My Winter Project

[Ronnie]

I hope you are able to hit the water with it soon, in addition to a vest and fire extinguisher don’t forget to keep a whistle or air horn on board.

About the models, I recall the vx came in two versions, sport and deluxe. Sport didn’t have reverse or mirrors. assuming the vx line follows the fx line, the deluxe came with the security/learning system and two lcd displays with the second giving additional info like a tripmeter, air and water temp, gph, etc. the cruisers have scalloped seats and retracting cleats.

 

[itsdgm]

I hope you are able to hit the water with it soon, in addition to a vest and fire extinguisher don’t forget to keep a whistle or air horn on board.

About the models, I recall the vx came in two versions, sport and deluxe. Sport didn’t have reverse or mirrors. assuming the vx line follows the fx line, the deluxe came with the security/learning system and two lcd displays with the second giving additional info like a tripmeter, air and water temp, gph, etc. the cruisers have scalloped seats and retracting cleats.

Thanks Ronnie. On my first outing, I'm probably going to bring my collapsible paddle with me too, just in case

 

[Neutron]

I always keep mine in my ski. Ya never know

 

[Ronnie]

I have one in each ski and two on the boat. I call them spare props and when guests come on board the boat or use the skis I tell to check out the orange colored spare props, when they find and take hold of them I say they fit the spare engines perfectly.
However, the water patrol has never asked to see my emergency paddle but they have asked to see my audible alarm/horn and scolded me for the whistle still being in the package once, at least it was onboard. Now I just clip it t my lanyard and forget about it until the next inspection.

 

[itsdgm]

I'm still waiting for my flush adapter to be delivered and I had a few minutes of time. So naturally I gravitated towards the garage, where my mind has been since I put the WaveRunner in it a few weeks ago.

I uncovered the ski and thought that maybe it would be a good idea to check the oil level again and see if it was draining out of the cooler and back into the pan as I suspected when I first bought the ski. Well, the cooler wasn't empty. In fact it was full. So full that there was only a few inches of space above the level of the oil to the cap.

IMG_0785

• itsdgm
• Dec 17, 2017

The dipstick was reading inches over the "F" or full line while the ski was cold. My past experiences with the boat would have me set the oil level while cold between the end of the dipstick and the "L" or low mark. That would result in the level being close to the "F" when all warmed up.

IMG_0786

• itsdgm
• Dec 17, 2017

So I got out my Pela oil extractor and pulled out 2 quarts of oil to get me in a better range to start my testing on the garden hose when the flush adapter arrives. Knowing that I had added one quart before I cranked the engine, it appears that the ski was overfilled at least one quart when I purchased it. Assuming that the same mechanics always maintained the ski would explain the oil soaked air filter and puddle of oil in the air box. Again, to my surprise, the oil that came out was pretty clean.

IMG_0788

• itsdgm
• Dec 17, 2017

IMG_0794

• itsdgm
• Dec 17, 2017

I'm starting to think that this ski was maintained pretty well. But the lack of use might've promoted the seller to get rid of it because every time he went to use it something like the battery being dead or the fuel going bad from sitting so long made it too costly to have sitting around most of the time. He admitted to not being the do it yourself kind of guy, so he obviously was paying somebody to maintain this ski and I'm sure it was more money going out per hour of use than it made sense to keep. Anyway, time will tell.

 

[Seadeals]

Great updates Dennis. Thought I was going crazy with the fortune telling oily air filter; but now I too know how to “cheat”. LOL. I am very glad you were finally able to find a waverunner and it is going so well. If we ever do get a VX for the camping trips, you will have paved the way for pretty much anything I need to do to it! My wife also appreciated the dinner time smoke story. I would totally do that and she would totally say that.

 

[boudin]

@Scottintexas replying here...

Hey there... just catching up on this thread. Great to hear you have the motor started. Just a few tips:

1. Air box removal: unbolt the two 12mm bolts that hold in the electrical box on the starboard side next to the air box. Pull it out of the way--it will make removing the air box much easier.
2. Your air filter does not look too bad, however, we usually just remove them.
3. No oil in the reservoir. This happens if the ski has been sitting a long time--the oil will seep down into the engine/oil pan. Just add a quart as a sanity check.
4. When you pull the motor out of the ski, use that opportunity to do a complete oil change: a) siphon all the oil out of the reservoir; b) there is a 13mm bolt on lower port/rear of the motor (it's the only 13mm--on the reduction gear box) that will release all the oil in the pan; c) filter change.
5. Change the plugs (if you have not already done so).
6. You might consider getting your injectors cleaned and spray tested. I use a local company, injectorrx.com. It's about $100 (approx.) for all four and will give you the piece of mind that all injectors are in good condition.

Now as to your motor...

1. The fact you got it started is great. If it idles smooth, then you don't likely have any stuck valves. But it's still a good idea to do a compression check. Post the comp numbers here.
2. If you did add more oil, just make sure the oil is at the correct level when the engine is warmed up.
3. If the hull is still seaworthy, I would put the ski in the water and run the crap out of it with a tank or two of Yamaha Ring Free (add to fuel according to instructions). Drive it like you stole it for a few hours.

These MR1's are ultra durable. I have several with 1200+ hours, do not burn oil and still have great compression numbers.

-Greg

 

[itsdgm]

@Scottintexas replying here...

Hey there... just catching up on this thread. Great to hear you have the motor started. Just a few tips:

1. Air box removal: unbolt the two 12mm bolts that hold in the electrical box on the starboard side next to the air box. Pull it out of the way--it will make removing the air box much easier.
2. Your air filter does not look too bad, however, we usually just remove them.
3. No oil in the reservoir. This happens if the ski has been sitting a long time--the oil will seep down into the engine/oil pan. Just add a quart as a sanity check.
4. When you pull the motor out of the ski, use that opportunity to do a complete oil change: a) siphon all the oil out of the reservoir; b) there is a 13mm bolt on lower port/rear of the motor (it's the only 13mm--on the reduction gear box) that will release all the oil in the pan; c) filter change.
5. Change the plugs (if you have not already done so).
6. You might consider getting your injectors cleaned and spray tested. I use a local company, injectorrx.com. It's about $100 (approx.) for all four and will give you the piece of mind that all injectors are in good condition.

Now as to your motor...

1. The fact you got it started is great. If it idles smooth, then you don't likely have any stuck valves. But it's still a good idea to do a compression check. Post the comp numbers here.
2. If you did add more oil, just make sure the oil is at the correct level when the engine is warmed up.
3. If the hull is still seaworthy, I would put the ski in the water and run the crap out of it with a tank or two of Yamaha Ring Free (add to fuel according to instructions). Drive it like you stole it for a few hours.

These MR1's are ultra durable. I have several with 1200+ hours, do not burn oil and still have great compression numbers.

-Greg

Thanks Greg for the tips.

 

[Ronnie]

What the good/passable psi range for the conpression?

 

[boudin]

180ish would be typical.

 

[buckbuck]

Hmmm...lots of new pictures awaiting an explanation. I am growing impatient.

 

[itsdgm]

Hmmm...lots of new pictures awaiting an explanation. I am growing impatient.

Sorry. Stuck at work for 3 days. I’ll try and post later tonight.

 

[buckbuck]

Oh, so guilt works. I'll have to use it again sometime.

How's the firefighting going? You guys have to be exhausted.

 

[itsdgm]

So I finally got the flush adapter and the time to use it.

I positioned the ski outside the garage where the exhaust wouldn't be an issue and where the cooling water would be put to use by watering the lawn. I set up a table to hold my laptop while monitoring YDS, hooked up both the computer and the flush adapter.

IMG_0797

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

Before I fired up the engine I figured that I'd check the oil level (to see if it had drained back down into the pan, it read a bit high on the dipstick for a cold engine) and reattempt to perform the fuel injector test on each cylinder. Again, I was pleasently surprised by what I found. Last time, only cylinders 1 & 4 were sounding off. But this time I could hear all four injectors firing.

IMG_0798

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

IMG_0799

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

Then I fired up the engine and turned on the water. As expected, a big plume of smoke erupted from the exhaust. The pictures were taken a few seconds after startup so they really don't tell the whole story. However, after running for a few minutes, the smoke did clear leading me to believe that the smoke was from the oil that I put in each cylinder prior to my initial startup.

IMG_0803

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

IMG_0802

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

IMG_0817

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

Once the smoke cleared, I shut the hose down and stopped the engine. I wanted to recheck the oil level. It seemed that the oil level appeared to be overfilled again. But not too high to have to stop moving forward with running the ski. Also, I felt the exhaust manifold and valve cover several times while the engine was running and everything felt within normal temps. Another thing that I noticed was that the "pee indicator" was showing signs that cooling water was getting where it needed to be.

IMG_0815

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

So I re fired the ski and turned the water back on. This time, I paid closer attention to the YDS and monitored the ski on the computer. One important thing that I look for is that the volts climb as the ski is running to indicate that the stator is capable of keeping the battery charged while running. That looked good too.

IMG_0807

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

IMG_0806

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

IMG_0808

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

After running on the hose for about 10 minutes and of course throttling up and down several times, I turned the water off again and shut the ski down. Again, I wanted to re check the oil level. This time the oil was at operating temperature and again it appeared to be too high. It was clear that I needed to remove some from the oil cooler. So I got the Pela oil extractor back out and took another 1.5 quarts out of the ski which put it at the "F" mark on the dipstick but this time with the oil at operating temp.

IMG_0824

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

IMG_0825

• itsdgm
• Dec 18, 2017

Again, I felt like everything went well with my tests. To this point I haven't found anything mechanicslly wrong with the engine. There are a few things wrong with other Components of the ski, but I'll address those on later posts. All of my efforts to this point have been to determine whether this ski is worth the time and money that it will take to get it sea worthy. Right now, I'm way ahead of the game.

A few things learned from this test:
1. The fuel injectors seemed to be unstuck - but I will run some injector cleaner in the first tank of fuel
2. The engine was performing well.
3. Stator working properly.
4. Engine seems to be cooling itself properly.
5. I will need to keep an eye on the oil level and make sure that it maintains a consistent level.

My next steps:
1. Check compression
2. Replace spark plugs
3. Run again on the flush adapter so that I can recheck the oil level

 

[Ronnie]

Nice work Dennis, way more than I plan on putting into my next used ski/winter project. I think you forgot about next step 4, taking it on a sea trial/test drive.

 

[itsdgm]

Nice work Dennis, way more than I plan on putting into my next used ski/winter project. I think you forgot about next step 4, taking it on a sea trial/test drive.

Yeah. Step 4 will be to run her in the ocean. But I’ll need a trailer for that. I have been looking for weeks to find a single galvanized trailer. They’re hard to find.

 

[Jgorm]

If you find a double, we might be able to make a deal. I want a double and have a single galvanized trailer. The axle and springs are pretty rusted, but it has new lights, jack/wheel, and chains.

 

[itsdgm]

Ok, I know it's been several weeks since I've updated. Between losing another co-worker, my wife having shoulder surgery requiring a secondary surgery next week for something completely unrelated to the shoulder, It's been a stressful beginning of 2018 for me. Thankfully, the WaveRunner has been the fun stress relief that it was intended to be.

So here we go. Time for a spark plug inspection, change and might as well do a compression check while I'm at it.

So I decided to fire up the ski and let it run for a few seconds just to make sure things were still where I left off. As usual, the ski fired right up. However, there was a lot of smoke (presumably oil) again. I didn't expect that. Last time I ran the ski, it was on the hose for 20 or so minutes and the smoke that I thought was from the oil that I put in each cylinder before I attempted to start it initially had all burned off.


Moving right along I removed the coils and pulled the spark plugs. The plugs looked normal to me nothing to note.

IMG_0868

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

IMG_0893

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

But what seemed really unusual was that light colored smoke was drifting out of the 3rd cylinder spark plug hole. So possibly the 3rd cylinder is the source of the exhaust smoke. It's kind of hard to see in the pics, but very obvious in the video below.

IMG_0871

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

Trim.61F7D58F-4A1D-4EAB-9459-1DB0B21BB738

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

I'm pretty curious about the source of the smoke. Possibly a bad ring, or valve guide/seal. Time will tell. Just a bit puzzling that the plug looked normal to me, and that the exhaust smoke dissipated after running for several minutes on the hose on a prior day. Noted, time to move along.

Now, to be perfectly honest. I squeezed all of this diagnostic session into about a half hour window that I had before I had to go back to being a "loving husband" and tend to my wife and her painful shoulder. So the compression test was going to have to be quick. I hooked up my gauge and tested each cylinder a few times. By the end, it seemed like each cylinder had similar results (about 130). But initially I kind of got mixed results (anywhere from 125 - 150). I didn't have the time to diagnose What caused this. I wasn't sure if fuel being injected into the cylinder, or the gauge leaking or if the gauge was simply malfunctioning. But honestly, all I was looking for was to see if I had a major difference or lack of compression in any particular cylinder. No such case.

IMG_0866

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

FA722BB2-5401-40A6-9AFF-68DADDC578D8

• itsdgm
• Jan 19, 2018

IMG_0887

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

So I decided to simply install new plugs, reinstall the coils, test fire the ski and move on.

IMG_0890

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

IMG_0894

• itsdgm
• Jan 20, 2018

Later I was thinking that it would've been nice (if I would have had the time) to have tested a few other things to better figure the compression. Unlike my boat, the only way that I could get the engine to crank was to have the lanyard in. But this meant that the fuel would still be flowing into the cylinders. Disconnecting the fuel pump to prevent fuel in the cylinder from affecting the compression would've been easy to do. Also, I would've loved to put some oil in each cylinder to see if compression increspased to test whether the rings were bad. Unfortunately, being in such a rush, this didn't occur to me until after I closed it all up. Oh well, live and learn.

At this point I need to water test the ski and see how it performs. But to do this, first I'll need a trailer.

 

[buckbuck]

I am just brain storming here...is it possible that the smoke is normal because the number 3 cylinder exhaust valves are open when the engine is shut down?

 

[Jgorm]

Hold throttle at wot and it won't dispense fuel. Gives more accurate compression numbers too. The smoke could be water vapor in the exhaust and that valve was open. Remember that 1 and 4 run in sync and 2 and 3 run in sync. Add a few mL of oil and see if the numbers go up (for ring seal testing). Make sure to crank until the gauge doesn't move, release pressure, and repeat at least one more time. I do 3 readings and they should be within a few psi. Normally they are within 1 psi.