I’m new to the forum and boat ownership. Picked up a 2001 Challenger 2000 this past week...
Read a ton through these forums and sent a direct message to Mr Honda.
Pasting it here to continue the conversation and learn as much as possible:
Hello Dr Honda,
I’ve read many of your threads on this engine, the mercury 240 m2 ...
I’m hoping you may have a moment to help with my specific situation...
I just bought the boat last week, the owner before had to have the block replaced cause he threw a rod, $8500 went into a new block pistons, the works, at a seadoo dealer on central Florida. This was 18 months ago. He only put it in the water a few times after, enough to run 2.5 tanks of gas.
The dealer told him to add oil to the gas for the first 3 tanks to ensure the engine is well lubed.
So I bought it with the final 1/2 tank of oil gas.
When I bought it, it struggled to start, but we had spent an hour doing a compression test on the trailer prior and all the plugs were gunked from the gas oil.
After cleaning the plugs it fired up after 10 mins. Ran great.
Took it home, put it in new plugs and put it in the water, took 30 mins to start, and after 20 mins of trying we put 16 oz of sea foam in the gas tank.
We took the boat out today, prior to putting it in the water, I took an sprayed sea foam in each cylinder and turned it over with the plugs out. I repeated this three, sprayed sea foam in the plugs and cleaned them. Put it all back together, put it in the water, fired up on the second crank.
Ran it for 20 mins (wish I had ran it longer) then shut it off to enjoy... went to start it, won’t catch. Spent 2 hours doing different versions of sesfoam spraying and plug cleaning. Got it to fire up.
Ran good, but smoky which I imagine is half from sea foam and half from oil gas...
So we took it 100 yards too far; on the way to the boat ramp we ran out of gas, literally 100 yards out.
Friend said to put my remaining 1/2 gallon of sea foam and that could get us in... wouldn’t catch...
Ended up drifting into a dock, went and got gas, added 5 gallons, now when I crank it, it Franks but there is absolutely no sound of catching, doesn’t sound like the fuel pump isn’t working.
It also seems to guzzle gas and I read you recommend a temp sensor to fix this.
My questions are, am I on the right track to replace the fuel pump and temp sensor?
And how do I find them. I’ve been all over the internet and I can’t seem to pin down which ones are for my motor. The prices vary drastically and the parts seem not to look the same.
Hoping to buy the correct stuff the first time and get this baby purring.
Dr Honda replied the following:
you should make this a thread... but seafoam is a solvent, and is death to a 2-stroke engine. It's an old product meant for 4-stoke car engines.
At this point I would check the compression again. You want to see 125 psi or better. 135 would be ideal. If that's ok... I would check the TPS, and fuel pressure.
Read a ton through these forums and sent a direct message to Mr Honda.
Pasting it here to continue the conversation and learn as much as possible:
Hello Dr Honda,
I’ve read many of your threads on this engine, the mercury 240 m2 ...
I’m hoping you may have a moment to help with my specific situation...
I just bought the boat last week, the owner before had to have the block replaced cause he threw a rod, $8500 went into a new block pistons, the works, at a seadoo dealer on central Florida. This was 18 months ago. He only put it in the water a few times after, enough to run 2.5 tanks of gas.
The dealer told him to add oil to the gas for the first 3 tanks to ensure the engine is well lubed.
So I bought it with the final 1/2 tank of oil gas.
When I bought it, it struggled to start, but we had spent an hour doing a compression test on the trailer prior and all the plugs were gunked from the gas oil.
After cleaning the plugs it fired up after 10 mins. Ran great.
Took it home, put it in new plugs and put it in the water, took 30 mins to start, and after 20 mins of trying we put 16 oz of sea foam in the gas tank.
We took the boat out today, prior to putting it in the water, I took an sprayed sea foam in each cylinder and turned it over with the plugs out. I repeated this three, sprayed sea foam in the plugs and cleaned them. Put it all back together, put it in the water, fired up on the second crank.
Ran it for 20 mins (wish I had ran it longer) then shut it off to enjoy... went to start it, won’t catch. Spent 2 hours doing different versions of sesfoam spraying and plug cleaning. Got it to fire up.
Ran good, but smoky which I imagine is half from sea foam and half from oil gas...
So we took it 100 yards too far; on the way to the boat ramp we ran out of gas, literally 100 yards out.
Friend said to put my remaining 1/2 gallon of sea foam and that could get us in... wouldn’t catch...
Ended up drifting into a dock, went and got gas, added 5 gallons, now when I crank it, it Franks but there is absolutely no sound of catching, doesn’t sound like the fuel pump isn’t working.
It also seems to guzzle gas and I read you recommend a temp sensor to fix this.
My questions are, am I on the right track to replace the fuel pump and temp sensor?
And how do I find them. I’ve been all over the internet and I can’t seem to pin down which ones are for my motor. The prices vary drastically and the parts seem not to look the same.
Hoping to buy the correct stuff the first time and get this baby purring.
Dr Honda replied the following:
you should make this a thread... but seafoam is a solvent, and is death to a 2-stroke engine. It's an old product meant for 4-stoke car engines.
At this point I would check the compression again. You want to see 125 psi or better. 135 would be ideal. If that's ok... I would check the TPS, and fuel pressure.
