95 Sportster 717 Just bought wont start...did trouble shoot need quick seize check

[rags]

Hi all new here, Just bought sight unseen 95 Sportster trailer tarp. $1100 Cdn so figured good project good price. Now sits in yard and sunny so figured Id try and figure out what it wont start. Owner said worked fine for a few years sat last two years now wont start.

Im not new to mechanics and projects but Im new to Seadoos. So ive done some quck trouble shooting and got myself to a point where starter fires engine wont turn.

The problem does not start......ok I did lots of trouble shooting and am now at point where I can get power to starter and drive gear fired out hits fly wheel and wont turn it. Good solid clunk so it drives out and gets in the gear just wont turn it. So what i figure is either 1 of 3 things or all three lol.
1 - Pistons seized in cylinders
2 - out put shaft bearing seized
3 - jet pump propeller seized

First could be seized pistons Ive added oil and varsol mix to piston chamber to lube and loosen rust corrosion if any. I will let the set in for now

Second out put shaft bearing greased and ready to do some test to see if it turns whats best way to test the complete out put system to see if its 12or3? Is there a quick check to turn shaft and or disconnect a part to best isolate the 3 items i listed so I can better pin point problem area? Do I just get a pipe wrench on it and try to turn to loosen it if partially seized? which does it turn I assume clockwise?

Third jet pump I will change up oil and clean around it but dont have an alignment shaft so hesitant about just pulling it off and apart and cleaning it then put back on.

Thoughts on quick check rather then pull entire PTO system from fly wheel to jet pump off.

Rags
Thanks

 

[XP 787]

Pull the pump and spark plugs then try to turn by hand.

 

[Steelmesh]

Remove the flywheel shroud, at the output side of the engine. Try to turn the flywheel by hand. Even if there is compression and the plugs are in it should move. Pulling plugs as suggested is a good idea. Inspect both the plugs and flashlight into the piston...see if there is corrosion. Maybe a steel ring or the cylinder wall has some surface rust, enough to jam you up. So you can spray a significant amount of WD40 or Kroil into the spark plug holes to help lube up the walls and rings.

Also I agree with XP787, pull the pump. You're going to need to inspect it and change the oil in the pump, it is probably nasty or non-existent.

 

[rags]

Remove the flywheel shroud, at the output side of the engine. Try to turn the flywheel by hand. Even if there is compression and the plugs are in it should move. Pulling plugs as suggested is a good idea. Inspect both the plugs and flashlight into the piston...see if there is corrosion. Maybe a steel ring or the cylinder wall has some surface rust, enough to jam you up. So you can spray a significant amount of WD40 or Kroil into the spark plug holes to help lube up the walls and rings.

Also I agree with XP787, pull the pump. You're going to need to inspect it and change the oil in the pump, it is probably nasty or non-existent.

Ok I removed plugs yesterday poured WD40 plus oil gas varsol mix down cylinders to soak. Today pulled shroud and found Nylon strap 2 inch wide about 6 inches wrapped around shaft and one end flung out so it cut right into shroud and was stuck in shroud. Pulled air cleaner found pile of nylon fibers that match the strap wrapped around PTO stuck on air cleaner. Put a pipe wrench on fly wheel extension flange opposite side of grease nipple. Tried to turn flywheel not a budge at all and I pushed so hard the engine started to lift on starboard side so those engine mount bolts are not in on that side.

I will pull jet pump assembly tomorrow as suggested and try to see if I can turn the engine over then but I suspect Im pulling engine now to see whats up with motor mounts. Carbs look like crap also, loads of white oxidation down the throat when i pulled air cleaner. As a note the spark plug came out rusty not surface type rust worse like large mounds of rust building. So if we dont get movement of fly wheel tomorrow I will just pull and tear it down.

Thanks for input

Rags

 

[2x2smoke]

if its a race to isolate what might be wrong, the pipe wrench on the pto hub should work. There should be a tiny amount of play in the splines of the driveshaft/pto hub interface. If your pto is frozen solid, its the engine. clockwise vs counterclockwise shouldn't matter.

Were the spark plugs rusty?

You are going to have to go through every system on this boat eventually. It has probably been sitting for double the years claimed by the seller.

 

[Steelmesh]

Ok I removed plugs yesterday poured WD40 plus oil gas varsol mix down cylinders to soak. Today pulled shroud and found Nylon strap 2 inch wide about 6 inches wrapped around shaft and one end flung out so it cut right into shroud and was stuck in shroud. Pulled air cleaner found pile of nylon fibers that match the strap wrapped around PTO stuck on air cleaner. Put a pipe wrench on fly wheel extension flange opposite side of grease nipple. Tried to turn flywheel not a budge at all and I pushed so hard the engine started to lift on starboard side so those engine mount bolts are not in on that side.

I will pull jet pump assembly tomorrow as suggested and try to see if I can turn the engine over then but I suspect Im pulling engine now to see whats up with motor mounts. Carbs look like crap also, loads of white oxidation down the throat when i pulled air cleaner. As a note the spark plug came out rusty not surface type rust worse like large mounds of rust building. So if we dont get movement of fly wheel tomorrow I will just pull and tear it down.

Thanks for input

Rags

Sounds like the previous owner messed up and allowed the strap to fall into the bilge. I hope nylon didn't find its way into the rotary valve or crankcase.

If you don't want to deal with aligning the engine, you may consider trying to remove the jugs in the boat (assuming you just need some top end work), this way you don't alter the shims and engine alignment. Otherwise, it is advised to align the engine after unbolting, a $150 tool or take it to a jetski shop to assist.