New guy! 97 SeaDoo GTX acceleration problems

[HillbillySims]

This is my 1st SeaDoo but I have ridden for years...need some advice. this one has never been worked on, all the bolts are still painted with no scratches from sockets.

She starts up great & runs very smooth... but when you throttle up to take off.. it doesnt really seem to take off very good & get planed out..

if you gradually throttle up (over a period of maybe 2 seconds) the engine just seems to speed up but it takes a good bit for it to jump up on top of the water.

The only way I have found to get it to work is to do a real quick full throttle punch followed by immediate half throttle. If you just punch it & hold it wide open it basically feels like you are trying to pull a 300lb dude on a tube..

that seems to get it to jump up out of the water then start picking up speed.

I've never seen one do like this.

Any ideas?

Also any suggestions on some routine maintenance would be appreciated as well.. (big things to look for to avoid disasters)

 

[robin savell lloyd]

Replace the defective gray fuel lines and remove the crap that the gray fuel lines left in your carb's internal filters. It would not be a bad idea to buy carb kits allso so that when you put them back together you know that the parts are new. :cheers:

 

[HillbillySims]

Thanks! I'll definately look at this!

Any other suggestions are welcome!

 

[kustomkarl]

Welcome to the seadoo forum Hill billy. Yes, replace the gray fuel lines. I would pull the carbs apart too and clean them up. If you careful not to tear or damage the diaphragms you won't need to buy a rebuild kit. Be sure to clean the small internal filters too. The RAVE valves might need to be cleaned also on your 787 engine also if it hasn't been done in a while. Do you have a seadoo manual? If not I have an idea for you. You could join as a "premium member". As a premium member you can down load a authentic seadoo manual from the seadoo manual library. In the library is a variety of manuals for almost all years and models. You can view as many as you like on line as a PDF file, or download it and print it for your personal and privet use. There are operator manuals and repair manuals for you to do your own repairs on your seadoo. The repair manuals have everything from troubleshooting, repair procedures to winterizing. It contains wire diagrams torque specs and pictures for disassemble and assemble instructions. In the spec sheets it tells everything needed to maintain oil changes, spark plug gaps, carburetor rebuilds and impeller wear ring tolerances. Click on the "Seadoo Manuals" link at the top of the page for more details. If you need any help or get in a jam, we are always here to answer your questions too. Premium members get priority when it comes to getting quick detailed answers.

Let us know if we can help anymore.

Karl

 

[robin savell lloyd]

Welcome to the seadoo forum Hill billy. Yes, replace the gray fuel lines. I would pull the carbs apart too and clean them up. If you careful not to tear or damage the diaphragms you won't need to buy a rebuild kit. Be sure to clean the small internal filters too. The RAVE valves might need to be cleaned also on your 787 engine also if it hasn't been done in a while. Do you have a seadoo manual? If not I have an idea for you. You could join as a "premium member". As a premium member you can down load a authentic seadoo manual from the seadoo manual library. In the library is a variety of manuals for almost all years and models. You can view as many as you like on line as a PDF file, or download it and print it for your personal and privet use. There are operator manuals and repair manuals for you to do your own repairs on your seadoo. The repair manuals have everything from troubleshooting, repair procedures to winterizing. It contains wire diagrams torque specs and pictures for disassemble and assemble instructions. In the spec sheets it tells everything needed to maintain oil changes, spark plug gaps, carburetor rebuilds and impeller wear ring tolerances. Click on the "Seadoo Manuals" link at the top of the page for more details. If you need any help or get in a jam, we are always here to answer your questions too. Premium members get priority when it comes to getting quick detailed answers.

Let us know if we can help anymore.

Karl

Very important I did for get to mention {rave valves} :cheers:

 

[HillbillySims]

Until now I have never heard of Rave Valves.. is this something I can tackle on my own with instructions? Ive rebuilt dirtbikes before & can do most maintence on my car as far as removing heads, parts, & getting it back together.

I just dont want to mess it up

 

[robin savell lloyd]

From what I have read they are very easy to to service and with your mechanical knowlege It will be a easy fix for you. you are a preamium member so read up on it and others will allso post to your question. good luck. Robin :cheers: ps I looked up your ski and did not see that your carbs were equipt with excelerator pumps but others that had them I would have mintioned to sevice them as well. This does not apply to your ski if you do not have them.

 

[HillbillySims]

NEW INFO. 1st.. its a 96, not a 97

I looked at the Grey fuel lines, looks like someone has already replaced them, they look very good.

I took it out last night & here is what its doing.. when you 1st take off... the engine speeds up to like 6500-7000 RPM, but its almost like you have a propeller with only 1 blade on it or something.. it just wont go... but once you start getting some forward movement it eventually planes out & does great... as long as you stay planed out it performs really good.

Top speed with two people was 47mph last night.. Im not sure if that is higher or lower than a GTX should be capable of.

Any more info is appreciated.

 

[euro scott]

i would be inspecting the wear ring and impellor (prop) mine had a bent blade ,i heated it up and straightened it runs a whole lot better

 

[HillbillySims]

That (to me) sounds like a much more possible explaination. Is it hard to replace the wear ring & impellor yourself??

 

[kustomkarl]

Here is the specs on the wear ring. Wear Ring clearance for your seadoo 1.0 mm or (.040in) Measure the clearance at the center of the impeller blades, with a 12” long gauge. Measure the clearance from the venturi side of the jet pump.Do you have a seadoo shop manual? If not here’s an idea for you. You could join as a "premium member". As a premium member you can down load a authentic seadoo manual from the seadoo manual library. In the library is a variety of manuals for almost all years and models. You can view as many as you like on line as a PDF file, or download it and print it for your personal and private use. There are operator manuals and repair manuals for you to do your own repairs on your seadoo. The repair manuals have everything from troubleshooting, repair procedures to winterizing. It contains wire diagrams torque specs and pictures for disassemble and assemble instructions. In the spec sheets it tells everything needed to maintain oil changes, spark plug gaps, carburetor rebuilds and impeller wear ring tolerances. Click on the "Seadoo Manuals" link at the top of the page for more details. If you need any help or get in a jam, we are always here to answer your questions too. Premium members get priority when it comes to getting quick detailed answers.


Karl

 

[HillbillySims]

yeah I joined as a premium member & got the manual. Just havent had a time review this part of the manual.

Is it a hard thing to repair this yourself if it turns out to be the issue?

 

[kustomkarl]

Not really, here is a similar machine to yours in layman's terms.
Replacing the wear ring


For starters....

1.) Remove the three hoses on the inside of the boat. (Attached to the pump) if you do not do this first, you will forget and cause all kinds of problems for yourself!!!

2.) Remove the steering rod, 10mm bolt and nut.

3.) Remove 4 13mm bolts holding nozzle on. with this off you will have a much better view of the wear ring.

4.) Remove 4, 17mm bolts from the pump to hull. Make sure you pull off all the lock washers and washers to ease pulling the pump.

5.) This is the tricky part.... Most shops gob all kinds of silicon on when replacing the pump and so it makes it a pain to pull it away from the hull.
You need to pull the pump away from the hull as straight as possible.

They sell a pump removal tool but I just made my own. Cut a length of 2x4 that I set across the rear of the ski and drilled 2 holes in it. I thread long 13 mm bolts with washers through the top two holes of the pump where the nozzle mounts. This pulls it away nicely with a butterfly impact.

6.) Now you have your pump and impellor in your hands, the next step is to remove the 3 8mm bolts on the cone. Make sure you have something to catch the oil and nose plugs.... This stuff reeks to high heaven...

7.) After cleaning out the oil I place the pump impeller side up in a vice. (grabbing the flat end of the pump shaft in a vice)

8.) Place impeller removal tool in the impeller and grab a 1/2" drive 3/4 socket with a huge breaker bar. Twist it counterclockwise till it pops loose. (May take some pressure. I seriously use a 4 foot pipe on the end of my breaker bar and use a popping motion rather than smooth pressure.)

9.) Now that you have the impeller out take your new wear ring and put it in the freezer.

10.) You have to get the old wear ring out of the pump. (I have found the easiest way is to take a saws all and cut a slit in the wear ring the full length of the pump) Be careful only to cut the wear ring and not the pump.

11.) Take a large standard screwdriver and a hammer and tap the screwdriver gently between the wear ring and the pump all the way around to separate them.

12.) Clean all the white corrosion off the pump where you will be putting the new wear ring

13.) After tackling this task go to the freezer and grab that wear ring. (don’t dilly dally with it) get it to the garage and slide it in the pump. you may have to tap lightly with a rubber mallet. If it doesn’t slide in then you didn’t clean the pump good enough. Repeat steps 9 and 12.....

14.) Reinstall the impellor in the reverse order.

Note: it is very important not to pinch the thrust washer when re-installing the impellor shaft. That’s why it’s a good idea to do it in a vice rather than on the ground sideways.

Once the impellor is tight you should have 1/8 - 1/4 inch play in the shaft back and fourth. if you don’t start over and inspect your thrust washer you probably pinched it..

15) Inspect the rubber o ring and if it is good apply silicon and reinstall the cone. Make sure the allen fill plug is on top.

16) Lower the front of the ski and add oil to the cone. When it is full, take a brake and have a drink. There is air in the cone and when you go back you will see that it is low. Top it off and take another brake... do this until the fluid does not lower again. I often start the ski for a few seconds to make sure oil is all the way worked into the bearings and all the air is out.

17) wipe silicon on the set screw and screw it in (be sure not to run it all the way into the cone. just deeper than flush is fine. let it sit 24 hours to cure the silicon and put the nozzle back on.

18) Use Sea Doo 75w90 GL5 Synthetic Polyolester Oil

I hope this helps.

Karl

 

[jkm3093]

Check the RAVE valves!

Very important I did for get to mention {rave valves} :cheers:

:agree:
I am new to this forum as of yesterday trying to diagnose my no start problem, but have been tinkering with my 3 Seadoos for 5 years. I agree to check the RAVE valves. When I bought my 97 GTX it was having the same problem you described & I found one piston (diaphram) was burnt through by exhaust gasses. I replaced it & it kept happening. I found out there was too much clearance in the valve rod / housing bore allowing exhaust gasses to pass through. This is not described in the manual. Housng bore should be no more than 10.2 mm diameter - easy to measure: a size Y drill bit should be no-go. The valve rod diameter should be 9.95-9.98 mm diameter but since that material is harder the bore will preferentially wear. Good luck! Jim

 

[bartoli73]

NEW INFO. 1st.. its a 96, not a 97

I looked at the Grey fuel lines, looks like someone has already replaced them, they look very good.

I took it out last night & here is what its doing.. when you 1st take off... the engine speeds up to like 6500-7000 RPM, but its almost like you have a propeller with only 1 blade on it or something.. it just wont go... but once you start getting some forward movement it eventually planes out & does great... as long as you stay planed out it performs really good.

Top speed with two people was 47mph last night.. Im not sure if that is higher or lower than a GTX should be capable of.

Any more info is appreciated.

can any one help i have the same problem , i just replaced the impeller and the wear ring looked fine anything else ? any help would be great lookbargains@live.co.uk