idle pretty well. Agreed?
  • I was hesitant to rev much without it in the water, but at least the throttle appears to work.

I'm working on a list of things I still want to complete before I'm "done" with it (like dielectric grease on the connectors, waterproof grease on the e-box gasket, etc). What are some things I should do before I consider it ready for full blast on the water?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Idle sounds very similar to mine. They sound a HELL of a lot better in the water when the exhaust is muffled.

2 stoke can be kind of finicky with the choke. I've never owned one that will actually RUN with the choke full on. Quite often thought you can't get it to start without the choke. Typically on a two stroke if you crank with the choke on it'll fire and if you shove the choke in real quick it'll stay running otherwise will die.

I try to start without the choke first, throttle cracked slightly (always start with the throttle cracked). If that doesn't work then I go full choke and try again. If it fires with full choke I turn the choke off immediately and if I'm fast it'll stay running if not then it'll probably start without the choke.

Just curious, were you able to get it primed? Or did you just give up and try it?

As to the oil I would just run the Mercury QuickSilver fully synethic 2 cycle PWC oil sold at Walmart. All the guys on the jetski forums swear by it...also cuts the smoke down a lot.
 
Last edited:
asechrest said:
Here are my comments from tonight; the ski's first start in over 2 years (if the seller is to be believed):

  • I'm still not clear whether the fuel gauge is working. It wasn't pegged on the lower stop but it showed basically empty. Ski now has 4 gallons in the tank. I'll see what it reads when the tank is more full.
  • My oil level light remained off after the initial test illumination. I wasn't sure whether this would happen since I unplugged the entire oil level stick from the molex plug. The other possibility was that the light would remain lit. This is a good result since I converted to premix.
  • The crank sounded nice and robust after I put a top-off charge on my new battery.
  • The ski would not start with the choke knob out. In the video you can see me cranking with the choke out, and the ski finally starts after I push it in and try again. I don't know that this means anything other than that it's not cold enough for the engine to have trouble cold starting?
  • It smoked a LOT, but I guess that's to be expected with a 32:1 first-tank premix and the WD-40 I had down in the cylinders.
  • Water was coming out of the exhaust and it was warm.
  • Water was coming out of the pee hole on the starboard side, but it wasn't warm. It wasn't cold, either, just kind of tepid. Is this water supposed to be as warm as the exhaust water?
  • I didn't see any leaks in the hull other than some pure oil that existed before I tested tonight. I think some of the oil drained from the oil injection lines before I removed them from the ski.
  • It seemed to idle pretty well. Agreed?
  • I was hesitant to rev much without it in the water, but at least the throttle appears to work.

I'm working on a list of things I still want to complete before I'm "done" with it (like dielectric grease on the connectors, waterproof grease on the e-box gasket, etc). What are some things I should do before I consider it ready for full blast on the water?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It ran as well as it could be expected for now. Correct, it wasn't cold enough to need the choke, you actually flooded it. Give it half choke on cold start attempts. As soon as it quit kicking and trying to fire it was flooded. Work under that assumption at this point. I almost never have to use the choke down here so that isn't automatically suspect of a problem, we'll find out more down the road to see what may need adjusting on the carbs. At this point I'm pretty ok with it. Yes, 32:1 will be a smoking mess, 50:1 is a smoking mess. No, the telltale water will only represent the heat of the water jacket, the water coming out the exhaust also is heated by the exhaust. It's hard to build water jacket temp without a load, it takes a while.
 
jesse said:
Idle sounds very similar to mine. They sound a HELL of a lot better in the water when the exhaust is muffled.

It's normal for it to not start without the choke on. Even on a 90 degree day. Once the engine is hot you won't need it.

They start a LOT BETTER with just a hint of throttle. Push it in maybe a quarter inch or so.

Just curious, were you able to get it primed? Or did you just give up and try it?
Click to expand...

I got it primed. Problem was the fuel level. Once I added 2 more gallons and blew a lot into the return hose, the fuel started dripping from the carb inlet (outlet?).
 
Last edited:
asechrest said:
I got it primed. Problem was the fuel level. Once I added 2 more gallons and blew a lot into the return hose, the fuel started dripping from the carb inlet (outlet?).

Also, to clarify, the ski wouldn't start WITH the choke engaged (knob pulled out). Once I turned the choke off (knob all the way in), it started on the second crank. You can actually see in the video after a bunch of attempts to get it to catch, I push the choke knob back in full and it starts. Still normal?
Click to expand...

See my edit above. I changed what I wrote after I thought about it for a few minutes :)
 
Sounds like your coolant system is working properly. It's not going to be warm until it runs for quite awhile. When you're beating on it it'll be down right HOT.
 
asechrest said:
Thanks! What premix ratio do you run with that Mercury full synthetic?
Click to expand...

50:1. The unfortunate thing about removing the mix system is you have to mix enough oil now to support WOT. The factory premix system will use less oil at lower power settings. Worth the tradeoff, IMO though...

If you do a lot of idling you might foul the plugs up..but plugs are cheap..engines are not.

The 50:1 ratio is per SBT..and since damn near my entire ski came from SBT..I listen to them :)

http://www.shopsbt.com/forum/technical-articles-f-q/14465-pre-mix-stock-oil-ratios.html

Man you bought a lot better project ski than I did. I probably dropped $2500 into parts by the time I was done..and I didn't replace anything that didn't need replacing.
 
Henning said:
It ran as well as it could be expected for now. Correct, it wasn't cold enough to need the choke, you actually flooded it. Give it half choke on cold start attempts. As soon as it quit kicking and trying to fire it was flooded. Work under that assumption at this point. I almost never have to use the choke down here so that isn't automatically suspect of a problem, we'll find out more down the road to see what may need adjusting on the carbs. At this point I'm pretty ok with it. Yes, 32:1 will be a smoking mess, 50:1 is a smoking mess. No, the telltale water will only represent the heat of the water jacket, the water coming out the exhaust also is heated by the exhaust. It's hard to build water jacket temp without a load, it takes a while.
Click to expand...

Thanks Henning. You still Florida-based? If you want to pull a "hold my beer and watch this", you're entitled to free rides on my jet ski. :D
 
jesse said:
Man you bought a lot better project ski than I did. I probably dropped $2500 into parts by the time I was done..and I didn't replace anything that didn't need replacing.
Click to expand...

Yeah. In some respects I got lucky, though. I knew the engine wasn't seized and that the starter worked, but not a lot more than that. I also lucked upon that used CDI for $30 used in lieu of the $220 used I had seen to date (or the $400+ new).

I am less than $700 in direct costs into the ski and trailer, though. I consider that awfully good.
 
asechrest said:
Thanks Henning. You still Florida-based? If you want to pull a "hold my beer and watch this", you're entitled to free rides on my jet ski. :D
Click to expand...

I'm in Ft Lauderdale again for a while. Ask Ben about "watch this" when he gave me a snowmobile to ride my first time.:rofl: Where do you have the ski?
 
Henning said:
I'm in Ft Lauderdale again for a while. Ask Ben about "watch this" when he gave me a snowmobile to ride my first time.:rofl: Where do you have the ski?
Click to expand...

Right now it's in Clearwater since I've got a garage over here. But I want to bring it eastward. Problem is me and my girlfriend's place in Boca is a gated townhome community (right by Boca mall) and the association witch would probably personally execute me if I attempted to park a jet ski there. So says the neighbor, who kept his boat at his dad's house.

So I'm trying to figure that part out. Might try to work something out with a buddy of mine but haven't talked to him yet.
 
Woohoo! Love to see another save. the smoke is a good thing, it tells you that you've got lube working through there.

Now, you can thin it out some. Since you have about 4 gallons of 32:1, that means you have a total of 16oz of oil. To move to 40:1 which would be a good mix for the first tank, you can add 1 gallon of pure gas with no oil added. 16oz x 40 = 640 total oz / 128 = 5 gal. Right now you have 4 gal of gas, so adding one gallon will set your mix to 40:1 so you won't get as much smoke.

If it won't run with the choke, then the temp is high enough that you don't need the extra enrichment in the carb circuit.

The water out the pee tube is never going to be as hot as the exhaust heat. Since the water temp sensor is in that tube, it's there to let you know if the exhaust is blocked, or you lose water flow. Then, it'll heat up fast, and shut down the engine. As long as you have warm water coming out the exhaust, you are 'exchanging' heat from the engine and it's working right.

Since you have the volt meter, I'd suggest you check the charging voltage. To test it, check the voltage with the engine off. It should be around 12.5V DC. The absolute value isn't important, just make a note of it at the batt. Start the engine, and let it run for a few minutes with water. Now, check the voltage again at the batt. It should be 13.4V DC or a bit more. If it's under 13.4, wait another minute and check again. What you are looking for is a higher voltage that indicates your charging system is adding current to the battery.

Fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Here's a test for you. Make sure the ski is tight on the trailer. While it's level, turn the ign on, and make a note of the gauge mark. Turn the ign off, set the tongue of the trailer on the ground so it's tilted nose down. Turn on the ign and note the gauge should be different(higher or lower depending on where the float is). Now, carefully, tip the ski up and backward so the nose is way high in the air, and the tail is down near the ground. Turn the ign on, and check the gauge. You should see significant movement as the fuel resettles in the tank. If not, plan on removing the sender from the tank and checking it when its out of the ski.

For now, might as well locate the drain cock. It's a little black plug, and it should be on a metal chain stuck into the hull at the very back, next to the jet output, at the low point of the hull. It's black and about the size of your thumb. If it's in the hull, turn left to remove it. If it's stuck use pliers to remove the plug from the fitting on the hull. Once you have it off, inspect the threaded plug for an o-ring. The o-ring must be in good condition and NO CRACKS in it. Best to just get a new one from the boat store.

Now that you've got it out, inspect the drain fitting in the hull and make sure it's got good threads and is not cracked or messed up. If it looks ok, smear a light coat of grease on the o-ring and insert it snug into the hull fitting. Now take it out, let go of it. Close your eyes, locate that plug, and insert it into the hull without looking. I promise you, at least once during the year, you will launch the ski and forget the hull drain plug. So, you need to know how to do it by feel.

The last important test is when you are in the water. You'll need a bucket or you can use the drain cock on the back of the hull. Make sure the ski engine is running well. Launch the ski with the drain plug in and a dry hull inside. Now, sit on the ski and just stay there without the engine running for about 10 minutes. Take the seat off and look in the bilge, down under the drive shaft at the rear of the engine where the bilge pickup is. It should still be dry. If you see water in there, where there was no water before, you will need to locate your leak. Since the engine isn't running, you can discount most of the plumbing in the cooling system and check around the hull and jet for a leak. It may be the shaft seal, or the water pickup and delivery to the engine, or it could be a crack(unlikely).

If it's not wet in there, you are good for the last test. Take a 2 gal bucket and fill it full with water. Pour it in the hull but not on the carbs or the e-box. Start the engine, and go for a short drive. Come back to shore or trailer, and remove the seat. Most of the water should be gone from the hull. You don't need to go fast, or far, but you should run it for a few minutes in a circle. This will test the bilge ability to drain the hull if you have a leak while running. If the bilge bails out most of the water you put in, you are good to run it.

If you don't want to use the bucket, you can remove the drain plug from the back for a while to fill the rear of the ski with water, and then put the drain plug back in the hull, then go for the short drive test.

Always wear a vest, and the lanyard either goes around your wrist, or you can loop it into your vest front snap, so either way if you fall off the engine stops. The little waterproof pocket near the switch is for glasses, keys, etc. There should be a seal around that plastic pocket. That is the ONLY water-tight place on the ski. Anywhere else could and will get water in it so think about that with your key fob, wallet, and cash.
 
asechrest said:
Right now it's in Clearwater since I've got a garage over here. But I want to bring it eastward. Problem is me and my girlfriend's place in Boca is a gated townhome community (right by Boca mall) and the association witch would probably personally execute me if I attempted to park a jet ski there. So says the neighbor, who kept his boat at his dad's house.

So I'm trying to figure that part out. Might try to work something out with a buddy of mine but haven't talked to him yet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, most of those places don't allow. I can probably arrange you cheap indoor storage in Ft Lauderdale.
 
Thanks, all.

Here's my plan before the on-water test:

  1. Re-epoxy the fuel line holders to the inside of the hull
  2. Put dielectric grease on the e-box connections
  3. Do some miscellaneous oiling and greasing of parts and components
  4. Do the charge voltage test that Doc recommends above
  5. Check the drain cock o-ring
  6. Add a gallon of pure gas and then use 40:1 premix ratio for the first tank. Also may get a "premix only" sticker for posting next to the filler cap.
  7. A good once-over of the bolts and connections on the interior of the ski
  8. Wash, and wax with Collinite 845
  9. Order the trailer light wiring for my car, then test lights
  10. On water test
 
Pre-mix only sticker is good. I forgot that one, and like a doof I don't have one on my Yam.

Only thing I would add is that fuel primer bulb. Makes starting after a few weeks in storage much easier. Note that they are directional, so when you splice it into your fuel delivery line to the pump it only goes one way. Use two or three good quality zip ties on the hose barb fittings to insure it doesn't come off after a while. $20 investment can save a starter. I think the starter can be removed with the engine in, but it's still a big expensive job.
 
Yeah, might need to remind yourself...:D;) First time you need to fuel at a fuel dock underway, you'll realize what a PITA you caused by removing the oil pump.;) Oh well, we dealt with it for many years, I guess you can too if you want. :lol: I've never had a pump system fail on me yet, but it does happen, I prefer to take the risk for the convenience and variable ratio oiling to save smoke, oil, and plugs. Don't throw the parts away.
 
Some final preparations today and this evening:

  • Registered, tagged, titled ski/trailer
  • Wired and tested the Corolla for the trailer lights
  • Installed my trailer hitch lock
  • Pulled the e-box back apart, put dielectric grease in all connections, put waterproof grease on e-box gasket, then put back together
  • Re-tested crank
  • Re-epoxied the fuel line holders to the inside of the hull

Shooting for Wednesday after work as the first on-water test. Tomorrow night I'll put the fuel lines in the holders, strap down the battery, test the ski charge voltage, get the storage containers back in the ski, prepare all the supplies (life vest, anchor, fire extinguisher, keys, dock line), fully gas it up, and get the ski completely set to hook up to the car right after work and head to the ramp.

I only have a couple hours of daylight after work. And considering it'll be the first time I've ever put any kind of craft in the water, realistically by the time I get to the ramp, put it in, and am ready to test, I'll have an hour or 30 minutes of light left. Can't wait!
 
PS - My dielectric grease says it's great for the spark plug boots. It's silicone-based. Should I put it in there?
 
Just got back from cleaning up the boat.

The good news is: I got the boat put in successfully (the ramp, mercifully, was dead), the boat floats and doesn't leak, the engine ran without dying, it didn't strand me.

I only had an hour before the park/ramp closed to put it in, test it out, then get it back out. All of this is completely new to me so I felt hurried.

20141029_173054.jpg20141029_181349.jpg20141029_182128.jpg

The concerning news: I'm nearly certain that less water is coming out of the pee hole than when I first tested it in the driveway. It's really just a dribble now, even at wide open throttle.

Here it is at idle on the water (sorry about the orientation of these videos):


And here it is in the driveway with a bit better view of the amount coming out:


Here's the water coming out of the exhaust, which was warm and the amount seemed adequate.



[EDIT] - The high temp light never came on, and the engine appears to be cooling fine. The water that was dribbling out of the pee hole was warm.

--

After puttering around near the dock in case it died on me, I eventually made it out into the channel and did some tests progressively advancing the throttle. I was able to get it up on plane and at wide open throttle a number of times. It seemed to top out at 40 mph, which I believe is slow for this ski, but in my haste I completely failed to note the RPMs I was getting at WOT. Obviously that's an important data point.

Also chipped off a somewhat-large section of red paint on the hull below the water line. This might have resulted from me driving the ski onto trailer for the first time...ever. I may need to be sure the trailer is deeper in the water so the runners don't mar the hull. I have also heard the paint chips pretty badly on this era Kawasaki.

--

Overall I had fun, and it was pretty neat to be out on the water on a ski that I (WE!) brought back to life. Wondering what you folks think about two things:

  1. Should I be concerned about the amount of water now coming out of the pee hole? And if I should be concerned, what do I do about it?
  2. What do you think about that top speed? Could this be my failure to trim it for best speed once on plane? I assume I really need another test to note my RPMs.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
The 'pee hole' pressure is lower because you don't have the hose pressure feeding the system.
 
Henning said:
The 'pee hole' pressure is lower because you don't have the hose pressure feeding the system.
Click to expand...

Huh, well that would make some sense, yeah. But the second video is of it in the driveway with the hose hooked up. Maybe I just didn't have the pressure as high as last time. I was also concerned because, even at wide open throttle, there wasn't much coming out of there. I'm just not sure what it's supposed to look like as far as flow.
 
asechrest said:
Huh, well that would make some sense, yeah. But the second video is of it in the driveway with the hose hooked up. Maybe I just didn't have the pressure as high as last time. I was also concerned because, even at wide open throttle, there wasn't much coming out of there. I'm just not sure what it's supposed to look like as far as flow.
Click to expand...

Ready to pull the engine yet?:dunno::rofl: Well, if you're concerned about the water flow, you may want to open the pump and look at the impeller. If it's missing chunks, keep digging until you find all the pieces.
 
asechrest said:
Just got back from cleaning up the boat.

The good news is: I got the boat put in successfully (the ramp, mercifully, was dead), the boat floats and doesn't leak, the engine ran without dying, it didn't strand me.

I only had an hour before the park/ramp closed to put it in, test it out, then get it back out. All of this is completely new to me so I felt hurried.

View attachment 36475View attachment 36476View attachment 36477

The concerning news: I'm nearly certain that less water is coming out of the pee hole than when I first tested it in the driveway. It's really just a dribble now, even at wide open throttle.

Here it is at idle on the water (sorry about the orientation of these videos):


And here it is in the driveway with a bit better view of the amount coming out:


Here's the water coming out of the exhaust, which was warm and the amount seemed adequate.



[EDIT] - The high temp light never came on, and the engine appears to be cooling fine. The water that was dribbling out of the pee hole was warm.

--

After puttering around near the dock in case it died on me, I eventually made it out into the channel and did some tests progressively advancing the throttle. I was able to get it up on plane and at wide open throttle a number of times. It seemed to top out at 40 mph, which I believe is slow for this ski, but in my haste I completely failed to note the RPMs I was getting at WOT. Obviously that's an important data point.

Also chipped off a somewhat-large section of red paint on the hull below the water line. This might have resulted from me driving the ski onto trailer for the first time...ever. I may need to be sure the trailer is deeper in the water so the runners don't mar the hull. I have also heard the paint chips pretty badly on this era Kawasaki.

--

Overall I had fun, and it was pretty neat to be out on the water on a ski that I (WE!) brought back to life. Wondering what you folks think about two things:

  1. Should I be concerned about the amount of water now coming out of the pee hole? And if I should be concerned, what do I do about it?
  2. What do you think about that top speed? Could this be my failure to trim it for best speed once on plane? I assume I really need another test to note my RPMs.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like you're in good shape. Mine does not spit out any water there when at idle on a lake either. When it gets up on plane, there is water coming out, but by no means an aggressive stream. At full throttle there is consistent continuous water but nothing like it is with a hose.

I went through every single piece of the cooling system on my ski. Everything. Replaced every hose. Verified perfect flow in everything else..and that's the way it ended up. I was worried at first too but it's normal.

Assuming your temp sensor work, if it's not going off, you're fine.

As to the speed...if your water pump is worn much or your impeller isn't absolutely perfect you'll take a serious speed impact. FWIW, with my 97' 900 STX, the fastest I've ever recoded on a GPS is 45 mph on perfect water. That's with a new engine pump and impeller. I've read tons of stories of guys saying they do 50 mph on theirs but I think they're full of ****.

The speed gauge is by no means accurate. Check your top speed on GLASS SMOOTH WATER with a GPS. Try different trim settings as well.

Based on what you wrote I don't think there is any reason to tear anything apart further. If you get a new pump and impeller you might gain 2 mph but you'll spend a ton of money. Trying to make a jetski faster isn't worth the money unless it's SERIOUSLY too slow. You just need to buy a faster ski if you want to go faster.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Jesse. I was interested in your reply since you have a similar ski. I feel a bit better about it now.

I actually don't care much about top speed except as a point of diagnosis to understand if something is malfunctioning. If everything is in order and 40 - 45 mph is top speed on this ski, that works fine for me. Considering I've never been that speed on the water that seemed pretty fast to me. :)
 
PaulS said:
Nice job, sounds like you are in good shape to me.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Paul! Appreciate your participation in the thread.

For posterity purposes I'll do a wrap-up post at some point with a complete list of what was done and the costs involved. That way anyone who comes across the thread in the future can get a summary of all that we did.

I know it's not customary for small watercraft, and maybe downright dumb for a jet ski, but I almost feel like I should name this sucker with something incorporating POA. :)
 
asechrest said:
Thanks, Paul! Appreciate your participation in the thread.

For posterity purposes I'll do a wrap-up post at some point with a complete list of what was done and the costs involved. That way anyone who comes across the thread in the future can get a summary of all that we did.

I know it's not customary for small watercraft, and maybe downright dumb for a jet ski, but I almost feel like I should name this sucker with something incorporating POA. :)
Click to expand...

I've seen named pwc before, go for it. I love riding mine, we only get about a 12 week season up here though, not fun when it is cold out.
 
asechrest said:
Thanks, Paul! Appreciate your participation in the thread.

For posterity purposes I'll do a wrap-up post at some point with a complete list of what was done and the costs involved. That way anyone who comes across the thread in the future can get a summary of all that we did.

I know it's not customary for small watercraft, and maybe downright dumb for a jet ski, but I almost feel like I should name this sucker with something incorporating POA. :)
Click to expand...

You only need to change one key stroke one space to the right and you have a great name.:rofl:;)
 
asechrest said:
Thanks, Paul! Appreciate your participation in the thread.

For posterity purposes I'll do a wrap-up post at some point with a complete list of what was done and the costs involved. That way anyone who comes across the thread in the future can get a summary of all that we did.

I know it's not customary for small watercraft, and maybe downright dumb for a jet ski, but I almost feel like I should name this sucker with something incorporating POA. :)
Click to expand...

Check the plugs now. Look up pictures of what they should look like. If you're too lean (which will fry a two stroke in a hurry) it's obvious to tell via the plugs.

Check them again in a few more hours of riding, if things seem fine I would check them every 10 hours. You'll replace them fairly often as well.

IMO, checking the plugs on a two stroke is more important that checking the oil on a four stroke.
 
jesse said:
Check the plugs now. Look up pictures of what they should look like. If you're too lean (which will fry a two stroke in a hurry) it's obvious to tell via the plugs.

Check them again in a few more hours of riding, if things seem fine I would check them every 10 hours. You'll replace them fairly often as well.

IMO, checking the plugs on a two stroke is more important that checking the oil on a four stroke.
Click to expand...

Will do. I have read a bit about it but I do need to look at some photos.
 
jesse said:
Check the plugs now. Look up pictures of what they should look like. If you're too lean (which will fry a two stroke in a hurry) it's obvious to tell via the plugs.

Check them again in a few more hours of riding, if things seem fine I would check them every 10 hours. You'll replace them fairly often as well.

IMO, checking the plugs on a two stroke is more important that checking the oil on a four stroke.
Click to expand...

Just found this. Nice resource: http://www.ngk.com.au/spark-plugs/technical-information/spark-plug-analysis [EDIT] Hmm, these might be 4-stroke plugs.

[EDIT] - Better link maybe: http://ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp
 
Last edited:
asechrest said:
Just found this. Nice resource: http://www.ngk.com.au/spark-plugs/technical-information/spark-plug-analysis [EDIT] Hmm, these might be 4-stroke plugs.

[EDIT] - Better link maybe: http://ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp
Click to expand...

You're looking for a tan to buckskin color, and you want them to be dry. With a two stroke there are two factors you're dealing with, fuel/air mixture and fuel/oil mixture. As far as the damage pics go they remain the same regardless. As long as you don't see signs of detonation, wait until you get your final oil mixture set before fine tuning the carbs. BTW, the more oil in the mix, the more prone you are to detonation at lean fuel/air mixes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top