RESTO 96 XP Resto mod...Super Sleeper. Looking for guidance

[Fattony67]

Hello guys.

Picked up my cousins 96xp after spending 5 years covered by a tarp in the backyard. In 2012 a summer storm had knocked it off the shore station and it spent the night bouncing off a rocky shorline, which wore a hole in the hull. They found it in the morning, but it had taken on water. From my understanding only a few inches of water, as it was on the shore. Never the less, it had 15 years of good use before the hull damage. My plan is to strip it down, rebuild the engine and pump, as well as repair and restore the hull.





I would like to do some tasteful modifactions that improve functionality, but overall keep a factory look. The top end will be going out to Group K, and I have a Rossier pipe and intake in the garage. This is my 1st PWC and 2 stroke so I have a few questions. I have been creeping for ahwile and have seen some great work, thought it was a good time to document a rebuild and use a forum for help.

 

[Matt Braley]

You bet. You came to the right place.

 

[Fattony67]

My goal for day 1 was to pull the engine. Group K has a 6-8 week lead time, so I figured send that out 1st and have set a goal for the rest of the work to be done in time for the new top end. Ran into some issues trying to pull the bands off the drive shaft so I went to the pump.

I believe these are drain lines. Does this top portion slide off the pump? I unhooked the lines and pulled them through the hull with the pump.



Is this a speed sensor?

 

[Fattony67]

I eventually did get the motor out


There was sand in the lower exhaust pipe. Im assuming a night with a hole in the hull would do that.

Is there any specific issues I should be looking for due to this?

Stuff looked suprisingly good inside. My uncle does take care of his stuff, and it was stored with the seat on and a tarp on top.

I will try to dissasemble the top end on Wed, for now it sits on my shop table.

 

[Fattony67]

Once the gas and oil tanks came out I got to the good stuff.

If you look closely you can see daylight from where the gas tank should be.

Im going to clean the inside of the hull while the hole is open because I think it will be way easier to drain. Once the inside is clean I will flip it over to work on the bottom.

Do I need to remove the handle bars and hood when flipping it over? Should I remove the water box, exhaust and VTS system as well?

For the guys who have completed restorations. In what order should I work on a complete restoration.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Fattony67]

Does any one know why the forum is flipping my prictures around?

 

[racerxxx]

Does any one know why the forum is flipping my prictures around?

I'll take a stab at it-----iPhone?


If you want take a peek in my sig line, I have several restos there you can take a good long read.

Congrats on the pick up. Can you post a pic of the damage?

 

[Fattony67]

Usiing a computer to post. Ill figure it out. Post 5 has a picture of damage from the inside. Ill take more photos when I flip it over. It's on the trailer now.

I have read the whole clapped out thread. Ill look over the others.

 

[soccerdad]

Sounds like a great project. Love that you are taking it on and not parting it out. You may be able to find a sound hull for dirt cheap with a title and just swap everything over. But the glass work should not be that bad. For pictures, you can considder getting a free account like photobucket. Then you just upload them all to there and they have a button to copy the address to the picture. Then just paste that in your thread and it shows up in full size and not a little thumbnail. Super simple and you can upload from your phone to photobucket using their app. You can also use Tapatalk to post directly to this forum including pictures. Not a bad app as well.

 

[mikidymac]

It is much easier to clean and buff out the hull if you remove everything like the muffler, searing assembly, sponsons, etc.

To make the strongest repair, first reglass it from the inside then flip it over and add glass to the bottom then gelcoat patch it. You want to use epoxy resin instead of polyester resin as it is stronger and bonds better. I prefer West Systems.

 

[Fattony67]

I have always been a restoration type of guy and have built a decent home shop/garage. This ski has been in my family since 96 so I'd hate to part it out. Paying retail for a new one is not my style anyhow. I'd rather spend the money on parts. Besides, the best way to learn how something works is to take it apart and put it back together.

I'll try photobucket for my next post.

To make the strongest repair, first reglass it from the inside then flip it over and add glass to the bottom then gelcoat patch it. You want to use epoxy resin instead of polyester resin as it is stronger and bonds better. I prefer West Systems.

Good point. I'll finish stripping the hull, clean and patch from inside and flip it over. I was planning to completely re-gel the bottom. I already bought a pint of factory gel coat. I have a west systems patch package. Ill check to make sure its epoxy resin. Thanks for the tip.

 

[1of500]

If its waterlogged i would look for a bare hull.

 

[mikidymac]

If you are getting the Group K Sleeper just go by their recommendation and let them know the pipe you are using.
Harry knows his stuff and his kits perform great. He does all my machine work.

 

[Fattony67]

You may be able to find a sound hull for dirt cheap with a title and just swap everything over. But the glass work should not be that bad.

If its waterlogged i would look for a bare hull

I'm in downtown chicago, its cheaper and easier to save this hull than travel the midwest looking for one, Im fairly sure one night on the shore did not waterlog the hull.

 

[1of500]

Its the foam in between the inner and outer that gets water logged. Not really a way to dry it out either

 

[Fattony67]

Foam looks and feels good

 

[emspjay]

Cool project! Subscribed!

 

[emspjay]

I do have a 96XP hull with clean title that I would give you if you do go that route, I just haven't pulled everything off it that I want yet.

 

[Fattony67]

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Down to a bare hull.

I have been heeming and hawing as to whether I should send my top end out to groupk or order cores off ebay and keep my cores. Right now I can order an entire top end off ebay from different sellers for about $350. I am leaning towards that route.

Harry is adamant that I use the stock exhaust, which kinda sucks because I scoured the internet looking for the Rossier pipe after reading the technical notes on groupk's website. I have learned not to go against a professional machinists opinion unless you really know what you are doing. I do not really know what I am doing with this being my 1st 2 stroke build. So I guess the $350 pipe will collect dust in the garage for awhile......untill I know what I am doing :reddevil:

2 Questions:

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What do you call this black plastic? When I cut the rivets how do I reattach it? and do I cut from the inside?
I guess that is three questions.....
And the same goes for the rub rail. How do I get it off and how do I reattach it?

 

[mikidymac]

Some of your picture links are broken. Don't remove the rub rails, just cover them in painters tape.

If it was mine I would send the cylinders, rave valves and new oversized OEM pistons to Harry. Then get an OEM crank and use the Rossier pipe with tuning specs from Matt Braley.

FYI. The Group K Sleeper will run right with a stock ski with a pipe.

My 97' XP with the Group K Sleeper was dead even with a stock 98' 951 XP.

 

[Fattony67]

trying to use photo bucket. Which pictures can you see?

 

[racerxxx]

I don't think the Rossier pipe is a huge gain above stock.

Drill the head of the rivet from the outside. 3/16 drill bit if I remember correctly. You just wanna remove the head so don't run it home. There are 2 small 9/32 hex head screws in a dab of silicone on the inside that you'll need to remove too.

Rub rails

Pull the rubber caps out of the front bumper and rear corners. Drill the heads out, again don't run it home. I think I use a 1/4" drill bit. Then once those are off you can pull the center rib of the rub rail out. I start at the front and CAREFULLY pull it out. It's foil lined, if you bend it it will look like bacon when you reinstall it. You can slide it back in to install it and use a mallet and a small block to actually tap it all the way back in, from the end----like slide it in from an end. Then drill out all those rivets and you might need to use pliers to hold the back side. Then use a punch or a pair of pliers to remove the body of the rivet from the back side. To reinstall teh bumper and corners you'll need to "space" the rivet into the hole, then nose of the rivet gun will hit the bumper or corner before it bottoms out if you know what I mean.


Rub rail and corners

https://www.mcmaster.com/#97447a065/=182nz3r


Front Bumper

https://www.mcmaster.com/#97447a072/=182nzg0

 

[racerxxx]

You'll need to pay a core charge for those ones on Ebay, they won't refund your money. Read the fine print. Just get your cylinders done at Group K. Get your ski dialed in stock first, then mod.

 

[racerxxx]

I'll argue the point to remove the rub rails------------SO MUCH easier to polish and wet sand with them off.

 

[Fattony67]

I am also planning to shoot a fresh layer of gel coat to the bottom after I repair the damage, there was quite a bit of rubbing before a hole wore throught. I will most likely remove them. Thanks for the link to the rivets.