1999 yamaha waverunner 1200xl purchase

Note: This site contains eBay affiliate links for which SeaDooForum.com may be compensated
Status
Not open for further replies.

NIL8er

Active Member
Im looking at one to buy . has 70 hours all seems good gonna test it on the lake on friday. Are there any specific issues i should look for on this particular ski? he had told
me if he rides it for longer than a half hour then shuts it off , when restarting it you have to use the choke??? it also is just a bit tricky to start initially.
 
The Yamaha 800, 1200, and 1300 all had VERY short lives. Personally... unless it's cheap... I wouldn't touch it.

Knowing that engine... the rear cyl (PTO) is probably already on it's way out. I would take a compression gauge with me, to check it.
 
dont know how i missed this , but thanks for the info . I bought it before i saw this . Forgot i posted it on here. it runs really well. Had it out today. got it up to 50mph, should go faster i think, but seems like needs some carb work. Will stall at half throttle after a couple hours riding, and need to choke it some for about 2 minutes then she gone again until i turn it off and sit for a bit then repeat.
 
anyway didnt mention po rebuilt entire motor at like 30 hours because an oil line came off and he didnt notice until too late. so motor has like 50 hours. Why would this motor need rear piston work at such low hours???
 
for the love of all things holy don't buy that ski... I just sold mine and by sold I mean almost gave it away... The motors in them are trash and very expensive to work on and maintain I had to rebuild mine 2x dropped a power valve in 1 cyl and second time it tossed a bearing. also oil lines from pump to motor dry and shrink and fall off and starve motor. I just sold mine after 3 years of messing with it and several thousand bucks mine was 99 yama ltd 1200
 
anyway didnt mention po rebuilt entire motor at like 30 hours because an oil line came off and he didnt notice until too late. so motor has like 50 hours. Why would this motor need rear piston work at such low hours???
they make something called wave eater clips google them and get them if your gonna keep that ski
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A few weeks ago I saw a guy on the water having problems with his (bogging, no power). Do a compression check.
 
well after some quick research it appears that the oil lines shrink and starve the rear cylinder of oil thats why they fail, this is apparently a well known issue Yamaha was aware of and never did any recall or service bullitin.all that has been rectified on this ski, so im probably good . hopefully. Any other known problems?
 
ok clips in , catalytic converter gone, oil lines changed, motor rebuilt top and bottom. but today while riding , ran well but one time the throttle stuck , i hear this is a common problem that requires new carbs. Any input on this?
 
New carbs because of a stuck throttle? Check your linkage to carbs. You can also disconnect the cable to the carbs and check how much resistance the throttle cable has and try to lube it up or get a new one.
 
phew just talked with PO . He had clips put on with rebuild
Glad you already have clips that will keep power valves from dropping into cyl. I don't want to be negative so really do hope you have much better luck with yours then we did. The oil lines do shrink and pop off were yours replaced or was oil pump blocked off and now you pre mix?
 
Wellllll..................




The bigger Yamaha engines are actually very good. The issue is... Yamaha fell into the trap of the EPA, and specs out a TC-w3 oil. If you drain the tank... purge the system... and run a good synthetic API-TC oil... it will run a nice long life. (just like Seadoo's will)
 
Wellllll..................




The bigger Yamaha engines are actually very good. The issue is... Yamaha fell into the trap of the EPA, and specs out a TC-w3 oil. If you drain the tank... purge the system... and run a good synthetic API-TC oil... it will run a nice long life. (just like Seadoo's will)

im using Penzoil marine premium plus, , synthetic blend 2 cycle engine oil, it is tc-w3, so no good?
 
New carbs because of a stuck throttle? Check your linkage to carbs. You can also disconnect the cable to the carbs and check how much resistance the throttle cable has and try to lube it up or get a new one.

thats what i was thinking unless, referring to worn or swelling throttle plate bushings?
 
im using Penzoil marine premium plus, , synthetic blend 2 cycle engine oil, it is tc-w3, so no good?


Simply put... NO !


TC-w3 is an environmental oil. It's safer for the fish. They took out all the metal aditives that help support the heat, and pressures that a PWC engine produces. It simply CAN NOT support the power.


The 1200 cc Yamaha puts out 155 hp. That's almost 130 hp/L AND... it can spin upward of 8000 RPM.

TC-w oils are meant for low output/low RPM OUTBOARD ENGINES. Most are well under 100 hp/L. Even the 240 hp merc engine in my Islandia (basically an outboard power head) is only 96 HP/L, and most are less than that. And most of them are under 6000 RPM.


the 760 is the largest Yamaha PWC engine that could SAFELY use a TC-w3. Yamaha spec'ed that oil because it kept the EPA happy, and the engine would generally last long enough to not be a worry to them. (ie, out of warranty)


Back in the day... seadoo switched to TC-w oils... but after one year... they switched back. ('89/'90) Polaris did the same thing. In the mid 90's... they switch to TC-w3 for the new "Domestic" engine. After a bunch of failures (under warranty) they switched back to API-TC oils.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wow , OK appreciate that $ 2000 info. So drain and flush oil system. Refill with what oil . who labels it. Castrol. Mobil, Penzoil? Best way to flush out current oil?
 
Basically any oil you can run in your seadoo.

Rotax XPS

Quicksilver PWC

Citgo Mystic 2-stroke.

and so on. Just read the label. If it says... TC-w3... put it back on the shelf.
 
whats proceedure for draining oil . PS i just filled it . Draining tank should be easy. Is it acceptable to drain old oil, then fill oil tank with API TC oil and just let the old oil run its course theough lines and carb, or is this a bad idea?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
thats what i was thinking unless, referring to worn or swelling throttle plate bushings?
STOLE THIS FROM ANOTHER FORUM.

the sticky throttle shafts are technically non-servicable. According to Yamaha, you fix this problem by replacing the carbs. Honestly, i'm surprised there hasn't been a recall on this, since they had a recall on the throttle cable thing.

Take out the carbs. Take off the linkage on the bottom of the carbs, remove the springs and arms on the bottom of the throttle shaft. Take a heat gun to the top and bottom of the throttle butterfly where the shaft goes through the carb body. Do not use a torch for this. I don't want anybody blowing their face off. There is gas in those things, a heat gun is dangerous enough. Heat up the carbs one at a time with the heat gun and manipulate the throttles individually to see which one(s) is / are binding. This will allow you to identify which ones need fixing and which ones don't.

On the carb(s) that need fixing: Grind the threaded end off the screws on the throttle butterfly, remove the screws, and carefully remove the throttle blade, noting the correct orientation. Once this has been removed the shaft should pull right out. If you don't grind off the end of the screws, you will break screws and you will have to drill them out, which means you will probably damage the throttle shaft. Don't do this. Remember, non-serviceable part. F it up, you have to buy a new carb (which is officially the only way to fix it anyway).

Take the screws to the local "good" hardware store / bolt supply store. Around here it's suburban bolt and supply. Aco, Ace, Tru Value probably won't have these. They are metric and they are tiny (3mm x 0.5mm pitch x 7mm Long Flat head) . Pick up a bunch of new ones. Twice as many as you need, in case you lose a couple or strip a couple. Make sure the new ones are as long as the old ones were before you started grinding on them.

Before reassembling the carbs, take some sandpaper and sand the throttle shafts lightly in the area where they were binding. You will be able to see marks on the throttle shaft in the correct area. Also sand the carb body where the throttle shaft runs through. Sand it down a little, sand it some more with a real fine grit so that it's not a rough surface, and test fit it. Hit it with a heat gun again and see if it still binds. If so, sand more. If not, you're ready to reassemble. Eventually, you'll be able to get it good and hot with no binding. That's when it's fixed. Don't take too much off though, you don't want any play in this area, only enough clearance for the bushing to expand with heat, without binding.

Put a good coating of grease on the throttle shaft in the areas where it goes through the carb body. Maybe put some grease in the holes in the carb body too. Put the throttle shaft back in. Make sure you don't have grease on the holes where the throttle blade screws on. Reinsert the throttle blade, making sure the holes are lined up properly and the blade is oriented correctly. Make sure the throttle operates smoothly. Install new screws, using loctite 271, the high strength red stuff. Or the permatex equivalent, permatex 27100. Make sure you have plenty on the threads, but not so much on there as to interfere with the operation of the throttle. Once the screws are in and tight, booger up the threads that are protruding through the other side. Use a screwdriver or pair of pliers to deform the threads so the screw can't back out. Be very careful not to bend the throttle blade in the process.

That's it. Now just reassemble and reinstall and you should be good to go. If you sanded enough off the throttle shaft and out of the hole in the carb body, your sticky throttle will be fixed.

No need for a machine shop, no need for any new yamaha parts. Yamaha doesn't exactly support this repair, and like I said, that throttle butterfly is not a serviceable part.

Be aware that if those screws come loose, they go in your engine. Which is why you want to loctite them and booger the threads.
Last edited by OsideBill; 01-11-2009 at 09:17 PM.
 
ok so this starts up great runs great until idling or shut off after about half hour or so of use. THEN it needs choke feathering to go and will stall if half throttle for about 5 min then all is good again. Im thinking flooded carb and or cylinder from float and needle issues?? any input
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top