Looking at 1998 SeeDoo GTX Ltd

[GCartwright]

My family has a 1998 GTX Ltd at the lake with the 947 engine that isn't being used anymore so I have the option of bringing it cross country if I want it.

It has not been winterized for a while if ever and is located in a cold winter climate. Last summer I was able to get it started, it sounded and ran fine but after running for about 10 minutes it would start to bog down and would just limp back to the dock. This pattern happened a few times.

The gas is old an not stabilized so this would be the first thing I would need to deal with.

Looking for advise on getting it running and on what sort of tests I should do on it to determine it's condition. I have most automotive diagnostic tools just have no experience on pwc's

 

[mjf55]

GC, I agree with the bad gas. Drain gas / oil. check oil reserve for water contamination.; clean / rebuild carbs; change fuel / oil lines and filter. I think that should take care of the running bogging down issue.
Now, since it was not winterized, look for leaks, check the top of cylinder to see if it was 'steamed cleaned', indicating a water leak in the head.

 

[alldodge]

I think that model is the DI model, and if it is they were great rides until they were not. The DI needs a lot of 12V power to run, so if the bat is weak or rectifier is going out it has problems. I had two of them for a while and got rid of them because they were problem children. My nephew has one and is in the process of rebuilding the motor

 

[GCartwright]

Thanks guys, wondering if a compression test is a good diagnostic check for these motors? The shop manual just talks about a leak down kit being required for diagnostic purposes. Can't find compression numbers in the manual ?
Yes, going to go out there with a new battery, fuel lines and filter, plugs and carb kits.
Don't see anything about this ski being referred to as a "DI" model.
It's free and will keep the kids from asking to use my boat so I think I'm going to grab it and rebuild if necessary.

 

[alldodge]

The Di means Direct Injection. If it is a DI model there will be a black rectangular box on top the motor with a high pressure fuel line. If it has carbs, its not a DI

Edit: your compression numbers should be 135 to 150 psi

 

[JimS123]

You can buy a brand new ski for 10 or 11 grand.. Then you can ride it every day. An 18 year old ski that has not been maintained properly will end up costing you more and you will be fixing it more than riding it.

 

[zdeyonker]

I don't agree with you on that one Jim, I own several older skis. Ride them every weekend and they are great fun. Not one of them has cost me over $1000, purchase price, parts, and maintenance included. These have some sophisticated electronics on them for when they were made, I would suggest putting a good AGM battery in it. Removal of grey tempo fuel lines is necessary if still present, this will include cleaning out the carburetors and rave valves, unless you have the Fuel Injected model. Sounds like a fueling issue to me though. Assuming you have carburetors still, there is most likely a small piece of dirt clogging one of the jets at speed, also check that the pop-off pressure is set accurately, this can cause a lot of running issues if it is incorrect or the needle is not seating all the way.

 

[JimS123]

I don't agree with you on that one Jim, I own several older skis. Ride them every weekend and they are great fun. Not one of them has cost me over $1000, purchase price, parts, and maintenance included. These have some sophisticated electronics on them for when they were made, I would suggest putting a good AGM battery in it. Removal of grey tempo fuel lines is necessary if still present, this will include cleaning out the carburetors and rave valves, unless you have the Fuel Injected model. Sounds like a fueling issue to me though. Assuming you have carburetors still, there is most likely a small piece of dirt clogging one of the jets at speed, also check that the pop-off pressure is set accurately, this can cause a lot of running issues if it is incorrect or the needle is not seating all the way.

Everybody gets lucky once in a while. You are blessed, plus you sound like a mechanic in your own right.

Personally, I've owned 'skis for over 25 years now and the older ones were problematic even when new. The electronics are'n generally an issue, but oil tanks, manifolds, oil injection systems were often issues. Of course, we were SeaDoo people up until last year, so that explains alot of the problems.

My comments were based on the OP's statements that it was not properly maintained and its already broken. Maybe you got good ones, but he is starting out with a bad one.

 

[AL.Longshot]

Honestly theres not really a whole lot to winterize those older skies. If it will run at all it can be fixed. Sounds to me like some fresh fuel and a good carb cleaning will have it good to go.
Sadly the 947cc engine were prone to early failure as early as 100 hours. And we're also bad to ingest water and lock up the motor.