New to me '97 Sportster has a few "issues"

[wc145]

Hi,
Just joined the site and I'm hoping for some help/advice. I recently bought a '97 Sportster and after getting it cleaned up took it out yesterday for the first time and not everything worked as well as it should. I don't know much of the boats history so this was sort of a shake down ride. Here's a rundown of the problems:

1. The starter will not engage/turn every time the button is pushed. Sometimes it clicks, sometimes there's a clunk, sometimes it engages and turns then goes zzzzzzzz, sometimes it engages and turns like it should.

2. When the starter does engage the engine fires right up but when I took the boat out it would not go faster than 10mph and after half throttle the engine seems to bog down and has a bit of a miss. Pull back on the throttle and it smooths out. It has new plugs but that is it.

3. Gas gauge doesn't work.

4. Bilge pump won't run when I turn the switch on.

5. Water comes in through the drain hole below the driver seat when the boat is stopped, runs back out when it's moving. The outlet just has a flap on it, is there a way to keep the water from coming in?

I believe that's pretty much it for the moment. Hopefully it won't take much to get it straightened out.
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[dennisbuter]

I just purchased a 97 Challenger, and have the exact same issues that you do.
Can anyone suggest the causes of these issues???

 

[kustomkarl]

Hi,
Just joined the site and I'm hoping for some help/advice. I recently bought a '97 Sportster and after getting it cleaned up took it out yesterday for the first time and not everything worked as well as it should. I don't know much of the boats history so this was sort of a shake down ride. Here's a rundown of the problems:

1. The starter will not engage/turn every time the button is pushed. Sometimes it clicks, sometimes there's a clunk, sometimes it engages and turns then goes zzzzzzzz, sometimes it engages and turns like it should.

2. When the starter does engage the engine fires right up but when I took the boat out it would not go faster than 10mph and after half throttle the engine seems to bog down and has a bit of a miss. Pull back on the throttle and it smooths out. It has new plugs but that is it.

3. Gas guage doesn't work.

4. Bilge pump won't run when I turn the switch on.

5. Water comes in through the drain hole below the driver seat when the boat is stopped, runs back out when it's moving. The outlet just has a flap on it, is there a way to keep the water from coming in?

I believe that's pretty much it for the moment. Hopefully it won't take much to get it straightened out.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Welcome to the seadoo forum wc145.
1) I would remove the starter and clean the end up or replace it if it is in really bad condition. They can sometimes be cleaned and installed again and work fine.

2)It sounds like you need to remove the carburetors and clean them. If you're careful and don't tear or damage the diaphragms you won't need to buy a rebuild kit. Pay attention to the internal filters too.

3)/ 4)I would check all the fuses to see if the bilge and guage have blown fuses. If fuses are fine I have a list of tests to determine what might be bad.

5) On the rear of the boat is a " scupper" you can get a replacement at like West Marine, That have a "ping pong ball" type of sealer that works better than the flap. Than no water will enter.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Karl

 

[seadoosnipe]

Thru hull fittings....

On the water coming into the hull, my scupper fittings are gone. I don't think it's a big deal but if you want yours repaired, you can order part number 204060073 and 74. These are the scupper valve and support. You can find them in our parts section of the "Seadoo Warehouse" on the top right hand side of the screen. Look under the section of "hull and accessories"..

I see Karls' got the rest of your answers..............:cheers: