Super Jet advice on what to do next

[01jetsurfer]

here is my situation i got a 2001 super jet in march and have been riding 3 or 4 times a week rebuilt the carbs did a little tuning got it running pretty good as far as i could tell. but then my battery died so i charged it and couple days later died again so i checked if it was being charged and the volts were the same weather it was running or not. i preceded to pull off the timing cover and sludge came pouring out a little research later i find out most likely that my crank seals are fuked. when i rebuilt the carbs i pulled the reed cage out to check it and it had a decent amount of surface rust on it i will insert a pic along with a pic of the sludge also. so going by that i would have to assume that the crank probably has to be rusty also and isnt rust the killer of cranks? with that said i did remove the reed cage / intake manni and looked in with a mirror and turned the engine by hand and didn't see any rust from what i could see as limited as it is from this angle. should i be looking into having the crank rebuilt also since replacing the seals i have to tear down the engine completely right? this is not as much of a question as its my thought process going forward and would like any advice or tips as you all see fit. what would you do if this was your ski? thank you for looking you help is much appreciated.

 

[fastgtfairlane]

Disassemble the engine is the only thing left to do so you know what you're working with then go from there

 

[kevbo]

You have a 19 year old ski that has not been maintained.................. They aren't making enough new units so nearly everything available is in similar condition. What do you do next? Either dump the ski or spend a lot of money.

 

[te4250]

That gudge could have come through the stator cover, why not check the crank play and pressure test the case before getting crazy.

 

[fx1mark]

That gudge could have come through the stator cover, why not check the crank play and pressure test the case before getting crazy.

I Agree. I would test and inspect before I took anything apart.

 

[01jetsurfer]

ok sounds good ill check the play in the crank and do a pressure test before pulling everything apart. thanks for the heads up.

 

[john zigler]

If a crank lets go, it can/will ruin the rest of your engine. I say, you have some pretty good warning signs your engine is due for some maintenance.

That is a LOT of rust on your reed stops. If your reed stops have that much rust, I promise your crank has been subject to the same moisture. Your engine has either been wet (Sank), run hard and put away wet, or similar.

If it were mine, I would break it down, and go through everything. Do it once, and do it right.

 

[Joe Superjet]

I would think ski would run like poop without good main seals. I say pull top end and give the dingle arms a tug.

 

[ticega306]

what would you do if this was your ski?

I'd tear the engine down and go through everything as has been suggested, but thats me. Keep in mind though that going this route means there will be some $$ spending, so be ready for that. It may not be absolutely necessary, yet. Delaying this work though increases your risk of more serious failures going forward.

i'd bet your crank seal is on its way out. replacing it means splitting the cases so rebuilding/replacing the crank at the same time would be a logical move.

the sludge has coated and made a mess of your stator. a good cleaning may resolve your charging issue but not guaranteed to do so. If the engine seemed to be running properly, I'd try this now before tearing the engine down, finish that troubleshooting first.

 

[SUPERJET-113]

Ya, sometimes water can get by the stator cover and thats why I always silicone both sides of the gasket for insurance. BUT, that rust on your reed stops are the real sign that water has gotten inside the engine and sat for sometime. So, like said above, your crank is a ticking time bomb(may have lightly pitted bearings) and you should split your cases and inspect, or you'll be paying possibly twice as much if you grenade.

 

[01jetsurfer]

thanks everyone for taking the time to reply . as i was removing the exhaust i came across this gasket thats filled in everywhere except a pen head hole this certainly is not oem is it? im in the process of ordering replacement gaskets and looking at the pictures i don't think i have seen this one or one like it. i ve added a pic for reference and kinda laid the exhaust together so u ca get an idea where it is in the order of things. if its not oem why would someone add this block off/ re-rout gasket?

 

[fx1mark]

That gasket is normal.

 

[01jetsurfer]

oh ok thanks, i see. thanks for the visual aid.