Bad day turned to Lucky Day

[jjsinaz]

This morning I took the ski up to the lake put it in the water and went out riding. As I continued to ride I notice it was running rough and was not idling at the right speed either. This past week, I have cleaned the RAVEs, made a slight adjustment to the HS screw on the PTO carb (was at 1/2 turn I closed it to 1/4 turn and I put a different set of spark plugs in it (not new). So I went back to the trailer and took the seats off to have a look. Didn't have any tools with me but a screw driver, so I adjusted the HS screw back to 1/2 turn and it seemed like the roughness ha cleared out. So I put the seats back on and headed out. Never made it past the no wake zone before it was running rough and stumbling again. Seemed very rich to me. So I put it back on the trailer, grumbling to myself as to why did I screw with it when it was running fairly good. Grumbled the whole way home about what a money pit the f'ing thing was yada yada yada.

So I got home put it in the garage and took the seats back off. This is when I realized that what seemed to be a bad day turned out to be one of my luckiest days. As soon as I took the seats off I could smell gas Strong. I had noticed some water in the hull when at the lake and wondered where that was coming from. Turns out it wasn't water, it was gasoline. One of the return lines had been rubbing on the corner of the PTO carb and had a hole in it. Had I kept running the ski, it could have been disastrous. Two things I take away from this 1) Whenever something does not seem right, don't keep running the ski, stop and figure out whats happening before the damage gets worse and 2) sometimes what appears at first to be a bad day, could just end up being your lucky day. It was mine today

 

[mikidymac]

Glad you are safe and got lucky on this on. Skis have been known to blow up this way and kill people. Fuel leaks are no joke.

 

[jjsinaz]

Thanks Miki. Yes this could have been really really bad. God was definitely watching over me.

 

[AKnarrowback]

Good catch and happy to hear you are safe.

I had a gas leak in the hull ignite on me when I was looking into a DOO once, the heat wave going past my face was more intense than anything I have ever felt. I always keep a Halon extinguisher near by so damage to the machine was minimal, my arms and face were two weeks before I was normal.

 

[GGuillot]

This morning I took the ski up to the lake put it in the water and went out riding. As I continued to ride I notice it was running rough and was not idling at the right speed either. This past week, I have cleaned the RAVEs, made a slight adjustment to the HS screw on the PTO carb (was at 1/2 turn I closed it to 1/4 turn and I put a different set of spark plugs in it (not new). So I went back to the trailer and took the seats off to have a look. Didn't have any tools with me but a screw driver, so I adjusted the HS screw back to 1/2 turn and it seemed like the roughness ha cleared out. So I put the seats back on and headed out. Never made it past the no wake zone before it was running rough and stumbling again. Seemed very rich to me. So I put it back on the trailer, grumbling to myself as to why did I screw with it when it was running fairly good. Grumbled the whole way home about what a money pit the f'ing thing was yada yada yada.

So I got home put it in the garage and took the seats back off. This is when I realized that what seemed to be a bad day turned out to be one of my luckiest days. As soon as I took the seats off I could smell gas Strong. I had noticed some water in the hull when at the lake and wondered where that was coming from. Turns out it wasn't water, it was gasoline. One of the return lines had been rubbing on the corner of the PTO carb and had a hole in it. Had I kept running the ski, it could have been disastrous. Two things I take away from this 1) Whenever something does not seem right, don't keep running the ski, stop and figure out whats happening before the damage gets worse and 2) sometimes what appears at first to be a bad day, could just end up being your lucky day. It was mine today

Harrowing story, definitely could have been a bad day. BTW - on both of my 787 skis, I run 1/2 turn out on the HS needles, both carbs. Seems to be a safe setting when pegging WOT all the time, I usually see a solid 6700. Both the GSX and GTX I have run the same. You sound like you're having an issue on the low speed circuit, (4 holes in carb barrel) may want to double check that, verify carbs are synced and so forth. I like to set the LS needles at 1 turn out, it's worked for me to get a good transition from a dead idle.

 

[jjsinaz]

When I was replacing the return lines, I had the airbox off so I did resync the carbs. I used MikiD's sound method. I used a long funnel as kind of a stethoscope and placed the end in each carb throat. It was off. The PTO carb was making the click and the Mag carb was not. Adjusted the link until both had the distinct click when the throttle snapped closed I have the LS needles at 1.5 and the HS PTO = 1/2 and Mag =0 Maybe I'll try the Mag at 1/2 and LS at 1. I have been through the carbs, two sets worth, and I'm sure those transfer port holes are clean. BTW, nice job on the RESTOs

 

[Ckrawiec]

Thanks for sharing your experience...I have the same ski and will be vigilant.

Curiosity question....the "spec" for the carbs say LOW speed screw = 1 turn OUT, High speed screw = 0 turn OUT. Is time/experience telling us that these setting are fine for factory new, but with age we MAY need to tweek the screws a little either way?

Reason I ask: I am about to go back into my carbs (again) and was planning to set them to factory spec....Low 1, High 0 (on both) and verify the linkage/sync, etc.....

 

[mikidymac]

If your carbs are clean and correct a stock seadoo will run perfectly on the factory settings. IF it does not then you have something wrong.

 

[jjsinaz]

Miki is right (as he usually is). They should run fine at the factory settings, and I was errant in setting my LS to 1.5 and I intend to correct that. Some say to run the PTO HS screw out 1/4 to 1/2 turn because the PTO cylinder on these tends to run lean. I haven't had it out since I made those adjustments and synced the carbs. Definitely going to take the LS back to 1 turn before I go out.

As for the fuel leak, my own dumb fault. I bought a set of used carbs and they had that clear plastic line on them for the returns and fuel between the two. I just left that on there and put them on and never looked back. I replaced with the heavier 1/4 black fuel line

 

[mikidymac]

Miki is right (as he usually is). They should run fine at the factory settings, and I was errant in setting my LS to 1.5 and I intend to correct that. Some say to run the PTO HS screw out 1/4 to 1/2 turn because the PTO cylinder on these tends to run lean. I haven't had it out since I made those adjustments and synced the carbs. Definitely going to take the LS back to 1 turn before I go out.

As for the fuel leak, my own dumb fault. I bought a set of used carbs and they had that clear plastic line on them for the returns and fuel between the two. I just left that on there and put them on and never looked back. I replaced with the heavier 1/4 black fuel line

It was more of the Yamaha's that had a problem with the rear cylinders running hotter, not so much a Seadoo issue.
The crankshaft would actually twist under a heavy load and increase the timing on the rear cylinder making it run hotter.