1997 challenger is this too rich

[fprusak62]

boat is hard to start. When checking plugs they appear to be slightly oiley.
If I put a new set of the standard plug recomended boat starts right up. Works find at half trottle and up. smokes at half trottle and lower. Rave valves are new and clean. using seadoo synt. oil clean spark arrestor. Once I shut boat off it is hard to start again. any help would be great.

 

[Dr Honda]

Has the engine ever been rebuilt?

were the carbs recently rebuilt?


If the engine has never been rebuilt, your rotary valve seals could be leaking, and you are getting a little extra oil. In turn... fouling the plugs, and giving you the extra smoke. If that's the case, put in a "7" heat range plug, and run it harder to keep them clean.


If your carbs were recently rebuilt... You may have the same issue many people are having. The aftermarket carb diaphragms allow the needle and seat to leak, making your low end rich... and it floods the engine after you turn it off. (making it hard to restart)


Does the engine run well otherwise?

 

[fprusak62]

hard to start

Engine was never rebuilt. Carbs have been rebuilt through seadoo dealer. motor runs excellant. This is a 14ft. boat if you believe spedo it says 50 and could run all day. does not get good mpg.

 

[JESSECONSOPOLUS]

ya honda is correct. after sitting oil can accumulate in the engine and cause a horrible smoke at startup. it should clean out when hauling across the water. best thing would be just that, run it to burn all that out. honda correct me if i am wrong but couldnt the rotary valve be causing that as well? any grooves on the valve surface could cause leakage into the engine. does it have to be the seals?

 

[fprusak62]

97 challenger hard to start

Engine has not been rebuilt. Carbs have been rebuilt through seadoo dealer in cleveland. Compression is 150 in each cylinder. Rave valves are new along with belows and they are clean . Tried a hotter plug per Dr. Honda same problem. Instantly started with new plug went for a ride came back and was hard to start. Plugs were slightly oiled also I have noticed that I get some oil coming out the rave valve were the base has the notch. The dealer does not want to back there work so I am on my own. I would like to start a process of eliminating one possibility at a time . Simple to hard
Any help would be great.
Thanks

 

[seadooya]

possible too much clearance at RV surface. SBT does an exchange program, not sure how much though.

 

[fprusak62]

Does anyone know of someone in northeastern ohio who can do a leak test.
Thanks

 

[voodoo]

You want to mark the oil tank and let it sit a week, if it smokes like crazy the most likely cause is the inner crank seals - you will need to rebuild the lower case to do this, fullbore is close to ya and sbt has the high volume workshop farther away.

 

[fprusak62]

Hard to start

maybe I miss stated my problem. I have had the carbs rebuilt new rave valves
newer jet pump. Professionaly gone over by powersports of cleveland. still no answer to problem. boat runs great from half trottle and up. there is blow back out of rave valves after running engine hard. new hotter plugs starts right up when brand new . hard to start after running even after a mile or so.
The excess smoke is just more smoke than usual at half trottle. I marked tank and oil does not go down and engine does not smoke at all at start up. only when cruising at half trottle. Just tying to figure out why boat is hard to start after motor is hot or cold 5 mimutes after running or 1 hour or two weeks later. I am thinking the rave valve blow back or more specific a little spurt of oil which comes out of the notch at the bottom of rave valve basehas something to do with my problem.
any help would be great.

 

[voodoo]

Set the oil pump cable and figure out the smoking - use premix in 5 gallon loads until you get the oil pump figured out - it may need rinse out with kerosene to flush out gel from mixing oil types if this is your first season - find one and stay with it, when you mix oils it forms gel like jelly on the jar and plugs the nozzles.

 

[christiand]

97 Challenger

I've got the same boat (year and model) and have the same thing going on. Starting to check the gas filter, but noticed some oil residue around one of the rave valves. Not sure if the valves have ever been cleaned, so I will start there. What other causes could make oil show up around a rave?

 

[shockerfd]

I've got the same boat (year and model) and have the same thing going on. Starting to check the gas filter, but noticed some oil residue around one of the rave valves. Not sure if the valves have ever been cleaned, so I will start there. What other causes could make oil show up around a rave?

Oil seeping around the Rave could be a couple of things. An overly rich condition will compound the issue but a bad O-ring and too much clearance between the slides and head also allows it to pass through. It's basically unburnt fuel. Also the little hole inside the Rave which allows the oil to pass through could be clogged. Squirt some wd-40 through there. A good simple cleaning is a good start. Inspect the bellows and spring around it as well and make sure there is good spring action with the Rave.