Putting together a JS550 - PWC Forum: The best hang-out for Personal WaterCraft enthusiasts

JS550 Basket · 08-25-2008, 10:40 AM

Im new to Jet Skis and was given a JS550 basket case. Everything is there but none of it is together. The engine block was compleate but the ports were open and it was obvious that a bunch of crap got in there. Since a new gasket kit was laying in the hull I set on taking the engine apart.
I have removed the head, jugs, pistons, flywheel, and cracked the case. Now to change the crank seals, it looks like i will have to remove the drive coupler. Are there any tricks to getting it off and more importantly on?
Also it would be great to get some torque specs for the case bolts and head stud nuts. Also the Flywheel nut torque.

Next
The cylinder head has some pretty bad pitting on the inside from salt water eating it. I think it would be ok but I found another head in the hull that looks brand new. The chambers seem to be shaped differently so i wasnt going to use it but it made me notice something. It seems the heads only had one water fitting on them but mine has another that has been hand tapped into the other side of the head so that there are two. Is this a commen mod?

Ant help would be great since i am excited to get this thing together and on the water.

**JUST-IN-TIME** · 08-25-2008, 10:12 PM

the head is set up fpr dual cooling

i would buy a shop manual

JS550 Basket · 08-25-2008, 10:21 PM

Well I figured out the drive coupler just threads off. Tore down the engine the rest of the way. Sonic dipped it all and reassembled it. All I really need at the moment is torque specs since i just snuged it all together.
How does duel cooling work?
I know i should get a manual but things are tight and i dont feel like spending $30 on a manual if i can just get the engine specs from here.

jonesy54 · 08-26-2008, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JUST-IN-TIME

the head is set up fpr dual cooling

i would buy a shop manual

That was barely helpful.

I have never torn down any of my skis. The Kawasaki shop I used to use when I lived in SC is really helpful. They are pretty good about giving what information theyve got. I've used them for several carb questions. My uncle used to be a Jet Ski mechanic, I will email him and see if he as anything lying around with those.

I would hit up a Kawi shop and see if they know. If not, yellow page Performance Cycle in Greenwood, SC and call them up. They have treated me pretty good in the past.
performance cycle in Greenwood - YELLOWPAGES.COM

I dont know a thing about dual-cooling. sorry. I would just assume that you could either plug the 2nd hole with a NPT pipe plug or put a T in your cooling water supply and route one line to that hole.

no fear here · 08-26-2008, 05:16 PM

If you dont have them already here are your torque specs.

Head bolts are 18ft-lb for the '91' all others are 16
crank case large bolts 16 lb. small bolts 50in.-lb you figure out the inch-pounds. '91'
all others large 22lb small 69in.-lb
Flywheel nut 115lb

JS550 Basket · 08-26-2008, 08:29 PM

Thanks guys.
I got the engine torqued and rough timed by lineing the marks up.
Cleaned the carb and went to install the engine only to find that three of the engine mounts were toast. Suposedly the original owner had a really sooped up engine in the thing and it blew up including bent crank, broke rods and god knows what else. I would assume thats when the mounts went too.
So i gotta get mounts and then she should be ready to go.
Just need to figure out the cooling lines and put in that shiney new impeller that came with. Everything else seems somewhat self explanitory.

**JUST-IN-TIME** · 09-04-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonesy54

That was barely helpful.

I have never torn down any of my skis. The Kawasaki shop I used to use when I lived in SC is really helpful. They are pretty good about giving what information theyve got. I've used them for several carb questions. My uncle used to be a Jet Ski mechanic, I will email him and see if he as anything lying around with those.

I would hit up a Kawi shop and see if they know. If not, yellow page Performance Cycle in Greenwood, SC and call them up. They have treated me pretty good in the past.
performance cycle in Greenwood - YELLOWPAGES.COM

I dont know a thing about dual-cooling. sorry. I would just assume that you could either plug the 2nd hole with a NPT pipe plug or put a T in your cooling water supply and route one line to that hole.

buying a shop manual is the best thing $ can buy!!
i do not trust anybody i get specs from unless it is from the factory book
just my way of doing things right

JS550 Basket · 09-05-2008, 07:24 AM

Yeah I do agree with you. I'm the same way with my dirtbikes, trucks, whatever. But this thing is a pure low buck project. The only money i have in it right now is $20 in some engine mounts. After that i think and its a big think but she should be ready to go. I still gotta figure out cooling though. If everything else except the engine isnt set up for duel cool then i'll just run the stock setup. However that goes.

no fear here · 09-05-2008, 10:55 PM

I went through my service manual front to back twice. I could find every ski but yours for a cooling hose routing diagram. I only own the 650sx so no help there. I would suggest that someone might take a few detailed pictures of the cooling hoses on their ski and post them up for you.
Just a suggestion. Maybe try starting a new thread asking for pics.

JS550 Basket · 09-05-2008, 11:21 PM

Thanks for looking.
Theres a dealer in town. I was goin to see if they would perhaps write it down for me or something. Still waitin on mounts in the mail and gettin antzy