2000 GS starts but runs rough, bogs down and then dies.

[antii]

When i first got it i took it straight to the water and it ran great for about 4 hours but it started to bog down and wouldn't go to high revs, then it would die. So i rebuilt the carb. Just as all my Google searches reviled, the carb filter was clogged up with black and green goop. I also replaced the fuel hoses, and added an in-line fuel filter.

At first i had trouble getting it started, the first thing that i found wrong is the piston were stuck to the the walls, so i manually turned it and lubed it up with fogging oil while i was cranking it.

Now that i have it back together, i have trouble keeping it started. Most of the time i have to use spray starter fluid to get it started, and then when i try to rev it, either it will shut off immediately, or revs up and then shuts off. While it's running there is thick white smoke pouring out of the exhaust and after it stops the smoke starts coming out of the intake!!

I haven't tested it in the water, i just hook up a water-hose. I've checked the spark plug gaps, and they are new plugs. It doesn't run hot, although i haven't been able to keep it started for very long.

I'm really new to playing mechanic so try not to use too many big words.

 

[Nemrod811]

did u make sure u hooked up all your fuel lines back where they go and not crossed them on accident maybe thats why u arent getting fuel.i picked up a 96 xp this week and it had that problem idk what the previous guy was doin but after i switched them all around it started pumping fuel and now it cranks.i read a post where seadoosnipe said to place a plastic bag over the flame arrestor while cranking to help build suction and prime the carbs. it worked for me so give it a try.i see your from tx if u arent too far off i might can even help u out some.im no mech but im learning as i go and the forum has been a big help.also dont get too carried away with the starter fluid since it doesnt have any oil in it to lubricate the the engine while its running for those few secs.i got a soda bottle and poked a hole in the lid and put some premix in it and squirted that into the carbs instead

 

[antii]

Well it is pulling fuel to the carbs, it just wont stay running. Maybe its just bad gas? I will check the hoses tomorrow though. And i don't premix my fuel, there are separate containers for gas and oil. I too am learning as i go. I'm in Waco i'm not sure where Hempstead is...

 

[Nemrod811]

if your ski isint pulling fuel and oil from the containers while your spraying starter fluid to get it to fire your not getting lubrication,my ski is set up like yours but i do it as an extra precaution.check and make sure all your hose clamps are tight too.they way i made sure i was getting fule is id dump the fuel from the inline water separator under the hood and as i crank id watch it to see if it filled back up which it should.i dont know much bout your ski idk if its a typo but i saw u said u cleaned the carb is it a single carb ski or did u actually only clean one carb?hempstead is on the otherside of bryan/college station i think south bout 40 miles

 

[Rotor13B]

It almost sounds like the oil has some water mixed in it. Since you say the pistons were stuck to the cylinders I would do a compression check first. You describe the classic symptoms of an engine overheating and seizing up.

What kind of oil are you using?

 

[antii]

if your ski isint pulling fuel and oil from the containers while your spraying starter fluid to get it to fire your not getting lubrication,my ski is set up like yours but i do it as an extra precaution.check and make sure all your hose clamps are tight too.they way i made sure i was getting fule is id dump the fuel from the inline water separator under the hood and as i crank id watch it to see if it filled back up which it should.i dont know much bout your ski idk if its a typo but i saw u said u cleaned the carb is it a single carb ski or did u actually only clean one carb?hempstead is on the otherside of bryan/college station i think south bout 40 miles

It only has one carb. I'll check all the hoses and clamps.

 

[antii]

It almost sounds like the oil has some water mixed in it. Since you say the pistons were stuck to the cylinders I would do a compression check first. You describe the classic symptoms of an engine overheating and seizing up.

What kind of oil are you using?

I don't know what kind of oil that's in it. I really dont think the engine overheated after 15 seconds of running. and even then, the egine itself stayed cool to the touch. Do you know of a tutorial for a compression check?

Also, the gasket at the base of the carb is missing, could i be losing compression from there?

 

[antii]

Also, I have two of them that did the exact same thing. I just havn't done anything with the other. That way if i did something wrong i'd have a reference. I didn't get a chance to look at it today, ill do it in the morning.

But what could be the cause of the smoke coming out of the intake?

 

[boyd]

Take the inline fuel filter off. It could be resisting the flow.
BOYD

 

[Nemrod811]

compression test is easy,just pull your spark plugs out and ground your cables off on the grounding post idk where yours are mine are on the the rear ebox yours might be above the stator on front of the engine.if u have a compression tool plug it into the spark plug hole and crank on the engine and hold the throttle wide open till needle stops moving on the dial.you can rent a tool from autozone or oreillys but they may not be accurate as i found out yesterday cuz i had one reading that i only had 70 psi.u can buy one for what it cost to rent one just take care of it

 

[Rotor13B]

I don't know what kind of oil that's in it. I really dont think the engine overheated after 15 seconds of running. and even then, the egine itself stayed cool to the touch. Do you know of a tutorial for a compression check?

Also, the gasket at the base of the carb is missing, could i be losing compression from there?

Damage occured when you were riding it and couldn't get it to rev up and it died. Carb issue you described was probably letting it run lean until the problem got bad enough that the ski wouldn't run anymore. Running lean can ruin piston rings and cause low compression.

 

[antii]

So i still have to get a compression test kit.

You say that running lean could have damaged the piston rings. First, Whats the difference in running lean and running rich? Second, If the damage was caused from running lean, are the piston rings the only thing that would have been damaged? Because i think i can handle changing a couple piston rings, but i wouldn't bother trying to rebuild the whole engine.

And now that i think about it, the ski i'm working on had a big hole in one of the cooling hoses, so its more likely that it overheated. But i think it was the outlet hose, so the cooling system was still getting water, it was just spraying it back into the ski instead of out the back of the ski. And even then, Both skis had the exact same problem only hours away from each other so i don't know.

The oil i'm using is "XPS synthetic oil" for 2 stroke temps. It's specifically marked for Sea-doo

 

[antii]

OK, so I've checked the compression one is 155psi the other is 175psi. The tester is new from Auto-zone. I thought the optimal pressure is 150 so either i tested it wrong or i have a clog somewhere?

I found out that it was used in saltwater somewhere. Judging from how it was stored for two years before i bought it, i imagine that it wasn't cleaned very well. so i think it's likely that the cooling system and/or exhaust is clogged up.

Also everyone here seems to think its not pulling ANY fuel at all, when it is. I put the inline fuel filter close to the carb so i can see it while its running and before i start the engine the filter is empty, and fills up either from just cranking it or using the starter fluid to keep it going.
So there still could be some sort of restriction somewhere in the fuel system. However, I did verify that all the fuel hoses have been replaced correctly, and i actually shortened a few hoses. The clamps are not too tight.

A few things I've thought up.
1. Bad gas - i did put Stabil gas treatment for long-term storage in before winter last year. An i just realized that the tank wasn't full.
2. I didn't completely rebuild the carb, all i did was replace the gaskets. i left all the springs and pins and stuff. i didn't even think the gaskets needed to be replaced because they looked almost new. so it could need new springs or something.
3. Since i did shorten some fuel hoses and the new ones aren't stopped up, the carb may need to be calibrated.
4. I don't think the fuel filter would allow less fuel through than the fuel hose. Although, it could cause an uneven flow of gas, because it isn't completely filling with gas, air stays trapped in it.