2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

limoman

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
38
Okay so my dealer told me the fuel lines needed replacing because the ones it came with were bad and should have been recalled. After $400 of new fuel lines and rebuilt the carbs my ski would cut out on me from time to time then got worse so that every 10 minutes it would die on me then it finally died just before we got it back to the dock. All this was the last time I rode it and the first time since I got it back for them $400 raping. I took the seat off in the front where the lines come together into what looks like a fuel/water separator I made sure it was tight. Then I loosened it and it had a bit of pressure on it. Jet ski now starts and runs perfect out of the water in my shop. I can't let it run long but before I take it back to the lake house any ideas on what my issue is so I can fix it before taking it back?

They did not replace the filter or the separator so I was going to start there first along with new plugs while I have it at my shop.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.2001 BOMBARDIER FUEL-WATER SEPARATOR.jpg
 

bigdaddypt

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
233
Re: 2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

That's really crappy that they charged $400 for that job. You could have used automotive fuel lines and with an OEM rebuild it, it would have cost you $100 at most to do the job yourself, probably less.

Anyway, do you know if the dealer, when rebuilding the carb, replaced the needle and seat? If not, ask him. The rebuild kits don't come with them but they should be replaced when rebuilding. I had a similar issue with an old ski I had where I did the fuel lines and carb rebuild and it turned out that I had an air leak that was coming from the fuel/water seperator. The gasket for the bowl was pinched and allowing air to get sucked in the lines. Your fuel lines should hold 10psi for 10 minutes. If you have a tester try it. If it doesn't hold, then you have to figure out where the leak is.
 

SpitAndDirt

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Messages
103
Re: 2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

That's really crappy that they charged $400 for that job. You could have used automotive fuel lines and with an OEM rebuild it, it would have cost you $100 at most to do the job yourself, probably less.

Anyway, do you know if the dealer, when rebuilding the carb, replaced the needle and seat? If not, ask him. The rebuild kits don't come with them but they should be replaced when rebuilding. I had a similar issue with an old ski I had where I did the fuel lines and carb rebuild and it turned out that I had an air leak that was coming from the fuel/water seperator. The gasket for the bowl was pinched and allowing air to get sucked in the lines. Your fuel lines should hold 10psi for 10 minutes. If you have a tester try it. If it doesn't hold, then you have to figure out where the leak is.

Hey limoman, I have possibly good and bad news for you. First of all, your dealer was right about the fuel lines, especially if they were original grey fuel lines marked "Tempo" on them. But, you overpaid by a ton. bigdaddypt is right, you could have done it with regular automotive fuel line for much cheaper and done it yourself and learned a lot more. The problem is that you are still experiencing the same problems after the trip to the dealer. But fear not, there are definite something you need to check before heading back out on the water: your internal carburetor fuel filter.

Since you did not specify which model you have (GTi, GTS, SPi, Sp, etc...), I can only assume you have a single carburetor which actually makes things easier. First of all, remove the air cleaner assembly. Then you can most likely access the filter I'm talking about by removing the side of the carb that has a vacuum line attached to the crankcases.

Since this all sounds vague, I've included a link to a pdf which shows exactly what I'm talking about. #7 in the illustration. http://www.mikuni.com/pdf/sbn_rebuild-kit.pdf

You can also download the service manual for your ski for free by registering over at www.pwctoday.com Go to the Sea-Doo technical sub-forum and all the manuals on in a sticky at the top of the page.

Now, the bad news. Depending on how bad the original lines deteriorated and allowed junk to collect in the internal carb filter, you may have already caused serious engine damage. The fact that you've stated that the ski has died multiple times on the water has indicated that you may have experienced a lean seizure of your motor. It's only a mater of time before one of your pistons breaks apart and sends debris through the entire motor. :eek: I know you don't know me from Adam, but trust that I've rebuild all three of my Sea-doo's because all three had this problem. The guys over on the other forum I mentioned are very knowledgeable.

People who just ride their 2 stroke sea-doo like it's a car they drive during the week are oblivious to the maintenance that needs to be done. Your ski is approaching 12 years old, it's about time you give the thing a serious inspection before it leaves you or someone else stranded out on the water.

So, in conclusion, pull the carb internal filter. If it's chocked full of gunk, do a compression test on the motor. If compression numbers do not look good, it's time to pull the cylinder head to check for cylinder scoring and possible discoloration due to overheating.

Don't mistake my lengthy explanation for thinking that you have a crap ski, you don't. It's just time to make sure everything is working as it should before it really hits you in the pocketbook. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or find me on the other forum under the same Avatar. :)
 

limoman

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
38
Re: 2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

Thanks for the information guys. I know I should have done it myself and I have premium drag racing fuel line here in my shop but I just didn't feel like toting it home and back so lesson learned.

Compression on front and rear cylinder are within 10#. The inline fuel filter was nasty and hard to blow through but with 1# or less of resistance.

I have the plugs changed, filter swapped and fuel separator cleaned, inspected and put back on. I will check the internal filter as soon as I get to the shop today.

Thanks again for all the help. I am mechanically inclined and knowledgeable of engines and order but PWC's are a new breed for me.
 

bigdaddypt

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
233
Re: 2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

I am mechanically inclined and knowledgeable of engines and order but PWC's are a new breed for me.

They're a lot easier than you think. It's only a 2 stroke engine. It needs fuel, spark, and compression to run. What did you get for compression numbers?
 

limoman

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
38
Re: 2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

They're a lot easier than you think. It's only a 2 stroke engine. It needs fuel, spark, and compression to run. What did you get for compression numbers?

Well to be honest I used a Harbor Freight gauge and not trusting it too much. It showed 150 on the front and high 130's on the rear. I have much higher quality gauges I will be using this weekend to do another quick check on it.
 

Robj

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
1,441
Re: 2001 Bombardier 717 slowly died...

I don't think you got ripped off that bad. Remember taking stuff to the dealer is never cheap. Also you should always use marine grade fuel lines on a boat, it does not cost that much more than automotive fuel line.

Regarding your problem kinda sounds like your fuel vent line is plugged. Try loosening the fuel cap and run it that way to see if the problem goes away.

Good luck.
 
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