Fuel sender removal and float replacement

[guitarsjm]

Hello and thanks for all the great help so far. i did the short out gauge test and the gauge went to full. so, i ordered the float as Doc or Lou suggested... a little tech guidance on what to do next will sure help. as always, thanks... being new, we are constantly learning and appreciate other members understanding of that. all the replies, responses and PM's have greatly helped.

 

[LouDoo]

It's not that difficult, mark the fuel lines at the baffle 1, 2, 3, 4, and make a corresponding number on the baffle. Pull the fuel lines, loosen the big hose clamp around the baffle, remove the baffle. Remove the fuel intake filter on the bottom of the baffle, it just snaps off. Remove the old float, install the new float. Installation is the reverse of removal.

I think there are pictures in the service manual, you can refer to the manual if you have any trouble.

Lou

 

[guitarsjm]

thanks Lou.... i have a great mind for 'seeing' exactly what you are describing to me. that'll do! have a great day!

 

[guitarsjm]

hey Lou...

float is on the way... my gosh.. i understand the procedure; except... my hoses have these wonderful 'factory-type' crimped clamps on them. can i just loosen the the big hose clamps and LIFT the entire unit up without cutting all the hoses??? see i cant put a pic in here so i will put all the pics i took today in a new thread that you can, kindly if you will, refer to and get back to me. while we are on the subject of the fuel system, i got the purolator gas filter your or doc suggested... you know what my next question is i bet... and believe me, i am NOT afraid of getting dirty or tools or nothing... and i KNOW where a fuel filter should go... but WHERE in this engine does it go, and even a scarier thought, HOW do you get to wherever it does go? (and you can please again, refer to my pics if you need but i bet you dont...and once i get this stuff down.. i will be up to speed in the future..) really hope i am not being a pain, but better to ask and get it right than to think i can just wing it and frick up my motor somehow... thanks Lou!!

 

[Dr Honda]

On the sportster, there is just enough room, and slack in the hoses to pull the sender without cutting the hoses, or clamps.

 

[guitarsjm]

my gosh... you ARE the man! that just saved me some hell i am sure!! phew.. i would think that in the future, all those crimp clamps may need to go anyway.... dang... do i hate those little cheesy screw clamps.. they just never look good, take up space, are a bitch to get too. but for now, nothing is leaking.... so... i guess, the old adage, if it aint broke, dont fix it. will do... but, updating or upgrading is a bit different..lol. NOW, if you have just as 'easy' of a way of telling me where and which hose is the fuel line into the carb... if its only one... damn there are so many and they all look the same for the most part! its so darn tight in there... i almost fell in vacuuming out some junk that was in the bottom!

 

[John in Valley Forge]

I dont think I had enough slack in mine when I did it, plus I was replacing the hoses at the same time. They were the original ones from 1998 and did play well with ethanol gas.
I marked each hose with a wrap of masking tape and labeled each 1-2-3-4.
The factory clamps came off by jiggling a little screwdriver into the crimp and twisting it. I imagine there are other ways to get them loose.
Turned out that my float was OK, but the infamous little fuse inside the sender was bad so I had to do the short-out routine (described better in other threads).
When I reassembled it I used stainless steel worm gear hose clamps.

 

[LouDoo]

You've got lots of room in there, try working on a ski sometime, you'll appreciate the boat. As far as the fuel lines go the locations should be on the baffel, the line you want is the main fuel line to the carb. Find the water separator/fuel filter, it's got a plastic bowl about 1-1/2" in diameter x 2" long. The line where you want to put the in line filter is the line from this filter to the carbs. Just cut this fuel line and install the new filter, the arrow on the new filter should point toward the carbs.

Here's a picture of the one I installed on my 96GTI.

Lou

 

[guitarsjm]

if you looked at my pic of the top of the 'baffle' (is that also referred to as the sender assembly?), there are, it seems, 4 hoses that do(?), are for(?) and go(?)... i know this is all free help and i am not in anyway ignorant; just hard to figure out what i have no idea what i am looking at or where to look.. its not like a 60 cuda or mopar stuff... car engines were no problem... this is a bit greek. i sincerely appreciate all the time you guys put into helping this newbie and if there is ever a way to 'pay back' i will always do my best and part to add something to help others here. i spent a good deal of time looking intentionally, to find the line you mentioned.... you say, 'carbs'... does my engine have more than one? so, there would be 2 lines going into them? that little separator you mention... a pic may be helpful as i didnt see anything, at least where i was looking and i assume that the carb or carbs are behind the black oval air intake as in parts pictures (i have parts manual and owners manual, just not the service one yet...next check will get it). so, point and i will follow, teach and i will learn. assuming there are 2 carbs in this, there would be a 'Y' split coming FROM that fuel separator that i have no clue where it would be or is... going back and looking at one one the pics i posted, the one with the air intake on the bottom of pic, i know the 2 black lines with screw clamps going into the head are flush lines... correct? if so, there are 2 other lines on either side, but underneath the air intake... are those the fuel lines? if so, i would follow them BACK up to some sort of 'Y' which is being fed from a separator/filter... and put the new filter in BEFORE or AFTER that one? just trying to use a bit of common flow sense.

 

[LouDoo]

O.K., I'm going from memory here, the outlet marked reserve draws fuel from near the bottom of the tank and goes to the fuel selector valve. The line marked main, draws fuel from higher on the baffel and goes to the fuel selector valve. The main from the fuel selector valve goes to the water separator/fuel filter, from the filter the main fuel line feeds both carbs.

The other two lines on the baffle, one is a vent, vents through the hull, and the other line is a fuel return line from the carbs.

The inline fuel filter goes in the main line between the water separator/fuel filter and the carbs. As Forest Gump would say, and that's all I got to say about that.

Lou

 

[guitarsjm]

ok... now... then.. it seems that most of those lines, looking down from my engine pic with the air intake on the bottom, all or most of those gas / vent lines are on or seem to be on the starboard side (would be bottom of pic), and lead around the fuel fill intake, fuel vent, etc. is it safe, going by your excellent memory, to assume that 'somewhere', if i follow those 2 lines that are under the air intake, those are the lines feeding the carbs, if i follow them BACK and is it also safe to assume that those 2 lines will meet at some 'Y' connector with said seperator? if so, then i fully understand what you are saying... if not.. then i am going to drown myself in my pool! one more thing... do i have ONE or TWO carbs?? if i know, then i can more easily locate the lines

 

[ocod]

Spacing makes reading easier

It looks like you have two


http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/seadooforums/Seadoo_oem/Seadoo_JB.asp?Type=13&A=15&B=19

 

[LouDoo]

O.K. I'm going from memory here again, and to tell the truth I have never worked on a boat before, just ski's. I'm pretty sure that your 717 has two carbs. You should be able to make a visual inspection to tell, if you can't see them get a mirror. The line you are referring to is the fuel return line, the mail fuel line connects to the pto carb. on the lower side of the carb. it's kinda on a plate on the carb. You can remove the air box and see it clearly. I'm going from memory from my 96GTI which should be similar. You might want to check the service manual or even a parts diagram, click PARTS top of this page.

Lou

 

[guitarsjm]

thanks... hey... just learning my way around this and from many years of computer a/v equipment manuals.... what is shown is not always what you have due to version differences, last minute changes, updates and such... so, although a part manual may show something, it may not always be what you have in front of you. but now that i see that it is more or less NOT that way in this case.... i will be more inclined to trust what i read and see. thanks! (now to just find which lines are feeding the carbs so i can put in this darn filter!)

 

[LouDoo]

The inline filter is optional, it never came from the factory on any boat or ski that I know of, it's really just a little extra insurance. I'm sure there's a lot more ski's and boats without the extra filter, than with. Since it seems to be so difficult, maybe you should just forget it.

Lou

 

[guitarsjm]

found it... done... thanks Lou and all others who contributed.