Just purchased 2000 Seadoo GTX RFI 787 for $350-need help!

[Jp6940]

It's the "Millenium Edition" if it makes any difference and I'm pretty sure it's the 787 motor because the # is ZZN66486D00.....

Yes, I purchased this with the load-rite trailer for $350.
I have both titles.
I went to see it and it looks really nice? Garage kept in a good neighborhood and seats were not faded at all.....
Problem is:
It doesn't run! Owner says the last time they used it was in the Outer Banks and it stopped running while riding it. Then wouldn't start.
I have never owned a jet ski at all and have been reading as much info as I can as I am very excited to see if I can get it running. The battery is DEAD so I don't know how many hours or anything else that is going on. With the info I have given, where do I start?
New battery (Deka etx16l)-where to get for a good price?
Check the oil, plugs, ?????
I have a compression gauge
What else would you suggest? I would not have normally purchased an item that doesn't even run, but the trailer is in pristine condition and the physical appearance of the ski is amazing. My uncle has had 2 and he said he would have jumped on it himself if I didn't. (He lives 4 hours away so he can't do much for me here)
I would really appreciate any help anyone could give me or point me in the right direction if possible. Tomorrow I am going to hook up another 12vt battery to at least see if I get a beep or hours on the ski. I read to NEVER jump start a ski so that is out of the question for now. In fact, I just wanna get everything cleaned up and make sure fluids are full before I crank on it anyway. Thanks again...

 

[El Toro 33809]

For $350 I don't think you could go wrong either. That being said, the RFI motors can ne a little tricky. There are folks here that can assist with that model though. Do you know of the motor is locked up? Try pulling the plugs and then spin the PTO on the back of the engine. If it turns freely, it should be a good thing. Next thing would be a compression test. Ideal on those motors is 150. If you are below 130-135, the motor is getting tired. Check those items and then come back here with your findings and see what the RFI experts have to say.

 

[jhjesse]

Congrats on the new ski. $350 is a good deal. The trailer alone is probably worth that much where I live.

I would:
Get the engine to turn over first. Get a new fully charged battery and see if the engine will turn over. May have to clean all the electrical connections really good and use dielectric grease.
Next, get a compression tester and check the compression. With out compression everything else is basically a moot point.
If compression is good, then check for spark. If you have spark then down load a shop manual and read because, it is probably going to be a fuel related issue. RFI's are a different breed of two stroke ski. The fuel injection system can be tricky so you will need to school yourself before digging too deep.

Good luck.

Make sure when checking the compression to put the plug wires on the grounding posts.

 

[Jp6940]

Congrats on the new ski. $350 is a good deal. The trailer alone is probably worth that much where I live.

I would:
Get the engine to turn over first. Get a new fully charged battery and see if the engine will turn over. May have to clean all the electrical connections really good and use dielectric grease.
Next, get a compression tester and check the compression. With out compression everything else is basically a moot point.
If compression is good, then check for spark. If you have spark then down load a shop manual and read because, it is probably going to be a fuel related issue. RFI's are a different breed of two stroke ski. The fuel injection system can be tricky so you will need to school yourself before digging too deep.

Good luck.

Make sure when checking the compression to put the plug wires on the grounding posts.

Thanks for your quick responses! I was even afraid to turn the motor by hand in fear I might mess something up more!
I have a compression tester. I'll get a new battery (Deka or is there another equivalent?)
I would like to just get power and see how many hours are on it!
I'll pull the plugs and turn it over. I pulled the cover that covers the "flywheel" that the driveshaft is attached to. Today I will check the plugs and maybe rotate the motor.
Yes, I have read alot of strange info about the RFI motor. Seems to be a different animal.

 

[USAF_Pride]

Welcome to the forums. There is a special post in the PWC section just for RFI's. Maybe [MENTION=31048]LouDoo[/MENTION] can move this for you to the PWC section where you will get better visibility as most of us boat owners do not deal with this engine.

 

[Jp6940]

Thanks!! I thought I posted in the 2 stroke section. It was on my phone so it was confusing...
Thanks again!

 

[Coastiejoe]

Moved to 2-stroke PWC,,,,


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[Jp6940]

Okay so today I hooked up a very small 12vt battery just to see the hours and see if it turned over. The trailer has 08 on it so I would assume it hasn't been started in like six years!!? It has a full tank of gas too.....How the heck do I get the gas out of this thing?
I pulled the spark plugs and they looked horrible and were loose in their sockets...?
checked the hours and it says 90hrs. (That's not a lot is it?)
I would assume that a compression check would be next?
So Should I open the throttle all the way take one spark plug out plug-in the compression tester and crank it a few times? If it reads 150psi then I'm good on each cylinder right? Sorry I'm driving and texting at the same time that's real safe!!!
Just to be sure-I LEAVE one plug in while I am checking the other cylinder right? Sorry for such a dumb question!!

 

[USAF_Pride]

Use this transfer pump from Harbor Freight to suck out all the old gas.

Secondly, from my limited knowledge, a good battery is incredibly important to the operation of the electronics. Put a good battery in it.

Third, read the post I linked to above a few times. There is some incredibly good knowledge in there that will help your troubleshooting

Fourth, get a service/shop manual. Either become a premium member here or do a little googling to find one.

Fifth, if you are texting and driving, put my name in the will for the ski!!

 

[Bonmotwang]

Use this transfer pump from Harbor Freight to suck out all the old gas.

Secondly, from my limited knowledge, a good battery is incredibly important to the operation of the electronics. Put a good battery in it.

Third, read the post I linked to above a few times. There is some incredibly good knowledge in there that will help your troubleshooting

Fourth, get a service/shop manual. Either become a premium member here or do a little googling to find one.

Fifth, if you are texting and driving, put my name in the will for the ski!!

Texting and driving? Should have tried before the flip and lost my iPhone 5!
Seriously if texting and driving, better buy $5M of liability.


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[racerxxx]

Nice pick up on the ski! With all the guys on here we'll get you going. But more importantly (let me derail your thread first, LOL), what vintage VW do you have? The two WWest boxes has me wondering. Not sure if Tim is still there or not but I dropped thousands with him a few years back on my 58 Bug resto.

 

[Jp6940]

Beautiful! Doing a body off '67 sunroof resto.
I'm getting everything back from the bead blaster Tuesday and am shooting everything with spi epoxy primer....all of the money was going to the bug but then the ski came along and I couldn't turn it down. Now I'll have TWO projects.
Wolfsburg West is the ONLY place to buy good vw stuff. I won't shop anywhere else.

I have a portable jump starter that I could use but I'm certainly getting a good battery.
So is 90 hrs pretty low? I would think it is...
If I am doing a compression check do I take BOTH spark plugs out and hold the throttle open or just the one cylinder I have the gauge plugged Into? Sorry

 

[racerxxx]

Cool on the 67 resto, LOTS of one year only parts on that one.

DO NOT put a jump starter on the ski, you can damage the MPEM (computer)

 

[jhjesse]

Okay so today I hooked up a very small 12vt battery just to see the hours and see if it turned over. The trailer has 08 on it so I would assume it hasn't been started in like six years!!? It has a full tank of gas too.....How the heck do I get the gas out of this thing?
I pulled the spark plugs and they looked horrible and were loose in their sockets...?
checked the hours and it says 90hrs. (That's not a lot is it?)
I would assume that a compression check would be next?
So Should I open the throttle all the way take one spark plug out plug-in the compression tester and crank it a few times? If it reads 150psi then I'm good on each cylinder right? Sorry I'm driving and texting at the same time that's real safe!!!
Just to be sure-I LEAVE one plug in while I am checking the other cylinder right? Sorry for such a dumb question!!

Put the plug wires on the grounding posts leave one plug in and attach the compression gauge to the other cylinder. Holding the throttle wide open crank the ski until maximum pressure is achieved. Should read between 130 and 150 psi with 150 being the best. Check each cylinder three times to verify correct reading.

 

[floatingRyan]

How does one find a ski that looks like that for 350?... in my area people want 800 for a 1990 that isnt running

 

[Jp6940]

I know man! My uncle said the trailer is worth that alone!
If I get this running I will be SOOOO happy! I did notice a lot of oil residue in the hull and thought that was bad....UNTIL I opened the little black compartment in the front storage area and found a bottle of oil had leaked all over the place. I'm pretty sure that's where it came from...
Here are a couple more pics. The first bothers me the most. These are the worst looking spark plugs I've seen. Why are they this bad???

 

[racerxxx]

The plugs look like they have mold on them. Right now I wouldn't be too concerned with that. After all, this ski has sat for 6 years if you were correct on that. Just get some compression numbers first.

As far as a battery I get them from Advance Auto parts. I order online and pick up in store. I get the sealed AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) batteries. They require no vent line and you don't have to fill them. You can also get some decent coupons. The ETX16L is currently $90.99 and with a 35% off coupon code (MISSUL41) your $59.14 OTD plus an additional $10 for a core charge. Worst case if the engine needs work you could return the battery until you decided what your path is with the ski so your not out the $60. Just pay attention to the + and - of the battery when you hook it up. Deka makes these batteries for Advance to the best of my knowledge.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...hTerm=autocraft+sealed+battery&zoneAssigned=1

 

[Mickirig1]

GREAT FIND ! Keep at it, people will help you here. If you can do a VW Restore, a ski should not be a problem. Once you get it running you can test it with it tied to the trailer. Even when it's cold out. Just back down the ramp till the intake grate is in the water. You don't even need to get wet. Put it back in the heated garage and winterize it.

 

[Mekanix]

Come on, where's the numbers Looking forward to seeing what happens. Its a great find

 

[Jp6940]

Yeah, I kinda get into a lot of mechanical things and am pretty smart when it comes to how things work....not tooting my own horn because I know NOTHING about jetskis! My friend said the plugs were probably just "flashed"?? I think that's what he said. Like when they get water on them or something? He does lots of stuff-from lawn mowers to skis to scooters. He's pretty knowledgeable. I can't remember the term her used.
I'll order the battery now. That's an excellent deal!! I appreciate the link!
I can't do anything until I get that damn battery!
Can't I start it for a few seconds on the trailer in my driveway?
I was told I can start it up and then turn the hose on AFTERWARD so it can run for a few seconds...?
Dammit, I need to get that gas out of it too!! I wish I could use it for something. It's almost full!!!
Like mix a gallon in my car tank every fill-up!! Hahaha
Seriously, how do you know if gas is good or not? 6 years is probably bad!!
Here's some more photos. Like I said it in good shape. It was garage kept because the seats aren't even faded. I see that on a lot of jet skis.


Racerxxx, just bought the battery and some plugs!
A doctor owned it in a very nice neighborhood. She and her husband split and she was getting rid of it. She wanted $500. I offered $350 and she immediately said okay that's good......should have said $300 or even $250!! Haha!! I'll get the battery and go from there I guess.
My friend has a motorized pump to get the gas out.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Just to touch on a few things stated above.. Do NOT jump the ski with any vehicle that is running or a jump box. If the MPEM gets a spike it can easily fry it. And MPEMs are not a cheap item. You CAN jump from a vehicle if it is NOT running. Old gas is normally a darker color and will have a different small to it.


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[Jp6940]

Correct! Got it!
I bought a new battery and plugs. Gonna install them tonight.
The gas in the tank looks red-ish. I could probably stick the syphon hose down the gas filler neck and suck it out from there, right?
Those plugs kinda scared me when I killed 'em. Man, they looked horrible.
So tonight I will try to do a compression check (after I tell my wife I bought it and catch hell for that)
And I'll report back on my findings...sorry I am just kinda excited but know very little about the 787 motor or skis for that matter!!!

 

[Mekanix]

This is how it begin's...

 

[racerxxx]

This is how it begin's...

Yep, first dose comes early in life only to be released when starter ski arrives

 

[Jp6940]

Nah, I've ALWAYS been into cars, bikes, motors, anything tech related! Haha!
Btw: when is it necessary to ground the spark plug wires? I guess when cranking and checking compression?
I know it has to do with them shorting out and messing up the PCM, right?