My First Ski $400 750SX 94 vintage

[eeerieski]

I've been trolling these waters far too long, It's time I hop in with my 94' 750SX that I managed to get for $400. So Sunday night I searched craiglook for jet ski and just for giggles i set a large radius, guess what popped up 4 hrs away. The next day(Monday) I asked for Tuesday off... which was granted so after work Monday I drove 4 hrs from Erie, PA to Altoona, PA on 100% back roads arriving at 9:00 to pick up the ski, at 10:00 I left for Pittsburgh (2hr drive) to see my G/F and her mom who just had a kidney transplant. The next day I drove back home.

Enough with the blabbering and onto the meat, BTW look up a Lodge Sportsman Grill, They are awesome hibachi grills. He didn't live too close to a place to ride and it was not starting fro who knows what reason he said, something in the engine bay was clicking when he hit the start button, when I arrived he showed me after claiming to "charge" the battery all day, I don't know what he meant by this but charged it was not when I finally got home, 8V-9V was all it was reading so the solenoid wasn't getting enough juice. I jumped it from my truck and it cranked over perfectly but wouldn't start, still doesn't start. I've siphoned out the old gas and poured in fresh, there is spark but no fire. I don't think there is fuel getting to the cylinders, how would I check this?

Cosmetically externally it fits a $400 ski, sparse minor scratches, poorly repaired handle-pole crack and ding in the topside from a houseboat. Internally it is pretty damn clean with just some minor gunk in the bilge.

Current mods(I got the originals too):
-SS prop (unknown pitch)
-Scoop grate
-Extended ride-plate
Immediate To-Do List:
-Get it to run
-Fix handlepole
-Tune
-Ride till the lake gets too cold then re-evaluate.
Future To-Do List:
-Fix ding
-De-Purple

 

[lonloud]

looks like a deal besides the peanut butter

 

[JD_WWI]

my first stand up was a 94 750sx. brings back memories.

 

[Stealthjet]

Nice 1997 registration. My second ski was a 94 750sx. That thing turned on a dime.

 

[eeerieski]

it was registered up to mar 2010, I need to de-sticker it too

 

[b.lee]

Seems like a really good deal.
How much was he asking?

 

[eeerieski]

I paid asking, he had a bunch of other calls and it was already a steal even if it does need a bit of cosmetic work and potentially a new pole

 

[b.lee]

Wow, $400 is a really low price to begin with.
I thought you low balled him for that price.

 

[Shifty]

If it cranks fine when you jump the battery/ terminals from your truck I would say it needs a new battery.

How fresh is the fuel, syphon it out and put some fresh pre-mix in. Pull the F/A (Flame Arrestor) cover from the carburetor and manully choke the thing with your hand while giving full throttle. Remove hand and look for fuel in the carb throat or on your palm. If you get no fuel, you mush have a blockage somewhere. Either way I would take the carb down and go through it, too easy.

How do the plugs look? Regardless get some new ones. Check for spark on each cylinder by laying a connected plug on the head and grounding the other plug cap, don't start a fire.

 

[eeerieski]

Battery isn't taking a charge so looks like I need to get another one of those too damn it was a "new" dry cell....
Already siphoned out the old fuel, PO said he put stabil in it last time he used it, wasn't sure if it ever got winterized.
Plugs are brand spanking new, I only pulled the front plug to check for spark assuming they are both fine, I guess I'll check the rear one too.
Thanks for the tip on checking for fuel getting to the carb, I'll try that when I get home.

 

[Shifty]

If one cylinder is firing, the other will be working as well in most cases as there is only one coil. Both cylinders fire simultaneously twice per revolution.

If you notice other issues once you get it going, try this: Those NGK plug boots/caps should uscrew from the wire. It wouldn't hurt to cut an inch or two off your wires to some fresh conductor. Then lube up the wire end and boot with some dielectic grease and screw them back on lightly. The engine vibration can break the fine copper wires in the insulation where they can't be seen.

 

[eeerieski]

Update:
Cleaned carb, one could say it was already clean....damn this ski inside is clean inside!
Jumped it again from my truck and squirted some premix into the carb and it fired right up without hesitation and purred like a kitten.
Anywho, I've still got a fuel issue because after the premix wore off it died, both times. Fuel pickups are not clogged and when I pulled the lines off of the carb some fuel dribbled out. Where else could the fuel system be clogged/not adjusted properly? If there is air in the lines will that cause it to not work? would a primer bulb maybe help? I might get one anyways....

 

[bassdocktor]

Looks like a nice find.

If it's like my Yamaha maybe try checking the fuel filter. Once I got all the air out of the lines after putting new lines in it it ran fine. But, I also had mayjor air bubbles in the line.

 

[ajmps1]

bubbles in the lines wont help, check to see if theres floaties and gunk in the gas tank, theres only supposed to be clean premixed gas in it, i know this ones stupid but is the fuel petcook in the run position? if it was never winterized you should give everything to once over, check for mouse nests in the exhaust hoses, and no on the primer bulb. ive had my choke, which you have, removed for a while.

 

[eeerieski]

Fuel selector was in the run position, tried res too, I'm not that much of a noob. I have straight gas in the tank with the stock separate oil system running too(premix conversion in the plans). How would I get bubbles out of the lines without a primer bulb? The bulb I'm thinking of for now is one of the ones on outboard fuel systems.

 

[Shifty]

You won't need a primer bulb. You could pull your return and fuel line off the carb, then with the fuel line hanging outside the ski, blow into the return line (make sure you have plenty of fuel, thepetcock is on "On" or "Reserve" and your fuel cap is sealed tight (and check valve is working correctly).

By doing this, you should kill two birds with one stone. If you can blow (with minimal pressure) through the return line and fuel comes out the fuel line, you can assuem your lines/filter are not clogged and prime your fuel line at the same time.

I would still try to crank your ski while physically choking the the carb with your hand and applying full throttle. Doing this, you can tell really quick if fuel is making it to the carb.

 

[eeerieski]

It's Alive!

I cleaned the carb thoroughly this time and re-adjusted the high/low screws as per the factory service manual. I also just generally fiddled with the fuel system (like trying to run the ski from a hose in dipped in a bottle of pre mix)

Anyways, I'm fairly certain it runs now, it ran longer than it did previously by squirting fuel in the carb. Since i didn't have it on the hose and it was getting late (loud) i couldn't run it too long for fear of overheating.

Ordered a block off plate for premix.

Need to fix the handlepole, get it registered, titled, get a battery, whistle, pfd, and extinguisher and I can attempt to ride my very own standup!

 

[ajmps1]

well done then, i've been looking for a steal like that for a friend for 2 months now

 

[eeerieski]

I'm telling you guys, Craiglook and saved searches with notifications is how I found it. I never would have looked in the altoona boats c-list because it was too far away but this was a DEAL

 

[eeerieski]

whoever designed the handlepole assembly at kawasaki should be shot and given an upper decker.

It took me 2 hours to remove the handlepole which also required me removing the exhaust and gas tank. I was able to install an oil block off plate with the added clearance. The damn wires and cables were a pain in the rear to pull through the tube in the handlepole and the accordian boot at the bottom. My first ski and I'm learning more about it than I ever wanted to.

Anyways the repair on the handlepole was a POS, one layer of glass wrapped around the crack. Mind you this is SMC and not easy to get a repair to adhere to, the PO's fix had easily cracked again and was flaking off. I ground all that down and am left with not a whole lot. HF $13 grinder FTW!

How would I fix the wallowed out holes? should I even bother with the Lowes fiberglass repair kit? Should I get WEST or USComposites instead? 8-10oz woven correct? Should I scrap this pole and get an aluminum one? Should I scrap this pole and build my own? Should I make this a -4" pole (taking it off the damaged end?

Also ground down the "peanutbutter patch" and will be reglassing this too.