problems starting my XP 587

[OldieButBaddy]

Hello everyone, and thanks admins for the quick turnaround on approving my login. I much prefer forums to fb pages for tech help, so hoping I came to the right place!

I recently picked up (for next to nothing) a 1992 XP 587. I perhaps should have spent more

Supposedly it ran last summer, and I did see a video of it on the water, for whatever that is worth. Few problems now I'm hoping to get some help with. I have decades of DIY experience on 4 stroke boat/car engines, but 2 strokes are entirely new to me, so please be patient with my lack of knowledge.

When I brought the ski home, it started right up, and ran until I killed it a couple minutes later. At the time it was leaking water like crazy, as three of the studs for the exhaust pipe (to manifold) were broken off. I have that mostly straightened out now - but I can't get it to start / stay running. Two problems I'm noticing. When I have my finger on the starter button, and while the starter is spinning, it sounds like it's running. But as soon as I take my finger off the starter button, it seems like it loses spark, and dies. On a four-stroke motor with these symptoms, I would test the positive terminal on the coil - and expect it to be hot when the starter cranks, and dead when the ignition returns to the on position - due to a bad ignition switch, wiring, resistor, etc. But in my new world, I haven't a clue how to diagnose. Suggestions?

I also think I need a new starter - sometimes it cranks fine, for as long as I'm on the button. But just as often, the starter turns the engine a few revolutions, then disengages itself and just spins the starter motor. I suppose I need to replace my starter? Any recommended sources for a quality replacement? Doesn't look like the easiest job getting the starter out, and then in, so hoping to only do it once.

trying to think of any other info that would be helpful. Compression seems good, both at 145-148. Fuel lines look new. I drained as much as I could from the gas tank and filled with new fuel. It's set up for premix ): but let's not discuss that! And the choke cable is not connected to anything.

thanks

 

[mikidymac]

First with the cranking, it sounds like the battery is on the way out.

The issue with loosing spark sounds like maybe the kill switch. The older ones have reverse operation kill switches so whenever people replace them with a new one they almost always order the wrong one for the newer models.

 

[OldieButBaddy]

I think my battery is ok - it has a '22' sticker on it, and I pulled it out last night and charged it with a 10 amp "smart" charger. it was showing 12.8 volts today before I reinstalled. But I did not check the voltage when cranking.

The spark problem may be related to my tether switch, or whatever that is called. When I attach the tether side of the switch to keep it depressed, and crank - I seem to have the spark problem. But when I instead hold that one all the way down with my thumb, I can start the motor. And it keeps running after letting off the starter. Or maybe that was just a coincidence, and it finally started at the same time I changed up.

still hit or miss with the starter motor spinning in its tracks. 3 times out of 5 it cranks the engine for long enough to start, other two it drops after a second, and only starter motor spins.

the previous owner must have premixed at a crazy ratio - the fuel was dark brown. The batch I mixed up at 40:1 looks like gasoline.