300/440/550 Calling on Vintage gooroos...550 piston port?

[whitca]

I have two piston port 550's that a guy at work is showing some interest in. They were both skis that I got for close to nothing. One I had running for about 10 minutes maybe 5 years ago and the other I've never had running. Anyways, I went to try and get them started today and of course, nothing. New battery, starting fluid down the plug holes, checked spark on the head...both good. Still no fire however. Both engines turn freely and don't show any signs of rust. I pulled the pjs head off the one that's pretty modded and it looks really clean. Just a little deto marks on the front cylinder. I haven't pulled the head on the other but it's bone stock. I noticed when pulling the engine out of the stock ski, there was pooled up motor oil in the bottom of the hull??? (auto oil) I pull off the flywheel cover and what do I find...I drain about a half a quart of auto engine oil...awesome. I pull the flywheel cover off the modded engine and it's dry and rusty...with rust dust piled up in the bottom. The stock engine seemed to struggle under compression when it turned over...could be a bad starter or maybe the oil creating a drag on the flywheel I'm thinking. It still doesn't explain why I'm not getting any fire. I'm wondering if the coil may be bad and not creating enough spark when the plug is in the hole and under compression. I guess I'm just looking for any insight or something to try that I already haven't. Also, is the stator ruined now that someone poured engine oil in the flywheel cover? And is the other bad being that's it has surface rust?

 

[jetski9010]

If the flywheel cover was filled with oil it could have messed up your stator or causing a weak spark. If you battery is good on the one that is turning over slow it might be a weak starter. If you can pull the stater out hook it up to a battery so it spins and then press it against a piece of wood and see if you can stop it spinning. If you can stop it its weak if it seems to turn even under pressure its good and you have to check to see if your motor is tight. Have you done a compression check yet?

 

[whitca]

Thanks for the idea, I can try that. I haven't got a good comp. check yet because it wouldn't turn over fast enough to pump up the guage over 60psi in both holes.

 

[Crab]

piston port motors don't want to run under about 120psi

 

[JetSkiJJ]

dude the stator is toast just swap the one from the other ski put it in the one that had oil all over it and its a done deal i have plenty of experience with those damn things ive definately gone thru my share of em i wish u didnt even need em haha.

 

[whitca]

Well I have heard stories of people finding ski's like this before with the oil poured in the flywheel cover and was told to try pulling the flywheel and clean everything up. I did that and it improved spark and was blubbering to try and start but just wouldn't fire. I did another comp. check and got 90 in one cylinder and 30 in the other?!? When I did it the first time, I got 60 in both holes with a dead battery that could hardly turn the engine over. I don't know if fuel from priming got into the tip of my guage and is causing false readings or if my guage is just crap. I guess I need to pull the head and inspect now.

 

[whitca]

Pulled the top end tonight and found the base gasket is shreded...should explain the poor compression. Already ordered a new gasket kit so I guess we'll see what happens when it gets here.