Hello everyone.
I am writing this because of several reasons:
So that my experiences will not be lost and maybe some out there, other than me, can learn from them.
and besides that, I just need to ventilate and my girlfriend is sick of me talking about the Doo.
In the spring of 2012 I decided that now was the time for me to buy a PWC. - it had long been a dream of mine, but because of several reasons it had never been possible.
I am a student with 3 years left before I graduate. (Marine Engineering) and funds were an issue
-PWC's was illegal here in Denmark until 2010 - because of some law passed in the late 80's, when PWC's were booming, and people thought they were to noisy ect.
But now was the time, and the next question was, which PWC.
A brand new of a known make was out of the question since they cost more than 20.000$ (converted) here i Denmark.
I could import a brand new "Hison Seajet" from china for about 6.000$ - but they had a baaaaad rep.
so I decied that would go with a used one from a know make - eg. Seadoo.
I didn't know much about them and I was about to find out, that I should have done some more homework on the topic.
Found a Seadoo GSX-L 1999 with a newbuild engine, on an unregistered, non road legal trailer for 5.000$ (converted)
Engine was rebuild because the the ski had been sunk after a leaky VTS - they said that everything inside the engine was new, and the cylinders had been drilled to oversize by a professional company.
the seller was a auto mechanic and seamed very trustworthy. they had not run it since the rebuild only test started it.
it had 89 hours on the clock. it started fine, and rev'ed fine too.
bought it and took i home (across the country to my birth island of Bornholm) a trip of 400km (250 mil.)
Then I started doing the research on the ski (I know - should have done it before I bought it)
and learned all about the gray fuel line ect. - but I didn't mind, I like to work on stuff like this even though the lines are a pain to mount on the fuel baffle.
- Changed the lines
- cleaned the selector
but did not have the patience and courage to tackle the carbs just yet.
-While working on it, I soon discovered that the intake grate was missing, bolts broken off.
-Oil tank full of green outboard oil
-Serial no. plate missing
-one thread in exhaust manifold broken
-throttle cable - oil pump pice broken, and not pulling oil pump
-rear electrical box had takin water and everything inside was covered in rust.
Changed the oil, fixed the thread with Time Sert™ (very expensive here i Denmark, but did the job A+)
Got on the water for the first time, hoping to start the brake-in of the new build engine the same day.
Took in water from the holes of the missing serial no plate ( took me the whole day to locate the leak)
next day: on the water, starts fine but wont rev, totally boog's down. - but I could make it rev while mingling with the choke - therefore I thought it was a question of carb adjustment, and started doing so.
the next day, while on the water "adjusting" carbs and had to keep starting since i constantly killed it, it gave me a 12V low. - I thought that was ok, since I was using a lot of power to start it constantly. took it home charged the battery to the next day.
next day: after only a short time, got the 12v low again and could not start it, and had to paddle back to the dock. - still no progress on the "carb adjustments"
took it home started it up on the hose, and measured the charging voltage... there was none! - thought maybe I can live with out it, but first i would make it rev on water.
charged the battery - went on water again - after a shutdown, i wouldn't start again.
Starter spinning, but not engaging.
Called it a season, took the Seadoo to my dads shop, pulled the engine.
opened the MAG cover - looked inside what was a bloodbath of rust - stator wires completely rusted off.
bendix was shot, totally worn out.
Found a hole in the bottom end housing that had been welded (someone tried starting it after it had been sunk, without venting it??!:thumbsup
Then I ran out of time and it was the end of my summer holiday from school-
So this is where i am now. - back in my apartment in Copenhagen 100 km away from the island where the seadoo is.
Bought a new bendix, stator and a carb rebuild kit, since i might as well do i properly since i have all winter and the engine is pulled.
and i really hope the reason for it not to rev on water is a carb rebuild fix.
Still need to find out what to do with the intake grate.
but hey! what more can go wrong? (dont tell me) - when summer arrives I might have a seadoo that has been renovated from one end to the other, and now I know that everything is made properly. besides I have learned so much about this ski, that I feel like that I can fix everything my self.
If there is a point to this story, it must be: That this forum is an indispensable tool for - to-be owners of seadoo's as well as current owners.
I should have read a lot more before buying a ski, and you guys have helped me so, so much... and you didn't even know it! - until now.
My deepest thank you .
I am writing this because of several reasons:
So that my experiences will not be lost and maybe some out there, other than me, can learn from them.
and besides that, I just need to ventilate and my girlfriend is sick of me talking about the Doo.
In the spring of 2012 I decided that now was the time for me to buy a PWC. - it had long been a dream of mine, but because of several reasons it had never been possible.
I am a student with 3 years left before I graduate. (Marine Engineering) and funds were an issue
-PWC's was illegal here in Denmark until 2010 - because of some law passed in the late 80's, when PWC's were booming, and people thought they were to noisy ect.
But now was the time, and the next question was, which PWC.
A brand new of a known make was out of the question since they cost more than 20.000$ (converted) here i Denmark.
I could import a brand new "Hison Seajet" from china for about 6.000$ - but they had a baaaaad rep.
so I decied that would go with a used one from a know make - eg. Seadoo.
I didn't know much about them and I was about to find out, that I should have done some more homework on the topic.
Found a Seadoo GSX-L 1999 with a newbuild engine, on an unregistered, non road legal trailer for 5.000$ (converted)
Engine was rebuild because the the ski had been sunk after a leaky VTS - they said that everything inside the engine was new, and the cylinders had been drilled to oversize by a professional company.
the seller was a auto mechanic and seamed very trustworthy. they had not run it since the rebuild only test started it.
it had 89 hours on the clock. it started fine, and rev'ed fine too.
bought it and took i home (across the country to my birth island of Bornholm) a trip of 400km (250 mil.)
Then I started doing the research on the ski (I know - should have done it before I bought it)
and learned all about the gray fuel line ect. - but I didn't mind, I like to work on stuff like this even though the lines are a pain to mount on the fuel baffle.
- Changed the lines
- cleaned the selector
but did not have the patience and courage to tackle the carbs just yet.
-While working on it, I soon discovered that the intake grate was missing, bolts broken off.
-Oil tank full of green outboard oil
-Serial no. plate missing
-one thread in exhaust manifold broken
-throttle cable - oil pump pice broken, and not pulling oil pump
-rear electrical box had takin water and everything inside was covered in rust.
Changed the oil, fixed the thread with Time Sert™ (very expensive here i Denmark, but did the job A+)
Got on the water for the first time, hoping to start the brake-in of the new build engine the same day.
Took in water from the holes of the missing serial no plate ( took me the whole day to locate the leak)
next day: on the water, starts fine but wont rev, totally boog's down. - but I could make it rev while mingling with the choke - therefore I thought it was a question of carb adjustment, and started doing so.
the next day, while on the water "adjusting" carbs and had to keep starting since i constantly killed it, it gave me a 12V low. - I thought that was ok, since I was using a lot of power to start it constantly. took it home charged the battery to the next day.
next day: after only a short time, got the 12v low again and could not start it, and had to paddle back to the dock. - still no progress on the "carb adjustments"
took it home started it up on the hose, and measured the charging voltage... there was none! - thought maybe I can live with out it, but first i would make it rev on water.
charged the battery - went on water again - after a shutdown, i wouldn't start again.
Starter spinning, but not engaging.
Called it a season, took the Seadoo to my dads shop, pulled the engine.
opened the MAG cover - looked inside what was a bloodbath of rust - stator wires completely rusted off.
bendix was shot, totally worn out.
Found a hole in the bottom end housing that had been welded (someone tried starting it after it had been sunk, without venting it??!:thumbsup
Then I ran out of time and it was the end of my summer holiday from school-
So this is where i am now. - back in my apartment in Copenhagen 100 km away from the island where the seadoo is.
Bought a new bendix, stator and a carb rebuild kit, since i might as well do i properly since i have all winter and the engine is pulled.
and i really hope the reason for it not to rev on water is a carb rebuild fix.
Still need to find out what to do with the intake grate.
but hey! what more can go wrong? (dont tell me) - when summer arrives I might have a seadoo that has been renovated from one end to the other, and now I know that everything is made properly. besides I have learned so much about this ski, that I feel like that I can fix everything my self.
If there is a point to this story, it must be: That this forum is an indispensable tool for - to-be owners of seadoo's as well as current owners.
I should have read a lot more before buying a ski, and you guys have helped me so, so much... and you didn't even know it! - until now.
My deepest thank you .
