1997 XP needs help and so do I...

[SaiNtBFair]

Hey guys, I have a 97 XP I've had for about 9 years. We ran it pretty hard for about 5 of those and it has been sitting outside uncovered the rest of the time. At about the 3rd year of inactivity (this time last year) I got it out, changed gas/oil, new plugs and new battery. Turned out the starter is too old and weak to turn it over under compression... Here is a video of that...

[video=youtube;OxWpEdrArkI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxWpEdrArkI[/video]

I didn't have the financial resources at the time the video was made to put much work into the doo but now things have changed... I plan on doing the work myself, but because I have never worked on a 2 stroke, I'm going to need all the help I can get. I accidentally tried to start this thread in the boat forum, but none of my pictures seem to work when linking them through either flickr or snapfish, so I'll probably be uploading videos mostly, but If there is anything In particular you want to see, let me know and I can film it for you...

Few quick questions though...
-First, should I be concerned with the structural integrity of the hull? As it's all fiberglass and has been baking in the sun for many years, should I worry about how brittle it may have become? I can see little cracks on the side where the top half and bottom half meet around the nose... I just don't want to get this thing running, jump one wave, have the hull break open and sink my doo!

- Second, it is possible to remove the motor without separating the top half and bottom halves of the hull? I feel like at this point, rebuilding the motor is a near-inevitability. Whats the best way to go...

Later this week I'll get some video of where I have the seadoo now, and It'll be about 2 weeks before the actual work begins (got finals week coming up at school) but until then, I'm open for suggestions on how to proceed with getting this thing running... Thanks guys!

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Yup you got some water/rust issues going on and you would likely be better off rebuilding the motor.

This specific issue is most likely water in the motor. The best way to take care of it is to tip the machine on its side so the plug holes are facing down, hold the throttle wide open and hit the starter to pump it out.

The rusty water pretty much tells you the crank bearings are toast....and would likely last 30mins once you got it running.

If a bunch comes out that was likely the issue...if it still wont turn over more than likely you have corrosion on the positive or ground wires, or the ground wire is rotten on the inside from sitting in water.

Pulling the motor is as simple as taking the pipe and carbs off, unhooking hoses and electrical, and out comes the motor.

Also take into account after the motor is rebuilt you will need to have it aligned, the carbs cleaned, the fuel lines/oil inj lines replaced, and the pump serviced.

 

[SaiNtBFair]

Ya, I definitely will be pulling the motor out fairly early on. However as far as "having it aligned" and such... I'll have to do that myself, no where local will work on skis more than 10 years old.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

That is where you are wrong my friend!! LOL

Check out craigslist...you have MANY local gurus in Orlando. Dont bring it to a stealership. That machine is not easy to align.

A good CL mechanic will spend time with you on the phone and answer questions...a bad one will just tell you to bring it to him.

 

[SaiNtBFair]

I never thought to check craigslist for a PWC mechanic... I'll have to look into that if I find myself in dire straits and definitely when I put the motor back into this xp. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to rebuild this 787, what will I need to do that right? Gaskets are obvious, but what about bearings, valves, etc? I need EVERYTHING for a rebuild, and don't know the best place to get said parts... I also still have concerns about the hull, should I? Thanks again guys, and keep the good information coming!