engine lock up??about to sell this 97xp

[Steelhead]

I have to grab the front drive shaft with channel locks to simply break the pistons free.whats up??????????????

[stevepaulus]

Sounds like the motor is seized, time for a new one or a rebuild.

[LOOPY]

could also be just a drive bearing
Dave

[Technical Support]

You need to pull the engine and tear it down for inspection if it's locked up.

[Bill O'Neal]

Pull the pump first and eliminate it as the problem or you may get real mad after you tear the motor apart for nothing.

Chances are it is rusty bearings in the motor.

Tell us more information about what led up to this problem.

[stevepaulus]

I'm new to this, but wouldn't it be easier to unbolt the motor and slide it forward and spin the crank and then spin the driveshaft to rule each out.

[Technical Support]

Pulling the pump is easier than pulling everything off needed to slide it that far forward off the shaft.

I had assumed the engine was out, if the cover is off and you are turning the flywheel with a wrench, otherwise I'd have said to pull the pump first as Bill did.

[stevepaulus]

Sorry, it's not mine.. i was just posting a reply because thats how i did it to rule my pump out, i guess i did it the hard way, huh!!! I learn something new here every day. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Steelhead]

Thanks for the swift replies everybody!Here is the breakdown on my 97 XP...The motor is a new rebuild less than 30 hours on it.I also put in a new starter.The pump oil is always changed as required.My battery is a Hawker dry cell which gives plenty of start up power.I have cleaned and checked ALL of my connections!So here is the scenario, my buddies and I spend 3 or 4 days up at Lake Powell and by the third or fifth day my babsties wont start???So I have figured out how to temporarily fix her(which is very stressfull when I am 13 miles away from any marina)I simply lift the front hood and grab with my channel locks the front drive shaft and a slight tug back and fourth to grab what is stuck and break what is locked up free and she starts right up???!!!Never rolled either .NO FRIENDS ride either unless their ski is more expensive than mine!LOL! PEACE OUT
from

[stevepaulus]

Thats funny, i had the same problem. I replaced the starter relay and the problem was fixed. Sounds like your starter could be sticking in the flywheel. Mine did the exact same thing for monthes and for the life of me i could not figure out what was going on. Same as you, new motor with only 25 hours on it. So everyone in this forum pointed me towards the starter relay, since i had a new battery and the starter had tested fine and i had good clean connections. Put the 22.00 part on and it fires up every time now.

[ January 29, 2003, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: stevepaulus ]

[Technical Support]

OH - you are actually grabbing the driveshaft - OK, never heard it called the 'front' driveshaft, but it makes more sense now.

It is possible you have a sticking bendix, but you would need to pull the front cover or starter off while it's stuck to check. A tell tale sign of that is a slight reverse rotation freeing it up, as the bendix is allowed to retract.

[stevepaulus]

Tech support, i had the same problem..my bendix was sticking, so i constantly had to grab the driveshaft to unfree the starter, and i know it was the starter sticking because i actually unbolted the starter and it would not come out of the housing without a little force. I since have replaced the starter relay and it seems to start good, but i have only started it a few time since then. I had the starter tested at 2 different places and they both say it is fine. I had it tested at the local auto parts store, a starter is a starter..right, they don't test pwc starters differently do they? Just curious as if this starter relay is going to solve my problem or if it may have just been part of it

[Technical Support]

Can't say I'd directly correlate a relay to a sticking bendix.

[stevepaulus]

Heres the thing, i bought this ski in june and had that problem from day one so i had the starter tested and they said it was working but not the way it should be. I bought a new starter and that seemed to solve the problem for about 2 weeks, then it started happening again. So i just dealt with it, i would just wiggle the driveshaft and it would free up. I went through this all summer and then finally at the end of the summer it just would not start, just a click from the electrical box. So i replaced the relay and it started, but i only started it like once or twice since then. I guess my question is can the starter test fine but still stick occasionaly if there is a bendix failing, because it didn't stick all the time.

[Bill O'Neal]

It's like using too small of a power cord on a 3 hp compressor. The compressor motor won't quite start rotating, it will just humm and overheat.
When the starter relay contacts get worn to the point they will no longer carry the amperage needed, the starter lazily throws the bendix out and it becomes stuck in the ring gear on the flywheel.

You replaced the relay (switch) and the starter began working like it should.