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Need some Advice on a Craigslist purchase.

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Forgot about the 96's....fully inspect/clean the RAVE valves, which the 657's and 717's dont have, but your 787 in the 96XP will have.
 
94seadoox_p said:
Forgot about the 96's....fully inspect/clean the RAVE valves, which the 657's and 717's dont have, but your 787 in the 96XP will have.
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So much more good advice, man I do love you guys lol (no homo). I am not sure how to do those things to be honest but I imagine that if I can put together a computer from the ground up I can probably do it with an engine. This is really good info, I have been googleing what you guys have told me to check for to know where it is at on the ski and have also been comparing pictures of rebuilt XP's so I know what exactly I am looking for when I actually go to check them out.

My biggest issue right now is riding, it's getting colder here in MI (as you mi people know) and I have pretty much came to the conclusion that if I cant ride it before I buy it, I am not buying it. Unless I pick one up at the auction in October.
 
not to be a downer but i go to that auction all the time to pick up parts ski's and everything there seems to be JUNK....and the worst part is you cant start them and 90% of the time they dont have a title...been there done that dont wanna go through that believe me
 
brock1 said:
not to be a downer but i go to that auction all the time to pick up parts ski's and everything there seems to be JUNK....and the worst part is you cant start them and 90% of the time they dont have a title...been there done that dont wanna go through that believe me
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I figured as much. My brother in law goes there all the time and I just wanted to see it. He went in september and was telling me a few skis that were in decent condition sold for under $1000 and they were relatively new. I have also been looking for a quad as well. My sister in law and brother in law (different brother in law) got a cabin up north in the Lewiston area and want the ski for East and West Twin lake and the quad for fun in the woods!

He did say someone picked up a single place trailer that was 3 years old, in great condition for $90.00. I figure it's no different than craigslist really. I would imagine a good majority of those are messed up and people are trying to get rid of them so they dont have to deal with the headache.. eh.. it is pretty far for me too.
 
nobody said you have to ride it all day and actually have fun doing it, you're test riding it, so you should focus on the driveability and diagnostic things that you can check in your 30 minutes to 1hr of riding. after you run the compression test while the engine is cold, take it out (borrow/buy a cheap wetsuit if you need to, if its a bit windy and choppy, ride directly into the wind or with it, to minimize the freezing cold spray blowing back in your face) once its warm, do a couple of idle-full throttle pulls, to see if the low speed needles and pop off is set correctly and that there is no hesitation or bog off idle, then get on plane and run around 1/4-1/3 throttle for a bit, listening to the engine note (is it getting louder, higher or lower pitch?) for signs of being a bit lean or rich, then after 10-15 seconds, pull to WOT to check the transition, does it hesitate, does it bog?. then, do the same again from 1/2 and 2/3 throttle. also look at the tach, paying attention to what rpm it tops out at. if the raves aren't opening, it will only turn 6200 rpm or so, similar if the water regulator isn't functioning properly. if all that checks out, head back to the dock, and shut the ski off for 5-10 minutes, then restart it. if it doesn't want to restart right away, like its flooded, then the needle and seats in the carbs will need to be replaced, as they are leaking. this would also warrant a full cleaning and rebuild of the carbs, a point to bring up during the negotiation.

check the function of the VTS, that the gauges all work and don't flash on and off or anything, and put the thing on the trailer and start your negotiation if you feel like buying.
 
I have another Craigslist ad for you guys to look at...

Whatcha think about this ?

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/boa/3260577443.html

I emailed him and asked him what the compression was if he tested and also asked him if the trim and everything was working. I also asked him to send me some pics of the engine bay so I could see the engine. I know it seems a little overpriced but this ski looks to be in fantastic shape.
 
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Strizzo said:
nobody said you have to ride it all day and actually have fun doing it, you're test riding it, so you should focus on the driveability and diagnostic things that you can check in your 30 minutes to 1hr of riding. after you run the compression test while the engine is cold, take it out (borrow/buy a cheap wetsuit if you need to, if its a bit windy and choppy, ride directly into the wind or with it, to minimize the freezing cold spray blowing back in your face) once its warm, do a couple of idle-full throttle pulls, to see if the low speed needles and pop off is set correctly and that there is no hesitation or bog off idle, then get on plane and run around 1/4-1/3 throttle for a bit, listening to the engine note (is it getting louder, higher or lower pitch?) for signs of being a bit lean or rich, then after 10-15 seconds, pull to WOT to check the transition, does it hesitate, does it bog?. then, do the same again from 1/2 and 2/3 throttle. also look at the tach, paying attention to what rpm it tops out at. if the raves aren't opening, it will only turn 6200 rpm or so, similar if the water regulator isn't functioning properly. if all that checks out, head back to the dock, and shut the ski off for 5-10 minutes, then restart it. if it doesn't want to restart right away, like its flooded, then the needle and seats in the carbs will need to be replaced, as they are leaking. this would also warrant a full cleaning and rebuild of the carbs, a point to bring up during the negotiation.

check the function of the VTS, that the gauges all work and don't flash on and off or anything, and put the thing on the trailer and start your negotiation if you feel like buying.
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You know, you are right. Just cause it is colder doesnt mean I cant ride it, good point. I was just worried about freezing my nuggets off. Also very good info, was not sure what you meant by the acronym WOT though? Sorry still learning. :)
 
yeah , what strizzo said, also , look at the exaust while your idling around......you should see a little blue smoke.......if not i would be concerned to it being lean..............thats a nice XP , but if everything checks out i would jew him to 1600 no higher
 
brock1 said:
that hull is fun but its a PITA to stay on and idle
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heh, its not as bad as the blaster 1 i tried to ride once. you just can't get lazy, and have to stay right on top of it, or it'll toss you. i was idling up into a cove, looking at the houses, stopped paying attention and before i realized it i was in the water. sort of a rude awakening, but the thing handles like a motorcycle on the water (a big one compared to a blaster but still) and is within 1mph or 2 of an x4 800 top speed. .
 
Pravius said:
I like her legs WFO? ( :) )

I got in touch with the dude selling the 97 xp and he is about to call me.
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on that ski, there are a few other things you'll want to look at. the condition of the rear support bearing, under the hatch at the rear, make sure it's been greased, and that the seal is in good shape and not leaking. also at the rear, the stainless floating ring was originally held against the carbon seal by a rubber o-ring that seated into a groove on the driveshaft. it will have rotted off by now, make sure its been replaced with the newer steel circlip. if the floating ring is loose you'll have a leak back there and cavitation, and the floating ring will grind through the rear support bearing seal and cause you more headaches. upside is that its a fairly simple system, there is a driveshaft from the engine under the fuel tank to the rear support bearing, and from there back it is very similar to the rest of the seadoo craft.

also, check the condition of the hood and hood support. the early ones had a tendency to crack the fiberglass where the hood support bolts to it. you can insert something between the lower plate and the upper hull, but from what i've been told, if you're going to jump it a lot, just disconnect the hood support to keep it from cracking through the hood.


edit: oh yeah, if you have to change the fuel lines on that one, you'll have to pull the seat off and remove the access cover under the seat in order to get to the top of the fuel baffle, and it uses a mix of 1/4" and 3/16" fuel lines.
 
Granted it is a nice looking from the pics...wait for it....BUT, if you are purchasing from an auction you are taking a bigger change of buying someone's elses problems than when buying face to face. You cant ride it before hand, Heck you cant even actually look at it. That being said, this is your decision. As far as this ski goes I see a couple of red flags that would concern me. He seems to go on and on about basic cosmetic stuff then finally mentions that it runs good. Like every ski for sale, It has always been in freshwater and winterized properly. If you keep one inside out of the weather as he claims than short of adding fuel stabilizer and fogging the motor there is no winterization necessary. The nozzle looks to possibly have some corrosion on it. A sign of salt water use. Showing me a close-up of a guage thats reading 150psi tells me nothing. You have no idea what the guage was hooked to if anything. I know not everyone agrees with me but I just would never buy something over the internet like this.
 
summer said:
Granted it is a nice looking from the pics...wait for it....BUT, if you are purchasing from an auction you are taking a bigger change of buying someone's elses problems than when buying face to face. You cant ride it before hand, Heck you cant even actually look at it. That being said, this is your decision. As far as this ski goes I see a couple of red flags that would concern me. He seems to go on and on about basic cosmetic stuff then finally mentions that it runs good. Like every ski for sale, It has always been in freshwater and winterized properly. If you keep one inside out of the weather as he claims than short of adding fuel stabilizer and fogging the motor there is no winterization necessary. The nozzle looks to possibly have some corrosion on it. A sign of salt water use. Showing me a close-up of a guage thats reading 150psi tells me nothing. You have no idea what the guage was hooked to if anything. I know not everyone agrees with me but I just would never buy something over the internet like this.
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I am with ya as far as being a skeptic. Ebay does have a policy against defective autos though up to 50k. Plus this guy lives very very close to my mother, if I know where he lives and this thing is junk you better believe that I will be on this dudes front porch with a .22 a4 asking politely for my money back. :P

I understand what you mean though, and I am a little scared too. One of the main reasons why I did bid on this is because I am covered through ebay and I am also going to be making a Paypal payment, so I am also covered through my credit card company. I figured if I pay 1k for this, and a couple hundred on a trailer I am in good shape.

I will likely be outbid anyway so I am not too worried and I can always retract the bid if I get too skured.
 
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