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1999 GTX RFI oil leak after rebuild

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benaspx

Member
Hi All,

We have just rebuilt the engine, got the little blighter back in the Ski wired it up and got it running it hasn't got the pump on yet and hasn't been in the water, it's only been run a couple of times for maybe 30-60 seconds at a time on the hosepipe. I went away for a couple of days came back and theres a small oil puddle by the fly wheel and the engine is smokey, where it was burning clean before.

It was leaking oil prior to the rebuild I as told to do the seals on the crank which I did garage inspected the spinning seals in the middle of the cranks and said they looked good so replaced everything else. I'm at a bit of a loss as to what I could have done wrong, we followed the manual closely. We put 518 in the grooves around the spinning seals, a recommendation I've come across a couple of times in this forum.

Is it a pull-out the engine situation? any trouble shooting advice? or is it because the engine hasn't been run in? What would you do collective seadoo brain?

Many thanks Ben
 
Well if it was leaking oil before the rebuild and you didn't replace the crank then the inner crank seals are still bad.
The seals leak where they touch the crankshaft, nto where they touch the cases.
 
Dang! is there anything else that would cause the oil leak? if I'm going to pull the whole thing apart again I don't want to miss anything.

I'd have thought the new seal around the fly wheel would have stopped the oil coming out the engine.
 
If the inner seals are leaking only then you should NOT see oil on the outside of the engine. Check your oil lines. You could have a leak by the fittings. If your oil pump is connected but not installed on the engine, your pump could have a leak because the bleed screw is not properly tightened.

Regarding the "inner seals"....
I wouldn't pull the engine apart. I'd just put a valve in the oil feed line to the rotary valve. That will fix you right up. Close the valve when not running the ski, OPEN it when you are riding the ski. You may get away with leaving the valve open if your are riding the ski for a weekend. My wife's ski will lock up the engine with oil if I leave the valve open for 10 days or so.
 
"If the inner seals are leaking only then you should NOT see oil on the outside of the engine." Hmm - I followed the manual and instruction videos I used new seal kit I really cant think where or how it could possibly be leaking. maybe take fly wheel off make sure that seal is seated properly?

"your pump could have a leak because the bleed screw is not properly tightened" - thanks I'll check that!

" You could have a leak by the fittings " checked the hose on engine install, hose clamps are all tight, and replaced Orings on the oil tank ( previous tank had split so switched that out with new. )

"I'd just put a valve in the oil feed line to the rotary valve. That will fix you right up" thanks I'll try that.
 
Do you have the cover to the mag removed and if so and the lip seal is leaking you'd see oil "inside" the mag housing.

If you have a bad oil leak past the seals internally, the engine will lock up. I never worry about excess smoke. After sitting for 6- 8 months my wife's ski will fog the neighborhood when I start it but as soon as it burns off the oil it's fine. Her ski has a valve and if it didn't the engine would hydrolock inside of 2 weeks. Her ski runs great so I don't worry about it at all.

The best thing you can do is determine the source of the leak and address that.
 
Just visually looking at a seal will tell you almost nothing. leak.jpgI would do a pressure test. Air is a smaller molecule than oil. If you have an air leak it doesn't mean a big oil leak. But if you have a big oil leak from a seal, then you will also have a huge air leak.
 
etemplet said:
Do you have the cover to the mag removed and if so and the lip seal is leaking you'd see oil "inside" the mag housing.

If you have a bad oil leak past the seals internally, the engine will lock up. I never worry about excess smoke. After sitting for 6- 8 months my wife's ski will fog the neighborhood when I start it but as soon as it burns off the oil it's fine. Her ski has a valve and if it didn't the engine would hydrolock inside of 2 weeks. Her ski runs great so I don't worry about it at all.

The best thing you can do is determine the source of the leak and address that.
Click to expand...

Do you have the cover to the mag removed and if so and the lip seal is leaking you'd see oil "inside" the mag housing. - Mag do you mean the Magneto? if so no oil there. put in new seal + gasket there and painted the engine once it was reassembled.

could you take photo of where you put the ball valve for your wifes ski so I can copy :)
 
BrianMoore said:
Just visually looking at a seal will tell you almost nothing. View attachment 67190I would do a pressure test. Air is a smaller molecule than oil. If you have an air leak it doesn't mean a big oil leak. But if you have a big oil leak from a seal, then you will also have a huge air leak.
Click to expand...
Brian thanks for your advice !! -- is that a leak after new seal went on too? what could cause it?

I think it's leaking less than a table spoon a day judging by the amount of oil in the bottom.
 
burtshaver2021 said:
Have you pressure tested the RV cavity to determine if you do have a leak past the inner crank seals?
Click to expand...
I don't have any equipment to do a pressure test unfortunately, this is our first engine rebuild.. from what I understand you need specialist block off plates with hose adapters.

I have no garages which will test for me within 5 hour drive .. Doh !
 
benaspx said:
I don't have any equipment to do a pressure test unfortunately, this is our first engine rebuild.. from what I understand you need specialist block off plates with hose adapters.

I have no garages which will test for me within 5 hour drive .. Doh !
Click to expand...
All you need to test the RV cavity is a pump ( not a compressor though ) with a gauge on it. I like my mityvac but you could easily rig up a T with a pressure valve at the top and a schrader valve to put the air into. A bicycle tire pump would work with this set up. Probably around 35.00 to 45.00 all said and done. Same set up would work to perform a leak down test on the crankcase, on the carb models I just sandwhiched an inner tube between the carb and intake and between the exhaust manifold and tuned pipe. I haven’t worked on an RFI so not sure how it would differ
 
Any engine that has been apart needs to be pressure tested.
All you need is some rubber to block off the carbs and exhaust pipe. You will sandwich the rubber between the manifolds and pipe/carbs. Then a hand pump and gauge to put 8 psi into the pulse line fitting. It is the same setup that you use for pop-off and leak down testing of the carbs which you are doing also, hint, hint.
 
I got fancy for my first pressure test. Plywood traced from the gaskets and some old motorcycle inner tube to seal. My bycycle pump has a gauge so I used that on the pulse line. My old engine wouldn't hold any pressure for more than 15 seconds however it wasn't a bad oil leaker. I have since built a proper gauge setup.
 
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