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Frustrated??? The Venting Thread

C

CReynoldsMIZ

Well-Known Member
Sometimes I just get so peeved of when working on my ski, i need to just let out my frustrations. This is a thread to vent your anger out on your ski. Im not sure if anyone will take part in this, but ill just start it off. I love seadoo's, but i freaking hate my ski. I swear that i bought the biggest lemon on all of craigslist. 96 gsx, I only take the damn thing to the lake to see if i fixed the problem that i encountered last time. To date (in 2 years of ownership): New top end TWICE, broken rave valves, VTS broken, starter solenoid, broken water regulator, 3 exhaust couplers, bastard nearly sunk once, more carb problems than one should ever have, freakin starter just went out after never having a problem, probably dropped more spark plugs and allen wrenches in the bottom of the damn thing than anyone would ever believe. UGHHHH, i just cant catch a break with this thing. I absolutely LOVE the power that the thing has when it is actually running right, but those times are few and far between. I feel like there are MANY more moving and maintenance parts on this thing than my dads Yamaha, it gets really frustrating watching him out there playing around when im standing by the trailer fixing my ski.
 
sorry to let you down but I love my seadoo !

just did a top end, after 18 months of absolutely nothing going wrong with it !
 
Just fixed my gts and then noticed that it was smoking heavily going back to the launch. Damn oil pump cable came off and the pump was running wide open. Used half a gallon of oil for maybe 5 gallons of gas.


I'm ok with that though, at least I haven't blown it up yet. I'm sure that's coming :)
 
well at least you know that the oil pump is working :cheers: i thought that the max output for the oil pump was 40:1? Which is what i run my ski at all the time since i run premix and it is never "overwhelmingly" smokey. Luckily i know a guy who sells parts so im getting an oem starter for 40 bucks...hope that puts me back in business
 
Looks like im following the same path purchased 98 gsxl end of last year. First time out fuel issues new lines and carbs rebuilt. Then beeper and switch for bilge pump went out. Battery then takes a crap. Vts rod breaks finally it runs good for 30 min then carbon seal spins on driveshaft. Doesnt move in the water and if bilge pump wasnt fixed it wouldve sank. Had to get towed (i know its not good on it) with my 94 tigershark that seems like it will never break. Pump is still sitting in my garage waiting to be put back in. Went ahead and replaced wear ring so i wouldnt have to next month. This has all happened in less then 5 hours of riding. I hate it when it breaks but the 30 min it was running good i loved it.
 
oh also i forgot to mention...last time i was at the lake, i realized that when my dad was backing the trailer in, that my vts connecting rod had DISAPPEARED from the nozzle. Seriously?!?! I think I am cursed...what a sight it was watching me jimmy rig a waverunner trailer connecting rod to hold the nozzle in a halfway decent position with one zip tie and a metal coat hanger holding it on there. Matter of fact it is still on there lol i must get a picture for everyone to see
 
im with u on the frustration.i bought my wife a 98 xpL for her birthday.sank it for various reasons the first 5 times we used it! finally got that one ironed out. still afraid every time we use it.btw,the vts rod snapped n it worked ok for 2 days without it.
then she "borrowed"her bosses ski.ran great for 4 hours. im now in the process of getting and replacing the engine.i didnt know it but he had NEVER serviced anything on it.wont do that again!
 
Wow, and I thought mine were killing me. This turning into a pep talk for me. I have gotten in six hours ride time on mine, maybe. Then I lost a wear ring, drive shaft and pto. Now I am rebuilding carbs, ripping out fuel lines, filters, valves, cleaning tanks, fixing gauges & beepers, and likely changing out oil, lines and filters instead of playing on the water! But maybe this will net some fun before the girls go back to school. If I am lucky... I'll ride 'em til I'm freezing.
 
donkey said:
im with u on the frustration.i bought my wife a 98 xpL for her birthday.sank it for various reasons the first 5 times we used it! finally got that one ironed out. still afraid every time we use it.btw,the vts rod snapped n it worked ok for 2 days without it.
then she "borrowed"her bosses ski.ran great for 4 hours. im now in the process of getting and replacing the engine.i didnt know it but he had NEVER serviced anything on it.wont do that again!
Click to expand...

ouch... am i reading right that it broke down (the borrowed ski?) and your replacing the engine for him at your cost ? be prepared for the engine to not be the only problem if this has been neglected :( your about to get bent over a barrell, or well for good humor... this pic might explain whats about to happen to you...

221.jpg




ya,, definitely not borrowing anything, even a pencil from that boss :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ya that is pretty rough...my friends brother has a set 97 gsi and 97 gti...he says that we can borrow them whenever we want. i dont even want to touch them because i know it still has the grey fuel lines and dont want to be responsible for a new engine when it goes. I need to remind him to get those things gone and a new oil filter on them asap. oh so im trying to put a new starter on my 787 today. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO MAKE IT SO DIFFICULT TO REACH THESE BOLTS!!! I need hands like an octopus to be able to reach that bottom one
 
and THATS why I never loan out my ski... or borrow one unless i'm really really in a pinch :)

ya, those starter bolts... hahahaha, you need monkey arms :)
 
Another day on the lake, and I had some anchor trouble. Ended up with a big chunk of the hood taken off of one. The main vts thru hull plastic rod broken when the pump nozzle of the other ski landed on the hood of the other.

Cheap fix, little cosmetic damage...and I'll be on the lake again this weekend to break some other stuff :)
 
Fuel system or WTF-ever...

Ski died on the lake. Will crank like crazy, no fuel? Doing a bunch of stuff now, still no joy.
-New fuel lines
-Carb cleaned by Doc
-Fuel tank drained/cleaned
-Fuel selector cleaned/operational
-Fuses ok, cranks good, good spark
Sill no start. Totally clueless.

&^#%!!

Looks like a trip to the shop may be in my future :(

Thanks for the opportunity to rant!
 
check the RV timing

colochoclab said:
Fuel system or WTF-ever...

Ski died on the lake. Will crank like crazy, no fuel? Doing a bunch of stuff now, still no joy.
-New fuel lines
-Carb cleaned by Doc
-Fuel tank drained/cleaned
-Fuel selector cleaned/operational
-Fuses ok, cranks good, good spark
Sill no start. Totally clueless.

&^#%!!

Looks like a trip to the shop may be in my future :(

Thanks for the opportunity to rant!
Click to expand...
 
this pic might explain whats about to happen to you...

221.jpg




ya,, definitely not borrowing anything, even a pencil from that boss :)[/QUOTE]

Hahah that pic is priceless... and in other news my starter wasnt bad, but didnt find that out until i already installed a "new" one. Damn selenoid, luckily i got a used part guy who gives me killer prices. still havent been able to get that second bolt in there...gunna need a second person
 
well.the guys in the shop are all cryin because of that pik!!
im just putting a motor in it. i told him about all the stuff that caused it to happen.(tcw3 mean anything to you?)grey lines.broken inj line,bailler tubes gone,wear ring worn.carb clogged up with "the goo".
he told me to return it to him running.no extra anything. sooo. i need a used 717 that will run.thats it.
 
I feel all of your pains...loll

It has been a world record for me that my ski has been out six weeks in a row without a problem....just waiting
 
donkey said:
well.the guys in the shop are all cryin because of that pik!!
im just putting a motor in it. i told him about all the stuff that caused it to happen.(tcw3 mean anything to you?)grey lines.broken inj line,bailler tubes gone,wear ring worn.carb clogged up with "the goo".
he told me to return it to him running.no extra anything. sooo. i need a used 717 that will run.thats it.
Click to expand...

glad to be of service lol life is too short to not giggle !
 
Now the stupid manifold small cooling line busted...always something!

420, that's one loud monochrome machine.
 
Honestly I haven't paid a lot of attention to this thread, but things seem to be slow tonight so I thought I would take a look.

Y'all know that a lot of the "problems" that you're experiencing are perfectly normal. When you buy a 15 year old ski for not a lot of money you can't expect perfection. A lot of the problems, like fuel lines, rebuilding carbs., rebuilding jet pumps, top end rebuilds, even replacing engines is to be expected.

When you buy an older ski it's a pig in a poke, sometimes you get lucky sometimes you don't. The two happiest days in a boat, or a PWC owner's life, is the day you buy it and the day you sell it. As Forest Gump said, "and that's all I got to say about that".

Lou
 
Aw, come on Lou, we bitch and moan but we still buy these things and patch 'em up just for the 30 min of rush...if it stays running that long?
 
Ya Lou, this isn't a "seadoo bashing thread". If my time of buying of buying toys had taught me anything, it is that land vehicles are more reliable than water vehicles. Engines on water just aren't as perfected as engines on land. I'm just pointing things out about our brand, because it is what I know.
 
I get it....these little fawkers are a PITA...they all are regardless of brand. And the random failures? OMG...

I had a cylinder go down the day before the forth...I just pulled it apart last night and the lower ring caught a port and chunked a piece of piston. Weirdest failure I have seen...I think the ring spun somehow.

Wrecked my Group K cut head and a piston....but the freaking cylinder doesnt have a scratch!


So...then I pull a used motor to use b/c my brother is coming to town. Got it out and of course...evidence of water in the mag housing. Knowing when you see that you really need to pull the mag cover and inspect the seal...I did so and found the crank seal failing. I polished the crank so the surface rust didnt rip the new seal, put a new seal in and got that together.

AND THEN....lol

I decided to swap the exhaust mani to one that was shaved down about a 1/4" on the engine side... apparently that was the big trick with the spec 1s back in the day and I happened to have one. Well...of course the bolts were 1/8" too long and needed to be cut. So I got that all done and I knew what was next...yup the pipe support bracket didnt line up any more. More modding to get that to bolt up.

AND THEN......

I start pulling my bad motor and realize I forgot the carbs I run need two pulse lines. FAWK!!! After partaking in some mood altering substances I realized the best way to do it w/o taking the motor apart. I took the intake off and could reach that area. So I took a shop towel and put some RTV and smeared it on there and mushed it into the area I was drilling. I then drilled the hole while a vacuum was going. Drilled through then pulled the rag out. The RTV caught all of the shavings! I then got a fresh rag and wiped it out one more time and came up with some RTV but ZERO shavings.


So BOOM...I am ready to install this dang motor finally. Well after I ship out a bunch of orders.
 
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