90 SP issues

[L.R.TNT]

Ok guys, I recently rebuilt my 90 SP and this year when I fired it up its not running very good, spitting and sputtering. It has 147lbs of compression per side, I rebuilt the carb and if its running(barely) I can get it to rev up intermittently and if I grab the choke it dies right now so I know its getting fuel, I have compression, its got spark, I never touched the rotary valve when I rebuilt it.
Any ideas? Anyone have issues with the coils on these(yes I know its 26yrs old anything is possible) anyone else have same issues? Need it running by this weekend as I'm going to a family vacation on the lake....
Also I should mention I have replaced the plugs, trimmed the plug wires back 1/4" and put new plug caps on.

 

[walleyeguy1]

I am currently working on my 1989, mine was running similarly to yours and I did change my coil but now I am having a fuel delivery problem and was told it's probably my pickups in the tank. Not sure if something might be plugged on your side or not but it's worth a check

 

[L.R.TNT]

Did the coil seem to help the issue at all? Mine runs the same on deserve as it does "on" when I had the carb apart I pulled the needle out of the seat and hit the start button and it sprayed fuel everywhere like it should on both selectors. Seems to me the more i run it the worse it gets....

 

[walleyeguy1]

I'm going to pull my tank and check my vacuum line. I have my fuel pump apart too. But mine had no spark and the coil livened her right up....

 

[Shortrun]

When you say you rebuilt the carb. Did you replace parts, or just clean?

 

[walleyeguy1]

Full rebuild kit.

 

[L.R.TNT]

When you say you rebuilt the carb. Did you replace parts, or just clean?

replaced parts and sprayed everything out

 

[RodInEscondido]

Check the entire fuel delivery path.

I have found a valuable tool in the inexpensive vacuum/brake bleeder: connect with a length of clear fuel line to the line feeding the fuel pump, this will show if you have air leaks along the path; pre-filter and fuel selector are noted places for air leaks.

On both the 89 and 90 SPs I have found the fuel pickups in the fuel tank have been fully or partially rotted off. Also at the end of the fuel tank pickups is a screen that has a check ball in it; I have found these to be either frozen open or frozen closed.

I have found on virtually all of the older skis (hey, thats all I got) that the fuel and pulse lines using the stock (Otecker) clamps are loose and prone to leaking.

Good luck and have fun!

Rod

 

[Shortrun]

Are the spark plugs really wet?

 

[L.R.TNT]

Are the spark plugs really wet?

Yes but have tried 2 new sets... Needle and seat is working good also.
I think that if it was an air leak in the fuel system pulling the choke slightly and richening the fuel screw would make an improvement on the way it runs. Runs best about 1-1.5 turns out either direction it suffers, and if I pull the choke its dead right now. If I pull either plug wire when its running it also dies.

 

[L.R.TNT]

Update:
Pulled the pickups out of the tank, everything looks good there, check valves are working on the pickups.
So I pulled the mag cover....
And found rusty colored dust covering everything, and some water on the flywheel and in the bottom of the enclosure. I'm going to ohm everything out and report back later.

 

[walleyeguy1]

My pickups inside my fuel tank are only hoses. Are three supposed to be anything on the bottom of the hoses?

 

[L.R.TNT]

My pickups inside my fuel tank are only hoses. Are three supposed to be anything on the bottom of the hoses?

Yes there should be a little fitting with a screen clamped on that has a check valve inside of it to filter particulates and stop fuel from backflow for easy startup.

 

[RodInEscondido]

Clean out the screen/check valve at the bottom of the pickup in the tank with carb cleaner. You can shake it around and hear the ball rattle around and/or use mouth air pressure to test operation.

Standard auto fuel line (25 foot roll from auto parts store to do entire ski) works in the tank also. Bottom of the reserve line/filter screen should go to bottom of tank, normal pickup should be about an inch or so above. Most tend to recommend the fuel line from auto parts stores but I have started using (good quality, intended for fuel) clear/blue fuel line so I can immediately see if there are air leaks in the fuel system; just check occasionally for pliability because there are places that lie about the quality and the lines get very hard very quickly.

As long as you have the pickup removed from the tank (much easier to access for new fuel line) I highly recommend removing the fuel tank thru the forward hatch and clean it out. Just my $.03 worth, but I have found a lot of crap and gooey stuff in the bottom of the tanks on the old skis.

I know, maybe a little off-track from the original post, but trying to keep them old rigs running.

 

[Coastiejoe]

OEM Kit or an Aftermarket kit for the carbs? Needle and seats?

 

[wfo speedracer]

Here is what I usually do on those, I take a newer dead fuel level sender drop it in the tank and mark it, then I take a hack saw and cut it off to the right length, I reinstall the bottom screen by making three new holes with a drill bit, fit it back in the tank and you never have to worry with it again, you do have to take the sediment bowl-filter bracket off and flip it over then reinstall the filter, that's it.