MY 951 MAKES MORE POWER THAN YOURS

[SrSalvageSki]

To start off you can say im a little frustrated right now so please forgive any grammar issues here due to typing out of anger lol.

blew my first 951 motor out of the ski knowing it was going to happen due to the motor had water in it before purchase (only paid100 bucks for the ski and a trailer) after weeks and weeks of looking for another engine that wasn't going to cost 1700 dollars that SBT wants for a rebuild. I found another GSX with a good motor in it for 400 bucks. welp after completely rebuilding my ski with the new motor in it and going through literally every issue that could be had with it,,,,, I finally got it running and was able to take it out on the water for a good few hours. the ski ran amazing. I babied it for a little while and then I gave it the dinner. the thing idled it went fast it shut off it started it was literally perfect I was the happiest guy on the water . took it home ran the water through it made sure is shut off and turned back on again. everything again was fine so I shut it off and put it in the garage. TODAY!!! I went to go turn it on to go out on the water after work !!!!! and the motor is locked up !!!!I removed the starter to make sure that it isn't that. I pulled the race valves to view the skirts . I pulled the plugs I removed the pump I did everything to make sure it couldn't be something eles locking up the motor.


NOW would someone care to take the time to explain to me how an engine can break and lock up without even leaving the trailer or even running ??? the motor didn't start so it couldn't have broke while running and the last time it ran it literally ran perfect. I can get the motor to turn to a point where its complrtly free and you can spin it to a point where it just stops because its hitting something.


This brings me to the title
my 951 makes so much power that it actually broke its self while it wasn't even running so it must make more power than yours #SICK

 

[SIMPLEARKANSAN]

Load test the battery?

 

[mikidymac]

Did you have the water on with the engine off?

It’s very likely that $400 engine was on borrowed time a your hard running did it in. If there was any water in the bottom end then you might have lost a crank or balancer bearing.

FYI, high hour or abused 951’s are not long for this world, they can and will let go on you.

And BTW, my 951 makes more power than yours because it still runs, LOL[emoji6]

 

[SrSalvageSki]

there was no water on while the ski was not running and I let it run for a few seconds after I shut the water off to make sure that all the water was out.

I understand that but how can the motor break and lock up when it wasn't running ?? that's whats getting me here. I could see the thing loosing a bearing or destroying the counter weight while it was running again out on the water.....but half a crank of the starter isn't going to blow bearings apart. iv seen the insides of these things I know what the bearings look like there not that that tiny these things arnt just gonna come apart under the power of just the starter.

 

[SrSalvageSki]

even if the motor ate a major bearing while it was being ran last......it would have showed signs of it at that time. the knock before they go get really hot the works. this thing ran and was fine it was shut off and restarted and there were no issues until it sat for two weeks.

 

[Matt Braley]

Pump locked up? Water got in during your test ride?

 

[GGuillot]

$100 ski with a motor equals very low expectations...a $400 ski with a 'good' motor isn't much better. A new or rebuilt motor for $1K+ is best.

 

[SrSalvageSki]

Jesus you guys are killin me lol I’m kinda looking for an actual mechanical idea here like from someone who’s been inside these motors and actually fixed these things to know what could go wrong. I don’t need the financial responses like your my mother telling me the “best ways that i should have spent my money” . Not only could it be beneficial to me but also for other people that are in the same situation and looking for a more in depth mechanical response/idea on the inner workings of the rotating assembly.

Since it’s been stated already that the pump is already removed the starter is off of it and so are the raves.....it can’t be either of those it’s the rotating assembly that’s locked here. Since it didn’t go while it was running might be my only saving grace here because i don’t think it did much damage anywhere else. I pulled the exhaust manifold and put my fingers on the front piston (because basset on initial inspection when i installed the motor i thought I’d be having problems with that cylinder) as i put my fingers on the rings i spun the motor to the point where it would lock and clank. I can clearly feel the dead stop on that position as it approaches the bottom of its stroke. I’m thinking that the ski ran it got hot it ran fine....after the motor cooled down things shrunk and maybe a ring cracked and moved. I’m thinking maybe a ring is hitting the exhaust ports on the cylinder wall

 

[GGuillot]

I’m kinda looking for an actual mechanical idea here like from someone who’s been inside these motors and actually fixed these things to know what could go wrong.

It would be a guess until you tear it down, but it could be a piston ring catching a cylinder port or it could be something that broke off and jammed the crank, or a bearing has failed. I don't own a 951, both of my skis are 787s. But from what I understand the 951 is less forgiving, you probably will need a new crankshaft and a full rebuild if that engine has any significant hours on it. It's not often you can buy a used engine for $400, especially a 951 and expect it to operate flawless. They tend to have a limited amount of hours until rebuild, and the 951 has that threshold sooner than all the other engines.

Nobody is trying to act like your mother and tell you how to spend your money, but I think initially you would have been better off rebuilding the $100 motor.

 

[SrSalvageSki]

Valid response

I was gonna rebuild that first motor but it was assembled with all SBT parts and had been sitting in salt water. I didn’t have much faith in the running relatability from the beginning with that one.. what about these cranks go bad that they’re always in need of a rebuild?? Seadoo did not seem to skimp out on the size of these things. I mean the mains look bigger than most timkin wheel bearings i see for the cars i work on ‍‍ Biggest thing killin it is the non serviceable crank and the fact that it can’t be rebuilt without a dam press. The first 100 dollar motor locked up while riding it and it smoked a rod bearing..those are kinda small and look rather weak. This one I’m really not leaning on bottom end i honestly think something that was on its way out cooled down cracked and moved in the top end like a ring or something. Like i said in my opinion my only saving grace here is that it didnt lock up while running...could have saved me the case and more damage else where. I’m gonna pull it apart today when i get home and see what’s cookin in there. I’ll post pictures so others can learn through my anguish

 

[mikidymac]

Like I said in post #3, crank or balancer bearing are the most common things to lock up on the 951.

The 951 makes a lot of power for it's size, is a lean burn engine and can get water into the bottom end due to the pipe design and carb placement. All of this contributes to a highly stressed bottom end.

Once you get it apart and find out what is actually locking up your engine we can give you some good advice on moving forward especially if you are on a budget.

 

[SrSalvageSki]

welp got the motor taken out today and stripped it on the bench. this motor made so much power that it actually bent a rod sitting on the trailer not running >>>SICK

buying a SBT motor with a warrantee and gonna ride it to Greece

unless a starter has the power to bend a rod I have literally no idea how this happened up for ideas and open for comments. that motor was thrashed anyways it was on its last legs... pistons were scored to death rings were loose loose and the cylinders were pitted to hell. it was worth a shot and I wont buy anything just sitting on a hope ever again.

I would think that in order to use all that is bad with this motor to bend a rod.. the motor would have to be running. and one thing I did notice is that looking down to the crank. one side of the motor was well covered in oil and the other seemed deff way to dry sooo im assuming one carb was running leaner than the other and not oiling things as it should.

 

[GGuillot]

sooo im assuming one carb was running leaner than the other and not oiling things as it should.

Good assumption, in prepping to run a new motor, it's a good time to go through the fuel system, new lines, strainer oring, fuel selector, new OEM carb kits, test the pop off and so forth. I wouldn't run on hope that stuff is good either.

Welcome to the money pit, I went from $200 to $2000+ in the blink of an eye on my 97' GTX when I got it, then I repeated the same madness on the 96' GSX a year later.

But...money well spent, I've made some great memories getting on the water over the last couple years.

 

[AKnarrowback]

Beautiful picture.