[PWaanders]

550sx Starts land - but not in water..

I swamped my 550SX, filling the engine with water. Not my first time, so I quickly got it upside down, cleared the water out, dried the spark plugs and got it running again. It sounds great, starts up on the beach, etc. quiet easily.

When I put it in the water it has a very hard time starting, and onces its running is very week and will not rev up to full power. When I get it back on the beach it will start up and rev all the way again.

Any ideas or advice?

PW

OK, I just got back from the beach agan and playing with it. So here is some more information.

1) I put in new spark plugs - nothing seemed to change.
2) I began again today on the beach and it started right up. I pulled it into the water and it would not start now (cranks over, but will not fire - some exhaust smoke so something is happening) when I pulled it back onto the beach it cranks and fires rough and takes awhile to get going but does eventually start up, run, and rev to full power.
3) I was starting it on the beach with the cover off, so I tried it in the water with the cover off and that did not change anything.
4) It's hard to judge, but exhaust seems to be more smokey (white) then before all this.
5) The flys are vicious on the beach today so messing around is painful and annoying.

Any suggestions to try things would be welcome.

Finally, back at the beginning. Jetski ran great for an hour a few days ago after I installed a new starter. (Was running fine in early summer, but sat unused until last week) I took it out yesterday in rought waters but I'm not really sure why it swamped. There was water in the engine compartment but not full like it was when I swamped engine in the past. (I spent a year replacing gaskets before I realized the exhaust manifold had cracked and was leaking. I replaced that in the spring. The compartment is generally dry now but it was getting rolled and submerged in the rough waves.

Is there any way that its pulling water into the engine and that is why it will not start? When I get it on the beach it clears out and runs again?

I have about 48 hours to get this fixed so I can get it out and put away for the winter. Vacation is almost over.

PW

 

[trinkevich]

Did you figure out what was wrong? I am having an issue with mine.

 

[PWaanders]

Nope. Nothing. And you are the first response to this request for help too.

 

[JUST-IN-TIME]

check the exhaust gaskets and water lines
might be the drive shaft also
sounds like water in fuel

 

[PWaanders]

Did you figure out what was wrong? I am having an issue with mine.

Sorry not to offer anything, but I was curious if you worked something out on your jetski issue?

 

[jetfreak]

Hi, you need to replace the cilinderheadgasket,
still the same problem?? then you need to replace the gaskets in the
exhaust! Problem solved!! Have fun
Greetings from holland!!

 

[PWaanders]

Thanks for advice...

Jeff,

I just had the whole thing into a shop to replace all the gaskets before this happened. (Like two days before this happened). Are you confident that its a gasket issue and I should redue them now? Or do you think I can trust that they did them right and now I need to move on to the next idea?

I really trust they guys that did it. It was John Hoeksema in Holland. They seem great.

PW

 

[jetfreak]

Did they shave the cilinderhead when the replaced the gaskets??

 

[PWaanders]

I dont think so, they would have told me I beleive and I've discussed it with them several times. I'm actually back in Coloroado again (I am only in Michigan about a weekend a month) and the other suggestion I have been given is that one cilindar is not firing. Does that make sense to you?

 

[jetfreak]

Doesn't sound like one cilinder isn`t firing,
take out the plugs and hold them to a cilinderheadbolt,
let the engine turn and check if both pulgs spark,
If they do then connect a waterhose to your engine
and lett the engine run for a while, shut down the engine and let the
water flow for a few minutes,
then take out the plugs again and look closely if you can
see some tiny waterdrops on the plugs,
if you see any waterdrops then your cilinderheadgasket or a exhaust gasket is leaking, wich exhaust do you have??
push the starbuttom with the plugs out and water wil be spitting out,
I replaced a headgasket on my 750 without shaving the head this
week and it hold up for like 20 minutes,
replacing the gaskets will not always mean that the leak is gone!
Why you let your ski fix in holland when you live in the states??