99 GSX RFI a few questions

Note: This site contains eBay affiliate links for which SeaDooForum.com may be compensated

burtshaver2021

Premium Member
Premium Member
3D65FF1A-8CAB-4C97-91FF-B329711432BD.jpeggood day people, so I picked up this 99 GSX RFI last fall and just got it out on the water today, 16 degrees Celsius which is about 60 Fahrenheit, I actually like the cold weather riding, Anyways it ran really well and had no water coming in anywhere. A few concerns though, upon initial start up it idled around 2000 to maybe 2100 rpm, from all the reading I’ve done it should be idling around 1500 rpm on the water. So once I got out of the no wake zone it ran great, got up to around 6400 rpm or so no hesitation except for a fraction of a second when I was trying to find out top speed, it seemed to stutter for just a fraction of a second. My memory is terrible but I think the fastest I got up to according to the speedometer was 45 miles per hour, I could be wrong but I definitely remember seeing 45, on the way in through the no wake zone it again idled around 2000 rpm but when I shut it off and restarted it, it idled around 1800 rpm, should I be concerned with this higher than normal idle speed? Machine was awesome out of the hole.Once I got it home I did a compression test and it was about 160 pounds per side, seems a little high to me. There was no oil shooting out of the cylinders when I was compression testing and against my normal spring start up practice, it started right up so I don’t think it’s leaking any oil past inner seals. Normally I take the plugs out and roll it over just in case those seals let go during the winter. The machine has 184 hours on it, and it looks to me like the engine has been apart, at the very least the cylinder cover has been off. I’m thinking it was rebuilt and to thin of a base gasket was used making the squish smaller than it should be? Should I be concerned with the high compression? I was really impatient and ran the machine without draining the gas and putting fresh gas in, I also didn’t change the plugs and I did fog the engine during winterizing last fall so I’m hoping just some fresh fuel and new plugs will fix that fraction of a second sputter i felt. Question 3, anyone have any tricks or methods they use to drain the oil from the tank? I usually just use this turkey baster type tool I have to suck as much as I can out of the tank and then take the hose off at the filter. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Also thinking I should drain the pump oil? That should be done on any new to me machine correct? And then pressure test after it’s changed.
 
It was a good day and this machine has earned some love so tomorrow I think I will clean her up a little weather permitting
 
I just started it for 10 seconds out of the water and oddly is idling around 2800 to 2840 which almost right were it should be, should I be concerned with it idling around 2000 rpm in the water? And should I be concerned with what I consider abnormally high compression of 160 per cylinder?
 
EC6F78C7-7BA1-4F03-AD64-02696148DF28.jpegA7868F67-87A2-46C6-BEDB-E0A7BD1F9DD6.jpegso as I mentioned on Saturday the GSX RFI earned some loving. I took a couple of hours this evening to try and tackle the hood and handle bar pad that was badly moulded. I went at it with the bar keepers friend and a scouring Pad. Here are a couple of before picture
 
Your high compression could also be due to carbon buildup in the cylinder. It takes up room effectively raising your compression ratio. Looks like a nice ski.
 
That makes sense that it could be carbon build up? Especially since the po had some green 2 stroke oil in it. So many people just run anything in them which reminds me, I better clean the rave valves because they are probably all carboned up.
 
Back
Top