Help! Part identification needed on 951 DI

[Lightningtruck]

Hi all,

I know this is the PWC forum, but I'm working on my 2004 Sportster DI and know a lot of the powertrain carries over to PWC, and there seems to be more traffic here.

Anyway, I just replaced the stator, which of course requires taking off the tuned pipe, throttle body, and pulling the front engine mount. Then lift up the engine to expose the bottom row of bolts for the stator housing/cover. Did that no problem, but I screwed up in the process.

I put a 2x4 under the starter to gently lift the engine up, but little did I know there was something I think plastic under there. There is a hose that connects from a small chamber on the stator housing (from a small cooling chamber), and it runs under the starter and connects to this plastic blob. I unknowingly broke the fitting off of the front of the plastic blob with the 2x4. The other end of the plastic blob runs a water hose back to the exhaust.

Question is, what is this plastic blob, and what does it do? It's not labeled in the parts fiche, and I can't find anything on it in the shop manual. From what I can see from the picture, maybe it's a heat exchanger of some kind, and that sucker is smack dab under the engine. Guess what that means if I need to replace it. That means I'm cutting a big hole under the engine and going to town. No, not really. But I am not pulling this engine!!!

Can I bypass this thing?

Of course I see this as I am putting the final touches buttoning things up.

I'm so ready to run my 4TEC.

Thanks for any insight.

Kevin

 

[Dr Honda]

Well.... on the 951 engine, there is a heat exchanger under it. If you want to bypass it... that's up to you. As I recall, there isn't any other water in it, other than when is fed into it. If you bypass it... you may cook the main bearings. I'm sure you can find one on eBay... or they are only about $45 new.

 

[Lightningtruck]

Well.... on the 951 engine, there is a heat exchanger under it. If you want to bypass it... that's up to you. As I recall, there isn't any other water in it, other than when is fed into it. If you bypass it... you may cook the main bearings. I'm sure you can find one on eBay... or they are only about $45 new.

Thanks Tony.

Funny thing is in the pics, it looks like it's external? But it's really there for bottom end cooling? At 45 bucks I can stomach that......versus main bearings!

Do you know if the engine has to come out to swap this? I'm hoping at this point all I have to do is pull the throttle bodies, the starter, and reach somewhat under. Hoping that the starter out will be the ticket. If I have to pull the engine, this boat will be for sale as-is for a decent chunk of change discount. I'm sick of it.

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

[Lightningtruck]

Tony,
Do you happen to know the proper name for this thing? I am looking around on eBay and such, with no luck.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Lightningtruck]

Found it.

Waterchannel Cover. Part number 420811430. $42, and looks like lift the engine out to get to it.

It's gonna be lucky if I don't take a sawzall to the hull. I am so done with this boat. Unbelieveable.

It's for sale, by the way, if anyone is interested.

Thanks.

 

[Dr Honda]

Looks like you answered your own questions.

I don't know if you will cook bearings or not... but since it's bolted to the bottom, it's drawing heat from the lower casting. ????

 

[Lightningtruck]

Thanks again, Tony.

Long story, but we have a 951 DI engine as a cutaway in the lobby of where I work. I looked at it this morning and the part is still on it. I see what it's all about, and as big as it is (covering the entire bottom of the engine), I think it has some significant cooling purpose. So I will replace this thing.

I also did some searching late last night and found where a guy had an '05 Sportster like mine that had overheated and cooked the engine and they found that this part had been bypassed.

I just have to psych myself up to lift this engine. Thinking I have to detatch the pipe at the big clamp, pull the driveshaft, three mount points, and maybe use a big nylon strap around the pipe. If I can get 3-4 inches of height, that should do it. Oh, and ditch the throttle bodies and starter. I am sooooooooo over this boat.

Kevin

 

[bigJake]

Thanks again, Tony.

Long story, but we have a 951 DI engine as a cutaway in the lobby of where I work. I looked at it this morning and the part is still on it.
Kevin

Do you have access to the lobby at night? I have an idea on how you can save $45

 

[Lightningtruck]

Yeah, I have access at any time. But I like my job though...

 

[Lightningtruck]

Ok, well I will have the new waterchannel cover here on Friday. Am considering doing this, versus maybe selling the boat as-is and letting a future owner deal with it. Obviously, if I do it I can get more for the boat. But...

Dr. Honda,
I've been studying the shop manual, and if I have to lift the thing up to get at the bolts, is it gonna be mandatory to pull the complete jet pump assembly to get the drive shaft to slide back? Or can I pop the PTO flywheel (is there an adapter there) loose?

I am praying that I can just pull the throttle bodies and starter off and get down underneath the thing. There's that channel down in the bottom of the hull that maybe, just maybe will be deep enough to allow me to get my grubby paws down there. Looking at the cutaway at work and it doesn't look like there will be any surprises, just need the clearance down there. But man, if I have to lift that engine, it's going to be probably the better part of a day's work at my snail pace. And I'm sick of working on this boat.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Dr Honda]

The easiest way to get the engine out is to remove the pump, and the drive shaft. It is possible to do it with the pump on... but I can get the pump and the shaft out faster, than the messing around in the engine bay is worth.

 

[Lightningtruck]

Thanks Tony.

Got something else I am going to try first now. A friend and I were talking at lunch time today, and he got the bright idea to machine up a two-sided metal fitting. One end of the fitting plugs into the hose, while the other end of the fitting slides into the hole of the broken part of the cover. JB weld the end into the cover. It's closer to a light press fit than anything, with JB weld for sealing. Figured that since it is not pressurized, it's worth a shot. And easy to try. I think it will work, and be robust. And we don't lift the engine to do it.

If it does not work, the new cover showed up today.

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

[Lightningtruck]

That metal part we made did the trick. And I looked closely and am pretty sure that the waterchannel cover can be changed without lifting the engine if push comes to shove (which I don't think will be necessary). All in all, a good day.

Now to get the battery low code to go away. Pretty close on that, however...

Kevin

 

[Jonnyivy]

just read this post,.. I did much the same as you,.. I bought a brass joining pipe,... threaded on one end and a push over fit on the other. I think it was meant for some plumbing pipes ?. Anyway, I screwed the threaded end into the broken end of the cooling tray ( it had a plastic insert inside the alloy). It took up very nicely, I think it was 8mm but not sure now. The other end which was now sticking out was mated up with the water feed pipe and I aint had no leaks at all.
Good luck