1990 JS550B Cranks but Won't start

[ftlguy]

Inherited this half done job - engine was removed from ski when I got it. It has been sitting for 10+ years. I rebuilt the carb with new diaphragms and gaskets. Needle and seat looked ok. Cleaned fuel tank and lines, verified tank Main/Res switch operation. Have spark and compression (105 psi & 115 psi) Removed and verified flywheel key in good condition. New BR8ES spark plugs installed and gapped at .030". When trying to start, the engine does not try to fire at all. Plugs get very wet, like flooding. Blew off plugs with compressed air, spun motor over without plugs, reinstalled plugs and tried again with nothing. Is it possible that even when not choking this thing can flood before it ever tries to fire, even cold? I have the 44 carb and adjusted the screws according to another post in this forum, but still cannot get the engine to fire. I even removed the 180 degree elbow from the exhaust manifold to the exhaust tuner in case of a restriction. When I removed the flywheel cover and flywheel and when I inspected the driveshaft coupling area on the back of the engine, I did not see any sign of the crank seals leaking. Is there a way to test the crank case for a leak?

Anyway, I feel like this engine should at least try to fire, but I get nothing. What am I missing? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.

[Technical Support]

Re: 1990 JS550B Cranks but Won't start

Could be the cdi or voltage regulator, do you have a manual to test the electrical system?

[ftlguy]

Re: 1990 JS550B Cranks but Won't start

Actually. today I sprayed some ether and got it to fire. Once running, the engine "ranaway" and I was (luckily) able to shut it down with the stop button. I read in the manual and on the forums that sometimes this can happen simply because the engine is out of the water, so I put it in the water and it started without the runaway problem. I didn't have the exhaust elbow hooked up along with a few other components, so I spent part of the day buttoning up the motor to water test it properly tomorrow. I think maybe the problem I was having is that without the backpressure of the full exhaust system being hooked up and/or the ski not having the back pressure from being in the water, it was not "charging" the fuel/air mixture properly. Tomorrow will tell, and I will post a follow up.

[ftlguy]

Re: 1990 JS550B Cranks but Won't start

Ok, so, it runs good. Put it in the water and drove it around a bit. It still runs away when there's no load - if the jet gets air, the engine takes off until it gets water again. Other than that, runs like a clock.