lilstrudel717
New Member
I am seeking some help with some trouble I've been having with a 1996 GTI with a 717 engine. Some relevant background is I bought it for dead cheap on FB marketplace, prior to working on the ski, I did not have any experience working on jet, skis, or engines at all really. I do have plenty of access to all the tools I've needed and advice because my father has rebuilt a truck or two and I use his stuff.
Also I have reason to believe whoever worked on this ski prior to me was an actual monkey with a Walmart 20 piece toolset, if that tells you anything, I have throughout this process fixed so many royally effed up things from them.
I appreciate any help as I know everyone here can imagine how much I've gone through trying to get this ski running. I bought it last summer and was really hoping I would get to actually take it out this summer and enjoy it but here we are school is about to start back up and it's still not working. Regardless, I am happy with the progress I made as the thing didn't even start whenever I got my hands on it.
Here are the symptoms that it is having now on the water and a list of the work I have done on the ski, along with some troubleshooting I have done to try and diagnose:
I have disassembled the engine completely cleaned it out and put it back together in accordance with the shop manual with new gaskets. The only seals/gasket I could not replace was the rotary valve cavity seals on the crank shaft. The Pistons and the cylinders looked good. One looked like it might have a tiny bit of water damage, but not something that I would think would cause issues but then again I am not an expert. I also cleaned the cylinders. Aside from that work on the engine I have replaced the regulator rectifier, MPEM, rebuilt carbs with genuine Mikuni kits and tuned to spec, replaced the dreaded gray fuel lines, cleaned my fuel selector switch, replaced a destroyed wear ring, and replaced the battery. I have done so much work on this ski that there's probably other things that I'm forgetting as well.
TROUBLESHOOTING
symptoms: starts great cold, runs good and strong for like 2-5 minutes, then starts bogging, with some misfire-type noises, doesn't respond well to throttle after certain rpms, loses power for a moment sometimes (feels like cavitation almost, but isn't i think). restarting when warm is slightly more difficult than starting cold as well.
thermometer test (just tested for my own conscience not really relevant I guess)
autozone oemtools compression testing
1 Engine looked good when taken apart
2 I dont trust the gauge i used
3 Used a different gauge that only went to 100 Psi and it was bouncing off the end way past 100
4 100-110 seems like a weird reading to get, like why would it be pretty evenly worn like that but look good and not be a super old engine
cooling system flush
what is battery voltage when running?
Also I have reason to believe whoever worked on this ski prior to me was an actual monkey with a Walmart 20 piece toolset, if that tells you anything, I have throughout this process fixed so many royally effed up things from them.
I appreciate any help as I know everyone here can imagine how much I've gone through trying to get this ski running. I bought it last summer and was really hoping I would get to actually take it out this summer and enjoy it but here we are school is about to start back up and it's still not working. Regardless, I am happy with the progress I made as the thing didn't even start whenever I got my hands on it.
Here are the symptoms that it is having now on the water and a list of the work I have done on the ski, along with some troubleshooting I have done to try and diagnose:
I have disassembled the engine completely cleaned it out and put it back together in accordance with the shop manual with new gaskets. The only seals/gasket I could not replace was the rotary valve cavity seals on the crank shaft. The Pistons and the cylinders looked good. One looked like it might have a tiny bit of water damage, but not something that I would think would cause issues but then again I am not an expert. I also cleaned the cylinders. Aside from that work on the engine I have replaced the regulator rectifier, MPEM, rebuilt carbs with genuine Mikuni kits and tuned to spec, replaced the dreaded gray fuel lines, cleaned my fuel selector switch, replaced a destroyed wear ring, and replaced the battery. I have done so much work on this ski that there's probably other things that I'm forgetting as well.
TROUBLESHOOTING
symptoms: starts great cold, runs good and strong for like 2-5 minutes, then starts bogging, with some misfire-type noises, doesn't respond well to throttle after certain rpms, loses power for a moment sometimes (feels like cavitation almost, but isn't i think). restarting when warm is slightly more difficult than starting cold as well.
thermometer test (just tested for my own conscience not really relevant I guess)
- not working as far as i can tell
autozone oemtools compression testing
- 100 PSI rear cylinder
- 110 PSI front cylinder
1 Engine looked good when taken apart
2 I dont trust the gauge i used
3 Used a different gauge that only went to 100 Psi and it was bouncing off the end way past 100
4 100-110 seems like a weird reading to get, like why would it be pretty evenly worn like that but look good and not be a super old engine
cooling system flush
- flushed and working working
- plugs pulled, look wet and dark grey after flush
what is battery voltage when running?
- 14.08 volts max
- laser thermometer reads 120 degrees max on outside of crank case and cylinders during bogging
- does not respond
- doesnt seem to respond, may be bogging a little less maybe but still not responding to throttle
- no response
- Front plug feels hot and is matte dark grayish (pencil lead color) ever so slightly brown, rear plug is dark grayish black and wet (PICTURES ATTACHED)
- I don't know if I was doing it wrong or not, but I couldn't see any spark like whatsoever when i tried it
