Worn Reeds = hard start??? UPDATED FIND!!!

[jakew4]

My ski is having trouble starting under a load. It is fine on the trailer. As on now, I have to roll the ski so the exhaust is out of the water for it to start. I have swapped carbs, all electrical, and still am having the same problems. Could worn out reeds be the reason for my starting issues? My ski also seems to be lacking a constant fuel flow when riding. It will have full throttle then go to an inconsistant powerband. If I rock the ski when riding it the power resumes and everything goes back to normal.

Could bad reeds be the issue here?

OR should I be trouble shooting somewhere else on the ski?

If the reeds are bad, how do I tell which ones to replace them with? Thanks to anyone that helps.

-Jake

 

[Officer Mike]

pul your f/a and crank the ski. if smoke is coming out of the carbs then its the reeds. you may have a broken pedal which would act like keeping the intake open and letting exhasut back out of it. and yes it could be thr problem good luck

 

[jakew4]

What if I don't see smoke coming out of the f/a? Can I eliminate the reeds as an issue? As you can probably tell; I'm new to fixing my ski.

 

[tor*p*do]

check compression
you may be getting low
or may be a fuel filter or carb fuel pump diphragm issue

 

[jakew4]

I know it's not a carb fuel pump diaphragm issue as I have replaced the carb with a known working carb. I'll check the comp. and get back to you guys.

 

[D-Roc]

my sxi was difficult to start after it was warmed up and in the water, the reeds were frayed. put new ones in and it started up perfectly.

 

[Matt_E]

Worn reeds have always made my skis hard to start.

 

[jakew4]

How do I go about finding a decent replacement? Are there different model numbers for different size motors? I'm running a 760 64V set up.

 

[jakew4]

Also, would worn reeds make my power inconsistent? (As described in post#1)

 

[Officer Mike]

Also, would worn reeds make my power inconsistent? (As described in post#1)

yes, i had a broken pedal. and it would run full throttle fine. but low and middle was rediculously anoyingly, red line your blood bad. had to feather the throttle to get it going.

def check the compression, and check the reeds. i had a ski that would only start on the trialer. it was the head gasket. also if the gasket is a metal gasket you want to find/eliminate that problem asap cuase it will make more problems. but i think its a paper gasket.

 

[D-Roc]

yes reeds are important for performace of a reed induction engine. there are lots of aftermarket reed petals and even better aftermarket reed assemblies. The choice is yours to make.

 

[augustaf]

Pull your intake manifold off and look. Judging from your engine description you have stock Yam fiberglass reeds (I think). there's nothing wrong with that, however due to crankshaft turbulence the lower set takes a beating, you can avoid this by using a reed spacer.

 

[jakew4]

pul your f/a and crank the ski. if smoke is coming out of the carbs then its the reeds. you may have a broken pedal which would act like keeping the intake open and letting exhasut back out of it. and yes it could be thr problem good luck

No smoke coming out of the carb when I crank it. I've been reading past posts and it does seem like it is a reed issue.

 

[jakew4]

check compression
you may be getting low
or may be a fuel filter or carb fuel pump diphragm issue

I need a real compression tester, but the one I had showed 135 and 133 psi. Those low numbers scare me and I hope it's due to the cheap gauge. I think I'm gonna bring this ski to Art at Jetworks tomorrow. Too much for a rookie like me. Leave it to the professionals.

 

[jakew4]

yes, i had a broken pedal. and it would run full throttle fine. but low and middle was rediculously anoyingly, red line your blood bad. had to feather the throttle to get it going.

def check the compression, and check the reeds. i had a ski that would only start on the trialer. it was the head gasket. also if the gasket is a metal gasket you want to find/eliminate that problem asap cuase it will make more problems. but i think its a paper gasket.

I'll check the head gasket tonight. I have an OEM head gasket on my bench, so I just might change it out for good measure.

Officer Mike, how are you liking your '08? I should be getting mine soon and I am so excited to run stock and reliable ski!!

 

[Officer Mike]

I'll check the head gasket tonight. I have an OEM head gasket on my bench, so I just might change it out for good measure.

Officer Mike, how are you liking your '08? I should be getting mine soon and I am so excited to run stock and reliable ski!!

it was great stock. it was the first sj i ever rode. and it was way better then all the nay sayers led me to believe. the stock prop on the 08 is awesome. it carves as hard as you can handle. . . i added an ada head with 37 cc domes and type 4 exhaust and removed the choke plates, and its a monster. i love it

 

[jakew4]

Bad Reeds It Is!!!

I guess I found my answer...

 

[jakew4]

Thanks for all the good advice and troubleshooting tips.

 

[jakew4]

I've been using the search feature and reading a lot, but still have one question unanswered; are the stock metal reeds the most reliable for a pure surf boat? I'm needing to buy new ones and want to get a reliable set that doesn't have to be changed every 5 months (carbon). Any help/advice is appreciated.

 

[kurtwolff]

If you ingest a composite reed, you have less of a chance of harming your motor - and I've never heard of changing reeds as frequently as you quote. Metal reeds will last a long time, but you do run more of a risk when you snap a petal. I always run carbon reeds in my boats, but it's your choice!