Carb Tuning

People always call us asking about their ski bogging. What many people dont realize is that bogging is a symptom of a rich condition and not necessarily the accurate description. The other side of the equation is obviously a lean condition. How does one know which problem they are having? The answer is relatively simple. If you apply full throttle and it seems to take a few seconds to clear out and then it goes, then its rich. If after idling or running at low rpm's and you apply full throttle and it dies, then its lean on either the low adjuster or pop-off circuit. Alot of carb tuning is trial and error, good instincts, and tuning experience. A good indication of what your tuning requirements are for lowjet and/or pop-off circuits are where your low screw ends up. If your ski runs best with low screw all the way in, then you likely need to raise your pop-off. Alternatively, if your ski runs best with the low screw all the way out, then you need to drop your pop-off or install bigger low jet. It has been our experience that on larger bore carbs, the pop-off and low jet can be tuned interchangeably. However, we have also found that on smaller bore 38 and 40 mm carbs, pop-off changes does little to change tuning. Low jet changes on small bore carbs seems to be the most effective tuning method. For high jet and adjuster tuning, ALWAYS START RICH and slowly lean it out! You can very easily detonate an engine if lean. The proper method for tuning high speed circuit is by rpm drop. The way we do it is by finding the "sweet spot" where the peak rpm's are the highest and then doing a plug chop to read the plugs. You can go online and find a 2-stroke plug reading chart to fine tune your ski for optimum performance.

For Winter

Wd-40 the entire engine compartment, stabilize the fuel and/or fill the gas tank completely (air in the fuel tank is a big contributor to fuel oxidation), fog the engine down or put small amount of oil down the spark plug holes, remove battery and store in warm dry place on a battery tender (if you dont use a tender or low amperage automatic charger, your battery will likely be no good for next season)

Oil Mixing

32:1 - 4 oz oil per gallon fuel (this mix rate is good for breaking in new engines in that they need more oil to aid in lubrication for breaking in new pistons/rings)

40:1 - 3.5 oz oil per gallon fuel (was common mixing rate for older ski's using tcw and tcw2 oils, but now not necessary with tcw3 oils)

50:1 - 2.5 oz oil per gallon fuel (normal mix rate for premix engines or good for breakin period when used in addition to an oil injection system)

Great Oil Debate

Just about any TCW3 rated oil will work, but think of it like feeding yourself top ramen everyday. Top ramen is acceptable in a pinch, but not for everyday consumption. As a good rule of thumb, spend atleast $20/gal for oil. Dont be cheap and buy the $10/gal from the local mart! We like to run Maxima Marine Pro for our ski's and it runs about $38/gal. The reason cheap TCW3 rated oil isnt good is that yes its TCW3 rated, but thats more of a general rating. There are two common ratings for pwc oil, TCW3 and API TC. The TCW3 rating is more specific to outboard engines and usually denotes a poorer grade oil as compared to an API TC rated oil. Outboard engines usually run about 6500 rpm's and dont have powervalves unlike our modern pwc engines. API TC rated oils are considered an air cooled engine oil despite pwc engines being water cooled. The reasoning behind using a different classification of oil is that its actually better oil. Air cooled engines take a pretty good beating due to expanding and contracting cylinders and pistons due to heat. Oils are available as a non-synthetic, synthetic, or synthetic blend. Now for the big seadoo oil question. There is a lot of confusion on what kind of oil to put in a seadoo. The reason seadoo's require different oil is two fold. One, the 580, 650, 720, and 800 engines utilize a rotary valve instead of reed valve to regulate/time intake flow and need a low ash oil to be lubricated. Two, the seadoo engines are more of a high performance engine and require a better oil. Use the API TC rated oil in your seadoo's and its a good idea to get a synthetic or synthetic blend. There is a great deal of discussion found online and we definately recommend reading up on the specific requirements of your pwc. Any oil will work, but dont be cheap! Cheap oil will get you a shorter engine lifespan.