changing oil, necessary? and do I need to bleed rotax?

[davebolo]

I recently picked up a 95 xp seadoo from a repo/salvage yard. The ski has about half a tank of oil in it. Seeing I have received no history about this ski, I do not know what type of oil is in it. Based on my experience with outboards, I do not think it is TC-3 as its not green or red like most tc-3s i know, but I dont know if its synthetic/XPS/Amtrol/etc, so I suspect its best I remove and start fresh. Yes?

The add-on questions I have is this. In removing the old oil, is it critical I need to get it all out of rotax as well?, as I would like to avoid having to bleed the system. Will/could the small amount that is left in the rotax if mixed with a different type really cause damage? If I do need to bleed, is it as simple as removing the bleed screw and cracking the motor for a bit? I also read that if it had synthetic, then I need to use synthetic going forward, and if it wasnt and I go to syntentic, then its critical I get all the old oil out. Bottomline, I am fearful of getting air in lines from improper bleed and screw up the ride...

any suggestion/help greatly appreciated

 

[pwgsx]

IF it were mine, I would drain it and change the oil filter and oil lines going from the pump to the intake. Remove the bleed screw until no air bubbles come out and re install. Make sure the 2 marks line up on the oil pump while you are working down there. Use a mirror and a flashlight for help. I would then add some premix to the "fuel in" line to the carb- I usually use a fuel IV bottle or put the line in a container of premix and start the ski holding the oil pump wide open with your hand. You will see the oil make its way thru the line and into the carb intake. Once all the air is out of the oil lines you are set.

 

[RodInEscondido]

Welcome to the best SeaDoo site. Snoop around and you will find almost all the answers; if not, fire out questions and someone will help.

What [MENTION=66596]pwgsx[/MENTION] said ... in addition:
yes, drain the oil from the rv gear chamber (connection from bottom of oil tank to connection under the carb(s).

If engine is 787/800 (rave valve) you will need full synthetic pwc (not outboard). Tag on mag cover (front of engine) will tell you about engine, or model number which may be on tag on rear of ski will lead to engine type indirectly.

If engine is 717/720 mineral will work fine and is much less expensive, but the full synthetic will work just fine

A lot of threads out here regarding the various brands of oil that seem to work fine, but you can never go wrong if in doubt to go with the SeaDoo brand.

To save a lot of grief with a new-to-you SeaDoo where you do not know history, peruse the numerous threads out here regarding fuel system: you are well advised to go through the entire fuel system and clean up/rebuild carb(s). Penalty is a lean-running engine which is pretty much guaranteed to destroy itself.

Check compression to give a basic idea of engine health. Personal experience has resulted in my owning multiple compression testers; do not make major decisions based on a single compression test.

btw: premix is 40:1

Post pictures, ask questions; a lot of very helpful and experienced folks here.

And, above all, have fun and enjoy learning about these machines.