GTI LE RFI - usual protocol for flipping and maintenance

[cardaz]

Hey guys, my cousins and i are new jet ski owners and users, and this GTI LE RFI is our family's first PWC

just wondering what the protocol should be when we flip our watercraft? like which direction it has to go, how to do it, and whether we should start it afterwards or not?

and also, for maintenance purposes, when flushing the engine, should water be provided before or after ignition?

thanks guys

 

[LouDoo]

Hi and welcome to the SeaDoo forum, and congratulations on your new ski.

Thanks for posting, I just learned something today, I didn't realize that SeaDoo still put a 2-stroke in a ski in 2005.

Anyway to answer your question there should be a decal affixed to the transom of your ski with a pictorial of the procedure for up-righting your ski. I am attaching a picture of what it looks like. And yes it is affixed upside down, so that you can read it when the craft is upside down in the water.

If the sticker is missing you can order a new one by clicking "Parts" at the top of this page, the price is nominal, and can be mailed in a regular envelope.

All that being said the GTI is a very stable ski and you may never filp it, but as my third grade teacher said, never say never. I have an older GTI and have never flipped it but I ride in a lake and you probably ride in the ocean. I have however flipped my 96XP on more than one occasion.

For flushing the engine the proper procedure is start the motor, turn on the hose, to stop is reverse, turn off the water then stop the engine.

If you don't have one you should download an owner's and service manual. You can get them for free by joining as premium member of this site (you only need to join for one month). I'm not going to lie to you, you can probably find one elsewhere on the internet.

Lou

I apologize for the poor quality of the picture, it's still dark here. You can find it in the owner's manual also.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Holy CRAP!!! a newbie asking THE holy grail of questions BEFORE wrecking the motor!!! Nice!

Typically most noobs flip it, get water in the motor from flipping it the wrong way, then leaving it on the trailer for a month before trying to fix it. Crank rusts....then you got a engine rebuild to do.

I will add to Lou's picture of the decal; dont look at his picture and just assume yours is the same. If the pipe runs down the right side of the hull, it gets flipped the opposite direction. RFIs and 951s for sure...there maybe a couple more I am forgetting.

If you do get water in the motor it is EXTREMELY important to get it out...sameday if possible. Pull plugs and shoot all water out you can with the starter. Use some mixed gas down the plug holes to get it to fire. Then once running take it out and run it hard for 15-20mins or more to evaporate all water. Then fog the motor heavily before letting it sit.

 

[cardaz]

thanks a whole lot guys, you have potentially saved me and my cousins from certain tragedy! haha

well, i only ask, firstly because yes, i was curious, and i think it is something every ski owner and operator should know, but also because i was speaking the previous owner of our ski, and he was telling me about one of the last times he used it, he flipped it, then claimed to have flipped it the right way as dictated by the decal, but when he got back on it, it wouldnt start...he seems pretty experienced, so he says there was no water in the engine, and that he clean it out and stuff, but stilll...
as a result, when we got it the first thing we did was give the whole thing a total clean out and check up, and my uncle is a bit of a revhead himself, so he had a few helpful tips, but i thought i should consult the pros before proceeding haha

ok, so what would your recommendations be if, hypothetically, ski gets flipped, we get it right side up, wont start....should we try and do all this on the water? or 100% get towed out and do it at home?? sounds stupid, but it seems like a bit of a mood killer on the day haha

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

after a flip it will be hard to start, even if you flip it back the correct way... I find use of the choke and throttle while starting to help, but yours is RFI so I'm not positive it would have the same effect...

towing your ski leads to other problems as well, it forces water into the exhaust system, while the engine is off, which means it can go backwards and enter the engine, causing all sorts of damage.

Isn't a jet ski FUN?!

Flipping a GTI will actually take a bit of work, they are very stable craft, usually you will fall off before it tips.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

On the water or off...just get it started. I think on the RFIs you hold the throttle wide open before placing the DESS key on the post to keep the injectors from turning on.

I think you can DL operators manuals off the BRP website.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

one thing I'll stress regarding Flipping a ski,,, which IMO is very difficult unless your riding hard in surf its very difficult to do...

IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF FALLING OFF THE SKI... LET GO OF THE FKN HANDLEBARS !!!

the people that are most likely to flip a ski IMO, are people that are new to ski's, they feel themselves start to tip over (generally during a low speed or idle speed turn) is they panic, and get a death grip on the handlebars and flip the boat over as they fall off the boat and take it down with them.

rule #1... if you think your going to fall off, let go of the handlebars, fall into the water, the ski will be sitting there upright and waiting for you while you dog paddle back to the ski and climb on. The captain may go down with the ship, but the captain should never take the ship with him if he's going down.

Rule #1a... this should probably be rule #1, find an experienced rider in your area that is willing to take you out, show you the ropes, teach you some riding basics, good places to ride, and proper maintenance procedures for your model of ski. You can and will learn a tremendous amount by reading forums, but there is no substitute for 10 minutes of face time with an experienced rider teaching you the basics. If you don't know anybody, approach the next guy you see on a ski and ask for help, most pwc owners are very willing to spend a few minutes with you, to help out the pwc community. (I've helped no less than a dozen newbie owners over the past year or so even if it was simply suggesting some good places to launch.

If not for my brother in law, I would have filled my ski with water during my first flush, sank my ski on my 2nd ride cuz i had the drain plug out, bottomed out on several sand bars because I was unfamiliar with the ride area, and gotten a ticket or 3 for parking without paying the parking fee's...not to mention the tickets he saved me by pointing out the no wake zones :thumbsup:

Rule #2,,, if at all possible, and especially with a new rider and a ski that is new to you, is never ever ride alone. Have a tow rope or two handy, and some basic tools, even if its just some zip ties, and a set of vice grips to clamp off the intake line before you get towed, knowing which line that is is also important.

You have a LOT to learn, don't cut corners in the learning process,or you'll regret it...

ask lots of questions, we're bored, and its cold outside, so we have time to answer them

 

[Minnetonka4me]

one thing I'll stress regarding Flipping a ski,,, which IMO is very difficult unless your riding hard in surf its very difficult to do...

IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF FALLING OFF THE SKI... LET GO OF THE FKN HANDLEBARS !!!

How could I forget that!!! I say it like 1000 times a summer!

Oh...and my murphy's law...carry a tow rope...then you will never need one.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

love it. that's the first thing I have to tell everyone. FALL OFF. it hurts WAY less than trying to hold on for dear life as you smack your legs / head on fiberglass... just JUMP.

Also, I 2nd carry the tow rope. we found a small double hook one at bass pro, for towing a tube, then removed the center clip, and it works great!

 

[bigJake]

. [/B] Have a tow rope or two handy, and some basic tools, even if its just some zip ties, and a set of vice grips to clamp off the intake line before you get towed, knowing which line that is is also important.
QUOTE]

maybe a helpful suggestion - I borrowed some nail polish from Sis and put a dot on the hose that needs to be clamped off when towing. That way when you are in "panic mode" about your ski sinking, you don't have to think about it and get it wrong.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I hate it when my ski is sinking!

Also, stop lying, you know that's your nail polish!

 

[Minnetonka4me]

It can happen...but I'll tell you I've towed my machine plenty of times w/o blocking that hose and never had it fill up.

Tip: a sparkplug will fit in that hose...take the hose off the head, take the spark plug out, and clamp it in the hose.

 

[cardaz]

alright, so when you guys say exhaust, do you mean the water outlet, which, on my ski, is on the front left side of the hull? or something else? haha

and honestly, you guys have helped us out so much...i mean, we may be just amateur australian surf riders, but i genuinely feel that in our first couple of runs over the last few days, without your help, we would have been in a HEAP of trouble and my brother managed to flip it, but i followed your instructions and managed to get it up on the beach, took plugs out and blew water out got it started and rode it hard for about 15 mins...was i right? havent seen any problems so far, but i figure any serious issues wont be noticeable immediately??

 

[Minnetonka4me]

no...the big hole on the back of the ski. Where the exhaust goes thru the hull.

 

[cardaz]

ok, well forgive my ignorance fellas, but how will that fill when being towed? is it due to the water being displaced from the bow and swirling in through the back?
i know from our flipping experience the other day, our ski got towed for about 200m, and we didnt find any excess of water in the engine compartment, aside from what could be expected from the flip i suppose...again, we are very green, but it didnt seem TOO unusual...only took about 5-10 mins to get it started again

and also, i know my lust for details might get annoying guys, and im sorry, but i only do it because id love to be like you guys someday i think my cousins and i have the passion for the sport, now we just need the experience haha