Super Jet Having problems with first ski
- Thread starter Stunts
- Start date
D-Roc
I forgot!
- Location
- Dirty River Rider
or remove it. i hate dangling hoses.
D-Roc
I forgot!
- Location
- Dirty River Rider
come on, give the superjet some love. lol, you have some nice looking parts in there, man with some tlc you can make that into a kick ass ski again. it has been hacked and abused but that wouldn't stop me from fixing it up. so if you got it cranking over, and there is spark, I would put my hand over the carb and choke each carb while cranking the motor over. i have clear lines so i can see the fuel moving. i keep checking down the carbs until i see fuel dripping down the throat. then i flick my ignition on and it fires up. you have stock ignition so it should start to sputter and kick once it gets some fuel. you can shoot some gas down the carb and start it and it will pull the fuel but it will also be running pretty lean on a cold motor until the air bubbles in the lines are pulled thru. just some food for thought.
Thanks for the post, good info (guess you can only do one thanks per thread?) but yeah I will show it some love and can take my time with it now that I have another SJ to ride. I will probably either sell it or part it out though, the new one takes the cake. I am going to get it running today and let my buddy ride it today when I test out the new ski and hopefully get him hooked to buy it and have someone to go riding with. My blue lines are see thru so I can see fuel going down to the carbs. Could I just pump the poop outta the primer? I'll have to get my buddy to help choke the carbs having two and starting it requires 3 hands haha. I don't want the motor running lean.
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- Location
- Round Rock, TX
Ok in picture you posted when you first got the ski I see what looks like two check valves. When you open the gas cap did the vapors shoosh out?
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swapmeet
Brotastic
- Location
- Arlington TX
Just a general idea for you. Don't think of the ski as 'half assed'... it looks like somebody put some time and money into it. Think of it as "there has to be a logical reason for this" and it might help.
I installed a primer on my ski, and after some carb reading the general concensus was that a primer only masks issues with your carb(s) and really shuoldn't be needed. In an effort to trouble shoot I bypassed the primer and the fuel selector and i'm straight from the reserve line to the carb (via fuel filter) and the main feed is capped. Runs great and i'm just gonna leave it.
GL with your trouble shooting.
I installed a primer on my ski, and after some carb reading the general concensus was that a primer only masks issues with your carb(s) and really shuoldn't be needed. In an effort to trouble shoot I bypassed the primer and the fuel selector and i'm straight from the reserve line to the carb (via fuel filter) and the main feed is capped. Runs great and i'm just gonna leave it.
GL with your trouble shooting.
D-Roc
I forgot!
- Location
- Dirty River Rider
good post swapmeet, you make a good point. it may have logic or it may be hacked. keeping it simple like what you did is great imo, i do the same. i got rid of everything my ski did not need and install everything leftover properly. after doing this for years you vary the way you route all your wires and fuel lines and cooling lines to make things easy to remove and check. That ski does not look like that has been done. it doesn't matter though, because it can always be fixed up. I usually put one hand on the one carb and crank for 2-3 seconds, then do the other carb and repeat until i see the fuel run. Its easy to do. don't be scared of a lean startup, just expect it and know what to do. mine starts up and revs high for 4-5 seconds and i don't touch the throttle until it come down to a proper idle. now by reving high i don't mean run around in circles in panic mode high, just a high idle.
Thanks for the help, got the ski running great yesterday, took them both out (new and old) and had a F'n blast! Crazy how different the two are, one has a B pipe and jetted stock carb, the other has a formula 4 pipe and dual 48s. Completely different powerbands! Quick question though, the old SJ has a rius head on it, I don't know what domes, but both cylinders are 150psi. Is it possible to have stock domes giving me that compression? The ski runs flawless, very fast especially mid/top end. As far as cleaning the ski up, I will definitely be doing that (might have to wait until winter), just rerouting things to make it look better, but I want to take everything out and go thru it with a fine tooth comb, make it perfect, even though I will probably end up selling or parting it out.
johnnyb, when I open the gas gap, I don't think I hear any vaoprs swoosh out? Not really sure, not listening for it, just concentrating on not spilling gas outta my crap gas cans!
johnnyb, when I open the gas gap, I don't think I hear any vaoprs swoosh out? Not really sure, not listening for it, just concentrating on not spilling gas outta my crap gas cans!
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Well this has a rius head on it, so is my engine going then since I only have 150psi? I don't know if the domes that are in there now are meant to put out 150psi to retain pump gas use or what? Or if my engine is on its way out, but it runs fine and pulls hard. Doesn't make any sense to me.
An aftermarket head doesn't necessarily imply higher than stock compression. The cylinder may also be ported which can lower compression. If both sides are equal and the engine runs fine, I wouldn't worry about it.
Also, you have a dry pipe. Those typically have higher octane requirements than wet pipes. So a lot of times, lower compression is advisable if running pump gas with a dry pipe.
Also, you have a dry pipe. Those typically have higher octane requirements than wet pipes. So a lot of times, lower compression is advisable if running pump gas with a dry pipe.
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- Location
- Stevensville, MD
I thought it was fine until someone told me that since I have an aftermarket head, that 150 is too low and my engine is on its way out. I never thought anything of it until then. Good to know I am ok. I didn't know most dry pipes require race gas? I don't want to run any race gas, major PITA. What do most of you guys do, buy 93 and add an octane booster?
D-Roc
I forgot!
- Location
- Dirty River Rider
glad to hear it is alive! depending on what kinda compression gauge you have it may be a cheapo that tends to read about 20psi low. i use a compression gauge to check for psi from front to back. i don't care what number i get as long as front and back are the same. we have had 3-4 different gauges on a single ski and none read the same. the Snap-On gauge is supposed to be accurate. I would guess you have 37cc domes or more than likely the typical 35cc domes which should give you "180psi" depending on decking and porting and piston size. this winter crack it open and check. until then let er hang and ride the SOB. 
Slow down there. I didn't say dry pipes require race gas. I said they require higher octane gas than wet pipes (with similar compression).
To run pump gas, compression is usually lower than what you would run a wet pipe on pump gas on.
That's probably why you have domes that make 150psi - to safely run pump gas.
I hope that makes more sense.
D-roc, I did get the gauge from harbor freight, haha, but it was their nicer one if that matters. I didn't know they'd be off so much. Since the ski feels fine and pulls hard, I am thinking its ok and gonna ride it! I am 99% sure its stock bore, pistons etc, but have no clue what domes. How do you check the domes?
Matt E, ok I am getting confused on the dry/wet pipes. Are we talking cooling lines? Because both of my pipes have them (Factory B ltd chamber and Factory Formula 4) but there is some water solenoid thing that was given to me for my formula pipe, water injection, but both pipes have water going thru them for cooling via the pump. Sorry I am a newb to this stuff, skis and 2 strokes are definitely not what I am most familiar with.
Also when do you need to start running higher octane? When I hear higher octane then pump, I think race, being at least 100 octane or higher. Thanks for the help.
Matt E, ok I am getting confused on the dry/wet pipes. Are we talking cooling lines? Because both of my pipes have them (Factory B ltd chamber and Factory Formula 4) but there is some water solenoid thing that was given to me for my formula pipe, water injection, but both pipes have water going thru them for cooling via the pump. Sorry I am a newb to this stuff, skis and 2 strokes are definitely not what I am most familiar with.
Also when do you need to start running higher octane? When I hear higher octane then pump, I think race, being at least 100 octane or higher. Thanks for the help.
A wet pipe injects water into the exhaust stream.
A dry pipe doesn't.
A dry pipe runs a bit hotter and also higher RPM's. That's why it needs more octane. Doesn't mean race gas - just more octane than a wet pipe would need at similar compression.
Example: You can run 150 psi on 87 octane pump gas on a wet pipe. If you put in a dry pipe with that 150 psi, you best start using 92 octane pump gas.
A dry pipe doesn't.
A dry pipe runs a bit hotter and also higher RPM's. That's why it needs more octane. Doesn't mean race gas - just more octane than a wet pipe would need at similar compression.
Example: You can run 150 psi on 87 octane pump gas on a wet pipe. If you put in a dry pipe with that 150 psi, you best start using 92 octane pump gas.
So if I have cooling lines going into my exhaust, then that is a wet pipe and since it'll run cooler, not as high octane will be needed compared to if there was no water lines going into the pipe (dry pipe). Both my skis have cooling lines in them, so I should be good on 93 octane. I don't want to run anything less then that though. I don't know what this water injection for my formula pipe is then, since it has 2 cooling lines in it. The cooling lines on my pipe though go in and back out again, so they aren't getting injected into the exhaust stream so to say as much as just running thru the pipe itself and contained away from the exhaust, its cooling the pipe down though. Guess I am still confused, sorry.