'97 GTI smokes more than 2000 RX...normal?

[bajaman123]

I fired up both machines briefly in the garage yesterday as I'd put new start switch buttons on and wanted to make sure it all worked right. I noticed that the '97 GTI smokes a LOT more than the 2000 RX. Is this 'normal'? Now granted, the previous owner had winterized them prior to my purchase and I suppose there could be some fogging oil or other residue burning off, but it concerns me some. As noted in a previous post, the '97 has excellent compression, blowing over 150 in both cylinders. I've not had either of them on the water yet so I have no idea how they run in use.
My wife and her family will likely be using these machines fairly often without me...I am just trying to make sure they have a fun, trouble-free experience when they use them.

As always, thanks in advance for information and advice.

 

[Luv2Camp]

Did you also get a pool of oil out of the exhaust? If it fogging oil, you will have some oil but most of it will smoke the garage out. If you have a puddle of oil, it is the seals and this is very common when they get older. There is a chance that when you run it the first day on the lake, the seals will swell and it will stop or lessen the oil leak. Can go many years like this. If it is the seals, you can clamp off or put a shut off valve on the oil bath feed line to stop it from draining further between rides or over winter. Need to remember to un-clamp the line though or you can smoke your engine if the bath runs dry. I hang my key around the shut off valve so I have to remember to turn it on each time I ride. If your wife is going to ride without you, I would be sure you have a floating marine radio and lean how to use it. (assuming you are in waters with coast guard, seatow or others that also use the VHF) It is not a matter of if it will break, it is just a matter of when!!!! Look at it this way... Eventually something is going to let go on any ski and I can assure you, it will not be while it is in your garage sitting on the trailer!!!!! Just comes with boating...

I use the Uniden Handheld Floating Two-Way VHF Marine Radio (MHS126) $110 on Amazon. It is the waterproof, ,floating VHF with NOAA, flashlight. Needed it last year when my motor blew a mile out from shore and was a nice feeling being able to get with coast guard and other boaters. Had a boater come tow us in.

 

[bajaman123]

Actually, when the previous owner started it up for me when I bought it, it puked a bunch of oily-water residue out the exhaust, enough to the point I asked him, "Is that normal?" I assumed that there would always be SOME oil residue in the exhaust (two stroke, after all) and that it mixed with the water from the exhaust. But this was a pretty significant amount.

 

[Luv2Camp]

My gut is most of that was oil and not water. The low ash oils for these are water thin to begin with so when it comes out of the exhaust it looks like black water. Sounds like the seal. Unless you are burping out oil pools every time you start it, I would just ride it and enjoy it. It will smoke a bit more, especially at start up but hey, it is a two stroke!!!

Here is the link for adding shut off valve to the RV oil bath line.

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?67859-Added-shut-off-valves-for-the-rotary-bath-lines

 

[Austrian Rotax]

while it makes sence putting in this shut off valve for the RV line dont you still run the risk of having a lean burn due to leaky crank seals? Im just wondering about if this is the best option if you are boating in a remote area you need reliability to some extent at least and this seems like a recipe for failure at who knows how far from your dock, anyone have any experience how many hours before it has a lean seize or burn up approximatly? I havent heard much about reliability for this as to how many hours the engine has left after this occurs.

 

[bajaman123]

Thanks, everyone...makes me feel better. I can't wait for my first day on the water!