Water in the oil tank--1995 Sea-Doo Sportster Jet Boat

[SEADOOHELP]

Hi I am new at this.and would like to ask someone about a problem that I have.…I bought a 1995 Sea-Doo Sportster jet boat, 85hp Rotax (720 engine) last year. Due to the flooding of the Mississippi in St. Louis we only ran the boat about 2 hours. To get it ready for this year I started it up for about 20 seconds with the hose attached to the water intake. It smoked a lot for about 5-10 seconds, then decreased to normal, I believe. Then I checked the plugs, put a new battery in, and then I noticed what looked like water in the tubing that goes down to the engine on the port side (not the drivers side). I disconnected the tubing and lowered it and water ran out of it. I then checked and drained the oil tank and it was about half full of water. I have drained the oil tank and the tubings and put new XPS mineral oil which was used by the former owner and recommended by Sea-Doo. No oil in the bilge.

Does anyone have any ideas what might have happened to get water into the oil tank? And isn't that bad for the operation of the engine?

 

[Dr Honda]

That's not good.

As you know, oil floats on water... so if there is water in the tank... it's going to be down in the engine, and injection pump. I know you said you drained the oil, but did you clear the engine and injection system?? If not... you need to remove the hoses again, and verify 100% that all the water is out of the engine. If you don't... you may not have an engine for much longer.


Now... the "Why did it get in there" is hard to say... but with the flooding, and heavy storms... it obviously got past the vents and/or the fill cap.

Last thing... since the water was in there... I would change the oil filter too.

 

[SEADOOHELP]

Hi Thanks for the reply. I understand most of it but I don't know a lot about the engine and there are no repair
services near St. Louis. I emptied the oil tank and disconnected the 3 tubings from the oil tank and lowered them down
to the bottom of the bilge and drained the water out of them. I hooked everything back up and and put new XPS oil
in the tank. I have only started it twice (it is on the trailer here in my garage at home) for about 20 seconds. I thought
that there would not be much water in the engine so thought that this might be a safe way to get rid of any left in there.

Do you think that this is reasonable since cannot and do not know how to do anything to the injection or engine?

Thanks again for your reply..

 

[SEADOOHELP]

P.S. I wanted to add that when I ran the engine for 20 sec. or less the exhaust was just about all a small to medium about of oil and very little or no water.

thanks

 

[Dr Honda]

From my end of the computer... I can't tell if you got it all out or not. If you got it out... you will be fine. If the RV gears, and injection pump still have water in them... that engine will eat itself.

I guess it's just on how well you cleaned it out.


One thing... I would put about 2 oz per gallon, oil back into your main fuel tank. If there is water in your injection pump... it will pass... but your engine may melt down in the time it takes to pass. SO.... adding oil to the main tank may save the engine. It's going to smoke during that tank... but it's better to be on the safe side.