Carb issue?

[lbustin]

Hey all, I rebuilt a 1995 XP last year, got it running on the trailer, but never got to get it going on the lake. We finally took it out for the first time today for a attempt, and had some issues.

We put it in the water and it fired up perfectly. Purred like a little kitten. Water coming out of the pee hole. Everything looked good. We were careful to make sure we weren't going far, so we took it out a few hundred yards, seemed to speed up fine. Zipped back and forth for 5 or 10 minutes, no problems.

We think everything is going to be good, so my son takes off a ways in the lake, out of my site. Time passes and I don't seem him coming back. After 20 minutes or so, I see him inbound, being towed behind a boat.

He said that it was working fine, then he started noticing that it was losing top end speed. Eventually, it got to the point that it wouldn't go at all. Once we got it back in, we played around with it for a bit. After a few minutes, it started working ok again. Would crank up and seemed to accelerate fine. Not wanting another tow, we didn't take it out for any extended period.

My first thought is this would something with the carbs, if only for the reason that it's pretty much the only thing that I haven't worked with on this thing. The ski had been set up for several years, I got it for free from my father-in-law. I picked it up just as a project to diddle with.

This I have already done:

• replaced all fuel lines
• cleaned fuel selector valve
• put an inline fuel filter
• installed new wear ring
• tons of interior motor work. basically Frankenstein'ed two motors together.

So, is my first thought the right one? Time to rebuild the carbs? Or is there something else I should be looking at?

 

[Dr Honda]

If you didn't already go thought the carbs... then do it !!!!!!!!!!!! AND, hope that you didn't roast the top end. 2-stroke engines don't like to be run lean, and slowly loosing power is either an overheat situation... or... melting pistons.

 

[lbustin]

OK, will get to work on the carbs then. I was just making sure I was going the right direction.

Looking at threads, I notice some say that some rebuild kits are not good. Is the kit from SBT good? http://www.shopsbt.com/sea-1995-xp/35-160.html or should I look somewhere else?

 

[Dr Honda]

Only use OEM (Mikuni) parts if you want a trouble free ski.


BUT.... 9 times out of 10... you don't need anything. Just take them apart, and give them a good cleaning.

 

[lbustin]

Ok, finally got around to working on this. In the midst of trying to get this done, my son's truck lost a head gasket, so that took priority.

Got the carbs off. The Mag carb looked pretty clean. The PTO on the other hand, it's probably my culprit. The filter had a good bit of gunk in there, and around the regulator block looks kinda rusty.

Which leads to my next problem. I can't get the regulator block out. I just cannot get those Phillips screws to break loose. I'm pretty sure one is stripped now as well. Any tips on getting this guy out? Will I have to drill it out and rethread?

With the crap that was on top of that area there, I really think I need to get out it and clean up under there. The MAG carb I wouldn't feel bad about just leaving it in there, but this looks like it could be problematic leaving it that way.