3 replies to this topic

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98 Seadoo Sportster 1800 - Both engines start fine but after going about half a mile up the lake, one engine keeps bogging out. It has new fuel in it and water separator filters have been cleaned and new spark plugs.Does anyone have any suggestions what to check next?

[John in Valley Forge]

I have a similar issue sometimes with my '98.  The port engine looses power, then regains is, then looses it, then regains it. Like if you are driving in the car and tap the accelerator to the beat of the radio.

Some have suggested to me that the fuel lines (likely the original ones) are dissolving from ethanol in the gasoline. It gunks up the carb.

No idea if its correct or not, but I did find myself looking at the engine tonight, wondering how much trouble it wold be to just replace it all.

[John in Valley Forge]

So I swapped out all the upper fuel lines to both engines (the ones that are easily accessible from above) as well as the lines to the carb on the port engine (the one that gives me trouble).  I purchased new line at the local auto parts store. Automobiles all use the same ethanol gas so I figure they should be OK (anything should be better than the original lines from 1999).

To get to the carb lines you have to remove the air silencer (the thing that looks like a blanck boat bumper on the side of the engine) and the flame suppressor. I found my suppressor, which is just many layers of metal screen, to be very clogged and dirty so I cleaned it with carb cleaner spray.  Did the same to the carb opening (also kinda dirty looking). Swapped out those final lines, sprayed in lots of bar spray and put it all back together. Still need to do the starboard engine later.

Tossed a few cans of Gumout into the next load of gas and ran it hard. A little smoky exhaust for a while (OK, it seems like I was generating cover for a beach landing by the marines) but it cleared up.  I've not had the power surging problem since then.  More so than the new lines, I think the carb cleaner was the real helper here.

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John in Valley Forge, on 15 July 2011 - 09:52 AM, said:

So I swapped out all the upper fuel lines to both engines (the ones that are easily accessible from above) as well as the lines to the carb on the port engine (the one that gives me trouble).  I purchased new line at the local auto parts store. Automobiles all use the same ethanol gas so I figure they should be OK (anything should be better than the original lines from 1999).

To get to the carb lines you have to remove the air silencer (the thing that looks like a blanck boat bumper on the side of the engine) and the flame suppressor. I found my suppressor, which is just many layers of metal screen, to be very clogged and dirty so I cleaned it with carb cleaner spray.  Did the same to the carb opening (also kinda dirty looking). Swapped out those final lines, sprayed in lots of bar spray and put it all back together. Still need to do the starboard engine later.

Tossed a few cans of Gumout into the next load of gas and ran it hard. A little smoky exhaust for a while (OK, it seems like I was generating cover for a beach landing by the marines) but it cleared up.  I've not had the power surging problem since then.  More so than the new lines, I think the carb cleaner was the real helper here.

I've been adding Seafoam to gas, will try some of the Gum Out.