|
Gorson posted:Picked up an old 84 Kawi JS550 and I've been working on getting it ready for the water. I've got new mats for it and a new hood gasket (aka hood seal). Is the hood supposed to sit on top of the gasket and compress it downward? Or am I supposed to leave a gap between the seal and the lip on the hull so that the hood goes between, and the hood contacts directly with the hull? Congratulations on buying the best and most fun water toy ever made. I owned the 89 JS550 - the last of the pure JetSki. They went "SX" model after that and it was never the same. The hood will rest right on top of the gasket squishing it down eventually leaving it's own crease. This image shows what I mean:  (some of these images can be clicked for big) The most important stuff you'll want after that is a handle pole spring, which greatly reduces the weight of the handlepole:  straighter handlebars (stock bars hit you in the dingdong at full lock) Bad stock bars:  Good aftermarket bars:  And if you still have the dashboard cover flap installed, you'll need about a dozen of those little 0-ring grommets that keep the flap stuck into the hood release lever.  They fit in that hole on the right side of the pictue and wear out all the time. Ditch the choke and replace it for a primer. Install a high power bilge pump for all the submarines you'll be doing. Find an old copy of "JetDream" on VHS and relive my glory days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeEO0wf8k1w
|
#
¿
Jun 19, 2015 17:43
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 09:37 |
|
|
Gorson posted:Thanks! I'm loving working on this machine, I've had a great time restoring it back to a semblance of it's former glory. I've got some experience with riding these back in the day, my brother owned a 650sx with some aftermarket stuff on it. It amazes me that stand ups don't get the popularity they deserve, but then again people just want to get on a sit-down and hammer the throttle and "have fun". I get bored on those within minutes. Yea those are super lame compared to a proper standup. quote:Mine has the throttle on the front of the handlebar, so it's a finger? It's different than the one on my bro's 650sx, which was more like a thumb "paddle". Or maybe someone rotated the thumb throttle around to the front, not sure. Nah, you've got the older style finger trigger throttle, which is much better than the thumb paddle. quote:Funny you mention that flap. My new mat kit has a dashboard pad that goes on the hull behind the flap, but the way the piece is cut I would have to remove that flap (permanently), or cut the foam piece to make it fit. The flap is riveted to the hull. Also, the tab on the flap doesn't line up with any holes, not even the hood latch. Am I missing something? Is it common to remove that flap? I'd rather not do anything that cannot be reversed. There should be a spike on the flap which punches right into the hole on the hood latch, unless it's been modified. The flap is there so you don't jam your toes/feet up into the controls which is pretty helpful. Even with good mats your feet will get really slippery and jam up into the dash and hurt real bad. I always wore wetsuit booties while riding and it was a big help. Lots of folks just remove the flap altogether, but I liked the look and function so I left mine on. quote:The other issue I'm having with the mat kit is it's a Hydro Turf and because of the infinite wisdom of their marketing team they decided to put logos on the side pads which are oval cutouts. This wouldn't bother me but those cutouts are near the top of the side rails when the pad is installed, so when I bend the pad over the rail, the seam from the cutout makes it so that the pad doesn't bend around the rail very well, if that makes any sense. I am only in the test fitting stage and haven't used any adhesive yet. I would think that the adhesive should do a good job of holding it down. quote:Another thing I need to do is check the charging system. Can this be done with the ski out of the water, assuming I don't let it run for more than 15 seconds? You should be able to run the motor indefinitely (?) with a flush kit. You hook up a regular old garden hose and the flush kit will run water through everything as if the jetski were in a lake. Flush kits were originally designed to flush salt water out of the JetSki after a run in the ocean while on dry land. quote:Primer kit, flame arrestor, and maybe a ride plate are also on the list but I'd like to get her baselined first. Thanks for all the information! Ride plate, I forgot to mention ride plate. They make a big difference, be sure to get one.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 20, 2015 17:08
|
|
|
Gorson posted:*edit* The spike on the cockpit flap sits about 1.5 inches below the hole in the hood latch when latched. I'm not sure why this is, I'll take a pic later. That's ... weird.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 22, 2015 02:38
|
|
|
Kenshin posted:We had a comfortable trip with two days of good sailing and then two days of glassy seas with comfortable motoring. What determines whether you sail or you motor?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 10, 2015 05:03
|
|