Think water froze in engine help!

[babyjoker494]

I have two 96's, an XP and SPX. The XP hasnt been in water since beginning of September since it was fixed and its been started a few times so Im pretty sure theres no water in that engine. The SPX on the other hand, was in the water in October towards the end and I saw water in the drain tubes and it was slushy/frozen. I didnt know how to winterize and finally got some help but its now december and i think I may be too late. The engine wont turn over, it really doesnt seem like its even trying. Its almost like its struggling to even move. What should I do? Have I completely screwed my jetski?

 

[sporsterjoel]

I have two 96's, an XP and SPX. The XP hasnt been in water since beginning of September since it was fixed and its been started a few times so Im pretty sure theres no water in that engine. The SPX on the other hand, was in the water in October towards the end and I saw water in the drain tubes and it was slushy/frozen. I didnt know how to winterize and finally got some help but its now december and i think I may be too late. The engine wont turn over, it really doesnt seem like its even trying. Its almost like its struggling to even move. What should I do? Have I completely screwed my jetski?

ok STOP trying to start it. what you need todo is get it warmed up, do you or a friend have a garage? if so get i little heater and get the ski warm first so if there is frozen water in it it will melt then you can try and start it to make sure its ok then winterize it.

 

[babyjoker494]

ok Im going to try that...do you think from trying to start it maybe I screwed something up? It started out trying to turn over and now its really struggling

 

[kustomkarl]

It's hard to say...but if it attempted to turn over than it might not have been frozen solid...there is still hope. Get it warmed up and see what happens. It might have a very low charged battery too from the cold weather. Remove it and charge it too before you attempt to start it. I suggest to spray some wd-40 into the plugs holes just as a little extra lubrication, before you turn it over. It will displace any water too.
Keep us posted on your progress.

Karl

 

[sporsterjoel]

:agree: im in ontario so just above you and up till now it hasnt been very cold here every snow fall has melted but im not sure about where you are but we have a big storm right now and its getting cold again so id get it taken care of soon. But while its warming up search this forum to find out how to winterize it so your all ready to go.

 

[seadoosnipe]

No engine damage....

It's doubtful that you had any engine damage. It's possible but not likely for the short amount of time it's sat up. It would be nice to know which motor you have. The SPX for that year had one of two different motors in it. You either have the 587 or the 717. So, it would be nice to know which one you have.

The reason I don't think the engine froze is because both of these engines are set up to drain by the line you see under the exhaust manifold, which is positioned lower to the jugs. So, there should be no standing water in them. All Rotax 2 strokes have a TLCS (total loss cooling system).

The idea I have on your ski is that your battery went dead. That's why it's struggling to start. The water (slush) you see in your tell tale lines is because it's not a critical part of the cooling system and will usually have an area in it that makes a "dip", where water will hold up.

The worse case scenerio is that you ingested a bit of water and in this short time, a bit of rust has locked a bearing. If this is the case, in the short amount of time, you should be able to pour a bit of your lubricating oil in it and get it to turn by hand.

Before you attempt anymore to start it, take the precautions that the others above me has suggested. I might add that you remove the spark plugs, spray just a bit of WD-40 in the spark plug holes and with them still out, remove the shaft cover over the PTO and try to spin the shaft by hand, counterclockwise. By hand first, if it's too stiff, try with a small pipe wrench. Careful not to burr the shaft up.

Let us know your engine and we'll help on winterizing. These two motors are different, but simple.........:cheers:

 

[seadoosnipe]

Roller bearings......

I'm not so sure the motor will need a new crank if the roller bearings seize from water. I'm not saying that it won't either. I believe this will be a case by case situation. Depending on whether the seized bearing got a flat spot in it while you were trying to break it loose.

I have a 650 that was locked up tighter than a drum. It had sank the year before and had set up with some water in it. I poured a good bit of lubricating solvent into the spark plug holes and intake and let it sit for a day or so. Then, rocking the engine a little each day, I was able to free it. It took about 3 days after I freed it, spinning it over manually, then by the starter, that I finally got it to fire. It smoked pretty bad but cleared up after a bit.

But, the bottom line is, after starting it, I haven't done anymore work to it but rebuild the carb and it's run ever since. That was 2 seasons ago.

So, in my experience with 2 stroke roller bearings, they can take a bit more punishment than we think they can.

I do wonder about the jugs freezing though. By design, the 951, 787, 717, 657, and 587.....their cooling system is a TLCS (total loss cooling system) and has a drain at the bottom of the engine for allowing all water in the cylinders water jackets to be expelled. There is probably a tablespoon of water or so that can be left but I've never had one freeze and crack. Also, my geographical location may play a part in this. Here, on the Gulf Coast, we don't get much below 32*F and then, it's only a few times a year.

Try and spin the motor by hand as suggested. I still think you may have a dead battery. Left outside, I think it'd freeze before the engine. Sulfuric acid in our batteries at a 33% concentration is susceptable to freezing, killing a battery. Although, specific gravity determines the freezing point and in batteries, varies on it's life cycle.

Let us all know if the engine spins over!..........:cheers:

 

[babyjoker494]

Thanks for all the advice...I really do appreciate it. Im going to try to work on them a little today so I will keep you posted!

 

[babyjoker494]

Well some good news and a couple questions. I got the XP winterized and its ready to go, it started right up with some WD 40. The SPX Is a 587 and I sprayed WD in there as well, replaced the plugs and threw the jump box on it. It tried to turn over and basically sounded liike I was trying to sstart it with no plugs. I could smell the gas going thru. Then it started to slow down and be sluggish again. Im recharging my jump pack because I think maybe it just lost some juice. Does it sound like more than a battery probem? If theres anything eelse I should do, lemme kno. Ill keep you updated

 

[seadoosnipe]

battery?...

No, this sounds like its totally your battery. Remove the battery and take it to your local Advance or Autozone parts store and ask them to load test it. They'll do this for free. It will tell you if the battery is good or not.

If the battery is a year or so old, it may be shot. These batteries are normally only good for a season or two.............:cheers:

 

[babyjoker494]

We just took the battery out of the XP and used it in the SPX and it still wouldnt start...it sounds like a deep tink. The battery still needed the jump on the XP so I expect it needs it again so Im still charging it up. BUt Im going to take both of them up to autozone in a few. I tried it one last time and the jump is dead but the ski wont do anythng when you push the start button so Im assuming its the battery.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Engine spin?

When you put the battery in the SPX and tried it, did it spin over fast for a minute or so? Where the plugs in or out? (it seems from your reply, they were out)

If you check the battery and it's bad, this is probably your only real problem. If not, then your starter may be going bad. Sometimes, when a starter spins a motor slowly or drags real bad, you can pull the plugs to offer little resistance. If the starter turns the motor easily but not when there is torque on it, then the starter is about shot.

Keep us informed of what you find out.....:cheers:

 

[babyjoker494]

Well, today I charged up my jump pack and threw it on the battery. Nothing happens when I push the start button at all. WTH lol

 

[Nate Surveyor]

Clean the DESS key.
Clean the batt cables ends.
Rotate it by hand, dump a bit of oil motor oil down the plug holes.

These thing are systematic. That is, if one item fails, go on to the next.

Nate

 

[seadoosnipe]

Rotate?....

You still haven't said if your engine is locked up yet. You need to pull the plugs and shaft guard and spin the motor counterclockwise by hand. Please post if it's free or locked.

If you can't spin it by hand, put a pipe wrench on it. But, if it won't spin fairly easily by the wrench, don't force it.