02 Sea Doo XP with blown motor, got tons of questions, need advice

[dutch724]

Alright, I have been a member since I purchased my bummed 02’ Sea Doo XP. I bought it from a friend with the trailer and all for $200. I have ridden it prior to the motor blowing up. I feel in love with the performance that it produced. Hence, why I was willing to buy it as is.
After reading the huge discussion about SES shop I’m going to be sending out my motor to Full bore, besides they are only a state away from me (I would like to hear about any stories of people that have dealt with Full Bore). From the feeling I get from the website and talking to them on the phone they seem very capable of fixing my motor. I have already pulled the motor and had a look at the pistons and one of the pistons is totally broke up with pieces going down into the crank case. That is why the whole motor will be rebuilt.
The Sea Doo has always sat covered in the water during the summer months, but was put on the trailer under cover during the winter months in NC. Nothing looks like it was pitted or eroded from sitting in the water so much.
While the motor is out I would like to know what I can do to inspect or fix while the motor is not in the Sea Doo to make it last longer and be more reliable down the road.
I’m very new to these watercrafts. I have never owned or worked on one until now that I own this one.
I would like to avoid this from becoming a money pit.

Here is a picture after I cleaned it up and built a cart for it:


And here is a picture of the piston:


Any help or advice that I can get from you guys will be a big help. I’m very handy with tools in the garage and I have a very big assortment that helps me do the maintenance on my bikes, mowers, and 4 cars. What I’m saying is I’m a capable mechanic with most things, can say all things because I have never worked on all things. Plus I’m very big on doing maintenance on my motors and I’m an Amsoil dealer to boot so I like to put quality lubricates in my motors.

Oh btw I do have a ton of questions about this particular Sea Doo if anyone would like to help me out with them.
1. If it flips over do I have to flip it back a certain way?
2. Should I be scared about tipping it over?
3. Is it normal after X amount of hours on the motor does it normally wear out and blow up?
4. Is there a proper way to get 2 adults on this Sea Doo without tipping it?
5. What is the normal things you should do once you pull it out of the water when you’re done riding it for that day?
6. What is the problem with the GREY FUEL LINES? Not sure if mine has them or not, but I will be checking.

Thanks in advance!

 

[- BiRkS_]

Hello and welcome to the forum! First off, nice purchase. You have a 951 engine pushing 130 hp. Unfortunatly these engines do have a short life span and last only about 200 hours. The main killer in these engines is bearing failures in the bottom end, resulting in damaged cases, so you really don't want to see one of these engines go boom, because there wont be much left. While the engine is out, rebuild the carbs and REPLACE ALL grey fuel lines if they havent already been done. I also like to install a clear inline filter just before the carb to trap any contaminents (easy to replace a 10$ filter, then to spend time and money rebuilding carbs)

As far as flipping it, all skis will flip one day, Normally skis have a sticker near the rear tow hook that shows which way to flip it. I beleive it is counter clockwise for most engines. You want to flip it so the water does not go through the exhaust and flood the cylinders. If you do flip it, you will want to see if it starts, if it goes clunk, you need to remove the plugs and let all the water out, then dry them off and re-install. fire it up and run it for a good 1/2 hour to get rid of any moisture in the bottom end/bearings. Fog it real good through carbs at the end of the day to help lube the bottom end. 951's have counter balance shaft oil (40 mL of SAE 30) That will have to be checked for water contamination. Check the gas and oil for water, if there is any, drain and replace. In the oil tank, with water, drain system until no water present, replace inline filter, then bleed the oil pump. Then double check all connections are clean and dry.

Your seadoo is rated for 2 people, but they are tippy. So casual riding is do-able, but any tricks or jumping could become dangerous as 2 people make the ski very top heavy. To help counter act that, have a full tank of gas.

As for maintenance. Every year clean the RAVE valves, inspect oil system, replace inline filter. Check/examine fuel water separator for debris, replace jet pump oil at the end of each season. Grease the PTO boot and any grease fittings. Di-electric grease all connectors help. If your in salt water, its best to flush the engine each time after you're done riding. fire it up on the trailer, turn water on for about 30 sec, turn water off, 1 blip of the throttle, then shut it down.

Sabrtoothsqrl is the 951 expert. He will chime in if I missed anything.

EDIT: you will only want to use API-TC FULL SYNTHETIC oil. XPS II Full synthetic is recomended,or amsoil intercepter. (I use it in my sleds, and my new engine seems to like it, alot less smoke too!)

 

[Strizzo]

2 adults on that is not very likely to happen, it just isn't really made for it. there should be a sticker on the back of the hull (usually upside down) that tells you what direction to flip the ski. this is so that water from the exhaust doesn't run down into the engine and hydro lock it. the 951 is the highest performance, least long lived of the rotax 2-strokes, and their expected lifespan is around 200-250 hours. they live a bit longer in the big skis like the gtx since people tend to use them more for cruising rather than full-out crazy riding. the grey fuel lines don't jive with modern fuel additives and break down from the inside out, sending debris and goo into the tiny filters in the carbs, clogging them up and causing a lean condition, further shortening the lifespan of the 951.

 

[dutch724]

This great help guys.
Should I think about putting an hour meter on this sea doo?
OK, making note to get rid of grey fuel lines and to look for the sticker on the back.

How many hours does the propulsion system last?