90 SN 351 idle problem

funny you mention that.

The mech its at right now has done very little to this boat. He installed the new starter and worked on it a few years ago when we had a vapor lock (float bowl problem if I recall).

he is the type of mech that you have to spell out what you want him to do. He is very smart and does a good job, but also is very busy and if he fixes one problem he stops there unless you tell him that something else isn't right. Which is a reason I wanted to get other opinions so when I talk to him I can bring up other points or make suggestions and see what he says.

what is funny is that I took the boat to the only correct craft dealer in ontario; Pride of Muskoka. They kept our boat for over 2 months from June until mid august for a new muffler and to fix the idle problem. This is a huge dealer for CC and our summer's are short (mid june-mid sept)

I'm not going to get into it but these guys screwed us around more than I have ever seen by any business. I wrote CC and they were great, but our little pos 90 SN didn't mean squat to them or the 100s of new boats they sell. And as you can see I still have an idle problem. At that time they checked over everything (they said) but when I went directly to the mech that worked on the boat and bypassed the bs'ers at the front desk we went out together and he showed me how to perform a "poor mans tune up" by opening the choke and forcing some of the crap out of it. After a few grand and 2 months of sitting I never wanted to see or talk to them again. I will never buy a new CC because of these guys (they are the only dealer in ontario) and never recommend them to anybody for anything (not that they care, even though I'm involved in the provincial waterski assoc.).

You're right about one thing, if my mech can't fix it this time I will try someone else. However, it is hard to find people that work on these boats around my area and I would do it all if I had the right tools and the time.
thanks,
Kyle

I do have my terms messed up.

the butterfly plate is closed at start up so it wont start; I have to pull the arrestor off and open it manually to fire it up. I was told that by closing it and revving up the motor is effectively a "poor mans tune up", and the mech wasn't fresh he was older and knew what was going on. Unfortunately he was probably being paid nothing and they wouldn't want him fooling around with us when he could be working on something else.

ya he may be missing out, but he is very busy at this time of year. come september/october before snowmobiles he would be glad to take a lot of time.

I just tell him what problems we were having and he agreed that a carb rebuild is a good idea. He knows the choke is not working properly and that I thought gas was running through the motor.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt until I get the boat back. If he fixes these problems he will continue to get my business for this boat and my other toys.

I appreciate the help, and wish someone would have taken the time like you have to help when we were initially confronted with this problem.
I just want to be on the water; I only get to go out on the weekends and there are so few anyways.

boo hoo, if only it were a perfect world.

I used to coach and ski all summer long, now I stare onto a 12 lane highway! tis life I guess. Just sucks knowing when I go to pick up my boat it may not work properly. Its all I have to keep me sane...

Thanks for the kind words! I've been involved in the Ontario Water Ski Association for over a dozen years as a volunteer, coach and compet*tor.

Where do you ski on the rock?

Thanks a lot, I will be sure to follow up here when its been done. I hope its all positive (fingers crossed).

I think you're right about the leak, and if replacing the carb is the solution then so be it. I will then have a new starter, muffler, tranny, and carb. I may need a new water pump, but its been good to me so far...

Ditto. I had a vaccum leak I couldn't seem to fix. When I laid my spacer plate on sand paper on the flattest floor I could find (as I recall I used a window pane I had in the garage), rubbing on the sand paper showed the spacer was warped. You couldn't otherwise see the warp with your eyes.

ok guys, had the boat out again this weekend as the parts had just come in on friday so no use in pulling everything off. My mech is going to pull the carb, soak it and put the kit in and then see if we can find out where we are losing oil pressure from.

so I noticed a few things. 1 is that there is no gas in the oil (good!). However the oil pressure seems to be getting worse as the motor warms up. When I fired up the boat on saturday it ran great; no oil light and pressure was right up to 30-40psi, until later in the day after an hour on it or so it started bogging out and the oil pressure dropped.

It now sits around 20 when at skiing speed and really low at idle around 5-10psi - to the point where you have to rev it up to gain psi and turn the idiot light off.

any extra thoughts on where we are losing pressure? If my mech doesn't fix it this week I am going to have to take it somewhere else or do it myself its getting too expensive.

thx
KC

10w30 synthetic oil.

I agree with dumping the oil in there, your engine calls for staight 40w I believe. I don't think your pressure problems are too bad, just borderline when warm the oil change alone might work out.
-Joe.

the higher the the number the thicher/heavier the oil gets or is. If you had a lot of colder weather then the thicher oils can cause cold start issue like slower cranking speeds because the oil is thick cold then thins out when it gets hot. Since your engine appears to have some wear based upon the oil pressure reading I would go with a heavier oil and with the summer temps you won't have an issue. But I would use 20w-50 or straight 40 if you can find it.

there is nothing that can be done beside replacing the bearing to improve oil pressurer unless the oil pump is shot, but they usually don't

it's called a re-built motor, you can get a short block or a long block 1,500-3,000+ depending on what your having done to it.

Not sure if this will work, but I have used the Engine Restore in my Jeep Wranglers and they have worked wonders. It increased my oil pressure everytime and sealed up anything that my have been leaking. I have had great sucess in in. Might be worth a try rather than pulling the engine.

Oh.. wait... to hear 79nautique chimming in knock this theory down?    (just jokin 79nautique!)

I will buy some restore, any brand recommendations or ways to better add it?

I'm not going to jump the gun on the rebuild just yet. This all goes back to my idle issue, so we'll see what happens once my carb is rebuilt and my timing is perfect.

I don't know if I can justify a rebuilt motor on this boat. If I can't get the pressure up any other way than I might just sell it and pass off the problems to someone else.
thx