1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

[bedwards36426]

Bought a 94 Sea Rayder w/ a Mercury Sport Jet 90. I watched to guy i bought it ffrom spray starting fluid in the carbs to get it to start. well i thought no big deal, he just doesnt know how to choke it, or its just been sitting all off season. Boy was I wrong tried everything I know, changed spark plugs, plug wires, check fuel pump for steady stream, new battery, new starter, and relay. I just dont know. Tryin to see if there is anything else before i take it to a mechanic. Thanks for any help.

 

[79Merc80]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Hello and welcome to Iboats.

I know your engine says Mercury Sportjet, but technically, it's a Force engine. Might also try the Force/Chrysler to see if they have any additional information on that part of the forum.

HTH, Craig

 

[sutor623]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Bought a 94 Sea Rayder w/ a Mercury Sport Jet 90. I watched to guy i bought it ffrom spray starting fluid in the carbs to get it to start. well i thought no big deal, he just doesnt know how to choke it, or its just been sitting all off season. Boy was I wrong tried everything I know, changed spark plugs, plug wires, check fuel pump for steady stream, new battery, new starter, and relay. I just dont know. Tryin to see if there is anything else before i take it to a mechanic. Thanks for any help.

Whoa bro!! You bought a new starter and relay?! Does the starter activate and try to spin the motor over when you turn the key? If it does the issue is not in the starter system. If it does not, check the main power/ground wire out of the motors wiring harness. If I were you, I would pour some fuel/oil mix into the carb and get her to fire up. MAKE SURE THE MOTOR IS PUMPING WATER OUT OF THE TELL TALE HOLE!! If you are not pumping water, do not run the engine. Sometimes you can clean out the telltale hole with a piece of wire and it will flow. There are often blockages there. ( I am assuming that you know that you need to supply water to the engine to run it.) Check back in with the forum for water pump service instructions. Chances are that the motor will NOT idle. If it doesn't idle, but will run at a higher RPM, let her run for a bit with a heavy mixture of seafoam in the gas. DO NOT rev the motor up past 1000-1500RPMs! Eventually after letting her run for 10-15 mins, you can gradually bring the neutral idle down in RPM's until you get it to idle. If it won't, then you need a carb cleaning. Anyways, once you actually get the motor started, the seafoam will help to clean the gum out of the carbs since it will be flowing through the carb jets. I suggest that you have a carburetor problem, seeing as he poured gas into the cylinders in order to get it to start. If the motor ran for a bit after he did that, chances are that it is not the fuel pump. Let me know how it goes. And, BTW, dont use starting fluid if you can avoid it. Always use gas and oil in the proper mix ratio.

 

[79Merc80]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

The sport jets don't have a tell tale. There may be a way to run it out of the water if you can hook up a hose to a fitting in the engine compartment. The water intake is somewhere in the jet nosle, so not about to hook a hose up there. Only other option is to back it into a body of water and keep it on the trailer.

Like said above. DO NOT use starting fluid as it has no lubrication and washed existing lubrication away. Definately NOT good!!!!

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Hello and welcome to Iboats.

I know your engine says Mercury Sportjet, but technically, it's a Force engine. Might also try the Force/Chrysler to see if they have any additional information on that part of the forum.

HTH, Craig

Thanks I'll try over there to.

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Whoa bro!! You bought a new starter and relay?! Does the starter activate and try to spin the motor over when you turn the key? If it does the issue is not in the starter system. If it does not, check the main power/ground wire out of the motors wiring harness. If I were you, I would pour some fuel/oil mix into the carb and get her to fire up. MAKE SURE THE MOTOR IS PUMPING WATER OUT OF THE TELL TALE HOLE!! If you are not pumping water, do not run the engine. Sometimes you can clean out the telltale hole with a piece of wire and it will flow. There are often blockages there. ( I am assuming that you know that you need to supply water to the engine to run it.) Check back in with the forum for water pump service instructions. Chances are that the motor will NOT idle. If it doesn't idle, but will run at a higher RPM, let her run for a bit with a heavy mixture of seafoam in the gas. DO NOT rev the motor up past 1000-1500RPMs! Eventually after letting her run for 10-15 mins, you can gradually bring the neutral idle down in RPM's until you get it to idle. If it won't, then you need a carb cleaning. Anyways, once you actually get the motor started, the seafoam will help to clean the gum out of the carbs since it will be flowing through the carb jets. I suggest that you have a carburetor problem, seeing as he poured gas into the cylinders in order to get it to start. If the motor ran for a bit after he did that, chances are that it is not the fuel pump. Let me know how it goes. And, BTW, dont use starting fluid if you can avoid it. Always use gas and oil in the proper mix ratio.

Thanks for the reply. Here was the deal with the starter issuse. Someone cut the thru bolt off with a grinder or something at the mount. The starter kept disengaging the flywheel. So i thought it wasnt getting a good ground. The old starter looked like it was about to fall to pieces. So i bought a new aftermarket just to be safe. Also the new one was doing somewhat the same thing. it was spinning better, but this one not engaging sometime at all. So i check the connections of the ground wire, all the hot wires and the relay connections looked terrible. I found a starter relay brand new Mercury part for $20 off ebay so I just changed it. I have got the motor to start one time after fighting it for an hour. It spins good now just doesnt try to fire off. It does have a fresh water flush kit and yes i have turned the water on after it started. Not sure where that hole is you are speaking of, but i will check to find some info about it. But yes it was spitting water out when running that one time it started. I dont see how to pour gas/mix in the carbs because the main fuel line feeds the bottom carb. I dont know much about carbs. I did puel that line and turn motor over the fuel pump is putting out a steady stream of gas. But thats how it acts like its not getting any gas. The previous owner had all the fuel lines replaced, carbs rebuilt and fuel pump kit done in May of last year so less than a year ago. When I did get it to start it ran fine. Let it run for about 10 mins, then shut it off and it would fire right back up. Just cant get it to start cold. Whats the proper way to pour gas directly into the carbs? Ill try these things thanks for your help.

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

The sport jets don't have a tell tale. There may be a way to run it out of the water if you can hook up a hose to a fitting in the engine compartment. The water intake is somewhere in the jet nosle, so not about to hook a hose up there. Only other option is to back it into a body of water and keep it on the trailer.

Like said above. DO NOT use starting fluid as it has no lubrication and washed existing lubrication away. Definately NOT good!!!!

Thanks for the post. It has a fresh water flush kit hook up on it. I dont want to use starting fluid at all like you said. Thats why I havent been able to get it to start. Thanks

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Do a compression test FIRST!!!!Then a spark test.
This post has been moved to the PWC section.
Do these tests FIRST before you do anything else.
These motors are usually pretty good but have been known to loose compression.
Low comp will cause hard start,no start.

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Thanks im very new or "green" to a forum. So i need to check the pwc section for my thread now? Sorry im just new to this kind of troubleshooting help. Thanks for the tips. I dont know how to check compression. Ill have to take it to the shop. Thanks

 

[sutor623]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Bro you can buy yourself a $20 compression tester from advance auto parts. Just pull the spark plugs and screw the compression tester in, then spin the motor a few times and check the guage. Repeat for each cylinder and record the numbers. Also, are you using fresh gas? You can squirt a modest amount of fuel/oil right into each of the spark plug holes before you put the spark plugs back in. This will allow you to access the cylinder without using the carbs. Once you get the motor to fire up, slowly bring down the RPMs, and do not let the engine stall. Continue to do this and it should help flush out the carbs for ya!

 

[e-spin]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Based on it running recently(starter fluid) I would confirm spark. In line indicators that light up when you have spark are cheap and easy to use.

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Bro you can buy yourself a $20 compression tester from advance auto parts. Just pull the spark plugs and screw the compression tester in, then spin the motor a few times and check the guage. Repeat for each cylinder and record the numbers. Also, are you using fresh gas? You can squirt a modest amount of fuel/oil right into each of the spark plug holes before you put the spark plugs back in. This will allow you to access the cylinder without using the carbs. Once you get the motor to fire up, slowly bring down the RPMs, and do not let the engine stall. Continue to do this and it should help flush out the carbs for ya!

Thanks for your help. Didnt realize these tools were so cheap and easy enough for rookies to use. Do you know what compression should be for this motor. If not I will find it online maybe in here. Havent thought to shoot some gas in the plug holes will do asap after i run compression test. I do have a fresh tank of gas/mix with 1 can of seafoam. 50:1 ratio. Thanks for the tips I will run tests and report back. Thanks if you have anything else Im very grateful.

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Didnt know they were so cheap will pick one up asap and report findings back. Thanks

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Bought a compression tester and inline spark tester. Tryed to test spark last night but the rain down here has been bad, and doesnt look like its letting up. Might be the weekend before I get some info.

 

[wicked251]

I just sold an F16 with a sportjet 120. Fuel pump and or dirty carbs will give you hard starts. I installed a primer bulb inline to test mine. Also, mine had a clogged strainer in the fuel tank, once cleaned the problem went away.

Sent from my Evo 4G

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

I just sold an F16 with a sportjet 120. Fuel pump and or dirty carbs will give you hard starts. I installed a primer bulb inline to test mine. Also, mine had a clogged strainer in the fuel tank, once cleaned the problem went away.

Sent from my Evo 4G

Thanks I do have a inline bulb. Also I looked at the strainer and it looked so clean it was like new. I have to get time to do this spark test that will tell me a good bit about what I need to do. Thanks again

 

[sutor623]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Thanks for your help. Didnt realize these tools were so cheap and easy enough for rookies to use. Do you know what compression should be for this motor. If not I will find it online maybe in here. Havent thought to shoot some gas in the plug holes will do asap after i run compression test. I do have a fresh tank of gas/mix with 1 can of seafoam. 50:1 ratio. Thanks for the tips I will run tests and report back. Thanks if you have anything else Im very grateful.

Yeah man, no problem bro. Only 1 way to learn how to do this stuff........ Not sure what a good reading is for this motor, but your biggest concern should be if the numbers are within 10% of the lowest reading. Ex. 115, 120, 125, 120. So your margin would be 10% of 115, so the cylinders should be within 12psi of each other. This would be a pretty good reading. Much rather have lower numbers that match than higher ones that don't. Kinda like 150, 145, 145, 130. This would mean that a rebuild is in order, before you scave your block and blow your pistons all to hell, an imbalanced motor spinning at 5000 RPM's is literally a ticking time-bomb. Most of us get just as much satisfaction at helping fix someone else's motor as we do our own motors. Tons of brilliant people on this site.

 

[bedwards36426]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Yeah man, no problem bro. Only 1 way to learn how to do this stuff........ Not sure what a good reading is for this motor, but your biggest concern should be if the numbers are within 10% of the lowest reading. Ex. 115, 120, 125, 120. So your margin would be 10% of 115, so the cylinders should be within 12psi of each other. This would be a pretty good reading. Much rather have lower numbers that match than higher ones that don't. Kinda like 150, 145, 145, 130. This would mean that a rebuild is in order, before you scave your block and blow your pistons all to hell, an imbalanced motor spinning at 5000 RPM's is literally a ticking time-bomb. Most of us get just as much satisfaction at helping fix someone else's motor as we do our own motors. Tons of brilliant people on this site.

Thanks you are right the people in here have tons of knowledge to share. For that a beginner like myself is very grateful for everyone's help. The correct compression readings are in the manual I bought. I'm gonna check it tomorrow. I've heard you must disconnect your ignition before testing so the motor doesn't try and start. Couldn't I just disconnect the plug wires of which cylinders I'm not testing at the time? I sure hope it's something simple don't want the motor to go with my wife and daughter aboard. I'm sure it is being as. It ran good for me once and ran good when I bought it just hard starting. Anyways I'll let you know what I find.

 

[mike Q4]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

I had a 1995 f16 with the 120 sport jet. It was hard to start when i bought it. I rebuilt the carbs and instaled a new fuel pump to fix it.

Am i glad i got rid of that thing.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 1994 sea rayder sport jet 90 wont start, acts like no fuel????? Help Please

Compression test:Remove ALL the plugs.Open the throttle all the way.Then install the guage.Jump the solenoid.If you use the key to turn it over then you need to ground the plug wires.
The comp on a good tester is around 150# The tester you get might read different than mine.What your looking for is a big difference in the readings.What manual listed the comp results?
Any more than 15% from one to another is a problem.
Fill out the profile,you might be close to someone who can help.