Hello all,
I am a newbie this is my first post. I was doing some research on this jet ski I bought today 1991 Kawasaki 650 SC. All research resorts back to this forum, PWC. So I figured this is the place to learn more.
Well I took it out today, and it barely broke wake, and never really planed out. I am not sure what the problem is yet. Could be that it needs a tune up of course. I broke into it a little and found that on one of my spark plugs it was missing the little screw on cap that goes into the spark plug wire plug. So maybe I wasn't getting full spark in one cylinder. I also had to use starting fluid in order to get it to fire every time. Once a little spray in the carb it would run, and remain running. I am very new to the jet ski world, and I am a boat owner and motorcycle, and atv owner. So this part is fairly new.
So you are wondering what I might have paid? If so here goes, I paid $600.00 that came with a trailer and a cover for the ski. I think it was a good deal and maybe other people might disagree. Either way its mine and its paid. So first of all I wanted to say HI, and if anyone has any suggestions on what to look at I am open for discussion.
Oh and yes its the damn pink barbie color. That will change once I strip all the decals off and painter a different color!!!
Again, thanks and hope to hear some feedback and other thoughts and suggestions.
:thumbsup: Here are the only pictures I took so far.
1: just getting it home for the first time after purchase.
Yesterday I took it out, and it barely broke wake. Today I replaced the spark plugs because one of them was missing a end cap that goes in the spark plug wire. Night and day difference. That thing was SUPER fun! I enjoyed my 600.00 sled.
Hi. Good luck with your Sea Couch. I used to own a PWC rental business and bought a new 1991 Sport Cruiser. I still have it. I have young kids, and the SC is great for riding kids around because of the side-by-side seating. You can talk to them without taking your eyes off the water.
After I closed the rental business, I went totally through my SC because it was thrashed. Rebuilt the engine, re-did the pump, painted it, and re-did the totally ruined seat. So, with this experience I offer an educated guess as to your issues.
1 Glad your replacement of the plugs made a difference. To check overall condition of the top end, take a compression check with a compression gauge. With a stock head 100-150 PSI is a ballpark of what you’re looking for.
2 Make sure there’s cooling water coming out the little pisser on the side of the ski. This tells you water is successfully circulating. I had some clowns run my SC onto a sandbar and pump sand through the cooling system, plugging it. They then continued to ride, seizing the engine.
3 I had a continual problem with people sucking up debris into the pump. The intake grate is hard to check because you have to go almost or fully underwater to check. Thus, the renters didn’t do it. Sucked up rocks as well as the previously mentioned sand. Destroyed the vanes in the pump as well as the stock POS impeller. (The SC is a big, heavy machine. The stock aluminum impeller is woefully inadequate for the job. Will get cavitation burns like crazy, even if you careful about checking for debris. A stainless aftermarket impeller will make a huge difference. Make sure you get one specifically designed for the SC.)
Cosmetically, the pink is out of control! Too much pink! I removed all the stock decals and repainted it the same white color. I found a seat from a newer SC. The aqua one. The newer aqua blue machines had a gray seat base instead of the pink. I used it and had a nice, leather pink seat cover put on by a marine upholstery shop. It has lasted 12 years and looks new! The removal of the pink decals and pink seat base really toned down the impact on the eyes, and mine looks great. Just used it a month ago and it ran top notch.
One other thing I did was remove the oil injection and go pre-mix. Remember, there’s no idiot light that goes on if the oil pump quits working. Your engine simply seizes.
I have a nice 750 Kaw engine that would really perk up the power of the SC, but I'm not going to do it. After all, this is not a race boat. Never will be. The stainless loop on the back of the machine looks like it's there to tow things, but is not reinforced in any way. I had a renter try to tow a person on an inner tube and tore the loop right out of the transom! If you reinforced the area and replaced the loop I could see how more power could then be utilized for towing people. But, mine works great just for a sight seeing machine that can go maybe 35MPH. No need for more speed to do that. Plus, aside from the oil pump removal, is totally stock, so runs perfect, starts every time, and is easy on fuel. I rode my Limited spec Superjet on the same vacation a month ago. Rode the Superjet half as much as the SC and burned twice the fuel!
Best wishes-
Hi. Good luck with your Sea Couch. I used to own a PWC rental business and bought a new 1991 Sport Cruiser. I still have it. I have young kids, and the SC is great for riding kids around because of the side-by-side seating. You can talk to them without taking your eyes off the water.
After I closed the rental business, I went totally through my SC because it was thrashed. Rebuilt the engine, re-did the pump, painted it, and re-did the totally ruined seat. So, with this experience I offer an educated guess as to your issues.
1 Glad your replacement of the plugs made a difference. To check overall condition of the top end, take a compression check with a compression gauge. With a stock head 100-150 PSI is a ballpark of what you’re looking for.
2 Make sure there’s cooling water coming out the little pisser on the side of the ski. This tells you water is successfully circulating. I had some clowns run my SC onto a sandbar and pump sand through the cooling system, plugging it. They then continued to ride, seizing the engine.
3 I had a continual problem with people sucking up debris into the pump. The intake grate is hard to check because you have to go almost or fully underwater to check. Thus, the renters didn’t do it. Sucked up rocks as well as the previously mentioned sand. Destroyed the vanes in the pump as well as the stock POS impeller. (The SC is a big, heavy machine. The stock aluminum impeller is woefully inadequate for the job. Will get cavitation burns like crazy, even if you careful about checking for debris. A stainless aftermarket impeller will make a huge difference. Make sure you get one specifically designed for the SC.)
Cosmetically, the pink is out of control! Too much pink! I removed all the stock decals and repainted it the same white color. I found a seat from a newer SC. The aqua one. The newer aqua blue machines had a gray seat base instead of the pink. I used it and had a nice, leather pink seat cover put on by a marine upholstery shop. It has lasted 12 years and looks new! The removal of the pink decals and pink seat base really toned down the impact on the eyes, and mine looks great. Just used it a month ago and it ran top notch.
One other thing I did was remove the oil injection and go pre-mix. Remember, there’s no idiot light that goes on if the oil pump quits working. Your engine simply seizes.
I have a nice 750 Kaw engine that would really perk up the power of the SC, but I'm not going to do it. After all, this is not a race boat. Never will be. The stainless loop on the back of the machine looks like it's there to tow things, but is not reinforced in any way. I had a renter try to tow a person on an inner tube and tore the loop right out of the transom! If you reinforced the area and replaced the loop I could see how more power could then be utilized for towing people. But, mine works great just for a sight seeing machine that can go maybe 35MPH. No need for more speed to do that. Plus, aside from the oil pump removal, is totally stock, so runs perfect, starts every time, and is easy on fuel. I rode my Limited spec Superjet on the same vacation a month ago. Rode the Superjet half as much as the SC and burned twice the fuel!
Best wishes-
Hello,
Thanks for sharing all this information to me. I will be sure to check into all those things. I don't know what type of impeller I need for it though. I don't know much about jet ski's this is my first one, and will NOT be my last that is for sure! The only problems I have with this thing is, 1: have to use starting fluid everytime to start it. 2: when coming into the dock, it stalls out. 3: when you have two people on it, you have to swing side to side a few times until you get it to brake plain, once you do that it's up and running full speed ahead. I would LOVE to see some pics of your sc. :thumbsup:
Me and my girl have been out on my SC almost everyday! Just love this machine. A little hard on your back when you catch serious air. Great first jet ski for me! I am looking for a Solas prop, but don't want to pay full retail. If anyone has suggestions please let me know.
Thanks!
Hi, i've got the same exact ski, except for mine is blue. I also have the same problem as you do, i bought mine for $300.00 and it ran at first but after an hour of riding it then it just stopped working, so i checked the gas tank and it was full of crap, i had put brand new mixed gas in it but i guess the gas tank was really dirty. So i cleaned out all the gas and re-did all of the fuel lines and it starts rite up now, but it wont ride correctly it will only idle at low speed. i have been taking it out on the weekends trying to tune the carbeurator, because i took it off to clean it out. but i noticed its giving out really boiling hot water on the side of it, their is a little black thing that water comes out and i have no idea if it's supposed to be hot or cold, but the water coming out of it is boiling hot !
Can someone please respond to me ASAP, i'd really appreciate any help or any tips anyone can give me, also any tips on tuning it would be greatly appreciated!
Kawasaki Sport Cruiser up for sale. We are looking for $1,300 for it. Has a new engine block in it. The seat was damaged and a temp was made for it. It works but is not in the ball park of the original. Very few hours are on the machine and was only owned by one family since purchase. Email me if interested and I will be working on getting photos and more information on the ski.
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