Seawater fuel Trouble

[SDSeadooer]

Long story short, 1995 GTS ( w/2 carbs. ) was ridden in the bay with the gas cap loose and got a bunch of saltwater in the tank. It was a couple of weeks before we realized it when it would not start. we've drained the tank and the filter blew out the cylinders , and it fires right up with starting fluid, but cant seen to get gas to it. Filter has refilled with gas but its not getting to the engine. any help would be greatly appreciated. Do I need to prime the carbs. some way. How? Is there a lube that I can put a little in the gas line to shoot thru the carbs in case the needle valve or other parts are stuck in there, that might help. Or will I have to have them rebuilt ? anything else? Possible fuel pump damage? Thanks for any and all help.

 

[mikidymac]

Water is thicker than fuel so what is happening is your carbs are basically plugged with water.
IF it has been sitting you could now hove corrosion in your carbs.

The best thing to do is clean them and rebuild with genuine mikuni parts.

 

[Ckrawiec]

AS Miki stated...in all likelihood your carbs are water fouled.....at a base minimum, you might be able to open the fuel pulse side of the MAG carb and clean that out...chances are its full of water and the ski won't start in that state (this is what I found when my ski took a submarine dive).....cleaning that out might get you started...BUT if you are going to that level of trouble...you might as well rebuild your carbs anyway....

Also, don't use starter fluid...use a little pre-mixed fuel (40:1) if you need to start the ski...starter fluid has no lubricants and washes the cylinder walls....these engines need OIL in the fuel for lubrication.

 

[SDSeadooer]

I seem to have gotten all the water out of the tank , lines and carbs and changed the fuel filter. Still won't start, cylinders are dry. it fires right up and runs with primer pump knob and Gas system pressurizes. I removed the gas line to fill a bottle to make 40/1 mix for priming and I'm not getting gas to the carbs. I tried to check voltage to the tank fuel pump with the lanyard on, I couldn't get a reading. Is voltage sent to pump from Mag, so there is no power unless it's running? I should have fuel pressure at carbs, right? what's the best way to check the pump?Or could this be an in the box fuse?
Thank you again

 

[Ckrawiec]

I seem to have gotten all the water out of the tank , lines and carbs and changed the fuel filter. Still won't start, cylinders are dry. it fires right up and runs with primer pump knob and Gas system pressurizes. I removed the gas line to fill a bottle to make 40/1 mix for priming and I'm not getting gas to the carbs. I tried to check voltage to the tank fuel pump with the lanyard on, I couldn't get a reading. Is voltage sent to pump from Mag, so there is no power unless it's running? I should have fuel pressure at carbs, right? what's the best way to check the pump?Or could this be an in the box fuse?
Thank you again

HOW do you know you got all the water out of the carbs? Did you take the carbs out of the ski and take them apart? When you say "fuel filter"...do you mean the fuel/water separator under the front hood? The fuel filters are inside the carbs. There is no fuel pump in the tank (the electrical connections to the top of the fuel tank are for the fuel level sensor circuit board), so there is no fuel pressure built up in the system when you attach the key or press the S/S button...the fuel is sucked out of the tank once the ski starts creating vacuum when the cylinders are pumping, that vacuum is connected to the PULSE pump on the MAG carb, there are plastic check valves inside the PULSE pump that allow fuel into the carb...[if that pulse pump is full of water, you won't get any gas through].....if there is no fuel in the carbs initially (enough to get the ski started)...the ski won't start...but will/should fire if you put pre-mix directly into the carb throats. If you haven't taken the carbs apart...you haven't gotten the water out of the carbs...in all likelihood.

If you take the carbs out, might as well rebuild them, if they have never been rebuilt before.

You stated the ski fires right up...so that sorta eliminates any electrical issues (as you have spark) OR it at least tells us that your battery and starter and solenoid are all working properly.

 

[SDSeadooer]

HOW do you know you got all the water out of the carbs? Did you take the carbs out of the ski and take them apart? When you say "fuel filter"...do you mean the fuel/water separator under the front hood? The fuel filters are inside the carbs. There is no fuel pump in the tank (the electrical connections to the top of the fuel tank are for the fuel level sensor circuit board), so there is no fuel pressure built up in the system when you attach the key or press the S/S button...the fuel is sucked out of the tank once the ski starts creating vacuum when the cylinders are pumping, that vacuum is connected to the PULSE pump on the MAG carb, there are plastic check valves inside the PULSE pump that allow fuel into the carb...[if that pulse pump is full of water, you won't get any gas through].....if there is no fuel in the carbs initially (enough to get the ski started)...the ski won't start...but will/should fire if you put pre-mix directly into the carb throats. If you haven't taken the carbs apart...you haven't gotten the water out of the carbs...in all likelihood.

If you take the carbs out, might as well rebuild them, if they have never been rebuilt before.

You stated the ski fires right up...so that sorta eliminates any electrical issues (as you have spark) OR it at least tells us that your battery and starter and solenoid are all working properly.

Thanks, I just cleaned the fuel pulse side, and filter of the Mag carb ( As stated above ). I'll do them both. Thanks again for helping me understand the system.