4tec starter replacement question
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68ragtop
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Its official, I have now joined the 4-stroke club!
The ski is a 2002 GTX with 62 one owner hours. the P.O. thought it needed a starter & found out the starter was not the issue. It appears to be the helix inside the engine. So, they decided to ditch the ski & I was on the recieving end of the deal. Right place at the right time I guess. I never heard it run, but the hull & engine is clean as well as the oil. Eveything else is in really nice shape, except it could use a wear ring soon, & the hull needs a polishing. I took a gamble on not knowing how well it runs, or if it even runs at all, but the price I paid reflected that risk IMO. I feel pretty good about it seeing the starter will not engage the helix. It just spins. If the engine has problems too, I think it would be a coincidence, but we will see.
It would apear as I page through the service manual, its a bit of a project to replace the helix as the front cover of the engine needs to be removed, Not sure yet if that will require the engine to be pulled out for easier access, or if it can be done while its still in the boat.
Has anyone done this on a 4-Tec & are the helix's a common problem? I see they carry a heavy price tag!
The ski is a 2002 GTX with 62 one owner hours. the P.O. thought it needed a starter & found out the starter was not the issue. It appears to be the helix inside the engine. So, they decided to ditch the ski & I was on the recieving end of the deal. Right place at the right time I guess. I never heard it run, but the hull & engine is clean as well as the oil. Eveything else is in really nice shape, except it could use a wear ring soon, & the hull needs a polishing. I took a gamble on not knowing how well it runs, or if it even runs at all, but the price I paid reflected that risk IMO. I feel pretty good about it seeing the starter will not engage the helix. It just spins. If the engine has problems too, I think it would be a coincidence, but we will see.
It would apear as I page through the service manual, its a bit of a project to replace the helix as the front cover of the engine needs to be removed, Not sure yet if that will require the engine to be pulled out for easier access, or if it can be done while its still in the boat.
Has anyone done this on a 4-Tec & are the helix's a common problem? I see they carry a heavy price tag!
ski-d00
Well-Known Member
Well, not usually a coincidence that there will be other problems when a bendix fails. The bendix is extremely reliable so the most common way they get damaged is when there is another problem with the engine, such as a bad bearing, locked up engine, or some other mechanical issue that causes a major drag on the system and the bendix will then be the weak spot and break. The reason they only bring $50 or so used is because they are so reliable and readily available.
You need to turn the motor over by hand with the spark plugs out to see if it is locked up.
Removing the PTO housing is not difficult to do in the ski, just a couple of bolts on the bottom that are a little tricky to reach but overall pretty straightforward and simple. I do it quite a bit but not usually because of the bendix, flywheel bolts, timing chain issues, and sc cleanup is a more common reason to remove the pto housing.
You need to turn the motor over by hand with the spark plugs out to see if it is locked up.
Removing the PTO housing is not difficult to do in the ski, just a couple of bolts on the bottom that are a little tricky to reach but overall pretty straightforward and simple. I do it quite a bit but not usually because of the bendix, flywheel bolts, timing chain issues, and sc cleanup is a more common reason to remove the pto housing.
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68ragtop
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your input on all of the posts I started! The engine had what felt like a snug spot & had me worried at first. especially when I found the ring gear loose on the flywheel. My hopes for an easy fix sunk & I figured the engine would be a loss. but I soon realized the tight spot was because there was some light rust starting on the #2 cylinder walls. not much, more of a rust color to the walls. But it was enough to put some drag on the rings. I oiled up the cylinders & spun it over a few times & it now spins free. Compression is a little on the high side right now, but I am guessing its because the rings are sealing better than they should with the added oil. All the cylinders still have their crosshatch still visible, no scrapes of scratches in them that I can see with my scope.
I purchased a flywheel from a 2006 GTI. only thing I noticed is it has a silver finish where mine bad one looks more like a heat treated black tint. IT would seem that the 2006 has the alignment pin in a different location, but I assume the flywheels are independently balanced & that shouldn't matter?
I purchased a flywheel from a 2006 GTI. only thing I noticed is it has a silver finish where mine bad one looks more like a heat treated black tint. IT would seem that the 2006 has the alignment pin in a different location, but I assume the flywheels are independently balanced & that shouldn't matter?
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