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97 Seadoo XP - plan of attack

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peril99

peril99

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Hi All,

Could use your experience / help- I have a 97 XP as a "gift" that has run infrequently (< 3 hours - over the past yea) - I've gotten it started by cleaning up the contacts in the rear box. I started reading a lot more closely and see the grey fuel line - and do recall it running and feeling bogged down.

So this is my plan of attack, this all started b/c the ski started in the driveway yesterday and this morning- but wouldn't start on the lake today. I've never even looked at the carbs in 18 months these were gifted (free) - it seems like this is (TM) - an important thing.

Plan -

1) replace the grey fuel line
2) replace the fuel selector / fuel filter
3) rebuild the carbs

Is there anything else that I should do to make sure the engine is reasonable before I get started (compression test?)

--Adrian
 
one other piece of info - have been running mnually mixed 40:1 forever; the oil pumps stopped working 10 +years ago, s (it's a bit of a hassle, but don't have to worry about the engine running dry.)
 
Hi @mikidymac I need gaskets, and needles and seats :) do you have a vendor or link you recommend?

Of course - I go outside today and it fired RIGHT UP! I'm still planning on the fuel line changes and carb rebuild I just might do them later in the year. ...
 
the reason for this is that I had tension on the 12V+ / ground going into the rear box ({don't ask my why I routed them under the big breather - but I did. I recleaned them - really looked at the box and all is happy.
 
Would highly recommend against running the ski anymore before replacing the gray Tempo fuel lines, fuel selector and rebuilding the carbs. When you get the carbs apart you are going to find the tiny filters to be pretty clogged, at least contributing to, if not causing your bogging problem. If the ski is running lean (insufficient fuel due to the fuel system being gunked up) it will run hot and potentially melt a piston. Spend a day and do it now. Replace the fuel lines one at a time so you don't get them confused. There is an excellent step by step post by mikidymac on rebuilding the carbs The Seadoo Carb Rebuild Thread and many youtubes available. There is also a post with a PDF step by step you can print out. Take pictures as you disasseble the carbs if necessary to help with the reassembly. Yes, do a compression test first to make sure you don't already need a rebuild. 150 is perfect. Below 135 is running on borowed time.
 
Thanks all - I did the fuel lines today - all of the ones except from the fuel filter to the carb, when I pull the carbs will do those. I did all 1/4 inch, and man it can be tight, but worked out aok - the fuel filter was totally clean except for a little grit - interested to see what the carbs filters look like. I was expecting glop in the fuel filter.
 
bigJake said:
Would highly recommend against running the ski anymore before replacing the gray Tempo fuel lines, fuel selector and rebuilding the carbs. When you get the carbs apart you are going to find the tiny filters to be pretty clogged, at least contributing to, if not causing your bogging problem. If the ski is running lean (insufficient fuel due to the fuel system being gunked up) it will run hot and potentially melt a piston. Spend a day and do it now. Replace the fuel lines one at a time so you don't get them confused. There is an excellent step by step post by mikidymac on rebuilding the carbs The Seadoo Carb Rebuild Thread and many youtubes available. There is also a post with a PDF step by step you can print out. Take pictures as you disasseble the carbs if necessary to help with the reassembly. Yes, do a compression test first to make sure you don't already need a rebuild. 150 is perfect. Below 135 is running on borowed time.
Click to expand...
I'm going to the the compression test, just for the sake of knowing how much time I have left.
 
So made a lot of progress on the fuel line swap on the 95 xp too; I ran out of line, and ordered another spool. For the "green goo" does that show up in the filter? I didn't notice a lot of sediment in the canister filter on either jet ski - did see a tiny bit of sediment in each of them, but no globs or goop.

Will know a lot more once I pull the carbs and look at the filters in the carbs; feels like I'm in high school rebuilding carbs on old jeeps.
 
Alright -well I did the pressure test (incorrectly just hit the starter) on both jetskis - they are all at just above 120. I replaced the fuel lines back to the carbs, and the fuel filters looked pretty good. I don't see any risk in doing the carbs on both of them at this point - just to make sure the fuel filters in the carbs are clean.

(actually redid one cylinder on the xp 95 and it 135 with throttle full open, so will redo this test after carbs which are next in line)

What's good - is I don't think anything I do from this point could make it worse.

I think I can handle the engine swap - but think it might make sense to bring it to a guy that does it for a living so it's not a 3 day ordeal. Guy down in near me (Allen, TX) is Dale's in Sachse
 
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Thinking about it - the rebuilt carbs should work better than the old ones - so I guess compression could go up (or worst case stay the same).
 
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Compression will not go up. Perfect is 150 psi and at 120 the engines are done and probably will not start in the water.
 
mikidymac said:
Compression will not go up. Perfect is 150 psi and at 120 the engines are done and probably will not start in t
Click to expand...

mikidymac said:
Compression will not go up. Perfect is 150 psi and at 120 the engines are done and probably will not start in the water.
Click to expand...
I"m not letting them read this post - they are starting and running great right now :)

But yeah - I'm gonna do the carbs to check the screens, and then will plan on doing the engines in the winter.

Living on borrowed time.
 
All done - carbs rebuilt, both skis run great; going to sus them out this weekend again for the close of the season. These things are really pretty fun to wrench on.
 
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