New boat to me, would like to make it better

[Gustopho]

Hey guys!!

So after my first weekend with this boat and the problems I already had, I would like to know in as much detail as possible a list of items that I should replace. Anything and everything possible would be greatly appreciated. I would rather spend the money and time now before the long 6 days 4th of July weekend I plan to have.

I have looked all over he internet for a complete list but can’t find anything. I plan it buy a a manual and all the recommended items I get off this list and order all parts together and at the same time .

Thank you again so much I’m advancing guys and gals!

 

[JeremyD615]

What year and model is the boat?

 

[Gustopho]

What year and model is the boat?

It’s a 1996 speedster with twin Rotax engines

 

[JeremyD615]

Well I’ve actually got a 95, which is very similar but uses the 657X rather than the 720’s that you’ve got. I’ll go through the list of mechanical items here and I’m sure someone will jump in with anything I miss.

1. Fuel lines. I don’t believe the Speedsters came with much of the grey tempo lines, other than the hoses that run between the carbs themselves. Anywhere you see it, it needs to come out and be replaced though.

2. Replace your fuel selector switches. They are a pain to get to on these boats, but they are a common point of failure, so go ahead and get new ones. They’re inexpensive and hard to get to, so don’t even bother with trying to clean them.

3. Replace the filters and O-Rings in the water separators. This is another inexpensive item that is prone to causing air leaks in the fuel system.

4. Carburetors. Clean and rebuild the carbs using genuine Mikuni rebuild kits and new needles/seats. Follow the carb rebuild sticky in the 2-stroke PWC section of the forum. It’s extremely important that you use the correct OEM parts for this. The aftermarket kits are junk, and you’ll be doing the job over if you use them.

5. Oil/Lines. If you’re not sure what oil is being used, empty and clean the oil tank and flush the rotary valve cavity. Then replace the oil with an API-TC rated oil. There are several out there, but you can’t go wrong with the XPS Carb 2T oil from Bombardier. You’re also going to want to replace the 3/32” tygon oil lines that run from the pump to the manifold under the carbs. Don’t worry about the large feed lines, but the small ones should be changed.

6. Wear ring. Take a flashlight and crawl under the boat while on the trailer. Look up through the intake grate to where the impeller is located. There is a plastic ring that surrounds the blades. It should be smooth and free from gouges or missing chunks. The tolerance between the impeller blades and the wear ring should be somewhere between the width of a few sheets of paper and a dime. If it’s more than that, you’ll need to replace it.

7. Pump oil. Pull the reverse bucket and nozzle off of the pump assembly, and remove the black cone mounted to the center of the pump. This will drain oil, so have something underneath it. Check for milky oil or water in what drains out. Also look at the bearings for any sign of wear or binding. If that looks good, replace the cone and use the hole with a set screw plugging it to refil the cone with a synthetic gear oil.

I’m sure I’m missing some things here and there, but that should get you up and running as long as everything is in decent mechanical shape.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Good start on the list! So tell us more, how's the boat running?

My personal enthusiasm for changing pump oil hasn't gone well b/c each time I've done this in the past, always I experienced issues with the fill plug threads on the cone leaking. I think I've finally got that solved dependably but it took some doing. A new cone(s) would be another solution but still, the plug isn't even tapered seems like and the threaded cone is plastic so there ya go....

Just watch carefully for leaks afterward, feel inside the pump for a puddle of oil that collects there if the cone is leaking or place a dry paper towel inside under the plastic cone and see if it gets wet with oil. Lack of oil for the impeller shaft bearings can be the pits on an otherwise nice day..

There might be better aftermarket cones available, I haven't looked.

 

[Gustopho]

Well I’ve actually got a 95, which is very similar but uses the 657X rather than the 720’s that you’ve got. I’ll go through the list of mechanical items here and I’m sure someone will jump in with anything I miss.

1. Fuel lines. I don’t believe the Speedsters came with much of the grey tempo lines, other than the hoses that run between the carbs themselves. Anywhere you see it, it needs to come out and be replaced though.

2. Replace your fuel selector switches. They are a pain to get to on these boats, but they are a common point of failure, so go ahead and get new ones. They’re inexpensive and hard to get to, so don’t even bother with trying to clean them.

3. Replace the filters and O-Rings in the water separators. This is another inexpensive item that is prone to causing air leaks in the fuel system.

4. Carburetors. Clean and rebuild the carbs using genuine Mikuni rebuild kits and new needles/seats. Follow the carb rebuild sticky in the 2-stroke PWC section of the forum. It’s extremely important that you use the correct OEM parts for this. The aftermarket kits are junk, and you’ll be doing the job over if you use them.

5. Oil/Lines. If you’re not sure what oil is being used, empty and clean the oil tank and flush the rotary valve cavity. Then replace the oil with an API-TC rated oil. There are several out there, but you can’t go wrong with the XPS Carb 2T oil from Bombardier. You’re also going to want to replace the 3/32” tygon oil lines that run from the pump to the manifold under the carbs. Don’t worry about the large feed lines, but the small ones should be changed.

6. Wear ring. Take a flashlight and crawl under the boat while on the trailer. Look up through the intake grate to where the impeller is located. There is a plastic ring that surrounds the blades. It should be smooth and free from gouges or missing chunks. The tolerance between the impeller blades and the wear ring should be somewhere between the width of a few sheets of paper and a dime. If it’s more than that, you’ll need to replace it.

7. Pump oil. Pull the reverse bucket and nozzle off of the pump assembly, and remove the black cone mounted to the center of the pump. This will drain oil, so have something underneath it. Check for milky oil or water in what drains out. Also look at the bearings for any sign of wear or binding. If that looks good, replace the cone and use the hole with a set screw plugging it to refil the cone with a synthetic gear oil.

I’m sure I’m missing some things here and there, but that should get you up and running as long as everything is in decent mechanical shape.

Jeremy!!!

This is amazing and well over what I expected. I have no idea what half of these things are but I will do extensive research and do them all. Thank you so much!

I will definitely post again with any problems.

 

[Gustopho]

Good start on the list! So tell us more, how's the boat running?

My personal enthusiasm for changing pump oil hasn't gone well b/c each time I've done this in the past, always I experienced issues with the fill plug threads on the cone leaking. I think I've finally got that solved dependably but it took some doing. A new cone(s) would be another solution but still, the plug isn't even tapered seems like and the threaded cone is plastic so there ya go....

Just watch carefully for leaks afterward, feel inside the pump for a puddle of oil that collects there if the cone is leaking or place a dry paper towel inside under the plastic cone and see if it gets wet with oil. Lack of oil for the impeller shaft bearings can be the pits on an otherwise nice day..

There might be better aftermarket cones available, I haven't looked.

Sportster,

I took the boat out for the first time last weekend. It had half a tank of fuel and oil. I topped off the fuel tank with premium. Trailered it about 80 miles so I’m sure that mixed it pretty well. I fired it up in the yard and engine 2 was a kitten. Put 2 brand new fully charged batteries and went to bed. The next morning engine 1 however after the initial start didn’t fire and the starter continuously turned over. Posted my problem and found it to be a bad solenoid. Opened up the box tapped on it and didn’t have that problem again. I’m going to replace them both this week. Got it on the water and both engines burped for about 10 minutes. I’m assuming it was burning the old fuel in the lines until it got to the new/old mix. Again engine 2 was the winner. Engine 1 would not get past 4K. Did some hard turns and it seemed like when I turned opposite the engine, it got a little burst for about 2 seconds, hit 6k then right back down to 4K. Scooter around for about 20 minutes, still engine 1 never broke 4K. Decided that was enough until I got some stuff figured out.

Any ideas as to why engine 1 would be doing that?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Any ideas as to why engine 1 would be doing that?

First thing that comes to mid is a fouled spark plug. Changing spark plugs is the 1st thing that should be done in many cases when an 2-stroke isn't running correctly.

There's another thing that goes hand in hand with changing spark plugs, that's checking cylinder compression. If a 2-stroke loses compression (for whatever reason, there are several common reasons), it won't run well.

So while the spark plugs are out, grab your compression gauge and go at it. I believe your engine blew near 150psi in new condition.

2-strokes aren't like 4-strokes in that they rarely seize, a 2-stroke is much more prone to seizing but there are things you can do to extend their life greatly.

1) Never run stale fuel, don't even consider this.
2) Make sure your oiling system works properly and is adjusted correctly, isn't contaminated or dirty.
3) Never continue to run a 2-stroke that isn't running correctly, it's telling you something important.
4) Most frequent problems are fuel system related.
5) Every 2-stroke will eventually seize unless it's rebuilt before it happens.
6) Review all previous bullets. 1~5
7) Relax and have a good time, don't be in a hurry, this is all about having fun and taking it all in. You have permission to laugh at other rude boaters who feel they can do whatever they want b/c they're more important than you.

 

[JeremyD615]

My initial thought if you seem to get rpm in bursts while turning is a problem in the pump. Check the pump cone to see if it has oil in it. If those bearings inside start to go they cause a lot more friction in the driveline, and then when you turn and change the load on the pump, it can sometimes overcome that friction... I’m having a similar problem with one of the engines on my Speedster right now where the port motor seems to load up at 4000rpm until the starboard motor gets the boat on plane, then it will rev to redline. I’m pretty sure the impeller shaft bearings are going out in that pump, as I can hear them howl when it revs up. I’ll try to take some pictures when I get around to pulling that pump and fixing it so you can see what I’m talking about...

 

[Gustopho]

My initial thought if you seem to get rpm in bursts while turning is a problem in the pump. Check the pump cone to see if it has oil in it. If those bearings inside start to go they cause a lot more friction in the driveline, and then when you turn and change the load on the pump, it can sometimes overcome that friction... I’m having a similar problem with one of the engines on my Speedster right now where the port motor seems to load up at 4000rpm until the starboard motor gets the boat on plane, then it will rev to redline. I’m pretty sure the impeller shaft bearings are going out in that pump, as I can hear them howl when it revs up. I’ll try to take some pictures when I get around to pulling that pump and fixing it so you can see what I’m talking about...

I have added this to my list and thank you Sir. I will google the item as well!