Hey guys, it's warm weather again, and now I'm trying to get my 94 Waverunner III going. Basically last summer I got this beat up craigs list ski as a fun project and it's never been running right.
Problem: It doesn't start up consistently. It smokes like crazy...I literally can't see through my backyard when I hook it up to the hose and rev it a few times and oily junk comes out of back and drips everywhere. I doubt this is a carb adjustment based on the massive amounts of uncombusted exhaust The starter turns the pistons, you can see fuel flowing through the fuel filter/lines, but it's not igniting. I put a small amount of premix into the carb directly, and it still doesn't combust (most of the time, sporadically it will start up, but like I said, still smokes like crazy)
What I have done so far:
I have essentially rebuilt everything on the intake side of the engine:
New fuel lines, fuel filter,hose clamps to replace zip ties...check valves are good, etc
Converted engine to premix at 50:1 ratio
Rebuilt carb-adjusters set to specification-compressed air to blow out all passages
Replaced all gaskets on the intake side of the engine
As of last summer, it had even compression of 150 PSI on both cylinders
New plugs
Trimmed plug wires back 1/4" or so
Fuel is good, treated with stabil, only gets non-ethanol fuel
New battery
I removed a plug, grounded it to the cylinder head, and hit the starter. It has a very faint blue spark.
I did the same thing with my kawasaki 750, which runs like a champ, and the spark was much more distinct...fat, blue sparks...easy to see.
So my questions are:
1) Is there such a thing as "weak" spark? My intuition tells me that if it sparks at all, the gas should combust. I suppose if the spark is weak, it may partially combust, but not fast enough to fully burn the premix, resulting in the oily junk being left in my driveway and the huge amount of smoke. Or, could it be that the Yamaha by design has a lower spark?
2) A guy at the boat ramp mentioned that on one of his ski's, the wiring in the dead man switch was bad, essentially even if the lanyard was in place, it thought it wasn't, keeping it from starting. I tested this theory on my Kawasaki: Fat blue sparks with lanyard in place, remove it, and there are tiny, faint, intermittent sparks, and starter turns engine, but the fuel doesn't ignite=engine won't run...just like how my Yamaha is. Is this a possibility?
I guess my plan now is to investigate the electronics and connections. Plug caps? Wires? Coils? CDI?
Anyone have any insight?
Thanks!
Problem: It doesn't start up consistently. It smokes like crazy...I literally can't see through my backyard when I hook it up to the hose and rev it a few times and oily junk comes out of back and drips everywhere. I doubt this is a carb adjustment based on the massive amounts of uncombusted exhaust The starter turns the pistons, you can see fuel flowing through the fuel filter/lines, but it's not igniting. I put a small amount of premix into the carb directly, and it still doesn't combust (most of the time, sporadically it will start up, but like I said, still smokes like crazy)
What I have done so far:
I have essentially rebuilt everything on the intake side of the engine:
New fuel lines, fuel filter,hose clamps to replace zip ties...check valves are good, etc
Converted engine to premix at 50:1 ratio
Rebuilt carb-adjusters set to specification-compressed air to blow out all passages
Replaced all gaskets on the intake side of the engine
As of last summer, it had even compression of 150 PSI on both cylinders
New plugs
Trimmed plug wires back 1/4" or so
Fuel is good, treated with stabil, only gets non-ethanol fuel
New battery
I removed a plug, grounded it to the cylinder head, and hit the starter. It has a very faint blue spark.
I did the same thing with my kawasaki 750, which runs like a champ, and the spark was much more distinct...fat, blue sparks...easy to see.
So my questions are:
1) Is there such a thing as "weak" spark? My intuition tells me that if it sparks at all, the gas should combust. I suppose if the spark is weak, it may partially combust, but not fast enough to fully burn the premix, resulting in the oily junk being left in my driveway and the huge amount of smoke. Or, could it be that the Yamaha by design has a lower spark?
2) A guy at the boat ramp mentioned that on one of his ski's, the wiring in the dead man switch was bad, essentially even if the lanyard was in place, it thought it wasn't, keeping it from starting. I tested this theory on my Kawasaki: Fat blue sparks with lanyard in place, remove it, and there are tiny, faint, intermittent sparks, and starter turns engine, but the fuel doesn't ignite=engine won't run...just like how my Yamaha is. Is this a possibility?
I guess my plan now is to investigate the electronics and connections. Plug caps? Wires? Coils? CDI?
Anyone have any insight?
Thanks!