Checking back in 2 years later...

[RedAggie03]

Opened up this thread a couple of years ago: http://www.seadooforum.com/showthre...o-s-ready-for-the-water-95-amp-96-GTX-s/page2

With some help from the forums, I got both of my GTX's running pretty well. My 1996 GTX has been a rock and a great ski. Everything works and it starts and runs great.

The 1995 GTX with the 657x has been sh!t. I mean utter POS. I have put maybe 1 hour of riding in on it in 2 years and 20-30 hours of working on it.

I went to ride the 1995 this past weekend and it started up fine, but idled like it was missing, was spraying water from the exhaust manifold gasket, smoking, and leaving a oil sheen on the water. My parents say that a visitor had a hard time getting it running and worked on it some :banghead:

I have no idea. I want to offload it so bad and get another 1996-1997 GTX....

Well, the 1995 is going to the shop :facepalm: - I'm tired of working on it. If I can get it running well and get some hours on it, I might keep it - but I'm thinking it's going up for sale. Maybe $600-800 if I can get it all sorted?

Thanks everyone! :thumbsup:

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

They sometimes say the happiest days of a boaters life are the day he brings one home and the day he sells it.

However, I wish I had my 1995 back. Still regret the day I let that one go.

 

[RedAggie03]

Why's that? Is the 657x a good motor?

 

[soccerdad]

Honestly with the cost of repair labor by someone else, you may be better off cutting your losses. either part it out or sell it for a few hundred. Then this time of year more skis are going up for sale as the owners realize they didnt use them all season. Better prices starting soon. Find a 96-97 GTX for less than a grand and have fun. Just get one with good compression and a good MPEM.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I agree with soccerdad, taking one of these to a shop will not be cost effective, especially if you're not insanely committed to it.

I don't recall anymore if my bought new '95 was a 657 or 720 but that thing ran like a top and ran and ran with no problems, ever. I appreciate the simple motors for what they are (no RAVEs or balance shaft) despite they're not high performance or capable of 70MPH I loved mine for just tooling around it was great. And surprisingly I thought it did well keeping up with the other newer more powerful skis as the years passed.

 

[RedAggie03]

Honestly with the cost of repair labor by someone else, you may be better off cutting your losses. either part it out or sell it for a few hundred. Then this time of year more skis are going up for sale as the owners realize they didnt use them all season. Better prices starting soon. Find a 96-97 GTX for less than a grand and have fun. Just get one with good compression and a good MPEM.

That's what I'm thinking. I'd like a '96 GSX, but the lack of reverse kinda bugs me... I think I'm looking to off this '95 GTX for a '97 GTX...

 

[Mickirig1]

You have to fix one thing at a time. Your tune pipe gasket needs replaced. It's spraying water around, maybe on your spark plug wires causing them to misfire. A professional mechanic, will tell your the same thing. I get frustrated with my ski's when the have problems. Then I think about fixing them right. Most people could not or do not have the skills. I bought mine cheap and I can fix them cheap! The answer for the problem is out there find it !

 

[RedAggie03]

I agree, I'm just trying to see if this is a ski I should love or patch up and pass on in favor of a better ski...I mean I have a '95 and a '96 GTX and I like the '96 MUCH better....I'd be more willing to work on it.

 

[Mickirig1]

When you have tuned pipe off. Check the circles on it. They corrode through and leak. A good welding shop can replace them. Just rub your finger on them. Any roughness means they are close to having a hole bleeding water. Better to fix now then revisit the same job later. Make sure your bell crank on the oil pump has spring tension. It is easy to not get it right. Then it is feeding too much oil all the time. Also make sure the marks are lined up on the cable tension. It may not be idling right because the low speed and idle speed screws need adjusted. Low speed adjusted for smooth idle, then idle speed for correct idle speed. If it is a good condition ski and has good compression it is worth saving. If it runs good and functions. You get good money out of it. Winter is coming put some more work in it. You can step back and say I DID THIS, MY SKI !

 

[RedAggie03]

I've already been through the 1995 pretty good. Tanks emptied/cleaned, checked compression, replaced plugs, trimmed wires, checked charging system, replaced battery, fuel gauge fixed, cleaned out hull really well, rebuilt carbs (including replacing needles and filters), set idle/low speed to spec, replaced grey lines, replaced all oiling lines, replaced fuel selector, cleaned, replaced wear ring, anti-rattle cone, serviced pump, etc, etc, etc...It should be a SOLID running ski. I should say it WAS a solid running ski...The killer on this one is sitting...It's at the lake house sitting covered on the boat dock lift, but it doesn't get started and used much. I'm working on getting someone that is trained to come out and service everything weekly.

I actually did a write-up / how-to for starting and stopping the SeaDoo's for my parents and their friends that visit and use them, etc. Let me see if I can find a way to share it....

 

[JustSteve]

I think I found it:

1. Check drain plug in.
2. Attach lanyard.
3. Press red start button.
4. Depress black lever by right thumb.
5. Hang On.
6. When red light comes on, return to dock.
7. Press red stop button.
8. Step onto dock.
9. Grab margarita glass.
10. Take a sip.
11. Ponder whether you should be rinsing and flushing.
12. Go to step 10.