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!
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!