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1997 Seadoo GTX new to me

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Norecoil

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Hi new guy here. I just purchased a 1997 Seadoo gtx from a friend for $500. She hasn't used it since 2004 and it has 54 hrs on it.
I replaced the battery and added some gas to see if it cranked and it ran like a top.

I have done the following so far.

I have replaced all the old grey fuel lines. Replaced the water lines, rebuilt the rave valves, repaired the oil tank seam leak, did the diode bypass on the sending unit. Replaced sparkplugs.

I took it out and it ran great until a leak appeared in the zinc exhaust water jacket. I just got it back from the welder and I will install it this weekend.
The wear ring looks good and I don't see anything at this time to be concerned with.

Just wanted to stop by and say hello.
 
Welcome aboard, you'll quickly find this is the best forum out there for seadoo knowledge and just all around great people.

Sounds like you got an incredible deal on the GTX and have taken care of most known issues. The only thing I didn't see is if you rebuilt the carbs and replaced the fuel valve. If not, you'll want to rebuild both with genuine mikuni kits along with needles and seats. Check pop off pressure before reinstalling.

If carbs haven't been rebuilt you run the risk of the engine running lean and eating itself as those gray lines you replaced filled the carbs with sediment and green goo.
 
Thanks for the welcome. When she had it there was no fuel in it and it hadn't been run since 2004. I replaced the fuel filter as well as cleaned out the switch over valve.
I never thought about rebuilding the carbs.

Is there a post on this and a resource for the kits?

I have jetted a carb before but I don't know how hard it would be with dual carbs?
If it was clogged wouldn't I have issues with it running rough? I added a can of seafoam with the first gal of non ethonal and it sounds good.

Thanks
 
OK I found the kits and some videos on how to do it. Is there anything I should be aware of or is it just a straight forward swap part for part?
What is the pop off test you referred too?
Thanks again
 
Just make sure they are genuine mikuni kits. Aftermarket are junk the diaphragms aren't the same material and will cause you all kinds of tuning issues. I usually buy all mine from osdparts.com. I'm sure there are tons of videos, but yes you can replace part for part and there are a few passageways you need to clear out with carb cleaner.

Pop off checks the psi the needle "pops" off the seat. It's usually around 32 psi for a 787.
 
Since it hasn't been run since 2004, you may just tear the carbs down and see what you have. If they are relatively clean nd rubber parts still supple you may get by with a thorough cleaning.

I only say this because ethanol fuel wasn't as widely used in 04 as it is today. The ethanol in the fuel is what really wreaks havoc on the fuel system. If it were mine I'd do a full rebuild as its only about $110, but just giving you options.
 
For some reason replacement springs (for the pop off) seem to be very inconsistent. I would test the springs that are in the carbs now. If they are good reuse them.

As others said, use ONLY genuine parts. If you use aftermarket you will waste your time and money.
 
Norecoil said:
Thanks for the welcome. When she had it there was no fuel in it and it hadn't been run since 2004. I replaced the fuel filter as well as cleaned out the switch over valve.
I never thought about rebuilding the carbs.

Is there a post on this and a resource for the kits?

I have jetted a carb before but I don't know how hard it would be with dual carbs?
If it was clogged wouldn't I have issues with it running rough? I added a can of seafoam with the first gal of non ethonal and it sounds good.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Honestly, if it runs great I wouldn't think about rebuilding the carbs. If the fuel selector valve has no junk in it or didn't when you cleaned it out, I would run it too. The only thing I would think possibly about doing is removing the carbs because there is a little internal filter inside of it. If it gets clogged it could run lean. That being said, just a light cleaning should be fine, but if it runs good now, you may be fine. Idk. I go back in forth, I hate messing with something when it is already running good.
 
After having a few skis run great with pretty dirty carbs I don't leave anything to chance. Plus that's all I think about as I'm riding a newly purchased ski I haven't gone through yet even if PO claims they were rebuilt. For me it's worth the peace of mind, lol.
 
Ankeneyou said:
After having a few skis run great with pretty dirty carbs I don't leave anything to chance. Plus that's all I think about as I'm riding a newly purchased ski I haven't gone through yet even if PO claims they were rebuilt. For me it's worth the peace of mind, lol.
Click to expand...

+1. It is sad how many perfectly clean skis were trashed because a new owner didn't want to spend $100 to make sure the carbs were perfect.
 
I rebuilt both carbs and it runs great on the trailer. Took it out today and it seems to either hesitate or bog between 3000-4500 Rpm's. Then after that it takes off like a rocket.
Tried it again on the trailer at the house and it runs fine.
Any suggestions?
 
I did one better I rebuilt both raves. I did notice that both red screws are turned all the way in on the covers. It ran a top speed of 55 with the wife and I on it.
 
Is this a 951? I had a bog similar, and adjusting the throttle cable up top was my fix. Butterflies weren't opening like they should. The red caps on the RAVEs should be all the way in.
 
If it's a 787 I think the red cap should be flush with the cover, so I'd loosen them both a bit.
 
The rave caps are a rider preference. Flush is stock. Down keeps them from opening till a little later. Handy to tune to your riding style so your cruising or tube pulling speed is not on the activation point. Drives me nuts to be coming up and falling of the raves all the time.
 
If you ran 55 with you and the wife on it, I wouldn't touch the RAVE adjustment. What was your pop off set at? 30 - 32 psi is where you need to be on that engine. Pop off too high could cause the bog at around 3500-4000. How it runs on a trailer is completely irrelevant. The only way to truly test is in the water with a load on it. If it does 55 with two on it, I'd say your pretty close, just may need a little tweaking
 
When I rebuilt the carbs all I did was swap like part for like part. I never checked the pop offs. Can I check it with the carbs on the ski?
 
Unfortunately, you have to take the carbs back off to check/adjust. If you haven't already done so, read the sticky titled "carburetor adjustments" at the beginning of the 2 stroke forum. It is a must read before you work on these carbs. Very good info. After reading, I think you'll understand why I'm thinking it may be pop off too high. Hope this helps. BTW, I'm jealous. I cant get above 46 on my 96 GTX by myself. Still trying to dial that in
 
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