New to the forum as a poster, but I’ve been on this site checking other posts and I gotta say how cool it is that the knowledgeable guys are so helpful.
So my issue is with a 94 SeaDoo XP I picked up . First summer at my new cottage so most of the startup cash went to more priority purchases, but was happy to find this pwc for $600 and that it started first push when I picked it up and again when I drove it from the launch to my dock.
The next weekend I went to start it and it would crank but not start. This is where my troubleshooting/repair process started.
(At this point engine would crank as long as I held the start button)
1- Charged battery, checked cables (replaced negative cable as it was obviously replaced at some point with an unsealed stranded 6ga cable)
2- Checked for spark (yep- replaced plugs anyway)
(Now it would only crank for about 3 seconds and then it would cut out, but it sounded like it was just about to turn over)
3- Resistance tested “stop button” and lanyard switch per repair manual - All good
4 - Moved onto possible fuel issues. First thing I did was replace the old grey fuel lines (shout out to this community for that tip)
5 - I planned to try testing the fuel delivery by using a shot piece of fuel line and a bottle of gas to see if the carb was pulling gas properly when a new issue took over.
(At this point, the start button would only engage the starter and a “thud” could be heard, but nothing else)
6 - Thought maybe all the cranking killed the battery so charged it (no change) and even tried a new battery (no change)
7 - Removed plugs and tried turning the engine by hand and it didn’t budge. Crap. Ok, hopefully it’s in the jet pump not the engine.
8 - Pulled jet pump. Impeller rotates freely, actually wear ring and impeller in decent shape.
9 - Tried to turn engine by hand again, nothing, wouldn’t budge. %#@&!!!!
10 - Thinking I seized the engine somehow, I pulled the head cover to check the cylinder walls, didn’t see any clear signs of damage but both pistons were halfway through their travel)
11 - On a last ditch effort to avoid accepting this machine was junk I pulled the starter to see if maybe it had seized the flywheel (broken tooth or something)
Once I pulled the starter (looks to be a replacement from SBT) the engine rotated freely, actually very well. This is were I am at now.
One thing I noticed was that whoever replaced the starter did not secure the back bracket to the mounting location. From what I could feel it seems as though it wasn’t too far out of alignment because I think I could’ve threaded a bolt through the bracket if I lifted it just a bit.
My question is what should be my next move? I’m not a full blown novice when it comes to engines (rebuilt several car motors from the bare block) but I’ve never worked on a pwc in my life and I can admit when I need help from people who know what the hell they are talking about.
I feel like I’ve gotten as far as I can with the resources at my disposal (this forum and the manual) and I don’t want to put everything back together without a game plan. I’m sure I probably took the scenic route in my approach so far, but I’ve learned a lot about what makes these things tick, which is not time wasted to me. However, feel free to school me on any errors I’ve made thus far.
Sorry for the extremely long post, I hope it doesn’t deter the pros from reading it, I just figured I’d lay everything out.
Any insight or guidance is very much appreciated.
Thanks
So my issue is with a 94 SeaDoo XP I picked up . First summer at my new cottage so most of the startup cash went to more priority purchases, but was happy to find this pwc for $600 and that it started first push when I picked it up and again when I drove it from the launch to my dock.
The next weekend I went to start it and it would crank but not start. This is where my troubleshooting/repair process started.
(At this point engine would crank as long as I held the start button)
1- Charged battery, checked cables (replaced negative cable as it was obviously replaced at some point with an unsealed stranded 6ga cable)
2- Checked for spark (yep- replaced plugs anyway)
(Now it would only crank for about 3 seconds and then it would cut out, but it sounded like it was just about to turn over)
3- Resistance tested “stop button” and lanyard switch per repair manual - All good
4 - Moved onto possible fuel issues. First thing I did was replace the old grey fuel lines (shout out to this community for that tip)
5 - I planned to try testing the fuel delivery by using a shot piece of fuel line and a bottle of gas to see if the carb was pulling gas properly when a new issue took over.
(At this point, the start button would only engage the starter and a “thud” could be heard, but nothing else)
6 - Thought maybe all the cranking killed the battery so charged it (no change) and even tried a new battery (no change)
7 - Removed plugs and tried turning the engine by hand and it didn’t budge. Crap. Ok, hopefully it’s in the jet pump not the engine.
8 - Pulled jet pump. Impeller rotates freely, actually wear ring and impeller in decent shape.
9 - Tried to turn engine by hand again, nothing, wouldn’t budge. %#@&!!!!
10 - Thinking I seized the engine somehow, I pulled the head cover to check the cylinder walls, didn’t see any clear signs of damage but both pistons were halfway through their travel)
11 - On a last ditch effort to avoid accepting this machine was junk I pulled the starter to see if maybe it had seized the flywheel (broken tooth or something)
Once I pulled the starter (looks to be a replacement from SBT) the engine rotated freely, actually very well. This is were I am at now.
One thing I noticed was that whoever replaced the starter did not secure the back bracket to the mounting location. From what I could feel it seems as though it wasn’t too far out of alignment because I think I could’ve threaded a bolt through the bracket if I lifted it just a bit.
My question is what should be my next move? I’m not a full blown novice when it comes to engines (rebuilt several car motors from the bare block) but I’ve never worked on a pwc in my life and I can admit when I need help from people who know what the hell they are talking about.
I feel like I’ve gotten as far as I can with the resources at my disposal (this forum and the manual) and I don’t want to put everything back together without a game plan. I’m sure I probably took the scenic route in my approach so far, but I’ve learned a lot about what makes these things tick, which is not time wasted to me. However, feel free to school me on any errors I’ve made thus far.
Sorry for the extremely long post, I hope it doesn’t deter the pros from reading it, I just figured I’d lay everything out.
Any insight or guidance is very much appreciated.
Thanks
