What's the worst that can happen?

[dimesismoneytoo]

So I pulled the fuel baffle to replace the float and now my gas gauge works! That's the good part. While I marked the lines, I didn't mark them as on, res, vent, and ret. I know I got the vent and return back on right, but the on and res got mixed up. I put them on how I thought they came off, and it fired right up. I'm just wondering what the worst thing that could happen is if I did put the hoses on the wrong place. And how to identify the hoses at the fuel selector. The fuel tank is a pita to get to on this thing so I'm hoping I got this right.

 

[racerxxx]

Take a closer look at the top of your fuel baffle, it's already marked.

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[1983]

Yep, as racer said..they are marked already by each nipple. ON - RES - RET - VENT

Rob

 

[soccerdad]

But if the vent and return are correct, you can just swap the two hoses as they come into the fuel selector. Is that any easier?

 

[Matt Braley]

Then you would go from having two fuel lines in the wrong place to four fuel lines in the wrong place. Just get a flashlight, make your arm S shaped, then dive back in and get it right. lol

 

[soccerdad]

Then you would go from having two fuel lines in the wrong place to four fuel lines in the wrong place. Just get a flashlight, make your arm S shaped, then dive back in and get it right. lol

Maybe the XP is plumbed differently than my skis. But on mine (both 96 skis), the lines go directly from the fuel selector to the baffle. So it would not matter which end you fixed the problem at. You would have no lines in the wrong place. If the 99 XP is different, let me know and I will delete my post so I do not lead any one astray.

 

[eddie708]

worse that could happen is you run out of gas on the lake and have no res. you will only make that mistake once.

 

[dimesismoneytoo]

I just couldn't figure out what was what on the selector. I saw the words on the baffle, just was trying to figure out if top was on or res.

 

[Mickirig1]

Masking tape labels are your friend! Diagrams of what goes where are good too. Never known when it could be months till you get back to a repair. Save screws and parts in baggies.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I stick the screws back in the holes they came from during dis assembly whenever possible, so they don't get mixed up and placed in the wrong hole later on. I've seen countless engines with the incorrect size/length bolts and it's plainly sloppy work. I think they throw them on the floor and they get swept away when someone cleans the shop, or they get kicked around and run over by the forklift.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Maybe the XP is plumbed differently than my skis. But on mine (both 96 skis), the lines go directly from the fuel selector to the baffle. So it would not matter which end you fixed the problem at. You would have no lines in the wrong place. If the 99 XP is different, let me know and I will delete my post so I do not lead any one astray.

Sounds good to me assuming they're the same length! I'm a stickler for keeping stuff like this as close to factory as possible, same routing, etc.

 

[68ragtop]

Sounds good to me assuming they're the same length! I'm a stickler for keeping stuff like this as close to factory as possible, same routing, etc.

I do that too. However many times I question how they routed stuff in the first place production lines sure make sacrifices sometimes. I always cut off the zip ties tho. never liked the look of that.

 

[Krispy]

While we are on the topic.

I picked up a big clear cylinder of zip ties of many different colors. What I prefer to do is as I remove one fuel line, I mark it with a specific color zip tie, I then mark the corresponding nipple on the fuel pickup with a matching zip tie. Then it is just a matter of matching up the colors.

On the concept of reserve, and fuel baffle repair. I have had to replace the float on both my my baffles, and it seems my low fuel light comes on a bit early. Recently I stayed close to the dock after the light had come on with my switch set to "on" and my plan was to drive around until I needed the reserve portion of the tank, well the sun went down and I had traveled ~10 miles without using my reserve.

I would really like to know how much fuel I have left when the light turns on, and how much fuel I have left when I must use reserve. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Matt Braley]

Sometimes the magnet in the float is not centered. You may be able to flip it upside down and get a more appropriate reading.

HAHA 68. I'm a zip tie tail trimmer myself. I never let them ride or snip them in a way that would scratch an arm that's reaching in.

 

[racerxxx]

I do that too. However many times I question how they routed stuff in the first place production lines sure make sacrifices sometimes. I always cut off the zip ties tho. never liked the look of that.

Lol, I photographed every cable tie in my 95 so I can install mine the same way. I do clip them to make it clean looking and rotate the head so I don't see it. I'm cable tie eccentric, I will only use hellerman/tyton ties. We've used several beams at work and these hold up the best.

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[Krispy]

Sometimes the magnet in the float is not centered. You may be able to flip it upside down and get a more appropriate reading.

HAHA 68. I'm a zip tie tail trimmer myself. I never let them ride or snip them in a way that would scratch an arm that's reaching in.

Zip tie cutting tip: Never cut with dykes where the blade is parallel to the width of the zip tie, this makes a sharp edge. Always cut perpendicular to the width, from top to bottom if this was the cross section of the zip tie "|".

Its an old army trick I learned in the navy,

 

[Spimothy Leary]

While we are on the topic.

I picked up a big clear cylinder of zip ties of many different colors. What I prefer to do is as I remove one fuel line, I mark it with a specific color zip tie, I then mark the corresponding nipple on the fuel pickup with a matching zip tie. Then it is just a matter of matching up the colors.

On the concept of reserve, and fuel baffle repair. I have had to replace the float on both my my baffles, and it seems my low fuel light comes on a bit early. Recently I stayed close to the dock after the light had come on with my switch set to "on" and my plan was to drive around until I needed the reserve portion of the tank, well the sun went down and I had traveled ~10 miles without using my reserve.

I would really like to know how much fuel I have left when the light turns on, and how much fuel I have left when I must use reserve. Anyone have any experience with this?

#1 Amen to colored Zippies... i'm a mechanical basket case so when i'm doing stuff like the fuel baffle, carbs, etc, I use the color code system and it works great. sometimes It looks like christmas on my carbs with all the blue, red, green, yellow zippies on them but hey... if it helps me put it back together then I don't care.

#2 Amen to the dam reserve light, my seadoo was like that as well, and the only way to find out just how much I had left was to do exactly that, just keep riding around near the ramp with a gps tracking miles to know how far I could "push" it. And I realized after that little experiment that the warning light was kicking on way to fast for me.

 

[racerxxx]

Zip tie cutting tip: Never cut with dykes where the blade is parallel to the width of the zip tie, this makes a sharp edge. Always cut perpendicular to the width, from top to bottom if this was the cross section of the zip tie "|".

Its an old army trick I learned in the navy,

This is how I cut cable ties, I also don't use dykes. I use flush cut wire cutters, dykes typically don't cut flush. The cutter is usually up from the underside, thus leaving the tit that slices your hand open. The micro nub that these leave is basically rolled over. I cut surface components right off circuit boards with these babies, almost dead flush. I'll assume from your description you don't cut them the way I do?

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[Krispy]

This is how I cut cable ties, I also don't use dykes. I use flush cut wire cutters, dykes typically don't cut flush. The cutter is usually up from the underside, thus leaving the tit that slices your hand open. The micro nub that these leave is basically rolled over. I cut surface components right off circuit boards with these babies, almost dead flush. I'll assume from your description you don't cut them the way I do?
..snip

Correct, all of my dykes are similar to how you describe, but I just place the cutting side flush to the "head" of the zip tie. It allows me to get equally as close as your method. In your last picture if you were to rotate your cutter clockwise about the "head" 90 degrees that would be the way I cut them. I find instead of snipping the end into a shape like" ^ " making a point, it almost makes a "n" shape. The cutters have to be plenty sharp not to just push the zip tie into the standard orientation.

 

[soccerdad]

I also use flush cuts. Nothing worse than getting sliced by a zip tie! Mine cut even closer than what is shown in that last pix. You can run you finger over it and not even really feal the end. These are a must have item in my tool box and at work.

 

[racerxxx]

Yes mine too, some Jackhole cut a spring or two with mine a few months back and now the jaw is dimpled. I really shouldn't have cut those springs, lol. I have new ones in stock.

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[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

While we are on the topic.

I picked up a big clear cylinder of zip ties of many different colors. What I prefer to do is as I remove one fuel line, I mark it with a specific color zip tie, I then mark the corresponding nipple on the fuel pickup with a matching zip tie. Then it is just a matter of matching up the colors.

Great idea, I hate those colored zip ties and now I know it's okay to "waste" them!

My boat doesn't run far on the reserve, 10 minutes max I estimate. Once returning to dock the main ran dry and I barely made it back as the reserve ran out. I was more than half way back to dock when the main ran dry, so reserve wouldn't have gotten me back.

So now I make sure there's at least 1/4 tank before leaving, so I know I can't run out, more than enough for the round trip.

Probably a good idea to switch to reserve periodically, to avoid stale fuel in the line (I'm guilty of not doing this).

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I'm cable tie eccentric.

Thus you must also trim the hose clamps and place plasticoat covers on the ends. Nice job!

 

[racerxxx]

Thus you must also trim the hose clamps and place plasticoat covers on the ends. Nice job!

No, but all my hose clamps must be indexed the same, or be at the absolute ideal orientation for access. There is also two side two a flat washer, the rolled(stamped) side and the cut side. Cut side is always towards the object, unless it's over a slot, then I put the rolled(smooth side) down so it won't dig into the material. Sadly I was explaining that too my 6 year old daughter the other day when she was playing with some screws in my shop, she did understand though.

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