HELP 787 xp not running, how to winterize???

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JPYxp

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My 96 xp has a score in one of the cylinders and wont start, I need to know how i can winterize it without starting it. Its in the garage right now but it cant be in there too long or my mom will start complaining about how its taking her spot. Im considering going ahead and doing a top end rebuild but that brings up a few other questions, Do i have to break it in right away after the rebuild or can i winterize it and break it in next season? If i do have to break it in how should i do so? Any help would be appreciated.
 
Connect your flush kit hose and pour antifreeze into that line and keep going until it comes out the clear line drain line. You should use a hose pincher on the opposite side of the flush kit so the fluid is directed to the engine only. Remove your plugs and spray fogging oil in there and perhaps remove the air box and arrestor and spray fogging oil through the carbs, held wide open and make sure the rotary valve is not blocking the ports. Then button it back up.
 
Connect your flush kit hose and pour antifreeze into that line and keep going until it comes out the clear line drain line. You should use a hose pincher on the opposite side of the flush kit so the fluid is directed to the engine only. Remove your plugs and spray fogging oil in there and perhaps remove the air box and arrestor and spray fogging oil through the carbs, held wide open and make sure the rotary valve is not blocking the ports. Then button it back up.
Even if the engine is not running? He's gonna get antifreeze in engine and crank. That might not be good...
 
How's that, that's the exact procedure from the manual and the exact procedure I have used for years. I don't start my speedster to winterize it. I fog it until it dies then add the antifreeze.

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Even if the engine is not running? He's gonna get antifreeze in engine and crank. That might not be good...

antifreeze has anti-corrosion additives in it, so it won't rust anything if it does get in there, and you'd have to fill the entire exhaust up over the peak of the exhaust pipe in order for antifreeze to come in through the exhaust ports.
 
If your going to rebuild it, pull the motor now, take it apart clean it all up, put it in your basement until your ready to rebuild it.
 
As long as we are on this topic with the 787 engine, I had some thoughts. I know traditionally the rule has been, never flow water through the system without the engine running, & stop all water flow before stopping the engine. That makes perfect sense, however I just pulled the pipe off my 787 last night & it would appear that the only water that enters the pipe is well below the exhaust manifold, so unless your exhaust gaskets leak at the manifold, it really can't flow up hill & into the engine. Only thing I could see possible is if the water entering the pipe was under pressure, splashes hard enough within the pipe and causes some droplets to go up the pipe & back down the manifold into the ports.


It would appear that by the design of this exhaust/cooling system, gravity prevents water from getting in the engine of a properly working/sealed system, running or not.

True?

That being said, If you had manifold gasket that was failing between the water jacket & exhaust ports, your engine might become a swimming pool
 
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As long as we are on this topic with the 787 engine, I had some thoughts. I know traditionally the rule has been, never flow water through the system without the engine running, & stop all water flow before stopping the engine. That makes perfect sense, however I just pulled the pipe off my 787 last night & it would appear that the only water that enters the pipe is well below the exhaust manifold, so unless your exhaust gaskets leak at the manifold, it really can't flow up hill & into the engine. Only thing I could see possible is if the water entering the pipe was under pressure, splashes hard enough within the pipe and causes some droplets to go up the pipe & back down the manifold into the ports.


It would appear that by the design of this exhaust/cooling system, gravity prevents water from getting in the engine of a properly working/sealed system, running or not.

True?

That being said, If you had manifold gasket that was failing between the water jacket & exhaust ports, your engine might become a swimming pool

Yes a properly sealed system should work, True. But if the ski were to tip or overfill is where you run into the problems.

When TOWING a ski you need to block the INLET hose from the jet pump, water can travel through this hose like normal but will fill the water box through the RAVE valve and then BACKFILL the exhaust internally to a point. Then all it takes is a good tip of the ski the wrong way(to the right) and you just swallowed water into the engine. Hence the placard on the back of the ski's telling you to tip the ski so the left side of the ski goes into the water--Rotate the ski counterclockwise as if you were standing behind it. Going clockwise it's going to go into the engine.

So the system will hold roughly a 1/2 gallon of antifreeze, so when winterizing AND using the pinchers that is all you should use, by not using pinchers you can fill the waterbox with antifreeze through the RAVE valve(possibly). It's all preference if you want to use pinchers or not, to me without them you'll waste more antifreeze with it running out the back.

I JUST winterized the Speedster, 1 gallon of antifreeze between both 787's, and it came out the "Tell Tale" line through the back of the boat.
 
I was just thinking about running & winterizing on the trailer.

Never thought about the towing before. So what do you do, keep a line pincher in the ski just in-case?
 
You should (read--I don't), but when I gagged the engine in the Speedster twice I just idled back, both times--2 friggin hours later, it is a 20 minute ride with a boat that works! But fighting current adds to the time. You should be good if you don't go over 15 MPH. Drop a rod and troll for fish on the way back.
 
I was just thinking about running & winterizing on the trailer.

Never thought about the towing before. So what do you do, keep a line pincher in the ski just in-case?

having a line pincher on board is a good thing to have, but if you have the original toolkit that came with the ski, it has a flathead screwdriver on the end of the piece that goes into the sparkplug socket deal, so you could loosen the hose clamp, pull a spark plug and stick it in the hose from the jet pump if you don't have a line pincher.
 
having a line pincher on board is a good thing to have, but if you have the original toolkit that came with the ski, it has a flathead screwdriver on the end of the piece that goes into the sparkplug socket deal, so you could loosen the hose clamp, pull a spark plug and stick it in the hose from the jet pump if you don't have a line pincher.

Word to your Mother Effen McGyver Skills....Brilliant!:thumbsup:
 
What happens if you don't use a pincher on the hose and just fill the flush hose until antifreeze comes out the exhaust on the back of the ski? Does that get it all to where it needs to go, or maybe into places that it shouldn't be?
 
What happens if you don't use a pincher on the hose and just fill the flush hose until antifreeze comes out the exhaust on the back of the ski? Does that get it all to where it needs to go, or maybe into places that it shouldn't be?

Probably fine, but if it starts leaking out right away it's because its draining back through the RAVE valve on the water box. And it might not get enough. So for a gallon or 50/50 Super Tech at Wally World $7.97 (I don't use RV antifreeze)and less than $8 for the pinchers to do it the way the manual says. If you have one ski you can winterize two years for a total investment of $16.00 (provided you have the fogging oil). Just remember to fog the engine before you put the antifreeze in. Probably 10 different ways from 10 different guys, use what works best for you and with what you feel safe with.


Lisle 22850 Hose pinchers, a whopping cost of under $8 for two. Perhaps I'm over cautious with winterizing.

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You would probably only get away with this on a 97 or newer xp and 95 hx. Most other models the water box exits to a hose that loops up to nearly the highest point under the seat then back down to the through hull fitting. The water box exit is higher than the highest point on the exhaust manifold and if you run water to the engine from a garden hose or by towing at high speeds with the engine off, water will fill the entire exhaust system and spill into the exhaust ports before ever exiting through the hull fitting. This loop is to keep water from filling the exhaust when the hull is in the water and the engine is off. On the 97+xp and 95hx the waterbox exit hose loop is lower than the highest point in the exhaust so it likely won't flood the motor and just run our the through hull fitting.
 
The HX has it's own procedure for winterizing in the manual the OP was asking about the 787.

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Yea, that my fault. I kinda took this post a different direction. I did notice my SPX has the same scenario though where the exhaust tube from the box loops as high as the exhaust manifold before exiting the hull on the other side. So I would image there is a limit to how long water can flow into the exhaust before the whole thing is full & backing up the pipe & into the engine.
 
Honestly anytime we have to do the top end, the bottom gets done too. You are going to put a fresh top end on that old crank, and it is not going to be able to handle all the new found compression. Also i would just crack it open to inspect everything. Besides when you pull the pistons you are going to have a ton of pins fall because those arent caged. You could stuff a rag or make something to cover the openings for rods to catch them, if you still decide to just do the top end. For me its easier to do any type of rebuilds out of the hull.
 
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We use full bore because they do a good job and are local full top end, we also use hot rod cranks, but everyone likes different stuff. Its all about your price range and what you prefer. You can look at racerxxx rebuild thread and use that as a template.
 
Being that i am on a college budget i'd like to get the best bang for my buck but not sacrifice the reliability, also how difficult is doing a complete rebuild? ive fixed alot of things under the hood of my truck, transmission included, but ive never worked with a 2 stroke. Im more than willing to get my hands dirty tho :D
 
I would recommend getting a clymers manual, go over that and see if you are capable of doing the work. As for being on a budget we all are but realisticly you are looking at $1000 at that price you can get all parts needed and buy the alignment tool(150) flywheel puller(35) and all the gaskets and materials you should need. Even if you buy a rebuilt motor and drop it in you will need the alignment tool, and you have to pay to ship your core to most places and pay for the shipping back. So its really a per person decision. Most people on here like doing the job yourself because we like knowing that it went back togethor properly and becaue we like it.
 
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