UPDATE: Got the boat back and not sure if normal...NEED MORE HELP lol

[ericbesso]

To see the back story, see my other thread titled: crappy first time out on the boat (...)

So the dealer ended up taking forever to put a new engine in and kept making up bs excuses why it wasnt done. Finally picked it up on Friday and managed to get away paying only $800 instead of the agreed upon $1000 share I was supposed to pay for the brand new motor, installed, with a few other parts that needed changing. I had asked them to also install a new wear ring as the boat had some cavitation before the engine blew. I got there and looked over the bill and no wear ring.....the mechanic then tells me the wear ring is fine but i need a new impeller......I was so frustrated I paid the bill and left.

Didnt have time to check the boat over until yesterday, and the first thing I notice is the plastic cover on the drive shaft is missing.....thats not good....then i find pieces of the old block in the hull....with a bolt ......so i call them and theyre closed til Tuesday as it is a long weekend here...


So I take the boat out today. Check that there is Gas, Oil, everything is good, start her up, no problem, nothing leaking...ok. I read that for the first 10 hours or so I shouldnt go past half throttle to break the engine in. is that correct?

Cruised around for about 45mins-1hr and she felt really well sluggish. it would lift the nose up, (get on plane?) but we were not getting any speed....me and a friend in the boat. no idea about rpm's or speed as gages dont work. Thts the project for tomorrow morning......



Questions

Any clue what would be causing this? How hard is it to change an impeller and/or wear ring? Best replacement impeller value/price ?

I have pretty good mechanical skills, my parents have a restoration business and have been around cars and stuff forever.

Here is a pic of the bolt and a spring that was on the hull...Any idea where that is from?

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Sounds like your dealer has no way of testing watercraft in the water, or they didn't bother to. I don't know how they can give good service lacking this capability.

Unfortunately, I would take this craft back to the dealer if you're expecting the dealer to stand behind the work, otherwise you're taking things into your own hands and the risk becomes yours.

 

[Chips]

Spring sorta looks like the one that comes out of an accelerator pump on the carb. Allen head bolt could be from air filter assembly. Changing out your impeller is fairly easy but will require one special tool to slide into the impeller and attach a 19mm socket to it. Changing out a wear ring is really easy and while you have all that out mine as well throw in a new carbon ring and o-rings/c-clip on the drive shaft. Also super easy to do.

But I would take it back to dealer like Sportster suggested and tell them to get it running correctly...and ask where the extra parts came from. If they don't have a bay to water test the boat, ask them how they expect to properly diagnose and fix problems then?

 

[ericbesso]

They were supposed to take it out on friday before giving it back but it was pouring. As it is a long weekend I went and got it and figured id take the chance that I could use it.

I took it back out tonight. Was running much better than the first hour. Normal with a new engine?

After about an hour it really started picking up good speed even at half throttle. But the engine is sluggish until a certain point, where it sounds different and like "kicks in" and then starts going good.

Anyways, had a great time the last hour. Have done 3 hours now out of 10 (is this correct?)

Also the gauges have light so they are getting power. The speedo reads about 10-15 mph doesnt rly move, and the tach moves around intermittently and randomly.

Thanks a lot guys love the community here

 

[ericbesso]

bump? please? lol

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I have to suggest you should be reading the service manual and familiarizing yourself with each system in the boat if you intend on working on it yourself. Read each section, understand, and follow the service manual procedures. We can answer questions as you go along.

Have you obtained a copy of the service manual yet?

 

[Dr Honda]

bump? please? lol

I'm not sure what you are looking for.

you said it was "Slugish"... but then continued to run it, and said it picked up???? If there is a problem... STOP RUNNING IT!


Also... what is slugish? It's either revving, or it's not.


SO... what's it doing... EXACTLY.

 

[ericbesso]

Sorry for my inexactitudes. It would rev fine, but seemed like there was no power. Then at a certain point on the throttle, about half throttle, the engine sounds different and it picks up. Sorry for not being precise, like I said tach and speedo dont work :S

 

[Dr Honda]

OK... I'm still not getting what you are saying.

If it's "Reving fine"... how can there be "No Power" ?


I'm not trying to sound like an ass... but since all we have are words here... the words I'm reading are contradictory.



OK.... If you are at an idle, and then open the throttle to full (quickly) will the engien:

a) Try to die

b) Rev very quick, but makes no thrust

c) stumble, and cough... and then accelerate

d) other

 

[ericbesso]

Sorry man, not taking badly at all I undertand it is hard to understand what I am saying.

I have not put it full throttle as it is a brand new engine, and read that for the first 10hrs or so u wanna break the engine in and run 25%-50% throttle.

That being said, from 0%-40% it barely accelerates. Seems to be revving fine (I have nothing to compare to :S) but does not accelerate much and does not seem to be making much thrust.

At about 50% throttle, the engine sounds different and starts making good thrust, lfts the nose and accelerates well.

At no point does it seem to want to die out, nor does it stumble or couch. Just sounds different within both ranges, and has barely any thrust below 50% throttle. Have not pushed it past that, but holding around 50% with lots of thrust accelerates and makes pretty good top speed.

Hopefully that is clearer :s sorry bout that.

Thanks again, you guys are great. Is there a way to make a donation to the site?

Eric

 

[Dr Honda]

Hummmmmmmm..........


OK...


It could be normal. Jet boat's don't make a lot of thrust at low RPM's. You should track down the tach issue. If we had a real RPM... it would be easier to tell.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

If you've got the boat out of water and know how, I'd do a compression check in order to establish a baseline. If one of the cylinders is down appreciably, there's no point in continuing the break-in else you might find yourself hoisting an engine and picking aluminum chunks out of the bilge.

Do you know how much oil is mixed with the fuel, for break-in?