Re: 1998 Seadoo GTXs, possible purchase
Hey guys my sister is talking about picking these up for our family cottage
http://windsor.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...-Seadoo-GTX-double-trailer-W0QQAdIdZ399355637 .
Two Seadoo GTXs, one is a '96 one a '98 Limited, both ~120 hrs , apparently ready for the season with new plugs, batteries and covers. They look to be in good shape via photos. Any thoughts on these for people new to PWCs? Reliability? Is that high hours?
Thanks guys,
Oh boy, where to start? At 120 hours and unknown owner history, the 1998 GTX Limited (with a 951cc 2 stroke) is a time bomb/money pit waiting to happen. The 1996 GTX is a much better ski in terms of bulletproof reliability AS LONG AS someone has done their due diligence and changed out a few items. We are talking about a ski that is 16 years old. It may look great on the outside, but engine damage may have already occured.
Here is what you can expect: If either of these skiis have original fuel lines (they are GRAY in color and say "TEMPO"), they need to be changed out for new fuel line. Inexpensive and not to hard to change, but along with this, the carburetors need to be cleaned out also.
The single most common engine failure of any 90's model Sea-Doo is directly caused by a deteriorated fuel system.
The ski is being run at full throttle all the while the engine is running dangerously lean because the fuel system is restricting flow. The pistons can only take so much before they weaken to the point of failure. A better analogy is a cutting torch: more oxygen is introduced to rapidly oxidize the metal away. The same principle happens in the combustion chamber. To much air, not enough fuel means excessive combustion chamber temperatures.
If you don't know what your looking for, you need to DEFINITLY take these to someone who knows what to look for. Do not make a $$$$ mistake. Sea-Doo has always designed their products to run at the edge of their "design envelope." It means that for the money, you won't find a comparably powered ski in the same year by a different manufacturer.
I regularly post over in the Sea Doo forum on
http://www.pwctoday.com. There is a wealth of knowledge over there and you can read stories all over the place of engines having seized pistons and fuel system issues.
Don't think that other manufacturers don't have similar problems, it's the nature of 2 strokes. If your going to spend the money to get a couple of ski's, definitely know what kind of headaches are coming with it. If you don't do your research now, your going to spend more time and money fixing them than actually being out on the water.
Oh, and one final thing. I mentioned that the 1998 was a time bomb. The 951 motor is a BEAST. However, it's extremely temperamental. Some experts claim that a 951 is approaching catastrophic piston failure as the engine hours approach 150 hours. On the 1996, if the pistons fail, usually the motor does not shell out the crankcases. If the 951 pistons come apart, you can pretty much assume that a rod is going to be punched right through the crankcases. If you don't believe me, just say so and I'll send some pictures. It's not pretty.
I hate to be all negative about this, because I own 3 Sea-Doo's. I love all three, but I've also worked out all the kinks and made a few mistakes along the way. Good luck to ya.
