Should this rebuilt 1996 GSX be my first ski?

[nerdlinger]

I'm looking at a 1996 GSX with a rebuilt motor with about 15-20 hours on the rebuild. The owner is a mechanic and did work himself and also converted it from oil injection to premix. This will be the first ski I've owned, and my first 2-stroke engine. It looks good (I used the inspection guide I found on this site), but there is a sticky oil residue around the exhaust and when it runs it blows a lot of smoke. I know 2-strokes will be somewhat smoky, but is the oil residue a concern? Also, is a rebuild with the OI to premix conversion a good idea to buy? I did a compression check and got readings of 130 and 139. The plug tips were black. Does that indicate that the mix is too rich with oil? Please help, I don't want to make a mistake on my first ski. Thanks.

 

[nswillin]

Hey nerdlinger. It's always a gamble when buying a used ski that has been rebuilt. Hopefully he fixed the problem that caused it to be rebuilt in the first place. Compression sounds good though.

When running premix, you will notice a little more smoke than usual, especially at when idling. Your probably gonna go through more plugs as well. Just make sure you still have oil going to the rotary shaft and it should be ok.:cheers:

 

[nerdlinger]

how?

How do I know if the rotary shaft is getting enough oil? The oil injection tank is 3/4 full, but that doesn't serve any function now, does it?