New SeaDoo owner! (with issues)...

[m8powr]

Hey Guys -

Recently bought a '98 GSX-L and a '99 XP in decent shape with a trailer (pics coming soon). Of course as soon as i got them in the water, neither of them ran. Both needed carbs and one needed impeller shaft, bearings and wear ring. $1000 later, all this stuff fixed and running great. I did it all at a shop just to get them running until i had the time to go thru the forums and get how-to knowledge (thanks to all who post). Just wondered if there is anything i should know for regular maintenance? I read some stuff about cleaning R.A.V.E. valves (i know they have something to do with exhaust but not sure exactly where they are or what they do) and plugs. Anything else? I bought the SeaDoo specific non-synthetic oil and am not sure what the previous guy used. Should i use up whats in there/drain prior to adding the stuff I bought?

Thanks for any input! :bigear:

 

[FritoB]

There are a few things to check out since they are new to you. If you have gray fuel lines, they have to be replaced if not already done. It's fairly easy to do yourself. If not done, you'll also need to clean the fuel selector valve and fuel filter. The carbs have small fuel filters that also need to be cleaned and may have been done when you had it serviced. The RAVE valves are easy to inspect and clean. Use the search link to find previous posts on how to take apart, inspect, and clean. You will also want to use full synthetic oil and needs to be low ash API TC rated. If you don't know what's in there, you don't want to mix oils as mixing oil types can cause them to gel. You might want to consider changing out the small oil lines that go from the oil pump to the carbs as they become brittle when old and if they crack, they can cause your engine to fail. Lastly, the jet pump has a small amount of gear oil that should be changed each year. Use the search function for any of these suggestions and you'll find lots of information. Good Luck! :cheers:

 

[djredman99]

As far as regular maintenance goes, one of the basics is every time you ride, you should flush the system with a hose for a few minutes. This is an absolute must if you ride in salt water. Your owners manual will let you know how to do this properly. Be sure your engine is running before you start the flow of water, and that you shut the water off before you kill the engine. If you need more specific directions, just ask.

Also, get some Bombadier Lube, now called XP-S Lube. After each ride, spray a little in the air intakes while the engine is running to lube up the internals, just in case your ride sits for awhile till the next ride.

I would also suggest the full synthetic oil as FritoB has said.

Also, definitley get your hands on the shop manual and owners manual. Read through them thouroughly. If you become a premium member of this site, you can download them for each of your machines. When I got my first waverunner, I read through both prior to riding, and good thing I did. Withing 10 minutes, my hull had filled with water and my day was over. But, since I knew how important it was to immediatley service my ride and how to do it, I saved myself the need to do an engine rebuild a week after I bought it.

Another thing I do prior to riding is thouroughly inspect my vehicle. Make sure I didn't leave any lose rags, tools, etc. inside and make sure the bilge plugs are in AND the Siphon tubes are in behind the impeller in the jet nozzle (the reason my ski filled with water the first time out).

There certainly is more you should do... I just threw in my 2 cents.

Baby your machines and even though they are old, they will treat you well.