96 Bombardier SPI Questions for a new owner

[cnewman402]

Hi Everyone:

This is my first thread here so hello.

I have never owned a jetski before until a few months ago. I purchased a Sea.Doo but it came with no manual. Since I have found a manual with all the specifications, but I still got some questions.

1) Whats the oil to gas mixture rate?

I read some conversations and see people do not recommend cheap 2 stroke oil at common stores like Wal-Mart.
The gal I bought it from said she was using any 2 cycle but never said the ratio.

2) Any recommendations on what to buy and what not to buy as far as oil goes for this model?

Like I said its my first ski so I'm totally noob here. I did find this in the manual:

Fuel Type: Regular unleaded gasoline
Minimum octane no. 87

3) I noticed in some thread people talking about an SPI that had oil injectors! Now i'm sort of confused, as she told me to pre-mix. Has it been removed since?

4) The gas gauge does not work! Where can I find a replacement? Is it difficult to replace?

Im really at a loss with no paper work, and can only assume its a SPI because of the decals. I really want to learn more so I do not damage the PWC. I would like to know things like the engine size, top speed, and how far to angle the jet because it is adjustable, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Christopher Newman

 

[Dr Honda]

Wecome.



1) If your ski has had the injection system removed... you will mix 40:1

2) You need an API-TC oil. NEVER put a TC-w3 oil in a seadoo.

3) The last owner may have removed the system. If they did... you still need oil going to the rotary valve gears. SO... you need to figure out what they did exactly before you kill the engine. We see it all the time where the oil system is removed, and the gears die because people don't know what they are doing when they modify things. FYI... seadoo's oil injection is SUPER reliable, so there is no reason to remove it.

4) eBay is your best bet. BUT... you need to figure out if the gauge is bad... or the sender is bad. Normally, the float goes bad, and sinks to the bottom. 95% of the time, you replace the float, and it will work again.

 

[cnewman402]

Thanks for the advice, ill rep if its enabled. To follow up I took it to the local ski shop here, and everything is in tact. In fact it does not need a mixture in the gas. Some oil was put in it, and the previous owner was mixing I think. It explains the smoke when I tested it, but it will be fine.

From what he says I got a decent deal on the overall price. What he said he would value it at private party, was about $250 less than what I paid for it so, im happy overall. Again thanks for the advice.:thumbsup:

 

[mikidymac]

As a new owner there are a few things you need to verify on that ski for us before you ride into the sunset. BTW: I just went through a 1996 SP.
1. You can still download the owners manual for free online if you search for it.
2. Are your fuel lines gray or black? Gray = bad, black = good.
3. If you look down near the base of the carb you will see two little lines the size of a small coffee stir stick, one infront of the carb and one at the back of the carb. Actually they run from the oil pump on the manifold under the carb to the intake manifold where it bolts to the engine. Are those lines clear or are they painted white? They need to be changed about every two years because they get hard with age and can break. When they brake your engine no longer receives oil and Boom. If they are painted white they are origional from 1996.

 

[cnewman402]

Everything looks good, but you never can be too sure. I appreciate the feedback and education both of you. Just to be safe I'll get some new ones before I store it this winter and wait to put them on, or jot myself a note so I don't forget.