'93 Rayder HELP!

[Shakeydeal]

Just bought a Sea Rayder w a 90hp sport jet. Started fine, jet intake clear. Topped off winterized 1/4 of tank with new ethanol/methanol free gas w 50:1 mix. Previous owner indicated it ran fine upon last use but when I dump the throttle to plane off it dies every time. Finally, it would just turn over and not even start. Any thoughts or opinions welcome. Any advice on what to say to whomever I find to service this thing so as to not get totally screwed would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance!

 

[emoney]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Sounds like maybe a carb issue? I would buy a compression tester (they're not very expensive) and check compression first. Then I'd do a spark test, all before taking it to the dealer so that I knew already, what's what. You can at least narrow down where the problem lies and it may very well be carb/fuel problems. Furthermore, I'd ask folks around that own other boats, ideally other Merc sport jets as to who they get to service their's and are they happy. Starting off with a "trusted" mechanic is the absolute first step.

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

I should have mentioned that I have little to no mechanical experience. I'm more than game to attempt compression/spark test if indeed it is something a novice can accomplish. If so any detailed instruction pertaining directly to this engine would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Ok, since it's obvious I've never spark test or compression tested an engine I have set up to meet a guy who runs a shop an hour away from me. He does all the work on my Dad's boats and although he flat out refused to work on a jet boat he has agreed to tutor me in the compression and spark test. Armed with this information, and any more I can gleen along the way, I will be going to a marina 30 minutes from there that comes highly recommended for their honesty and integrity when dealing with customers. Thanks EMONY for the suggestions. ANY further advice will be appreciated greatly!

 

[calledinsick]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Welcome to the Wide World of Sport Jets!!

First off...Never try and start this out of the water without a flush adapter!

'93 is a little earlier model than I'm used to but I think much of this should apply.

You should invest in a manual for the boat. It helps with much of the troubleshooting and has step by step instructions. A small price for a lot of information.

You should print off the testing procedures at the top of this forum and take them with you to help 'the guy' troubleshoot. There are some necessary tests listed at the beginning of this forum here

Curious if you know the oil injection is blocked off. If not and you added 50:1 premix you're going to foul plugs as the injector will be adding oil as well.

If you added 2 gallons of fresh fuel to 10 gallons of bad fuel you now have 12 gallons of bad fuel.

Take the fuel line off where it enters the carbs and put it in a can/jar and crank the engine (again needs to be in the water or have an adapter connected). The fuel should flow steady and not pulse. If it is pulsing you should rebuild the fuel pump. This is common.

Don't be afraid to ask. Everyone around here is very helpful to get these engines running!

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

How do I determine if the oil injection is blocked off? I just assumed through conversation with the previous owner that the oil was mixed with gas "manually". I've looked over the engine compartment and see no oil reservoir or even an obvious place to add oil to the engine. Man, I wish I'd taken that small engine repair class in high school now!

 

[calledinsick]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

PM sent with links to pictures.

 

[calledinsick]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Don't know if it will help or not (or how close it is) but I plan on taking my Sport Jet to Minneapolis June 8-12 for some fishing!

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Thanks, there is no oil injection on this engine. I was kind of hoping I'd missed it and could just drain the gas and go but no such luck.

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

That's about an hour and a half away from me depending on where you are headed. I'm hoping to somehow have this thing running by then but who knows! I'll keep it in mind at the very least.

 

[calledinsick]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

No oil injection eliminates one potential issue. Keep us updated on the remaining tests.

Prolly be around the Mississippi and up the St. Croix. River run'n...I've got a sport jet 90 but set up in a bass boat:

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

I have not fished that area. If you are looking for a good place to eat right off the river at Stillwater go to Shanghai Bistro. They have great sushi and if you aren't into that everything else is good too. I like the crispy duck in particular.

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Well, the boat is at the Dr. I printed off the sticky on what to look for and dropped that off with him. Offered a bonus to have the boat ready by the weekend provided it runs throughout the weekend. Thanks again for the info guys.

 

[emoney]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

That's probably a safer bet, but I would still order a Service Manual for that motor in that year. Sorry I just got back in this thread, but all of us had "no experience" when we first started, so you can do more than you think, more than likely.

Keep us posted on what the results are. The thing about this motor is it's basically a Mercury/Force 90 hp outboard engine that's been mated to a jet drive, so your mechanic should have not problems working on it. Usually the "I refuse to work on (blank)" guys are really saying, "I don't know a lot about them..." and that's ok too, but another good reason to start studying up yourself. Good luck!

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Well, boat is fixed and the mechanic took it out to make sure it ran. Carbs fouled due to rotting fuel lines, he replaced fuel lines, fixed/cleaned carbs added a moisture separator? That's all I know right now that was fixed. The damage? $438!!! Yikes! I will pick the boat up tomorrow and get all the details....more to follow in other words.

 

[calledinsick]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

I'm starting to think fuel line replacement should be added to a "Preventative Maintenance" sticky at the top of the forum. From my understanding, rubber fuel lines made more than 15 years ago weren't designed to hold up against the 5% alcohol in the fuel. At that point manufacturers started making them alcohol resistant. However, now that we're up to 10-15% alcohol, the rubber fuel lines from 10-15 years ago are starting to be effected. On top of that the BassTracker dealer/parts folks said the same thing about the rubber diaphragm on the fuel pump...also a common issue.

You can pull one of these hoses off, cut back the line past where it fit over the barb, and the inside will be all gummy- the alcohol is desolving the lines from the inside- this gets carried into the carbs by the the fuel. I've replaced my lines and added a clear fuel filter inline between the pump and the carbs just to 'keep an eye on it'. The fuel line replacement is pretty straight forward: pull a line, cut a new piece to length, replace. Cleaning/rebuilding the carbs gets a little more detailed...

Think about these engines too...they're pushing 20 years old and most of them have been run at/near WOT for hours on end and pounded on waves (many with very little mainenance). There wasn't a forum where we could all come together and help keep our SJs in play. With a little effort and maintenance, they should last us another 20!!

I don't think the price is bad...if he used marine fuel line (USCG approved) it's not cheap. All 3 carbs were pulled and at least cleaned out if not rebuilt, re-installed, and syncronized. May also have done additional work.

(I know you said you added alcohol free fuel but whats been added before?)

Have a safe weekend everyone!

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

Should I have him take a look at the rubber diaphram on the fuel pump as a preventative measure? Is this something I can inspect myself and determine it's condition? Glad to hear you feel the cost is not way out of line. Quite frankly the guy's shop is about a mile and a half from my parents house, he went to the same H.S. I did and he does all the work on my Dad's pontoon and boat. I think he's an honest guy and didn't feel that he'd inflated things anymore than is customary..lol. Everybody's gotta make money, I understand that. It was more than I was hoping it would be but he put it in the water twice so I know he put the time into it. Looking forward to putting it in the lake myself this weekend I just have this nagging feeling that it's gonna last about a day and be back in the shop. I guess I'm a little snakebit on this one, huh? Thanks for all the good info guys.

 

[emoney]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

I think that was more than fair. It never hurts, in my opinion, to check everything that you're capable of checking. The fuel pump diaphram is no "biggie". Just locate the fuel pump on the side of the engine, there's be one screw that's holding the bowl on. Once you take that off, there's a screen inside there. Check this first to see it if's all "gummed up". Then you'll see the fuel pump. Right under that, you'll find the diaphram. CAUTION!! There's a small retainer and spring right under the cover, just make sure you have your hand under there in case it decides to pop off. You don't want it taking off on you. You can buy an "Adobe Version" of the manual for this motor/jet on Ebay. I bought one for $9.95 and the seller emailed it to me immediately. Beats the $40.00 that the hard cover costs. It's very, very helpful and you'll be glad you bought it. If you want a link to the seller, let me know (the other ones on Ebay were $19.00 for the same thing??)

 

[Shakeydeal]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

UPDATE: Picked up the boat Saturday and put it in the water. Unfortunately, it would not start. It was run for about 20 minutes on the water problem free before I got there. Took it in this morning and after 20 minutes of trouble shooting it turns out the rev limiter module is not working. He disconnected it with strict orders to keep the impeller in the water. No jumping waves, 360's, etc. My questions are, should I even run this thing to just cruise around the lake? Why would this module crap out after the boat seemingly runs fine? Good news is the part is only about $60 and I'm sure my guy isn't gonna kill me on the labor. Nonetheless, this little boat is getting old fast!

 

[calledinsick]

Re: '93 Rayder HELP!

I thought the '93 models were a little more reliable, but it seems when some of these electronics go out they cause cascading failures. It shouldn't hurt to run the boat temporarily without the rev limiter...but try to not to jump too many waves. The rev limiter is pretty straight forward as well. 2 screws hold it in place, and about 4-6 wires connect (the main one disconnected by the mechanic was the black/yellow). This isolates the rev limiter from the rest of the kill circuit. If you order the part online (may be available on this site) it should be an easy swap out for you. I know you say your guy isn't going to kill you but do what you can for yourself. Unmount the old one and swap the wires out one at a time.