650/X-2 Buying a new Carb... But from who?

[Waternut]

I've heard that fuel economy on the Kawa 650's are supposed to be really, really good. I've not run a full tank of fuel yet - I've had carb problems and it's kept me off the water!

No more! I want to RIDE.

Hey, I noticed on the Jetworks site, they don't list prices for their carbs. I'll send 'em an email.

Any idea how much more expensive their Blackjack carbs are versus regular 44SBN's?

I don't mean to get off topic but it's my nature to be curious. You say you had carb troubles all season. Before you go sinking hundreds on a new carb or even an aftermarket, are you 100% positive it's a carb issue? There are a ton of things that can feel and seem like a carb issue and are completely unrelated. An air leak, a cavitating pump, a pinched fuel line, clogged fuel filter, a leaky fuel tank, an exhaust leak, even some electrical problems... I'm not trying to be a jerk but if you haven't absolutely confirmed all the others to be false, you're just throwing money at a problem and hoping to get lucky. Trust me, I fought the same fight a few years back.

 

[chriselmore_1]

best advice of the day right there

 

[jetpilot08]

I fought carb issues on my old 550 as well. Just couldn't get it to run right no matter how much adjusting I did. Turns out my rear crank seal was shot creating an air leak. If your looking for a stock 44 sbn carb brand new look on http://www.atlanticjetsports.com/. Their prices are hard to beat and Jim provides the best customer service.

If your looking to go after market blackjacks are the way to go. Just call or shoot an email to Art.

 

[Kalwren]

I don't mean to get off topic but it's my nature to be curious. You say you had carb troubles all season. Before you go sinking hundreds on a new carb or even an aftermarket, are you 100% positive it's a carb issue? There are a ton of things that can feel and seem like a carb issue and are completely unrelated. An air leak, a cavitating pump, a pinched fuel line, clogged fuel filter, a leaky fuel tank, an exhaust leak, even some electrical problems... I'm not trying to be a jerk but if you haven't absolutely confirmed all the others to be false, you're just throwing money at a problem and hoping to get lucky. Trust me, I fought the same fight a few years back.

Ugh, here we go, lol....

A friend built the ski for me. He failed to put a filter into the fuel line.
I bought a used West Coast tank that was dirty, it had crap in the bottom of it. When I took the carb apart a few months ago, it had SAND and LEAVES in it. The circuits were clogged with crap. The carb was used and some of the screws in it were not the original screws that it came with. Apparently, it came off of a running ski.

I've never rebuilt a carb before, so I went that route - and I probably messed it up. The ski won't start. It would atleast idle prior to my "rebuilding" my carb.

Rather than continuing to dink around and lose riding time and add to my personal frustration, I would rather buy a new carb and move on. That way, I don't have to worry about it until it needs to be rebuilt again. Next time, I'll have someone SHOW me how to do it properly.

So thats the scoop. The funny thing, it'll be the 2nd "new" part on the ski. Everything else is used.

However, prior to the carb pulling all that junk into it - it ran well. For about 2 rides. So I'm fairly certain the rest of the boat is in good shape. I'm open to suggestions however, if you have any.

 

[Kalwren]

I fought carb issues on my old 550 as well. Just couldn't get it to run right no matter how much adjusting I did. Turns out my rear crank seal was shot creating an air leak. If your looking for a stock 44 sbn carb brand new look on http://www.atlanticjetsports.com/. Their prices are hard to beat and Jim provides the best customer service.

If your looking to go after market blackjacks are the way to go. Just call or shoot an email to Art.

I appreciate the info.

I plan on doing a leak down test this weekend. I need to build the tool, which I found here:
http://www.pwctoday.com/f11/8-pop-off-pressure-gauge-80790.html

Thats my goal for this weekend.

 

[Tyler Zane]

thats why i got mine redone by a professional. peace of mind. they should be really close to tuned before i even put them on.

 

[Kalwren]

I've had the ski over a year now and the information on this site (and advice!) has been a wonderful learning tool. Learning by mistakes is effective too, but it's a waste of time sometimes. lol - I'm glad I attempted it, as I learned a fair bit. But it's cost me time and money now. I'd rather just spend a bit more and be able to ride. It'll also give me peace of mind knowing it's working like it's intended.

So yeah. Professional stuff.

 

[Tyler Zane]

ya i would rather ride than work on my boat any day. dont get me wrong, i love tearing things completely down and redoing them from the bottom up but when im done turning the last screws to tune mine i should get plenty of reliable time out of it. my front tow loop is just for show lol.

 

[aramis]

Art also does mods to stock 38's...although technically not a blackjack mod, it opens them up while maintaining good fuel economy. You definitely want to give him a call...just make sure you have some spare time set aside to talk!

 

[Kalwren]

ya i would rather ride than work on my boat any day. dont get me wrong, i love tearing things completely down and redoing them from the bottom up but when im done turning the last screws to tune mine i should get plenty of reliable time out of it. my front tow loop is just for show lol.

I hear ya! I love to tinker too!

Thing is, I don't know quite enough yet to pull everything off. I know a good deal, as I've had lots of time to learn and tinker. But I want to ride. I'm tired of tinkering.

 

[Waternut]

Rebuilds aren't that difficult and are pretty self explanatory so I doubt you messed anything up. It does take some effort to get fuel back into the carb though after a rebuild since you completely drained it. Will the ski run if you dump a little fuel down the throat? Is the fuel filter connected backwards? Are the fuel lines connected properly (this is the most common issue)? Fuel supply is the bottom, return is the top, and the one between them that's off to the side goes to the pulse fitting on the case. Jetskiing is an expensive sport. Just trying to save you some money.

 

[Ram- man]

i agree with the waternut, he has some very good advice that i would check over and listen to before buying another carb.

And i hope you took into consideration that if you by another carb you will be rejetting and messing with it to get right, and 650sx have have keihin carb on it and if you are going to by a mikuni carb you are going to need a aftermarket intake manifoild

 

[Kalwren]

Rebuilds aren't that difficult and are pretty self explanatory so I doubt you messed anything up. It does take some effort to get fuel back into the carb though after a rebuild since you completely drained it. Will the ski run if you dump a little fuel down the throat? Is the fuel filter connected backwards? Are the fuel lines connected properly (this is the most common issue)? Fuel supply is the bottom, return is the top, and the one between them that's off to the side goes to the pulse fitting on the case. Jetskiing is an expensive sport. Just trying to save you some money.

Will it run if I prime it? Yes. Fires right up.
I pulled fuel all the way to the tip of the gas line and then plugged it onto the carb and tightened it down with a stainless steel clamp.

The fuel filter isn't connected backwards. The fuel lines are connected properly and they're brand new. I just replaced them.
The fuel lines were correctly connected to the carb.

I'm 99% certain I put the carb back together correctly when I rebuilt it. I spent a lot of time on it. I looked at pictures online, I followed the directions and I watched a couple of videos before doing it. I completely researched it before I started in on it.

I appreciate all the questions! It keeps me in check.

Maybe I didn't run it long enough to let it start. I over-primed it and the plugs were wet. I pulled them out, dried them off and decided to just buy a new carb. That way, I wouldn't have to question it.

 

[Kalwren]

i agree with the waternut, he has some very good advice that i would check over and listen to before buying another carb.

And i hope you took into consideration that if you by another carb you will be rejetting and messing with it to get right, and 650sx have have keihin carb on it and if you are going to by a mikuni carb you are going to need a aftermarket intake manifoild

I already have an aftermarket intake manifold. I bought it from Zigler.

 

[Kalwren]

Art also does mods to stock 38's...although technically not a blackjack mod, it opens them up while maintaining good fuel economy. You definitely want to give him a call...just make sure you have some spare time set aside to talk!

Lol! Set aside some time to talk - You were totally right.

He called me today and I put in my order for the new carb.

After speaking with him in detail and through email he stated that a standard Mikuni 44SBN would be fine. I didn't need a Blackjack with my setup. I thought that was super cool, had he of said it would have worked - I'd of bought one. I find that to be super honest and I appreciate that soooo much. Saved me a bunch of money. Mikuni 44SBN is $180, versus $320 for the 44SBN Blackjack.

Art was a great guy to talk to. He's very interested in the sport, I love it.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

 

[Tyler Zane]

haha, ya he is a talker but its good info. i always learn something new when i talk to him.

 

[jetman624]

Jetworks is down the freeway a bit from me and Art does all my work. Super cool guy and loves to talk shop...

 

[Kalwren]

I received my new carb today. Jetted and ready to go from Art at Jetworks.
It's a bummer the weather is cold, but I'm freaking excited to put it on the water this weekend. It should run like a champ!

http://www.x-h2o.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=138340

Here's a picture of the new carb on the left and my old carb on the right.

The intake/returns are different.

Is there any other "actual" physical difference in these carbs? I see a few differences, but I'm just curious if they're cosmetic of if there is something about the newer that is "better".

Thanks in advance. Yet another question, "schooling the n00b". Thanks guys!

 

[Waternut]

There's a lot newer and better about that carb and the way the supply and return lines are attached is the least important. If you haven't read about the blackjack on jetworks's website, I suggest you do so you know what you've got.

 

[Kalwren]

It's not a Blackjack carb. It's a standard Mikuni 44SBN. Art and I spoke about the Blackjack and after telling him what my current mods are, he said that the Blackjack isn't the way to go until I get some other goodies.