Routine inspections a must...

[OCD Solutions]

I was messing around with a little project this weekend on the wife's ski and it turned inot a much bigger project in no time. All I wanted to do was change out the battery terminals but ended up pulling the motor to get at the corroded starter connection, the drive shaft on the starter motor was bone dry and rusted so I pulled the flywheel cover to do some further investigating and found this...This is the first time I have pulled the cover off since I built this ski a year ago. It was still starting and running fine but I doubt it would have been for much longer. The Bendix still slides freely if you can believe that.

I believe that the seal on the front cover was the intrusion point as the starter and grommet were both sealed in with black RTV and were a bitch to get out. The seal that came with the gasket kit I bought was an odd shape and didn't fit so I had used RTV to seal up the cover instead of a seal and RTV. I guess I won't be doing that ever again.

The good news is, everything else checks out good and I was finally able to get the last stud in for the Girdle hardware, redo my water routing for a cleaner install and clean up the engine bay. It was the first build I ever did for salt water application and I've learned alot in the last year. Salt is very unforgiving.

 

[Pablo]

Boyer, you should be ashamed of yourself. Poor, little, neglected superjet. What did it ever do to you? LOL. JK.
Good work though. That's something that gets overlooked on alot of skis I'm sure. At least you caught it before it crapped out on you with a locked up bendix.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Mine looked like that and It had not seen salt water.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I kept saying that I wanted to yank this engine to fix a couple things and do a yearly inspection but as long as it was running good I didn't want to mess with it. I'm pretty glad I did it now and just in time too. If that Bendix grenaded I'm sure it would have taken out the TBM as well and greatly increased the damage cost.

BK, the salt water comment was more about the shape of the starter connections, hose clamps and hardware in general. I replaced lots of rusted cheap hardware that wasn't a great grade of stainless while I had everything apart. I was very diligent about flushing my skis but for the first 6 months I wasn't using soap to neutralize the salt and I wasn't spraying everything down with WD-40 as often as I should have been. We live we learn and I'm glad I learned it on this ski and not my new Matrix.

 

[Matt_E]

Always ALWAYS use an OEM flywheel cover gasket and some 1211 (optional), plus some 1211 on the starter seal area.
Since I've done that, the stator area has stayed bone-dry over two years.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Always ALWAYS use an OEM flywheel cover gasket and some 1211 (optional), plus some 1211 on the starter seal area.
Since I've done that, the stator area has stayed bone-dry over two years.

I had done that as well the last time I put the cover on. I used gobbs of silicone between the starter and the case. I do not know if mine leaked or if it was condensation that caused the brown powdery substance that wrecked my bendix.

 

[Matt_E]

I should have said NEW OEM fw cover gasket. :biggrin:

 

[OCD Solutions]

At $16.42 a pop for an OEM gasket, the cold fusion O-ringed billet covers would pay for themselves wouldn't they.

 

[Proformance1]

Bought a used ski and found the same, OEM gaskets or oringed for me from now on! Starter front brg will take a crap on ya now. May as well change the bearings while you have it out.

 

[Matt_E]

At $16.42 a pop for an OEM gasket, the cold fusion O-ringed billet covers would pay for themselves wouldn't they.

How often do you take the flywheel cover off? :dunno:
At a $100+ for the billet cover, you'd have to take it off a bunch of times to pay for it.
Don't know about you, but I don't make it a habit to pop that cover off. Do a good job sealing it and fuggedabouddid.

I pay less than $10 for an OEM gasket.


Something else that can leak water into that area: a bad front seal plus a sunk engine.

 

[Big Kahuna]

my gasket was new OEM with sealant. Not sure if it leaked or condensation.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I haven't had this cover off in over a year. I don't usually make a habit of it either just cause of the front seal actually. I wish I had snagged the used cold fusion cover that popped up here a few weeks ago. I have one on my X-Scream engine already and like the idea of the O-ring.

I swapped in the spare bendix and starter I keep on the shelf for just these emergencies, I don't mess with anything used. the starter was a used aftermarket one Matt-E sold me cheap last year so it'll make a good backup now.

Any ideas for cleaning up the stator? It was done by JSS and just needs the surface corrosion knocked off. Has anyone used one of those steam blasters they advertise on TV for cleaning parts?

 

[Matt_E]

Call Randy at Watcon. He's got a ColdFusion cover he's wanting to sell. You might snag a deal.

 

[Big Kahuna]

I haven't had this cover off in over a year. I don't usually make a habit of it either just cause of the front seal actually. I wish I had snagged the used cold fusion cover that popped up here a few weeks ago. I have one on my X-Scream engine already and like the idea of the O-ring.

I swapped in the spare bendix and starter I keep on the shelf for just these emergencies, I don't mess with anything used. the starter was a used aftermarket one Matt-E sold me cheap last year so it'll make a good backup now.

Any ideas for cleaning up the stator? It was done by JSS and just needs the surface corrosion knocked off. Has anyone used one of those steam blasters they advertise on TV for cleaning parts?

Just get some contact cleaner and a soft bristle brush.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Just get some contact cleaner and a soft bristle brush.

Toothbrush and elbow grease it is then. :bigok:

 

[SJBrit]

I had a similar shocker this weekend. I opened up the electrical box to run some power to my bilge pumps, and found it was full of salt!! Everything cleaned up just fine, and I ground a shiny new surface onto the box to make sure of a good seal. Turns out I had caught the wire in the fuse cap last time I put that back on, and of course that let the water right in. The scary thing is just how long it's been since my ski has been in salt water! Must have been like that for a while.