Your engine ingested something. How does the rotary valve and cases look.
That can cause hard starting and poor performance.
I would replace the cover and SBT sells them.
And yes absolutely replace the carb base gaskets and never reuse them. The last thing you want is an intake air leak.
NO, there are no gaskets between the carbs and the flame arrestor. Only carb base gaskets between the carbs and the engine (always use NEW gaskets and Locktight 242 (blue) & tighten the bolts evenly and torque accordingly....20Nm = 15 lbf-ft)I guess what I'm most confused about, are there supposed to be gaskets between the carb and flame arrestor too? I bought base carb gaskets from seadoo warehouse for a ridiculous price of $30... but now I'm not sure if I need more gaskets (on top of the o rings for the rotary valve).
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NO, there are no gaskets between the carbs and the flame arrestor. Only carb base gaskets between the carbs and the engine (always use NEW gaskets and Locktight 242 (blue) & tighten the bolts evenly and torque accordingly....20Nm = 15 lbf-ft)