rebore or replace jugs '99 polaris slh

bugelingkayaker

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
49
picked up a 1999 polaris slh wth a trailer for free because the owner just wanted it off their property. didn't have a title for it (we're in florida btw) but he did give me a bill of sale. so first thing i did when i got it home was to call police department to hace them run serial numbers and registration to be sure it wasn't stolen. came back clean, but i'm not sure how difficult it will be to get a title made for it.
anyways thats a question for another day though because as is i'm still trying to determine whether this boat is salvageable or if i would be better off parting it out.
it sat for at least a year in this guys yard without spark plugs in it, and worse yet at least some portion of that time it didnt even have a seat covering it so the cylinders were full of water and engine is seized. i've had the cylinders soaking in atf as i strip the engine down as bare as i can to assess other components. most things seem good except the cylinders. the way its sitting right now, one piston is near tdc, and one is at the bottom. the cylinder with the piston at the bottom has visible rust lining the walls. the areas that dont have rust however i can still see the factory hone in. so it seems this thing might have been in great shape until someone pulled the spark plugs and left it without the seat on :blue:
i've got some engine experience but i've never done a full rebuild before. so where i'm at now is trying to figure out what it needs, and what the most cost efficient way of doing that is. i know sometimes people get cylinders rebored and then replace with oversized pistons. i also know with these polaris' often people get "top end kits" and will replace the jugs with either new or used ones. and lastly i know in cases where things are still "in round" people can get away with just re honing the cylinders instead of reboring them. i realize this is all also assuming theres no rust damage down in the crank shaft.
so anyways, has anyone ever done a rebuild after similar issues before? was it cheaper to find someone to rebore cylinders, or better off just replacing jugs and pistons completely? is this something thats even worth doing with a '99 polaris slh anyways? i realize these arent top of the line boats. and lastly, as someone whose never done this before is there anything else i should know before attempting? is it as simple as getting your new boring measurement from the machinist and finding new piston kit that'll fit, lube em up and drop em in?

anyways thank you for any advice and input. i like learning about how to do this stuff, so i figured if it was somewhat cost effective it would be a fun project for me, but i don't want to bite off more than i can chew. my last boat project was a 73 merc outboard i was able to get away with cleaning carbs, replacing fuel hoses, fuel diaphragm, water pump, new wiring all around but i didn't have to pull the powerhead, so thats where it gets in to new territory for me. anyways any advice super appreicated!
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
First thing is to get it your name or any money you put into it won't come back. Free boats are almost always the most expensive.

Look on Ebay, Craig's List or the local want ads to see what they go for and then decide.
 

bugelingkayaker

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
49
First thing is to get it your name or any money you put into it won't come back. Free boats are almost always the most expensive.

Look on Ebay, Craig's List or the local want ads to see what they go for and then decide.

yeah i understand it. this is free boat #2 for me. #1 I got lucky and actually i managed to restore pretty cheaply.... until i decided i wanted a fishing deck, bow mount trolling motor, high end fish finder.... lol

but hey update, i took a brass brush and lots of wd40 to the cylinders and then used a hone on it. got it reassembled and just ran a compression check. right around 105 on both cylinders!!! not great but thats enough to run at least.

next step, i need to tackle the electrical system. does anyone know where to find a wiring diagram for a 99 polaris slh? unfortunately all the top responses on google are also from people asking on boating forums for it, and who don't seem to have gotten an answer..

thanks for any help!
 

jetboater

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 13, 2004
Messages
119
This is an excellent forum but there is also one dedicated just to PWCs and has a Polaris section—-may want to also look there for suggestions and advice on how to proceed.

it’s greenhulk.net
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,307
before i would do any work, I would try to get it registered into your name. Each tax office in Florida is a bit different from the next and you may have some difficulty.
 

bugelingkayaker

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
49
thanks for the responses. i actually posted on greenhulk as well but haven't gotten much response yet :(
my plan was that once i get this back together enough that i am at least getting spark (now that i know i've got good compression) i'll start down the road of getting it registered. didn't want to bother if theres too many faulty components that i might end up parting it out regardless.
i've made some more progress though. found a wiring diagram and i've got most of the wires in the handle controls figured out, but i've hit a wall... the 1999 slh wiring diagram i found doesn't seem to match up with what im seeing on this ski. the wiring diagram shows 2 wires going to start button (y/r and r/pur) and 2 going to stop (blk/y and blk) but what i'm seeing on the controls for this ski is 2 wire connections for start button, and 4 for the stop button.
also the wiring diagram shows one y/r wire coming from the START button, yet there are in fact 3 y/r wires in my handle controls. im assuming the extra 2 must be in fact for those extra two terminals of the stop button but since that isn't shown in the diagram i don't want to assume wrong.
any thoughts?
if anyone was willing to open their handle controls and take a pic of the wires inside that would be AMAZING but i realize that would be a lot to ask. anyone know where else i might be able to get that info?
thanks for any help
 

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