I'm reposting this thread to turn back on the images used to describe oil leaks on primarily to pre-1998 models. The principles are similar across any motorized vehicle (most of my experienced is based on cars).
Injection oil leaks commonly result in a hull full of oil.
The number one source of a leak is at the grommet (part#293720008) below the reservoir tank. It swells or hardens over time and becomes ineffective of sealing the bottom of the tank. It is super easy to replace - just pop off the fitting, replace and pop back on......might need to replace a few zipties as well.
For reference, I had to do this on my 1996 HX, a 1996 GTX, and a 1996 GSX back in 2007.
Another source is a split oil reservoir tank. It may be cracked either across the bottom at the molding seam, or along the mid-height seam (top and bottom halves). Possible solutions include resealing the tank, replacing the tank, or simply not filling the tank beyond the half-way mark (below seam). You should also check the filler hose and the clamp. The corrugated hose may have a hidden split in it. I have not run across this yet, but I can very easily imagine it.
In my case, I had already completed the above checks on a 1996 GSX and it still emptied a quart of oil into the hull again.
I had to remove the stock airbox to get to the oil fitting on the starboard side. The hose was already hardened and ready to split (although it hadn't started leaking yet).
For the port side oil fitting, the hose had completely hardened and turned out to be the source of my leak........lots of fun trying to get a gallon of oil out of the hull.
The picture below is the port side fitting with a NEW hose clamped on.
I will leave descriptions of "worse" leaks to the experts. These types of leaks are related to the crankcase itself or driveline.
Once you find the source of the leak, be sure to clean up the bilge! Here is a link with some useful tips to clean up the mess->http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?t=498
Phantom oil leaks can result from previous hull-full-of-oil events. The oil infiltrates the fiberglass at certain mounting points on the hull. So after you clean everything up, the mounting points (such as this ziptie mount) my seep oil.
Injection oil leaks commonly result in a hull full of oil.
The number one source of a leak is at the grommet (part#293720008) below the reservoir tank. It swells or hardens over time and becomes ineffective of sealing the bottom of the tank. It is super easy to replace - just pop off the fitting, replace and pop back on......might need to replace a few zipties as well.
For reference, I had to do this on my 1996 HX, a 1996 GTX, and a 1996 GSX back in 2007.
Another source is a split oil reservoir tank. It may be cracked either across the bottom at the molding seam, or along the mid-height seam (top and bottom halves). Possible solutions include resealing the tank, replacing the tank, or simply not filling the tank beyond the half-way mark (below seam). You should also check the filler hose and the clamp. The corrugated hose may have a hidden split in it. I have not run across this yet, but I can very easily imagine it.
In my case, I had already completed the above checks on a 1996 GSX and it still emptied a quart of oil into the hull again.
I had to remove the stock airbox to get to the oil fitting on the starboard side. The hose was already hardened and ready to split (although it hadn't started leaking yet).
For the port side oil fitting, the hose had completely hardened and turned out to be the source of my leak........lots of fun trying to get a gallon of oil out of the hull.
The picture below is the port side fitting with a NEW hose clamped on.
I will leave descriptions of "worse" leaks to the experts. These types of leaks are related to the crankcase itself or driveline.
Once you find the source of the leak, be sure to clean up the bilge! Here is a link with some useful tips to clean up the mess->http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?t=498
Phantom oil leaks can result from previous hull-full-of-oil events. The oil infiltrates the fiberglass at certain mounting points on the hull. So after you clean everything up, the mounting points (such as this ziptie mount) my seep oil.
