300/440/550 Kawasaki 550js winter Project

guyph_01 · Jun 30, 2012

thx fastgtfairlane, you have been very helpfull and i've learnt so much

Do you know if the white pipe is and after market one or just a stock one?
Also i have been reading this http://www.x-h2o.com/threads/113396-440-to-550-or-650/page2&highlight=550 and i think i'll try and do as you suggested on post 13.

Only thing i'm not sure is if i can swap those shaft holders/bracket or not?
I'll upload pics of the 440 hull soon

Thx

fastgtfairlane · Jun 30, 2012

the white pipe is an aftermarket half pipe for the 550sx.. you could put the reed engine you have in the 440 hull and its a direct swap..i would recommend a 15 to 16 pitch impeller with the 440 pump as well... the blue intake grate is a top loader grate which in my opinion really isnt necessary on a 550... they are designed to force water into the pump to stop cavitation in choppy water but they drag the ski down and caused porpoising in my ski... i took mine off..

guyph_01 · Jun 30, 2012

So the other half of the pipe is attached to my engine? Would that be good enough?

From your advice "get the reed engine, get compression to 180ish psi, 44mm sbn, a/m exhaust mani and pipe, waterbox, get the pump blueprinted with 15.5 or 16pitch impeller and ocean pro outlet nozzle and you will have a very fun ski.."
What does blueprinted mean?

Also I don't have the manual yet and was wandering how can i get the prop out? Is it part of the shaft?
I'm talking about this

So the shaft bracket can or cannot be swap over?

guyph_01 · Jun 30, 2012

This is the inside of the new hull

I'll take some pics of the outside tomorrow..

This is what i got

Gave it a major clean

Question, Is all the electrical the same? or do i need to swap that around? and what about the fuel lines?
I noticed the fuel tap has sized and can't turn to reserve. Would that be a problem?

fastgtfairlane · Jun 30, 2012

if you look inside of the pump you will see casting flash and like steps inside the pump.. if you look on the impeller portion where the wear ring is you will see a taper inside the pump where it goes into the stator section where the veins are... blueprinting is the process of grinding all of those steps and removing that taper inside the pump basically smoothing everything out... i will take a pic of my pump to show you... to remove the 440 impeller you will get somethign to hold the shaft in place you will see a hole about a foot in front of the impeller then take a wrench and turn to the left to remove the impeller.... you may need to use a torch to heat the imeller up enough to break it loose...

yes the portion attached to the engine is the other half of your half pipe exhaust and it will be fine for you...

guyph_01 · Jul 1, 2012

Cool thx that would help.

Also when you say lighten the flywheel by machining it, Would you have a pic that shows it? I'm guessing it must be done properly so its all balanced etc?

This is what the new hull, the 440 looks like

And thats what the garage looks like

Thx

guyph_01 · Jul 1, 2012

Also just looking on eaby and was wandering,

What the difference between this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-KAWASAK...Personal_Watercraft_Parts&hash=item33780074a2

And this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PJS-440-JET...Personal_Watercraft_Parts&hash=item5894429771

Why double for a second hand part? Is it that much better or if i blueprint it like you said it becomes the same?

Also I gave the ski a wash and when i opened the hull it had quite a bit of water inside. I'm going to replace the hood seal but was wandering if these any other things, tricks i can do to ensure its as water tight as possible.
Thx

fastgtfairlane · Jul 1, 2012

that hull looks pretty good.. the second pump is a pjs afterburner pump..its the same design as the stock 440 pump but i think the impeller is designed to be set back in the pump and the stator veins are different... if you look at the inside of the stock pump you can see the taper and the steps in the casting i mentioned earlier, the afterburner is all smooth..

guyph_01 · Jul 1, 2012

any ideas on getting the ski more water tight?

So if i got it right, are the ares circles in red the taper and the step that needs to be machined out and made smooth?

And if i get all this blueprinted, would it be as good as that pjs afterburner pump?

fastgtfairlane · Jul 1, 2012

yes those are exactly the sections im talking about. it wont be quite as good but it would be close, you need more rpms to need the afterburner pump

guyph_01 · Jul 2, 2012

Just a little update, Got the prop off 2day. man that was a pain!!!!! After about an hour, some hitting, bashing, heating with a propane gun, impact wrench, plenty of CRC it came out.
Now after all this struggle, should i replace the seals bearing in the holder that holds the shaft?? it doesn't really have any play or noise when rotating. Is it a pain to do?

Also decided to bolt the engine block in the ski, when to lift it by the half exhaust and carby and the part of the block with the barrels came off and the crank part stayed on the floor!!!! DUHHHH Anyway i've ordered new top and bottom copper gaskets so i'll use them once they get here. Everything looks smooth and clean and these no play in the crank, con rod or piston, all feels really tight. but thats from my amateur point of view

Now is it ok to leave it like that for 15 day till the parts arrive or should i spray it with something, its winter here.
When i put it all back together, should i "lightly scratch the inside of the barrels?" forgot the term this process is called??
Must i use a sealant with the coper gaskets?

This is turning out to be very fun and interesting.
I love getting my hands dirty and building cars, bikes, quads and jetski's in this case, properly until they work and are reliable

Only thing is i wish it didn't cost as much

Thx

db2540 · Jul 2, 2012

I think you mean this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honing_(metalworking)

guyph_01 · Jul 2, 2012

Yeah thats it. Will i have to hone the cylinders/barrels?

Also, how, Hopefully someone can show a pic, should i get the flywheel lighten? where and what part must i machine?

Also, when i'll put the new impeller on, must i put a thread lock, or maybe a anti sized on the threads?
thx

guyph_01 · Jul 4, 2012

Little update.

Haven't had much response to my questions and also can't do much at the moment on the ski as i'm waiting to get the parts i need from the US.

So i decided to make a trailer for the ski's. Mostly with stuff laying around I've come up with this. I can use it as a double jetski trailer if i get both working or take one set of rails "half ladder" and reposition it in the center as its held on by U bolts.
I still need to work out the front winch setup, I want to have one which on something that allows it to move to all three positions, Right, center, left depending if I've got two or one ski on the trailer.
Lol its a bit of a back yard trailer but it should work

db2540 · Jul 5, 2012

Use anti-seize on the thread.

As for the honing, I dont know enough to comment. Fly wheel just leave it as is. There are benefits but dont you want to ride the thing.

guyph_01 · Jul 5, 2012

Hi,

Quick question. Just got my head today

. I noticed that its got one cooling plug and that some of you have dual cooling. Is it worth doing while its out?
Are there any thing i must do to the cooling system then or just add an extra line with a T fitting?
Replies would be appreciated

thx

guyph_01 · Jul 9, 2012

The removable winch system i cam up with so i only have one winch on the trailer. I just remove the pin and place it in one of the three spots..

And this is what it looks like finished. I just need to put some tail lights on it

Oh and i got my mariner head from the us today. Anyone know what compression these give?

guyph_01 · Jul 14, 2012

Little bit of an update,

I got my new pump and prop in the mail. fitted the prop to the shaft put it was so close to the hull that with the pump on the shaft would not turn. So made some shims and its now perfect

Now, What silicone do you guys use to seal that shaft bearing thing back on? The manual says silicone but isn't more specific. Can i use any? say the one used for aquariums or windows etc?
Also when i do it, should i put some one, tighten the bolts a bit, wait a few hours to let it start solidifying and make a semi harden seal and then tighten the bolts to the max? how is it done normally?

I think i'll buy new pistons and rings for it. Might as well do it once and be done with it? Is there a brand you guys normally go for and hopefully affordable?

I also thinking of doing the dual cooling mod. But i need to get some more info.
Tho i think this pump that came off my 440 has the added 90deg bend on the pump. Is that the right way/direction its done? This pump has a real bad wear ring but can i just copy that?
Also where would the second cooling line run back in the hull from on the 440/550?

db2540 · Jul 14, 2012

Hey Guyph

I use Sikaflex-291. I have used it on my 550 and my FZS and so far it has worked well. I use this to seal my pump and transom. You can get it at any hardware store. Try and grab a few extra nozzles if they are on the shelf. Because when you go to use it next it well have set in the nozzle. I dont know what part you are talking about. "Shaft bearing thing". Explain or take a pic.

I saw on ebay someone in my local area selling a 440 pump with aftermarket prop and was going to let you know. But it looks like you are sorted now.

guyph_01 · Jul 23, 2012

Hey guys,

I need to get some new pistons kit for the kawasaki. I went to measure it up and i need pistons that are 76.25. Would anyone know a good place to get them from in the US?
Thx