HI all, New here but have been lurking for awhile learning what I could. I bought a 99 speedster SK at the end of summer. It had a blown/ shredded starboard engine and a full tank of gas. The blown engine had been removed but it sat for two years before I came along. I ended up replacing well, everything except the magneto, head, carburetor, air silencer, and exhaust manifold on... Piston heads/ rings/ jugs and stator are all brand new. I drained the gas tank threw a little xylene in there while I worked on the new motor and then filled it with 5 gallons of rec gas. I bought a new battery and after the usual little frustrations I got it started on the trailer the Port (original engine) fired right up the new engine also fired up but didn't sound as deep and throaty as the original engine but it ran fine on the trailer.
I brought it down to the local ramp, left it on the trailer and started both engines, warmed them up throttled up and down a few times and all seemed good. took it home pulled the plugs all nice and chocolate colored. Gas gauge doesn't appear to work but that's for another day. Took it off the trailer in the water and putzed around a little, was having trouble with the new engine staying lit and thought it might be a carb issue and/or just burning off the trash in the motor from the rebuild. I decided to open it up and after a little frogging around it got up on plane. I kept it at about 3/4 throttle but noticed right away the new boat wanted to skew to port but straightened when I throttled back on the starboard engine. So I am thinking either an alignment issue or the new motor is just pushing harder. when I slowed to turn around and head back the SB motor died.
Now here is where it gets weird. I could start the SB engine and it would run great on it's own. as soon as I started the P engine and brought it to 3k RPM the SB would die. I managed to get back to the dock ok but never got the boat back on plane as I had to keep both engines at basically an Idle rpm. If I turned the wheel to the limit causing the low-speed Revs to kick in I would lose the SB engine again. Trying to dock a boat in a tight U Shaped launch when one engine keeps cutting out is no easy (or graceful) task.
I got the boat back home and threw the battery nanny on it and puzzled over it. I then realized that I had not grounded he two engines together when I reinstalled the new engine. I did do that this morning but before I take it out onto the water again, I wanted to throw it out to experts here if that missing ground would have caused the issues described (miss-matched thrust, dead engine when other goes WOT...) I'm guessing that the ground wire was possible touching the housing on the new motor but only loosely and when I turned the boat it disconnected entirely.
Also, Is there an easy way to adjust the timing on these things when they are in the boat. I am really sick of working blind and holding a plank position for hours on end trying to adjust the stator. not to mention getting the magneto on and off everytime.
Thanks!
I brought it down to the local ramp, left it on the trailer and started both engines, warmed them up throttled up and down a few times and all seemed good. took it home pulled the plugs all nice and chocolate colored. Gas gauge doesn't appear to work but that's for another day. Took it off the trailer in the water and putzed around a little, was having trouble with the new engine staying lit and thought it might be a carb issue and/or just burning off the trash in the motor from the rebuild. I decided to open it up and after a little frogging around it got up on plane. I kept it at about 3/4 throttle but noticed right away the new boat wanted to skew to port but straightened when I throttled back on the starboard engine. So I am thinking either an alignment issue or the new motor is just pushing harder. when I slowed to turn around and head back the SB motor died.
Now here is where it gets weird. I could start the SB engine and it would run great on it's own. as soon as I started the P engine and brought it to 3k RPM the SB would die. I managed to get back to the dock ok but never got the boat back on plane as I had to keep both engines at basically an Idle rpm. If I turned the wheel to the limit causing the low-speed Revs to kick in I would lose the SB engine again. Trying to dock a boat in a tight U Shaped launch when one engine keeps cutting out is no easy (or graceful) task.
I got the boat back home and threw the battery nanny on it and puzzled over it. I then realized that I had not grounded he two engines together when I reinstalled the new engine. I did do that this morning but before I take it out onto the water again, I wanted to throw it out to experts here if that missing ground would have caused the issues described (miss-matched thrust, dead engine when other goes WOT...) I'm guessing that the ground wire was possible touching the housing on the new motor but only loosely and when I turned the boat it disconnected entirely.
Also, Is there an easy way to adjust the timing on these things when they are in the boat. I am really sick of working blind and holding a plank position for hours on end trying to adjust the stator. not to mention getting the magneto on and off everytime.
Thanks!
