96 Speedster - rookie troubleshooting workflow

[lowspeedpursuit]

'96 Speedster, "ran when parked", been sitting 4-5yrs. Single-battery. Starboard engine (reman) had exhaust removed and PO abandoned project. Runs (poorly, for now) with new battery and new gas.
Port engine (possibly original) still won't start. Front cylinder looks like it's continually filling with oil, so crank seal? Which is an engine-out project.
So I have a few questions that are going to make me sound like an idiot, because I know small engines, but not boats:

1: Obviously I can't just drop it in the water with it running poorly. How do I tune an engine everybody says you can only leave running on the hose for 30 seconds? If I unhook the jet drive, is it then safe to leave an engine running on the hose for longer? Indefinitely?

2: Assuming I get starboard running well, can I do a shakedown run with one engine, compensating for steering? Or is that a total non-starter?

3: Should I even be trying to get the port engine started with an oil leak? In other words, is it safe in the short-term to get this engine running and cut the oil off when not in use, or should I not even be trying to get it running without pulling it to fix the leak first?

4: My key is trashed. What is the simplest way to minimize DESS going forward? Can I tune it out? Is there a resource to find other users with a tuner near me, or does somebody actively offer mail-in? EDIT: The closest legit dealer is kind of far, and also wants $200, and to keep my whole boat for 1-2 weeks until they get around to programming a key.

TIA.

EDIT: While I'm here, please tell me someone has a better strategy for how to seat the new check-valve grommets in the carbs? Conventional wisdom seems to be "apply even pressure and move it around, but don't push too hard".... I just blew through all 4 I have, and only one of them was even remotely close to going in. Dental floss shreds instantly. This is ridiculous.

 

[burtshaver2021]

1. I find there’s not much tuning to do, I’ve always rebuilt the carbs with back to OEM kits from OSD, then set the high and low speed screws to factory settings and I was good to go, I say always lol, but I mean twice, in my HX and my XP, I did however have to take the air box off a second time to adjust the idle screw in the XP, but that was it, apparently it can be done with the air box on, but I was finding it very aggravating. You are correct, if you remove the driveshaft you can run the engine on land for longer but I wouldn’t recommend doing that as I’ve always heard to tune them on the water as they react differently while under load.
2. I wouldn’t drive it on one engine as the non running engine will get flooded from water pressure up through the exhaust ports. There is a procedure in the manual where you pinch off a hose for towing, probably the supply hose, but check the manual if you do decide to drive with one engine running.
3. Yes it’s worth getting the non engine running even with the inner seal leaking, you may not even need a shut off valve depending on how long it sat for the oil to leak in, if it was a year or more, it may not even noticeably leak during the season. Every spring I take the spark plugs out, ground the plug wires and crank it over just in case it has leaked over the winter. Not a drop out of my XP this spring and it has leaked past before, I guess it’s healing itself.
4. The only way to eliminate DESS that I’m aware of is using an aftermarket MPEM and I couldn’t recommend that, to many stories of them not working out of the box. There are people that you can send your MPEM to. The only one that comes to mind is west side Powersports.
As for the check valves, I used dental floss wrapped around the Nikole of the grommet, a little 2 stroke oil on the grommet and a small pocket to gently help it through. I have since purchased the tool from OSD but haven’t used it yet. A lot will say an Allen key but I had no luck with it. Might be handy to have another set of hands around while you’re doing it. I would also check out the carb rebuild thread in this site as there is some bad information on the internet like bending the lever to obtain pop off.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Appreciate the very detailed response.

Looks like I'll end up needing to at least clean the carbs on the reman, which I was hoping to avoid for now if possible.

I'll keep working on the port engine. Carbs are bone dry even after cranking, so they'll be getting a full rebuild and backfilled with gas. Now that I think of it, do you know the approx level (gal.) at which you need to switch over to the reserve fuel pickup?
Unfortunately new grommets will take another week to get here. I was also using a 2mm ball-end allen key like in the carb rebuild sticky, and I was amazed by how little force pierced through the rubber. I've ordered the "real" tool now as well.

I guess when the grommets show up I'll give the floss another crack without a tool in the hole at all, so at least there's no chance I'll break it again.

I shot Westside an email to confirm they can't do DESS deletes. $100 + shipping for a new key (and I don't have to move the boat) is better than the dealer, at least. If your MPEM gets lost in the mail your boat is a brick, though.
I'm sure somebody has already experimented with lashing the original key near the post? Is it possible to get it close enough on the back side to read the chip, at which point you can just use a virgin key on the post? That's generally been the done thing to bypass PATS/SKIM in '90s vehicles.

Thanks again!

 

[burtshaver2021]

Appreciate the very detailed response.

Looks like I'll end up needing to at least clean the carbs on the reman, which I was hoping to avoid for now if possible.

I'll keep working on the port engine. Carbs are bone dry even after cranking, so they'll be getting a full rebuild and backfilled with gas. Now that I think of it, do you know the approx level (gal.) at which you need to switch over to the reserve fuel pickup?
Unfortunately new grommets will take another week to get here. I was also using a 2mm ball-end allen key like in the carb rebuild sticky, and I was amazed by how little force pierced through the rubber. I've ordered the "real" tool now as well.

I guess when the grommets show up I'll give the floss another crack without a tool in the hole at all, so at least there's no chance I'll break it again.

I shot Westside an email to confirm they can't do DESS deletes. $100 + shipping for a new key (and I don't have to move the boat) is better than the dealer, at least. If your MPEM gets lost in the mail your boat is a brick, though.
I'm sure somebody has already experimented with lashing the original key near the post? Is it possible to get it close enough on the back side to read the chip, at which point you can just use a virgin key on the post? That's generally been the done thing to bypass PATS/SKIM in '90s vehicles.

Thanks again!

Hey your very welcome, it would be worth looking through some Seadoo groups on should I dare say it? Facebook, if you use the search bar you may find someone doing it for less. I should take notes when I come across them. I found the same, that it was very easy to punch through them. Not sure if I mentioned it but when using the floss, I didn’t tie the floss, just wrapped it around a few times and then held it from unraveling while pulling it through, I did it myself but like I said an extra set of hands would be helpful and I did use the pic to gently pry them through the rest of the way. Let me know how the tool works for them

 

[burtshaver2021]

Where are you?

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Southern DE. Closest dealer is Short's Marine/Price Premier, then Delmarva Powersports.

EDIT: I wasn't expecting someone to get back to me right away. "Nick" from Westside just quoted me $160 (+ shipping/insurance) for a DESS delete. For still a bit less than the dealer wants for a key to never worry about it again, that seems like the move.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Additional questions, as they arise, for anyone who may know:

What are we doing for tachs? This boat has one, the other is MIA. Not sure if it failed, got yanked during the reman install, or what. Curiously, I have the right tach, which appears to be hooked to the left engine?

I see one on ebay for $200, and exactly nothing else anywhere at all. I do see this thread where we establish '96 GTX tachs are double the size, someone asks if a similar-looking '95 XP tach will work and gets no responses.

Is there a reason to buy the original other than aesthetics? Does anyone know anything else that will work electrically but require creative mounting?
Also considering just throwing an SPDT between the two engines to the one tach I have.

EDIT: Per wiring diagrams and this discussion, while '97+ are right out, I don't see why the '95 tach shouldn't work? They're certainly more readily available on ebay.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Okay, progress:

1. Summit seemed to have the cheapest grommets, so I bought a bunch. Popped in on the first try with dental floss wrapped, not tied. Bespoke tool didn't show up til afterwards. Did crease one of the check valves moving it to a new grommet, so I used a spare.

2. Port engine fires after backfilling lines with premix. Both engines seem to fire reliably enough at this point.

3. '95 tach is in the mail to me; my computer is in the mail to Westside Powersports. Will follow up on both.


The latest problem, and hopefully the last before I can shakedown, is the starboard throttle. It was disconnected, and when I took the controls apart, the keeper was bent and let the cable loose. Bent it back, remounted, throttle opens, but there's no spring action closing it again. Unlinked the carbs, and neither will spring closed. Springs aren't broken, they're just... stuck. Lubed everything, throttles got easier to move, but still no spring action. Is the shaft adjustable/the spring replaceable here?

 

[burtshaver2021]

Okay, progress:

1. Summit seemed to have the cheapest grommets, so I bought a bunch. Popped in on the first try with dental floss wrapped, not tied. Bespoke tool didn't show up til afterwards. Did crease one of the check valves moving it to a new grommet, so I used a spare.

2. Port engine fires after backfilling lines with premix. Both engines seem to fire reliably enough at this point.

3. '95 tach is in the mail to me; my computer is in the mail to Westside Powersports. Will follow up on both.


The latest problem, and hopefully the last before I can shakedown, is the starboard throttle. It was disconnected, and when I took the controls apart, the keeper was bent and let the cable loose. Bent it back, remounted, throttle opens, but there's no spring action closing it again. Unlinked the carbs, and neither will spring closed. Springs aren't broken, they're just... stuck. Lubed everything, throttles got easier to move, but still no spring action. Is the shaft adjustable/the spring replaceable here?

Check that the spring didn’t become unhooked

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

I was hoping there was some magic bullet to loosen an adjuster or lube everything up with the carbs in, but I went ahead and yanked them. Springs look fine. Shafts are sticking in their bores. MAG carb is looser, and works normally if I double-wrap the spring, although I'm sure that'll cause spring failure sooner.

PTO carb is trouble. I actually pulled the blade and throttle shaft, and it isn't visibly rusty or corroded, but it's still incredibly tight and won't turn freely at all.
Not sure if I should try to lightly sand inboard of the seals, or just keep lubing it and let it sit a couple days, or what.

EDIT: With better light I found the obvious corrosion in the spring-side bore:

Cleaned up with 150-grit and double-wrapped the spring and now I just need to replace the screws on the throttle blade.
They look like M3, but don't start cleanly into a nut. Not sure if the threads are deformed or I have the wrong pitch.

EDIT: Confirmed they are M3. Ends of the old screws were just corroded.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

'95 XP tach confirmed fitting bezel and wiring. Alignment notch doesn't hold, and would be slightly off-center anyway. Not sure if it actually works til I get my computer back.