Ultra 150 Ski Won't Start

[Ultra151]

My 2000 Ultra 150 won't start.

Background:

1. tow rope got wound around the prop shaft
2. the riders decided to flip ski to see if they could untangle -- no go
3. ski got towed to shore
4. ski sat in my garage for 2 days until I could look at it
5. ski stayed on float charger as it always does

The Fix:

1. tonight I untangled the rope
2. prop and propeller in excellent shape

The trouble:

1. proceeded to fire up the ski
2. on first try the ski tried to fire and a huge amount or water flushed out of the black rubber exhaust pipe
3. I tried 3-4 more times, each time more water flushed out while the ski's power and ability to start diminished
4. finally, the ski ends up not able to fire at all or even attempt to turn over
5. battery is fine and back on float charger

Any suggestions for next step repair steps?

Thanks

[steve45]

You let it sit for TWO DAYS with WATER IN IT???

The crank is probably starting to rust, the display is probably ruined, you may have water in the electrical boxes...

[Ultra151]

What are the next steps to repair ?

[turboman412]

They flipped ski to untangle?? First time i heard that!

Next step Depends on water got into engine.. pull the plugs and see if any water, if so start taking the engine apart

[steve45]

Yea, turboman is right. If they didn't have it upside down very long, it may be OK.

By all means, pull the spark plugs, put the spark plug wires on the grounding lugs, and crank the engine. If you get water, the engine is probably toast. Dry off the plugs, re-install, and try to start.

[Ultra151]

They flipped ski to untangle?? First time i heard that!

Yeah, unfortunately for me, I have teens and kids in early 20's. You'd think they would know better but they don't. Even after repeating all the rules, tips, guidelines that fall on deaf-ears you'd think it would matter. Heck, I they didn't even tell me they flipped the ski until I went to fire it up after cutting out the tow rope (days later). That's when I saw the water come out of the exhaust pipe.

Oh well...I'll see if I can salvage the ski. It's a 2-stroke that isn't made any more. I loved that ski.

[turboman412]

Well pull it apart, worst case it needs a crank. I would not run it if the crank has been compromised! The case and cylinders do cost a good amount.

Btw water coming out of exhaust pipe is completely normal.

[Ultra151]

Well pull it apart, worst case it needs a crank. I would not run it if the crank has been compromised! The case and cylinders do cost a good amount.

Btw water coming out of exhaust pipe is completely normal.

Thanks @turboman412. Blocking my weekend to get after it.

A few years ago, I did pull the engine apart (twice) to replace a bad cylinder, each time.

[steve45]

Don't despair! You can still get most of the parts for it.

On the plus side, it did fire up, so it wasn't hydrolocked. Perhaps it was just a lot of water in the exhaust.

I think the best thing to do is pull the carbs and intake manifold and look in the crankcase with either an inspection camera, webcam, or flashlight & mirror. Look closely at the needles for the rod bearings. They should be clean and shiny. If you see rust, or they're dull, that's bad.

[Ultra151]

Great, thanks for the tips and suggestions @steve45...I'll be sure to post back and the end of this adventure.