02 gtx rfi full rebuild

[Abomb1985]

Hi all just rebuilt a 02 rfi 787 with a wsm crank and pro x pistons bored over a little I did a good amount of homework on it as this is my first ski rebuild I understand I have to prime the oil lines on first start up my question is can I run it for any length of time on the hose for first start up to wear it in? or do I need to head to the lake for break in? Also no premix right since it’s fuel injected? And I can run it with the driveshaft off too correct?Any other suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks all

 

[shamrock246]

I ran mine on the hose only for couple of minutes just checking for leaks and to make sure the engine sounded good after that went to the water and started the break in, no pre mix on the injected skis, you can prime and bleed the oil pump with a drill, never tried to run it without the drive shaft. I ran it on the trailer while backed into the water for a bit for a secondary leak check.

 

[Abomb1985]

Thanks for the reply Im only asking about the driveshaft because I’m unsure about how I’m gonna go about engine alignment. I kinda wanna hear the thing run before I have to pay 300 for the tool!

 

[wrench2ride]

I always bleed the pump at the bleed screw and then when I start it for the first time I'll hold the oil pump wide open with my finger while it runs for a couple of minutes, everything is coated in 2 stroke oil when I'm rebuilding it and I drop about 15-20 cc's of oil in each side of the rotary valve openings at start up. its best to hook it up to the flush while your doing this but of course don't start the water until its running.
you could run it without the driveshaft in it, I wouldn't be reving it up with no load on it.
No premix, its semi direct injection so the oil in the fuel basically only sees the top of the piston.

 

[Abomb1985]

Thanks for the reply! I have 2 final questions, so I’m bored over .50 so when I rebuilt the raves I took a piece of sand paper and wrapped it around my old piston and sanded the valves down a little to clean up the little bit of damage on them and also for clearance since I’m a little over. I put the valves in by themselves and wiggled them around and cycled the engine to check for any rubbing and there was none so does that mean I’m good? Also the way the flywheel went on the crank with that little key seemed a little sketchy so I put a little red thread lock on the key and then obviously the threads. Am I going overboard by doing that or did that look a little concerning to you guys as well? Thanks

 

[wrench2ride]

sounds like you should be ok, but you do need to have some clearance because when things heat up they are going to expand.
I usually trim them before I install the cylinder and check them with a straight edge and feeler gauge.
the key just times the flywheel, the taper on the crank and flywheel is a pretty strong fit, think about a pto flywheel on a 951 engine, or a clutch on a sled engine, they are a taper fit with no key. not going to hurt having some loctite on it though just make sure you got it tightened to spec before the loctite dries

 

[Abomb1985]

Yeah I tightened the flywheel up right away. As far as the raves I already have the motor ready to drop in so I don’t really wanna take it apart but I might pull the valves off and take some more off just to be safe if I take to much off is that gonna be a big deal as far as performance? Thanks for the help I’m kinda a newb

 

[wrench2ride]

I would say your not going to notice it but there will be a point when too much is too much

 

[Abomb1985]

 

[Abomb1985]

So I got the motor in and it fired right up I only ran it for about 15 sec a few times but it seems to have a high idle I don’t have a gauge on my ski but I would say probably like 2-2500 rpm but I don’t have the driveshaft connected and the air box is off if either of them things matter? What should idle be? And how is it adjusted on rfi ? Hope I don’t have to mess around with tps or something like that.

 

[shamrock246]

Idle speed out of the water is 3000 rpm in the water it’s 1500 rpm.

 

[wrench2ride]

I don’t have any access to technical documents right now, if I remember in the next day or two I’ll take a look.but an RFI runs at a high idle until the water temp sensor heats up and then it drops because it runs on one cylinder at an idle, I can’t remember what years but early rfis run on the mag cylinder at idle and later years ran a stratified idle where it switched cylinders it would idle on but they still run on one cylinder at idle.
Having the driveshaft hooked up and the air box on isn’t going to affect your idle rpm.
You can’t just turn up the throttle plate stop to adjust idle, the only adjustment you can make is the tps sensor and you need the computer to do it, you have to back the screw off all the way hit the reset tps sensor on the computer and then turn the screw in until the throttle plate opens to the spec degrees opening
What shamrock mentioned goes for every carbureted engine.

 

[Abomb1985]

Ok well maybe it’s ok then if it’s supposed to run that high out of the water I’m in Minnesota waiting for the lakes to open I think I have a few weeks till I can get it in the water I’m also waiting for an alignment tool to come how many shims does it usually take would a pack of ten be enough? Thanks again

 

[mikidymac]

Yes, idle is high out of the water with no load.