1996 GSX Build

[Jetjon24]

Hi all! I just picked up a 1996 GSX off of marketplace for $100. I wanted to create a thread about my attempts to rebuild it so that I could better organize my thoughts, be more methodical about the process, ask questions when I need to, and hopefully help someone else along the way.

Let me preface with this, When my buddies and I checked it out all we were looking for was compression, we already saw from the pictures that it was in good condition externally. The only alarming thing was that there were paper towels shoved in the sparkplug holes and no spark plugs. but we went ahead and hotwired the starter because there was no key to check compression (disconnect the red cable --that attaches to the solenoid and goes to the starter-- from the solenoid, and then touch the end of that cable and the negative battery cable to a battery keeping in mind that as soon as both wires tough it will crank. ***This is my sketchy way of doing things, probably not what a profession would do***). At first it wouldn't crank, it would just jerk and then stop, so just when i was suspecting it was locked and i should drive away, it broke free and started cranking 150psi per cylinder. I figured even if there were a little rust, if it isn't locked and has perfect compression, it was worth the money.


Pretty good for a $100 ski!

The problem is it doesn't have a title or key. However... While cleaning it out i actually found the key dryrotted to pieces in the front compartment. I normally wouldn't get something without a title, however this is the exact ski I wanted and in pretty good condition. On top of that, I also need to save up a little to fund the project, so I have time to wait for the long excruciating process of getting a new title. I also figured if I end up not being able to get a title, I could easily part it out and double my money.

I modded my old jon boat trailer to fit this ski and then I gave her a good powerwash and she came to life.







So besides powerwashing it, I pored some oil down the cylinders and cranked because with it kinda being locked at first and not having spark plugs, i assumed there would be some rust. I put a large cap of expensive dark purple premium pwc oil in each cylinder, cranked, and they spit out rust colored oil. I repeated this process maybe 5 times and it didn't seem to get much better. So because I'm not going to do much work till I get a title, I put in some more oil, cranked it a little and put sparkplugs in so that it doesn't get worse while it sits.

How would ya'll recommend going about this problem? I just tried to put a band-aid on it for now until i can get back around to it.

Lastly, here's my gameplan:

1. Get title + save money
2. Pull and inspect jet pump and rebuild if bearings or impeller are bad
3. Pull engine
4. Rebuild carbs (WITH GENUINE MIKUNIS) and replace fuel lines and pull and clean the gas tank
5. I was going to leave the engine alone internally because of the perfect compression, but now because of the rust I was thinking I'd pull the head and wipe out any rust and look at the crankshaft while I can see it. What do ya'll think?
6. Make the inside of the ski spotless while there's nothing in it
7. Get a key programmed if the crusty one i found doesn't work
8. Replace all rusted electronics (ignition coil, solenoid, and maybe some miscellaneous wires) and fix start button if broken
9. Clean oil pump and oil tank, replace all oil lines, and prime oil system
10. Reinstall in this order: Gas + oil tanks --> engine --> carbs/fuel and oil lines --> New battery --> jet pump

let me know what you think and if I'm doing something wrong or missing something. I know this is prolonged and boring, but it actually helps me to write everything out so I can visually see what I'm trying to do and I figure maybe in me doing so I can help someone else or get help where I need it. I will try to condense things in the future and be more to the point. Thanks in advance for your help and best of luck to anyone who was crazy enough to make it all the way through this beast of a post!

 

[GGuillot]

let me know what you think and if I'm doing something wrong or missing something. I know this is prolonged and boring, but it actually helps me to write everything out so I can visually see what I'm trying to do and I figure maybe in me doing so I can help someone else or get help where I need it. I will try to condense things in the future and be more to the point. Thanks in advance for your help and best of luck to anyone who was crazy enough to make it all the way through this beast of a post!

Welcome to the forum. Same here, I wanted a 96' or 97' GSX, I found a 96' fairly close to me and it was very rough. I spent nearly a year stripping it down to a bare hull and building it back up, I went over $2k fairly easy, eventually reaching $3K by the time I was done, but no regrets at all, I purchased in May of 2018 and hit the water this May. My 18 yr old loves it and I do also, it's a great ski that really rips around on the water. But it wears me down, so I tend to cruise on the 97' GTX when we both go out.

See my signature block for the build thread, I did partial gelcoat on the bottom and complete new white on top. Mine was badly cooked from the sun, lots of yellowing, burnt info gauge and almost nothing left of the seat. I added a speed o, lake temp, ambient temp, and a compass. I spent a lot of time on cosmetics, restoring the badly burnt rails was some work. If you have the rear trim piece, secure it with SS screws or something, they aren't cheap and unique to the year/model. Most pop out and are lost from jumping.

Check my thread out, most of my expense was in cosmetics, graphics kits, new seat and cover, gelcoat work, but I'd say if you budget about $1500 you should be able to get on the water, this is doing an engine build, carbs, new lines, and miscellaneous like getting a new lanyard programmed.

Start a Resto thread and we'll follow, would like to see the progress, and of course you can always ask questions as you go.

 

[Jetjon24]

That's a great looking ski. I love the camo hydroturf (or whatever brand) mats. We'll see whether or not this rebuild will happen. Right now the full titling process isn't looking so good... The Florida tax office couldn't find the HIN in their system and the registration on the ski is for Texas, so now i have to look into Texas's laws on titling and see if i can get them to give me a title for salvage or if they can contact the last known owner or anything else. This is always such a pain, I understand the need for theft prevention, but I just hate how many perfect boats and skis become worthless and unusable because some guy on a private lake 15 years ago lost the title.

I bought this ski knowing in the back of my mind that if i couldn't title it I could part it out and double or triple my money. It really isn't worth the time to buy a ski for that sole purpose, but that's not why I bought it, it's just my backup plan be because I can't afford to throw away $100 right now. So for future reference for everyone, DON'T buy a ski without a title unless you live in a state where it is easy to get a new title, if you only ever want to use it on a private late, or if you can make your money back and more in parts, or especially a trailer (there's always security and $ in trailers if they're in good condition. My buddy got two old yamahas on a solid double trailer, and almost made his money back on just the trailer! And of coarse he made a lot more on selling the skis too).

Anyways... I'll keep you posted. Miracles do happen.

 

[Ckrawiec]

Just talking out loud...but I would never buy any vehicle without a clean title unless it was strictly for parts.....too much hassle.

I once bought a Kawasaki ski in Ohio, where they don't issue titles for pwc's (at least they didn't when I did that many moons ago) and bringing the ski back to NY was a gigantic PITA to get it registered...had to jump through hoops and a half.....the DMV is LESS THAN helpful in these matters and even IF you get all the paperwork they ask you for, they still can eff with you because someone is having a bad day....never again.

 

[GGuillot]

The Florida tax office couldn't find the HIN in their system and the registration on the ski is for Texas, so now i have to look into Texas's laws on titling and see if i can get them to give me a title for salvage or if they can contact the last known owner or anything else

I understand, both of my skis came out of GA, the GSX went through several hands and was last registered out of TN in 2014. When I bought it I told the PO that since they couldn't produce a current registration to prove they owned it, I'd want a copy of their DL along with the BOS for when I registered in AL. It worked...even without a current registration.

You could 'sell' for a $1 to someone out of state in say GA or AL to get it registered, then have them resell it back to you. Then you take the legit signed bill of sale and current registration to the FL office and register it. I doubt with a signed bill of sale, current registration, copy of a DL from the seller you shouldn't have any issues. PM me if you want to pursue, the office I use just wants a bill of sale, HIN and a good pic. Then I can sell it back to you. I paid $25 to register mine.

 

[matt.born]

 

[matt.born]

I spent 250 on mine and have another 650 into it and still don’t have the time to finish it lol

 

[GGuillot]

I spent 250 on mine and have another 650 into it and still don’t have the time to finish it lol

You haven't ridden it yet? It's a great ski, you can cruise long distance with the 15 gal tank or really slice things up, well balanced all round, it really moves on the water, agile, light and fast, but fairly stable in rougher water. Though I dropped a ton of time and money in it, every time I take it out it's worth it.

 

[matt.born]

Not trying to threadjack but no not really. Took it to the lake one time and didn’t get very far from the beach. Found that the carbon ring was bad and hull was filling with water. Tried accelerating and nothing. So carbon ring, and pump rebuild kit just sitting on the shelf. All of a sudden plumbing picked up in AZ so no time to finish right now lol.

 

[Jetjon24]

That's a really nice looking ski too! I had to change the carbon ring on my 951 jet jon project. Its one of those things that is easy, but a pain. If you get another person to help you it shouldn't take much time at all.

 

[Jetjon24]

Well... although it is feasible to obtain a clean title without doing anything wrong or even sketchy, I've been advised not to try at risk of being accused of fraud. I disagree with this sentiment, but my better judgement tells me to just wait for the next project and not risk anything. So at least for now, this ski will not get the love and attention it deserves. It pains me to give up on such a beautiful ski with perfect compression before even starting but that's just how it is sometimes. Hopefully I can revive this thread or at least start a new one at some point in the near future. until then i'll at least be saving for when the next **titled** project comes up. This really is my dream ski though. It is the perfect hull for shredding, cruising, taking the GF out, going around the beach, and even fishing off of (which is what I really want to try). It's big enough for everything without being too big for anything. Not to mention, I personally think it's one of the best looking skis out there! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for another. Thanks to everyone for the support and comments!

 

[Jetjon24]

Here's the new plan... I've got a guy who i could get a new hull with title for $100-150 for the same model, so i'm going to see whether or not this engine and all the internals are worth the while and if i can get it to work as is, and if so, then I'll get a new titled hull, put some money into it, and do a cosmetic makeover. I really don't feel like if I break anything i'm going to loose value. At this point its worth $100 as is, and it would still be worth $100 if i rolled it down a hill and punched a hole in the side.

So far...

Carbs were a little rusty and stripped but still solid
Still had grey tempo fuel lines with blue corrosion
rear electrical box was rusted pretty bad but i already had spare coils and solenoids
vts is shot and shaft that goes to nozzle is broken
engine has 150psi in each cylinder
I'm getting 12v to all fuses and components in the front electrical box

All of this is fine, here's my bigger problem that concerns me

15a fuses in the back and the front were not blown, but melted!
also had some other bad fuses
No crank (unless hotwired) and no beep
safety lanyard post has solid readings (0 ohm w/ key, no reading w/o key)
I already hotwired start button because it is corroded, and still nothing
I can jump the solenoid and it cranks, but i've tried three different solenoids in it and still nothing

My next step is to go into the manual and start testing resistances for all the computer components and everything and see if i can pinpoint an issue, but I was wondering if anyone has any guesses as to what might cause this no crank or beep condition when the solenoid is good, the starter button is fine, the lanyard and post are fine, all fuses are replaced, and there's a good battery hooked up. Also, what might make 2 different 15a fuses melt and not blow? that was weird to me. Thanks in advance!

 

[GGuillot]

Are the gauges coming on when you press the start/stop button with the lanyard off? Are you hearing the buzzer at all? Test 12 volts directly to it and see if it beeps at you. Download the service manual if you haven't already, there's an advanced diagnostics you can try, but you need a good buzzer to be able to tell what's going on. Typically the original buzzers do go out eventually and need to be replaced.

You're not there yet, many other checks to do first, checking grounds, DESS post, etc, but it's possible it may have a bad MPEM. I had this issue during my GSX build and had to get another one...I was getting beeps but never the 2 beeps, couldn't get the Candoo to connect, etc.

 

[Jetjon24]

The gauges are shot from sitting outside for so long. I figured out that my stator (plug on front of crank case) wasn't plugged in. I plugged it in and got the proper beeps and now it will have a really weak crank or no crank. However, if I jump the solenoid I'll get a full powerful crank. I have 12.5v in the battery and am only getting 11.5v through to the yellow/red wire where it connects to the solenoid. Is that a problem? It then only sends maybe 4v back through that ground wire that goes to the ignition coil. The obvious solution to me seems to be replacing the solenoid because its getting a fair amount of power to it and for the most part 0v are going through and its not cranking or barely trying to turn.

Questions...
1) Is 11.5v to the solenoid through the yellow/red wire (when I press start) too little?
2) Since I am getting close to 12v to the solenoid, can I say that everything before it is functioning properly?
3) What service manual should I download? I looked at the shop/service manual on seadoomanuals.net and it was only like 30 pages and the electrical section was just accessories and said nothing about troubleshooting or testing.

Also, side note, Is there a way to repair/rebuild DESS keys that are dry rotted? The guy i bought the ski from said there was no key, but it was buried in the front compartment of the ski in a bunch of junk. The plastic is completely dry rotted and falling apart, but still works. Here's a picture. It's wrapped in tape for now
I was thinking of building a mold for a new key and poring liquid electrical tape in it to create a rubber-like housing. Sounds a little sketchy, but ***for now*** it's better than busting out $112 to have my local powersports store program a new one

 

[GGuillot]

The gauges are shot from sitting outside for so long.

Was the same on mine, completely cooked, you can get a LCD film replacement from a vendor like OSD Marine or look on ebay. You open the gauge up and do this process, you'll have instructions that come with it to provide a step by step.

I have 12.5v in the battery and am only getting 11.5v through to the yellow/red wire where it connects to the solenoid. Is that a problem?

Check all your connections, plugs, especially ground points and so forth, this will cause a slight voltage drop and loss of current when you try to start it.

The obvious solution to me seems to be replacing the solenoid because its getting a fair amount of power to it and for the most part 0v are going through and its not cranking or barely trying to turn.

Simply test the solenoid by itself with a 12 v source, it's either closing the poles when activating with 12 v on the yel/red plug or not. If it does, it's good. 11.5 v would be enough to trip it. You Tube has some good videos to explain how to do this test.

3) What service manual should I download? I looked at the shop/service manual on seadoomanuals.net and it was only like 30 pages and the electrical section was just accessories and said nothing about troubleshooting or testing.

Yeah, I don't know why the 96' SM is incomplete for the GSX. I use the 97' download since I also have a 97' GTX, which includes the GSX, and the engine is the same as the 96' GSX. I use the supplement from the 96' download for the electrical.

Is there a way to repair/rebuild DESS keys that are dry rotted?

Bottom line is you'll need to purchase a new DESS lanyard key and have it programmed. You could send off your MPEM with the new lanyard to Westside powersports, it's a quick turnaround and the cost will include the return shipping. I don't want to quote how much, but it's reasonable, you'll need to call Nick or Jess and find out.

 

[Jetjon24]

So I read through the 1997 manual and nothing seemed out of wack. I did the 12v test and the solenoid tested fine. I even jumped 12v to the solenoid while it was hooked up to the ski and it cranked fine. Here's what has me confused...
I am reading 566 ohms between the yellow/red wire going in to the MPEM and the yellow/red wire coming out of the MPEM when the start button is being pushed. There is an open line when the button is not being pushed. I am also reading 566 ohms with the negative probe hooked up to the battery side of the solenoid and the positive probe touching the starter wire side of the solenoid at all times power is hooked up to the system. I don't know if that makes any sense, so I drew a diagram of it...



I thought that there should be an open line between the battery side of the solenoid and the starter side. I am confused as to why that isn't the case. I tested this with two different solenoids and got the same results. When I press the start button, there is still 566 ohms in the solenoid even though it clicks, shouldn't it open up? This makes me want to test the MPEM, but the 1997 SM only has 717 MPEM testing procedures and the 1996 manual has nothing but specs. I might be getting lost down a pointless rabbit trail and just need to buy a $17 solenoid, but I am relatively confused at this point and the solenoid seems to be just fine.

 

[GGuillot]

Let's back up minute. Are you getting 2 beeps? or is the buzzer not working? Verify it works by testing 12 v directly to it. Sometimes even if it passes this test, it will be intermittent with the pulse from the MPEM.

Are you getting ~ 12 v to the solenoid on the little yel/red wire?

Are you trying to make that crumbled DESS work?

Personally at a minimum what I'd do in this order:

1. Send the MPEM off and have a new DESS lanyard programmed to it.
2. After getting the MPEM back with a new DESS, put it back on the ski and see if the buzzer works, if not get a new buzzer.
3. Work on fixing the info gauge, new film, etc.
4. Rebuild the carbs with OEM kits, new lines, new fuel selector, new fuel strainer oring. If it's been sitting awhile get all the old gas out the tank. May want to pull the fuel baffle, high chance the float may have dropped out or the baffle isn't working. Both my skis had this issue doing the restos..
5, Inspect, drain, and refill the jet pump, grease the pto flywheel fitting, verify bumpers are on the shaft, verify/inspect the carbon seal, SS hat, replace the oring on the shaft with c clip if necessary.

Your 96' GSX sounds like it is as rough as how I got mine. To give you an idea of how much work and time I put into it, I bought it in May of 2018 and just hit the water this May. The ski was about $190, no trailer, I spent close to $3k by the time I was done, but i easily spent $1k on cosmetics, gelcoat work, mats, seat and seat cover, graphics, etc. I went to bare hull, everything off/out the ski..which for me works, when you go back together everything gets a good look, and it goes back on clean and working.

I'm not saying your ski needs the strip down resto approach, but sometimes if it's been sitting awhile, problems compound themselves and it can be challenging to weed through it all.

 

[Jetjon24]

Buzzer works great. 2 beeps w/ crumbled key, 1 prolonged beep w/ a different key off an old project I no longer have. I have 11.5v to the yellow/red wire when i press start (with 12.5v in the battery).

My plan is to do a complete rebuild, cosmetic and internal (accept I will only rebuild crankshaft or top end as I see fit, although a new set of pistons isn't that expensive so it is probably worth doing while everything is in pieces). I want to verify that there are no SEVERE issue prior to stripping everything down, and I also want to verify that the electrical system is working properly while everything is put together. I know as soon as I take everything out, there will be no way for me to troubleshoot and fix the electrical system, and there's no point in rebuilding an engine if you can't crank it. I want to get the electronics in order, and then pull the engine and start cleaning and rebuilding. Maybe that isn't the best order to do things, but that was my thought process. Is it not worth bothering with the electronics at this stage? Thanks for the help btw!

 

[GGuillot]

I also want to verify that the electrical system is working properly while everything is put together.

So far you've verified it's a good MPEM. You'll be able to verify the ignition and charging system when you're ready to attempt a start and run.

I know as soon as I take everything out, there will be no way for me to troubleshoot and fix the electrical system,

FYI, you can do all the testing of the electrical, minus ignition and charging with the engine out. I was able to verify my info gauge fix, fuel baffle fix, VTS operation, and the solenoid clicking with the engine out. I was weeks away from engine assembly and dropping it in when I discovered the bad MPEM issue I had. No matter what I couldn't get the 2 beeps and the voltage to the solenoid. At that point it was like, "what's another $200?" For me cosmetics was where all the time was spent.

Little bit of a road to go, it'll be a good winter project.. You'll love it once you get it out on the water..

Read my resto thread if you want to add a Speed O later...only thing this ski should have come with.

 

[Jetjon24]

Well... I just found my problem. Apparently my battery wasn't holding any charge. It only would drop from maybe 12.5v to 12.3v when I pressed the start button, but apparently it didn't have enough power to even jump the solenoid (11.45v got to the yellow/red wire). I tried a different battery and it turned over immediately and continually cranked. So at this point I am definitely going to go through with a full on rebuild. Is there a separate category for rebuild threads or should I just start a new one under 2-strokes? Or should I just continue this one (I feel like it's a little off topic so far)? Thanks for the input!

 

[mikidymac]

You can keep it here in this section.

 

[Jetjon24]

So I'm currently working on stripping everything down. I would include pictures but my phone battery is completely dead. My phone won't even turn on. The jet pump is solid. I don't think it needs a new wear ring or bearings or anything. It spins freely and smooth with no resistance and wear ring looks just fine. The nozzle needs a good sand and new paint job though. All the paint has flaked off and corroded. Everything else is smooth sailing so far. I plan to pull the engine tomorrow.
One thing I was wondering is how on earth do you remove the gauges (on a gsx)?!? I could not figure that out for the life of me.

Anyways... What I'm really excited about is that I finished drawing out what I'm going to make this ski look like. I traced it in power point and added my own flair and I can't wait to start making this thing a reality! Here is my design for the ski...
The rooster fish and the hog fish are my own spin-off of the rooster and pig tattoos that sailors get to avert drowning at sea, and because I am on track to getting my captain's license, this is my way of not having to tattoo my feet (Plus I think it looks ridiculously awesome!) Also, I have to copy the camo hydroturf GGuillot, it just looks so good, but don't worry I won't go with blue camo. Plus I am a long ways from worrying about buying hydroturf. I'll be sure to update with pictures when my phone works, and I'll update as problems arise. This full project will probably slow down when I need to start spending money anyways.

 

[GGuillot]

One thing I was wondering is how on earth do you remove the gauges (on a gsx)?!? I could not figure that out for the life of me.

Take the reflector shield on top off first, push in and slide forward. Between the rubber surround and the gauge, gently pry the tach gauge out first, may need to spray some WD40 to get to come out easier. Fish all the lines through the hood, since it doesn't come apart like the later models.

Consider if you're changing the look of the ski, like painting the hull, rub rail, it has one draw back. It'll look its best the day you paint it, after that it's down hill. Also, if you're wanting hydroturf products, mats, seat cover at a good discount the black friday sale is just around the corner. This is when I bought the mats last year.

 

[Jetjon24]

Update: The pistons are pretty solid and I think have plenty of life left. To be honest I think pretty much the only thing this engine has ever done is sat. Sadly the engine has rust internally. The crankshaft was covered with rusty oil and is probably beyond repair. I had the idea of soaking the crankshaft in some vinegar or something to remove the rust, but at that point, I would probably be ruining the seals (if they aren't already shot) and I just don't think it would work good enough to put back in the engine. When looking for a new crankshaft, does any old 787 "refurbished" crankshaft off of ebay work? Or, would an SBT refurbished crankshaft be a safer bet? I just looked on shopsbt.com and I was surprised to see that it is only $295 for a refurbished crankshaft, which is actually cheaper than a lot of the ones on ebay.

What is everyone's opinion on SBT? I know the carb kits are a no go. I've heard of people doing full SBT engine swaps and them working great after a few adjustments, but I just don't know. Is there a better but similar-priced alternative out there?

 

[GGuillot]

When looking for a new crankshaft, does any old 787 "refurbished" crankshaft off of ebay work? Or, would an SBT refurbished crankshaft be a safer bet?

Opinions vary, I'm in the camp that SBT's 20-107 787 crankshaft is fine, both of my skis were rebuilt with this crank. They send you the crankshaft via fedex with a return label, you drop your old one in the box and drop off and you're done. The SBT reman crank is trued, new seals, new bearings and the pins are welded so you won't get any crank twist later. There's been some debate about the bearing quality SBT uses, but I'm told they have a better supplier now.

No issues on my skis, and my 18 yr old and I push them pretty hard, if I get 150 hrs or 5 yrs I'm happy.

To each as own, some will tell you only get a new OEM, but I definitely wouldn't buy a used one.