Kawasaki ZXI 1100 Problem startating engine...

[Arman]

Hello,

I have had during two years one Kawasaki ZXI 1100 (model 99') without
problems. I very was pleased with her but now we have (I think) a big
problem. I explain to all as the problem happened.

I used my watercraft a weekend without problems. After the use, I clean the
watercraft (with fresh water) , I make the flushkit and I kept it. After one
week (the next weekend) I will go to ride with my watercraft. Before putting
watercraft in the water, i will go to start engine and... the starter engine
made the attempt (only one second aprox.) and it did not do nothing else.
First that was happened to me it is that the battery had died but no, the
batery are correct and works fine. When I jam start I listen a little
"click" sound and it does not do nothing else.

I checked all connections and all are ok, the battery is in full charge. The
sparkplugs are new. I try to crank it without sparkplugs and only the little
"click" sound.

I tryed to turn the engine by hand taking previously plugs out and the
engine is locked, I can't move the engine by hand.

I think that the problem can be a bendix gear problem, but I am not sure
about this.

Any suggestion about this issue?

Thank's in advance.

Arman.

[Scottspjs]

sounds like a bad starter solonoid.on the side of the gray box [where the fuses
are] you will see two big red cables .pull back the covers and take a
screwdriver and cross the posts.labled [batt] and [starter].if the motor spins
over the soloniod is bad.good luck ,scott
scotts performance powersports

[Arman]

Hi Scottpjs,

But I tryed to turn the engine by hand putting a screwdriver on a driveshaft
and I can't turn the engine. This does not indicate that the motor is
blocked?

I think that if the solenoid is bad I would have to be able to turn the
engine by hand. He is correct what I finish saying?

Greetings.

Post by Scottspjs
sounds like a bad starter solonoid.on the side of the gray box [where the fuses
are] you will see two big red cables .pull back the covers and take a
screwdriver and cross the posts.labled [batt] and [starter].if the motor spins
over the soloniod is bad.good luck ,scott
scotts performance powersports

[Scottspjs]

sorry i misread,if you cannot turn the engine over by hand with the plugs out
than the motor is either locked up or the bendix is stuck out or something is
locking the pump up.i.e rock or pump bearings have seized.the pump is very easy
to pull to eliminate it as the cause.the front cover where the bendix is is a
little tricky to get back on in the hull.if you pull the cover be sure not to
let the washer or spring fall out when putting the cover back on.scott

[Arman]

Hi scott,

We have the following questions to check the parts that you say in your
previous messages:

- How to check bendix status.

I think that to check the bendix gear status I need to remove de flywheel
cover but i'am not sure if i need a engine removal to check this or if I can
check the bendix gear status without removing the engine from the hull and
only removing the flywheel cover. Can you confirm this?

- How to check Pump up and pump bearings.

When you say Pump up? What pump? ¿oil pump?

thank you very match.

Greetings.

Post by Scottspjs
sorry i misread,if you cannot turn the engine over by hand with the plugs out
than the motor is either locked up or the bendix is stuck out or something is
locking the pump up.i.e rock or pump bearings have seized.the pump is very easy
to pull to eliminate it as the cause.the front cover where the bendix is is a
little tricky to get back on in the hull.if you pull the cover be sure not to
let the washer or spring fall out when putting the cover back on.scott

[Scottspjs]

i mean the jet pump.you wouldn't believe how many "locked' engines turn out to
be a big rock stuck in the jet pump or the bearings in the jet pump locked up.
the pump seals on the zxi/stx do leak sometimes which takes out the bearings
over time..you can pull the timing cover in the ski but as i said it is a
little tricky to get back on in a zxi because of the lack of room to work
in.the stx has a much bigger area between the front of the motor and the gas
tank than the zxi does.if you have a head gasket leak or a cracked cylinder
than one of your plugs will show a different burn pattern.if it burned between
two cylinders than two plugs will look different.water usually also "washes"
the top of the piston .do all three plugs appear to have the same burn pattern
and is it dark brown with oil on them?i would pull the head off.[easy to do on
that ski]check the burn on the top of the pistons.they should all look the
same.look for seize marks on the cylinder walls.i have been racing that engine
since 96 and still do.they are really reliable.it is usually something simple
that goes wrong with them.until you bolt on the triple pipes but that is a
whole different story.

[Arman]

Hi Scott,

Then, your recommendation is I due to follow this steps:

1.- Check the jet pump status.

2.- Check de head pistons & cylinder walls.

I have one question to check the jet pump status. I must verify it from
inside of hull? or I must verify it from outside of hull?, I talk about to
below the hull by where the water is taken.

Toooooooooo many thank's.

Post by Scottspjs
i mean the jet pump.you wouldn't believe how many "locked' engines turn out to
be a big rock stuck in the jet pump or the bearings in the jet pump locked up.
the pump seals on the zxi/stx do leak sometimes which takes out the bearings
over time..you can pull the timing cover in the ski but as i said it is a
little tricky to get back on in a zxi because of the lack of room to work
in.the stx has a much bigger area between the front of the motor and the gas
tank than the zxi does.if you have a head gasket leak or a cracked cylinder
than one of your plugs will show a different burn pattern.if it burned between
two cylinders than two plugs will look different.water usually also "washes"
the top of the piston .do all three plugs appear to have the same burn pattern
and is it dark brown with oil on them?i would pull the head off.[easy to do on
that ski]check the burn on the top of the pistons.they should all look the
same.look for seize marks on the cylinder walls.i have been racing that engine
since 96 and still do.they are really reliable.it is usually something simple
that goes wrong with them.until you bolt on the triple pipes but that is a
whole different story.

[Scottspjs]

i usually pull the pump out and inspect it .then slide the driveshaft off the
back of the motor so the motor can spin free.you can pull the engine loose as
russ says but it is real heavy and hard to move around in the hull with the
exhaust pipe and carbs on it..pulling the pump accomplishes the same goal and
is much easier to handle.either way you eliminate the pump as a culprit.i have
seen the carrier
bearings lock up too but it is rare.what did the spark plugs look like?

[Arman]

Hi Scott, Russ

Finally I followed the steps recomended by Russ and I pulled the engine
loose and I tryed to crank by hand the engine and the engine tour!!! Then, I
don't have any problem at the engine. After this I tryed to crank by hand
the jet pump and I can't turn this part. With a handle I make more force to
try to move the jet pump and it turns but wit a metallic sound and very
hard.

Now, I know that the problem is in Jet Pump area, but I don't know what is
the way to pull the pump. Can you answer me if I must pull the jet pump from
inside of hull or by outside (below the hull)?

I attach to you two links:

http://www.terra.es/personal6/arman2/KawaZXI.htm#driveshaft

http://www.terra.es/personal6/arman2/KawaZXI.htm#jetpump

I think that the Jet Pump is more accessible from below of hull but I'am not
sure. Can you explain a little more the steps to check the jet pump?

To many thank's Scott & Russ.

Post by Scottspjs
i usually pull the pump out and inspect it .then slide the driveshaft off the
back of the motor so the motor can spin free.you can pull the engine loose as
russ says but it is real heavy and hard to move around in the hull with the
exhaust pipe and carbs on it..pulling the pump accomplishes the same goal and
is much easier to handle.either way you eliminate the pump as a culprit.i have
seen the carrier
bearings lock up too but it is rare.what did the spark plugs look like?

[Scottspjs]

easy.pull the rideplate off.pull the one cooling line off,pull the four 14mm
bolts out of the pump shoe.undo the steering and trim cables and the pump will
pull straight back off of the driveshaft.wiggle it up and down if it wont just
pull off or apply "light" pressure between the shoe and pump with a prybar.it
should pop right out.scott

[Arman]

Hi Scott,

Enormously I am been thankful you by your aid. Only one more question. When
you say "rideplate" you refer to the external part of hull that is in below
of hull by where it takes the water for jet pump? Or by the nozzle part?

You can view at this link http://www.terra.es/personal6/arman2/JetPump.htm
this two parts. Can you say me where is the ride plate? At nozzle image? or
at grate image?

Thank you very match.

Arman.

Post by Scottspjs
easy.pull the rideplate off.pull the one cooling line off,pull the four 14mm
bolts out of the pump shoe.undo the steering and trim cables and the pump will
pull straight back off of the driveshaft.wiggle it up and down if it wont just
pull off or apply "light" pressure between the shoe and pump with a prybar.it
should pop right out.scott

[Scottspjs]

rideplate is directly under the pump. big and square.four 10mm bolts on the
corners and 4 allen heads in the middle.

[Arman]

Ok Scott,

now already I know to that piece you talk about. When I make this test i let
you the results.

Many, many thank's Scott.

Greetings.

Armando

Post by Scottspjs
rideplate is directly under the pump. big and square.four 10mm bolts on the
corners and 4 allen heads in the middle.

[Arman]

Hi Scott,

finally, I checked the jet pump status and the pump is blocked. It is
blocked by oxide. The vanes of the helix graze with the wall of the
pump. There are zones of oxide as much in the vanes of the helix like
in the walls of the pump.

You can view photos of this parts at

http://www.terra.es/personal6/arman2/JetPump.htm

Now, the question is, I must to replace all the jet pump? or I must to
remove the helix and sandpaper the helix and jet pump wall (the parts
that have oxide).

One more question, I tryed to remove the helix but I don't know what
is the method to remove it from the jet pump. Can you explain to me
the steps to follow to remove the helix from Jet Pump?

To many thank's in advance.

Armando.

Post by Arman
Ok Scott,
now already I know to that piece you talk about. When I make this test i let
you the results.
Many, many thank's Scott.
Greetings.
Armando

Post by Scottspjs
rideplate is directly under the pump. big and square.four 10mm bolts on

the

Post by Scottspjs
corners and 4 allen heads in the middle.

[Russ Dodge]

My guess is that you have a bad head gasket, exhaust gasket, or a
crack in the cylinders or manifold and you have filled the motor with
water. The crank bearings and are probably locked in rust. Did you
run the motor while flushing? That should not normally be necessary.
The motor might run ok with a bad exhaust gasket or cracked exhaust
manifold. During the flush the water could leak water back into the
cylinder, across an open piston and down the intake side. You would
probably have to run the flush for quite awhile or the leak would have
to be big to do it. At any rate, it does not take much to screw up
the works.

Russ

Post by Arman
I used my watercraft a weekend without problems. After the use, I clean the
watercraft (with fresh water) , I make the flushkit and I kept it. After one
week (the next weekend) I will go to ride with my watercraft. Before putting
watercraft in the water, i will go to start engine and... the starter engine
made the attempt (only one second aprox.) and it did not do nothing else.

[Arman]

Hi Russ,

While flusing my watercraft I run the motor due to ride from sea and is
necessary run the motor to remove all salt water from engine cooling system.
I think that this is mandatory when you ride from sea (salt water).

Then, according to which you say how I can check if the motor is filled with
water?

Greetings.

Post by Russ Dodge
My guess is that you have a bad head gasket, exhaust gasket, or a
crack in the cylinders or manifold and you have filled the motor with
water. The crank bearings and are probably locked in rust. Did you
run the motor while flushing? That should not normally be necessary.
The motor might run ok with a bad exhaust gasket or cracked exhaust
manifold. During the flush the water could leak water back into the
cylinder, across an open piston and down the intake side. You would
probably have to run the flush for quite awhile or the leak would have
to be big to do it. At any rate, it does not take much to screw up
the works.
Russ

Post by Arman
I used my watercraft a weekend without problems. After the use, I clean the
watercraft (with fresh water) , I make the flushkit and I kept it. After one
week (the next weekend) I will go to ride with my watercraft. Before putting
watercraft in the water, i will go to start engine and... the starter engine
made the attempt (only one second aprox.) and it did not do nothing else.

[Russ Dodge]

Well, if you were running the motor and flushing the system and then
stopped the motor and turned off the water, I would be at a loss as to
why the motor won't turn over. We have all heard of catching
something in the pump like a rope that has jammed the whole thing so
tight that nothing will move. It is hard to believe that something
would jam after turning off the motor on the trailer. The starter
bendix might hang up but would disengage if you turned the motor
backwards. If you rolled the ski up on its side towards the intake
and got it up far enough after flushing, you could have gotten some
water that is in the exhaust system back into the motor. You may have
to pull the motor loose enough from the pump to eliminate the pump as
a problem area. If it is in the motor, pull it out. You could just
pull the head and look at the cylinders. Rust in bores would tip you
off. I have heard of a couple of people running out of oil (or
pinched off the supply line) or were mixing the oil and gas but just
needed a gallon to run the motor for a few minutes and got the wrong
can. Your motor may have run long enough to stick it up tight,
bearings and all and you just turned it off before it quit on its own.

Russ

Post by Arman
Hi Russ,
While flusing my watercraft I run the motor due to ride from sea and is
necessary run the motor to remove all salt water from engine cooling system.
I think that this is mandatory when you ride from sea (salt water).
Then, according to which you say how I can check if the motor is filled with
water?
Greetings.

[Arman]

Hi Russ,

when you say "You may have to pull the motor loose enough from the pump to
eliminate the pump as a problem area". How is the method to pull the motor?
I must loosen the motor and move it forwards?

Thank's in advance.

Arman.

Post by Russ Dodge
Well, if you were running the motor and flushing the system and then
stopped the motor and turned off the water, I would be at a loss as to
why the motor won't turn over. We have all heard of catching
something in the pump like a rope that has jammed the whole thing so
tight that nothing will move. It is hard to believe that something
would jam after turning off the motor on the trailer. The starter
bendix might hang up but would disengage if you turned the motor
backwards. If you rolled the ski up on its side towards the intake
and got it up far enough after flushing, you could have gotten some
water that is in the exhaust system back into the motor. You may have
to pull the motor loose enough from the pump to eliminate the pump as
a problem area. If it is in the motor, pull it out. You could just
pull the head and look at the cylinders. Rust in bores would tip you
off. I have heard of a couple of people running out of oil (or
pinched off the supply line) or were mixing the oil and gas but just
needed a gallon to run the motor for a few minutes and got the wrong
can. Your motor may have run long enough to stick it up tight,
bearings and all and you just turned it off before it quit on its own.
Russ

Post by Arman
Hi Russ,
While flusing my watercraft I run the motor due to ride from sea and is
necessary run the motor to remove all salt water from engine cooling system.
I think that this is mandatory when you ride from sea (salt water).
Then, according to which you say how I can check if the motor is filled with
water?
Greetings.