Newbee from Kennesaw

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Waterdog59

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Hey members,
I am all new to PWC and boats in general. I appreciate the forum and all of you. I have a lot of questions and a lot to learn. Thank you for each of your valued time. About a month ago I purchased two older inexpensive Seadoos, a 97 GSX and a 98 GTI. Each has some issues. They came with a dual trailer and covers. Bought them from a fellow going through a divorce sale. He did not say how long he had owned them but claimed to have been a certified Seadoo technician. He said they had not been in the water for over a year but that he had rebuilt the carburators recently with geniuine Mukuni parts. He said they were winterized and serviced each year and gave me a few pointers on each of them. I jumped in not knowing much about PWC at all. The next week I took them out to Lake Allatoona near me. The GTI ran good topping out about 48 to 50 MPH. The GSX which should be faster was down on power not coming out of the hole as fast and topping out at only around 35MPH. The next day went to the lake again and made the rookie mistake of not having the plugs in the GSX. It took on water fast and what is refered to hydrolocked but I did not know it at the time. The water got into the solenoid box as well. I ended up throwing parts at it to get it to run again, replacing the battery. solenoid and starter before I realized it was hydrolocked. I removed the plugs, crank blew the cylinders dry, before putting in new plugs. It ran again no different from before. After that experience I installed a bilge pump in each one. I also replaced the gauge cover on the GTI as it was busted when I bought it. The next week I took them with us to the beach in Gulf Shores Alabama. We rode them from the launch ramp in the lagoon, 5 miles to the beach front home we rented. It was over three miles riding through the surf and was very rough physically on me and the Seadoos as well. Got my fill of jumping waves on the return trip that day as well, LOL. Needless to say my old body was sore for a couple days. I washed them and flushed the engine at the end of each day. The rest of the trip we spent riding them in the lagoon. Ended up breaking a steering cable on the GSX near the turnbuckle on the stern end. Had enough threads on the cable to put it back together for the rest of the trip. More on that later. Known issues I will be inquiring about in subsequent threads after researching forum.

97 GSX
1) Low power
2) Variable Trim issues
3) Info center gauge inoperative and water has penetrated it.
4) Speedometer inoperative.
5) Issue with steering cable.

98 GTI
1) Fuel gauge inoperative.
2) Hood strut is not holding hood open.

Looking forward to your replies.

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Re:the gsx,,,low power, do compression tests to start,,,trim issues,,,join the club,,,sometimes it motirifyou are lucky,,,usually it’s the module,,,hundreds of bucks,,,so just set the nozzle slightly down and be fine…re the info gauge,,,I have managed to take them apart (there are threads out there for that),,,and once the water gets in,,,it’s trapped,,,and eventually corrodes one or more of the tracers,,,if you have an electronic geek friend handy,,,that could save you HUNDREDS,,,re the speedo,,,check that the paddle wheel is there at the unit to the left of the pump,,,could just be the unit,,,re steering cable,,,sometimes water gets past the rubber gromets and the cable seizes,,,if you were able to get some some threads on the hex fitting,,,you can adjust forstraightness under the front hull..
fuel gauge,,,usually the F1 fuse,,,easy repair,,,many threads out here for that,,hood strut,,,join the club,,,try going on line to find an automotive match,,,easy install
have fun
 
Thanks POPPS, for responding with all the good advice. I will do as you say. Will check compression first on the GSX. I have a new trim motor on order to replace the old rusty motor. I had the trim working for a couple days after I tapped on the motor and replaced the trim switch cover which was missing. It quit working again. Also have a used 97 GSX info gauge on order with all the wiring and connectors that is supposedly tested and checked out good. A little under $300 with shipping, not cheap. I also replaced the steering cable with another used one and it broke in the same place as original within a couple hours of use. Not sure what is causing this as neither cable was seized. I lost one of the rubber grommets after the cable broke. I have extras though as the used cables come complete. I have another used cable on order to replace it with. Will post my troubleshooting and replacement outcomes. Thanks again for your help.


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