96 SPX not running right.

[keith455]

I'm having an issue with my 96 SPX. The end result is that it doesn't have power,bogging down. I can have it at full throttle and it sounds like it's hesitating and barely moves.
I have changed teh spark plugs.
It doesn't do it all the time though and I can't really reproduce it on purpose. If I let it idle for a while then give it WOT it'll take off but when i let off and hit it again it goes back to no power.

When i bought this seadoo it had a new engine and had oil mixed in with the gas for breakin. I've gone through that tank of gas now could this be a problem?

I'm new to sea doos but have been working on cars for years and it kind of feels like when a car is too rich and bogs down.

[Bryan Glynn]

Be careful! If you are too lean, which sounds like you may be, you can blow your engine! How long has it been sitting? Was it winterized correctly? It sounds like you mnay have clogged internal carb filters - when were they last rebuilt? What are your current screw settings on your carbs, and is it stock?

[keith455]

Originally posted by Bryan Glynn:
Be careful! If you are too lean, which sounds like you may be, you can blow your engine! How long has it been sitting? Was it winterized correctly? It sounds like you mnay have clogged internal carb filters - when were they last rebuilt? What are your current screw settings on your carbs, and is it stock?

I just bought this ski about a month ago and it has never sat for a long period of time. Tops maybe 3 weeks. I know i've been taking it out almost every weekend.
Winterized? What's that? I live in FL. [img]smile.gif[/img] The engine was just rebuilt by the pervious owner and i'm sure that the oil/gas mix in the tank has been through the motor.
I was told that the Carbs were rebuilt at the same time as the engine was.
This is a stock ski and I don't know what the carb is set to.
I'm wondering if they leaned it out for the extra oil/gas mix?

Thanks
Keith

[Bryan Glynn]

Ah, ok good [img]smile.gif[/img]

Let's set your carb back to stock setting just to get a baseline and see how it performs. It may also be a rotary valve or cover clearance problem, but let's see what this does first.

Your carbs have two adjustments screws on the bodies. They are on opposite sides from one another, and one is more towards the top of the carb than the other. The top is the high-speed adjuster, the lower is the low-speed sdjuster. Turn both in until the lightly seat. You will need to remove the airbox to access them easily unless you are very dexterous.

Back the low-speed screws out 1 1/4 turns each, and leave the highs in all the way.

[keith455]

Thanks i'll try that.

The funny thing is that it was running fine the very first time I took it out (still had the oil/gas mix), and now it's starting to run bad.
I'll readjust the carbs and see what happens.
BTW when i pulled the spark plugs out while cleaning they were black so i don't think its running that lean, but then again I don't know how black they're supposed to look being my first 2 stroke vehicle.
If they were in a car i'd say they looked too rich.

On a side note, Where do you go riding? I'm looking for new places to go. We went to Tes Verde last weekend.
Keith

[Bryan Glynn]

One thing to check - did this happen right after you changed plugs? If so, did you gap them correctly? If so, try another set - I have had a few bad plugs right out of the box.

Also, it may very well be too rich. When you run pre-mix, the mixture actually goes lean, because the oil molecules take up space where the fuel would have been. If the carbs were adjusted too rich to begin with, either to compensate for poor running during break-in, or prior weather...going back to straight gas only makes it worse by then going richer still. If you find your high-speed screws turned out, I'd say you found your problem.

[ March 04, 2002, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: Bryan Glynn ]

[keith455]

I checked the gap before I put them in. They're set to .030.
I change the plugs in this 96SPX and a 95XP with the same gap and the 95XP runs awsome.

Keith

[Bryan Glynn]

.030" wouldn't cause this problem, but it is on the outskirts. Keep checking the other things, but set your gap down to 0.024" anyway.

[Bill O'Neal]

Take the muffler out and check for rattles (broken baffel). Check the exhaust hose for soft spots, indicating an internal delaminating hose. This will plug the hose and not allow the exhaust to escape.
Try reving the motor while watching the water regulator on top of the muffler. Look for water leaking out of the cap, indicating the valve is bad, which floods the pipe with water at the mid pipe section.
Make sure the internal filters are clean inside of your carbs.

Get back to us after you have checked out these known problem areas.

[Bill O'Neal]

Sorry, 1996 SPX does not have a water regulator.