Starting a Seadoo

[Swatt]

I have a 1998 Seadoo GTI that has been sitting in storage for two years. I have properly winterize the PWC with fuel stabilizer and defogging solution. I have replaced the battery with a new battery. The Seadoo will not start. It will turn over but will not start. I have tried using starter fluid but it doesn't seem to work. Any suggestions?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

What do the plugs look like? That should tell you if you have an electrical problem or a fuel problem.

 

[slag]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

And dont use starting fluid in a 2 stroke engine. Use some 2 stroke gas/oil mixture if you need to squirt something in the carb.

 

[ADK_Boater]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

slag is right! Starting fluid will wash off all the 2 cycle oil in the cylinders and then it will have no lubriation.
Also, have you checked to see if you are getting spark at all?

 

[Swatt]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

I have puuled the plugs and they appear to be soaked. I have put in new plugs while grounding them and they do fire. I am seeing some oil in the bottom which has not been there. When I did get it to fire without the plugs in, I did get some oil squirting out. My thinking is that the chamber is full of oil and it may be possible the oil pump is bad. Any other thoughts?

 

[ADK_Boater]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

I've never heard of an oil pump going bad and pumping way way too much oil. Usually when they malfunction they pump less than necessary or none at all...at least that is my experience.
Perhaps your fuel pump is bad, because if you have way to much oil then your fuel/oil ratio is way off. It would seem more likely that your fuel pump is not supplying adequate fuel to the mixture and you are thus getting oily plugs.
It is carburated right? If so check to see if there is fuel in the carbs/float bowl by unscrewing the drain plug screws. Fuel should run right out. If they are dry or have little to no fuel, check to see that you actually have gas in the gas tank. I'm not trying to be insulting but some people forget to put gas in it. Check your fuel lines between the tank and fuel pump. they need to be free from blockage. Next check the lines between the fuel pump and carb. let us know what you find.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

Also check the fuel filter, nothing better than a bunch of stabil to gunk them up - especially after sitting for a couple years.

 

[frozenokie]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

I'm not trying to be insulting but some people forget to put gas in it.

I consider myself good at remembering things, but on occasion I cuss myself for forgetting to turn on the fuel at the ON/OFF/RES fuel ****!!! Just wanted to throw that in...

 

[slag]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

seadoo oil pumps rarely, and i mean rarely fail. If the cable comes off, they default to full open also which will put a ton of oil in the cylinder.

 

[ADK_Boater]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

I didn't realize it would default to full open in that case. I have only dealt with oil pump internal failure. Good catch slag!
So, how did it turn out Swatt?

 

[Swatt]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

I had a buddy come over last night that has a Seadoo to look at it. We did find some blockage in the fuel line that I missed prior. After cleaning it out, the Seadoo still would not start but it was trying hard. We did find that there was alot of oil in the cylinders. We pumped out the oil and she fired up. We are still not sure why the oil built up just sitting. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[frozenokie]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

We are still not sure why the oil built up just sitting.

A good guess for this oil "surprise" would be from constant heating up then cooling down from day to night transition which causes expansion and contraction of the oil in the return line or supply line to the crankcase.

Again - just a guess...

 

[frozenokie]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

After second thought, could also be a bad check valve in either line.

 

[slag]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

In addition to what was written above, on a rotax engine, oil lubricates not only the intake (along the rotary valve), but also there is an oil bath that lubricates the bronze rotary gear in the middle of the crankshaft.
http://www.seadoosource.com/partspics/290886558.jpg
If the seals on either side of this rotary gear go bad, slip out of place, whatever, the oil will flow into the crankcase and into the cylinders. Upon startup, the craft will blow oil out the exhaust. The only way to fix it is to take the motor apart and reseat the seals or replace the crank. Its not easy to do and is a major PITA.
The oil flow is as follows.
The two small lines run from the oil pump to the injectors in the Rotary Valve Cover.
The three big lines are the feed to the pump, the feed to the Rotary Valve Shaft oil bath and the return from the RVS oil bath. The two feed lines come off the red fitting on the bottom of the oil tank (it does not matter which one). One will go to the oil pump and the other to a fitting just below the oil pump.
The return line for the RVS oil bath comes from under the pipe and goes into the top of the tank where the breather check valve is.

 

[Leedanger]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

Could it be also that if the throttle is being pumped persistently during the attempt to start process oil would be excessively pumped along in the process? That one cable comes right off the carb and to the oiler so I'd assume that could be the case....?

 

[frozenokie]

Re: Starting a Seadoo

You got it slag. But as to his last question - never experienced an oil fouling/overflow from pumping the throttle. I would think if there were any type of malfunction from oil supply, it would be too lean and not an overflow since the pump does all the work and only while the motor is turning over - running or not.

Leedanger, have you checked your oil pump setting? When I bought my 97 GTX, it was fouling new plugs in a couple hours. So to my amazement, the oil pump setting (where the throttle cable connects to the pump) was set too high. There are two marks in the mechanism that need to be lined up with each other in order for the pump to deliver the correct amount of oil in relation to where the throttle is. The mark on the cable side of mine was WAY past the mark on the pump body - meaning the pump was pumping way too much oil like I had the throttle half way open when it was actually at idle position. Therefore, pumped too much oil at all times.

I had to have an extendable mirror tool in order to see the marks on front of the pump and it was the ONLY way to see it while installed. Cheap tool for such a big help in fixing that mal adjustment. She runs like a bat outa hell now