Air Filter

[ksw144]

When I bought my boat, it had a blown motor. I had a local guy give me a hand with the rebuild. He seemed to think the air box's on these boats were designed specifically for the PWC. He recommended taking the air box off and just running it with the spark arrester.

Is there an after market air filter you guys like? Or should I just put on the factory air box? Or run it without?

Thanks.

Kyle

 

[seadoosnipe]

Air box...

When I bought my boat, it had a blown motor. I had a local guy give me a hand with the rebuild. He seemed to think the air box's on these boats were designed specifically for the PWC. He recommended taking the air box off and just running it with the spark arrester.

Is there an after market air filter you guys like? Or should I just put on the factory air box? Or run it without?

Thanks.

Kyle

The air box is designed to keep water from entering your engine. There is no air breather, just a flame arrestor.

I actually run one of my 787's without the air box on it. It's the one in my boat. That's mostly because I'm not satisfied on how it runs. So, I'm constantly tinkering with it to get it how I want it. Its' the carb system with the accelerator pumps, so that's what I am usually working with.

If you have your flame arrestor on, with the mounting plate to keep it from popping off, then your fine. You need the flame arrestor on because that is what helps create your manifold pressure. SO, you can't remove it.

You'll only have to worry about water getting in your intake system without the box on. You'll notice the air box is set up with holes at the botton, that's for the water to drain. BUt, to answer the question, yeah, you can run without the air box......

 

[Dr Honda]

to answer the question, yeah, you can run without the air box......

Can you... sure... should you..no.

Like snipe said... it helps create manifold pressure. Running without the flame arrestor will essentially change the Pop-off pressure in the carb. Also... on a boat with a large engine compartment... if you get a back fire... you could blow the hull apart. Not to metion... it's illegal on a boat to not run the flame arrestor. (US Coast Guard regulations)

My recommendation is to run the stock unit on the boat. On a small ski... I like aftermarket units for better breathing.

 

[ksw144]

I wouldn't run it without the spark arrestor. I know that needs to be there for sure. His concern was that they air box hangs so low, that he'd seen, or had water sucked into the engine through the air box because it was off to the side. He said that's mainly been a problem on the twin engine boats and the driver side engine.

I'll probably just put the air box back on after I get this tank of pre-mix gas through the engine, and I do a final carb adjustment.

It doesn't sound like you guys are concerned about the possibility of sucking water in through the air box. It has always just felt funny, not running an air filter. I've grown up around boats, my parents had a 1982 Blue Water that my step-dad bought new in '82, they just sold it a couple years ago. Anyway, it just had a spark arrestor, which always seemed funny to me... I guess there's not much dust on the water

 

[Dr Honda]

I wouldn't run it without the spark arrestor. I know that needs to be there for sure. His concern was that they air box hangs so low, that he'd seen, or had water sucked into the engine through the air box because it was off to the side. He said that's mainly been a problem on the twin engine boats and the driver side engine.

I'll probably just put the air box back on after I get this tank of pre-mix gas through the engine, and I do a final carb adjustment.

It doesn't sound like you guys are concerned about the possibility of sucking water in through the air box.

Nope... I'm not worried about the water. AND... if you have enough water in the engine compartment to have the stock airbox suck it up... you have other problems. (like... you are getting ready to sink)

It has always just felt funny, not running an air filter. I've grown up around boats, my parents had a 1982 Blue Water that my step-dad bought new in '82, they just sold it a couple years ago. Anyway, it just had a spark arrestor, which always seemed funny to me... I guess there's not much dust on the water

You got it. There isn't much dust on the water :cheers: