Newbie with problems...Please help

[Daddy Goose]

Newbie here after years of cuss’en em I bought 2 and get to cuss at them.

I bought twins 2 1999 GTX LTD with low hours (1 has 172 and the other has 207). They actually look like they came off the show room floor.

Here are the problems that I have had so far.

Ski #1 keeps fouling the plugs (bogs down about 30 secs after take off and will not come back). Lost on this one. I have checked and rechecked the plug gaps, have replaced the plugs and cussed it. The previous owner told me that he always put 1.5 oz of oil for every gallon of gas (plus the oil injection).

Ski #2 It was taking on water like the Titanic but I believe I found most of that problem. I was checking all the clamps and found a few that needed a shot of tight put on them, but I am still taking on some water (more than I think I should. I have checked the hull put some water in it on dry pavement and found no leaks. I don’t see any leaks with it in the water or under power (riding with no seats is like way fun). Other than the water problem this machine runs out good.

Both of these skis were owned but the same person and he followed the same procedure with both.

Please somebody help before I set these things on fire and have a big weenie roast.

BTW I also(well my son) have a 97 XP that we bought off a guy that garaged it in a chicken barn (covered but you can imagine). We cleaned it up cleaned out the oil tank, flushed the old gas, put in fresh plugs, a new battery and away he went. That was last year and that’s the reason for the 2 big ens this year.

So far he has had all the fun and I now have a drinking problem (just kidding).

Please, please, please somebody help me out. I beg you.

Thanks
DG

 

[kustomkarl]

Welcome to the forum DG. I would start with pulling off the carbs and cleaning them. If you remove them and don't tear the diaphragms you won't need a rebuild kit. as far as adding the extra oil in fuel...that might be why it is having carburetor problems. Gas evaporates and leaves the oil substance behind...you might think about this...If you want you could join as a "premium member". As a premium member you can down load a authentic seadoo manual from the seadoo manual library. In the library is a variety of manuals for almost all years and models. You can view as many as you like on line as a PDF file, or download it and print it for your personal and privet use. There are operator manuals and repair manuals for you to do your own repairs on your seadoo. The repair manuals have everything from troubleshooting, repair procedures to winterizing. It contains wire diagrams torque specs and pictures for disassemble and assemble instructions. In the spec sheets it tells everything needed to maintain oil changes, spark plug gaps, carburetor rebuilds and impeller wear ring tolerances. Click on the "Seadoo Manuals" link at the top of the page for more details. If you need any help or get in a jam, we are always here to answer your questions too.

Karl

 

[1648aws]

Hello Newbie:

I'm new also as of 11:00 am today but I may have a little help for your water problem.

I own two 1997 Gtx's. I had the same problem of water filling the hull. I had a small crack in the cylinder water jacket. At high speed the siphons could over come the leak. At idling however, the siphons would not work and the leak almost sank me.

The leak was on the back side of the engine and could not be seen without a mirror. I could barely squeeze my hand back to feel the leak but under power there was no doubt there was a leak. I actually discovered the exact location of the leak by accident. I was winterizing the machine and pumped plumbers pink antifreeze through the system while running and noticed a stream of pink flowing down the side of the hull. Didn't take long to figure out that it was spraying from the back side of the engine.

Bottom line???? New cylinder and no more water.

Hope this kelps.

Keith

 

[Daddy Goose]

Well I got in elbow deep today. After looking at it for a while and reading some of the comments here I decided to go from easy to hard.

I was looking to replace the fuel lines but noticed that they were not the grey color that has been talked about and there were worm screw clamps on all connections (definitely not factory). I will assume that the pervious owner both had problems with the lines and replaced them or a shop did it. I will call this one checked off the list but open to come back to.

I am looking into the vent problem but can not seem to find it(any help on this). The tank looks like it has 4 hoses that come off the top and I am sure that one is the vent but I haven’t chased it down yet (Ran out of light).

While chasing out the gas lines one went to the fuel filter/water separator so I decided to pull the bowel and check the filter (does anybody need any slightly greasy back fill…LOL). There was about a 1/16 of an inch of crude at the bottom plus the filter was slimy. For fun I pulled the bowel on the XP (the chicken barn machine) and it was as clean as a whistle. I went to the local auto parts store to get replacements but they no gotty so I will have to go to the local (well not so local half hour each way) Sea-Doo shop to get them and I think I will pick up a couple sets of spare plugs to go along.

I plan on testing it out again before I head for the carbs. They look like some kind of fun to remove.

Can somebody tell how those autobailer things work and where does it let the water escape. Do or can you actually see it bailing the water.

I don’t think it’s a cracked cylinder because after tightening up all the clamps I don’t get as much water as before(it would flood the engine compartment in about 10 mins). I just don’t like the idea of water down there the way the engine is laid out.

Thanks in advance,
DG

PS
If I have to start doing the maintenance on these things it will be well worth the amount for premium membership as that is less than one trip to the local dealer.

Thanks,
DG

 

[kustomkarl]

DG, it sounds lik you on the right track to getting the seadoos running again. the seadoo manuals in the seadoo forum library are golded...
If you want you could join as a "premium member". As a premium member you can down load a authentic seadoo manual from the seadoo manual library. In the library is a variety of manuals for almost all years and models. You can view as many as you like on line as a PDF file, or download it and print it for your personal and privet use. There are operator manuals and repair manuals for you to do your own repairs on your seadoo. The repair manuals have everything from troubleshooting, repair procedures to winterizing. It contains wire diagrams torque specs and pictures for disassemble and assemble instructions. In the spec sheets it tells everything needed to maintain oil changes, spark plug gaps, carburetor rebuilds and impeller wear ring tolerances. Click on the "Seadoo Manuals" link at the top of the page for more details. If you need any help or get in a jam, we are always here to answer your questions too.

Karl

 

[Daddy Goose]

Didn't get them on the water today as I wanted but it gave me a chance to just double check some stuff.

I followed the lins from the auto bailers (still don't know how they work) and on the 90 degree elbow(2 of them) that they hide behind an exhuast hose(?) that goes down to and connects to the jet pump, I found that the tye wraps were loose( I could twist them around the hose). I removed them and replaced with a higher quality ty wrap (I use a lot of those things in my job) and made sure they were good and tight. I also went through all the other ty wraps and any that I felt were loose and replaced those also. I would have rather put on worm screw clamps but figured if they weren't under any pressure then the tys would work just as good.

Now I have a spark plug question the manual calls for NGK BR8ES plugs which is not a problem but and theres always a butt the machines have NGK BR8ES-11 plugs. The NGK website doesn't show these and any of my buddies at the parts stores can't find a cross referance to them. They are not the Iredium plug either. Are these things by chance just a plug that didn't make it a couple years ago or a special plug that was/is made only for Sea-Doo? Not a big deal really I'll use what the manual says to use. I was just wondering is all.

Thanks,
DG

 

[sanpan25]

.

Can somebody tell how those autobailer things work and where does it let the water escape. Do or can you actually see it bailing the water.


DG

If you follow the hoses off the "bailers" they end up on the transom right above the jet pump. They hook to two little pipe looking things inside the jet nozzle. As you go the jetstream siphons the bilge out through the bailers.

 

[sanpan25]

Now I have a spark plug question the manual calls for NGK BR8ES plugs which is not a problem but and theres always a butt the machines have NGK BR8ES-11 plugs. The NGK website doesn't show these and any of my buddies at the parts stores can't find a cross referance to them. They are not the Iredium plug either. Are these things by chance just a plug that didn't make it a couple years ago or a special plug that was/is made only for Sea-Doo? Not a big deal really I'll use what the manual says to use. I was just wondering is all.

Thanks,
DG

NGK BR8ES will work fine the 11 aint a thing...........

 

[Daddy Goose]

Well I got them on the water again today and here’s what we got:

Ski #1 ran like a scalded dog. I could hear my boy screaming Yee-Haw all up and down the river. He said that it took off like a rocket and ran to about 65 mph(by the speedo). So I’m cool with this one. Its amazing what something as small and inexpensive as a fuel filter can do. 1 major lesson learned.

Ski #2 We put it on the water with a dry hull and my boy took it for a ride. Now this ski has always run out good it was just taking on water. He brought it back in we checked and we had about 3 inches of water in less than 10 mins riding. Not good at all. Put it back on the trailer pulled it out and decided to just double check clamps again. Found 1 that I missed the first time around. Tightened it up. Drained the water and put it back in but this time we left the seats off and started it on the trailer there were no leaks around any of the clamps(good thing) but and here we go with the butts again. As I was giving it gas on the trailer it was misting from one of the bailer connections, unless Sea-Doo has a engine misting system to help keep it cool I don’t think this should happen. I followed the hoses and I knew where they were going they went to 2 yellow plastic 90 degree connectors that are ty wrapped to the hull. One of them was spitting water out like a mini super soaker and the more gas you gave it the more water we got. I did what any American shade tree mechanic would do, I took it out and straight lined it, ink pens not just for writing bad checks any more. No more water. I figure that these shouldn’t spit water as the other ski doesn’t do it. I’ll replace with a piece of flared copper tubing in the morning and just might do it on the other ski also.

So I think I might be ready for the long weekend except for the gas.

Thanks for all the help.
DG

PS
I did sign up for the premium membership but it hasn’t allowed me in there yet.

Thanks,
DG

 

[kustomkarl]

Good Job DG...instead of copper you might want to use hard plastic line to correct the problem.

Karl

 

[Daddy Goose]

Sorry it been so long but with a long weekend what can I say. It turned out to really be a selfbailer was a self sinker. I just disconnected the bailer lines and stright lined it between the 2 nipples that come off the drive. I have a houseboat so dropping a bilge pump in it every now and then isn't a big problem.

With clean fuel filters these 2 rock on pretty good or at least thats what the wife and kids say.

Now for another question. My son rolled his XP and broke the battery straps and battery tray. So I now have no place to secure the battery. Question is: How do you take these out and put a new one back? I was looking and saw that they are rivited in, short of drilling them out I'm lost. I have thought about thying to sandwich a new one on top but I'm just not sure. Any insight would be helpful.

Thanks,
DG

 

[kustomkarl]

DG, yo have to drill out the old rivets. You could use the old battery box with a large rivet washer in the bottom of the box or just re drill the holes in the battery box and re-rivet it back in with aluminum or stainless steel rivets...
I hope this helps

Karl