AKnarrowback
Well-Known Member
When I was test running my 98 xp rebuild a gentleman watching struck up a conversation with me at the boat launch. I told him I enjoy fixing/rebuilding old machines and he said a friend left a broken ski in this man's yard, at least, 20 years ago. He said I could have it if I wanted.
I went by the next day and he had a 94 xp on the ground with trees growing in the foot wells and lichens growing on it.
Looking under the seat I saw, for it's age and present state, a rather complete and clean machine. The head was off and one cylinder had rust buildup in it. A quick rotation on the pto flywheel told me nothing was locked up and a quick inspection showed the machine was all there. I loaded it up and brought it home.
The head was off for over 20 years but the seat was on so rain and foreign material had not been working it's way in. The big question is the crank condition.
Today I rubbed and removed the rust layer off the one cylinder, the other was rust free. It appears there was water damage to the exposed cylinder back when it was running, lowering the compression and causing the motor to be taken down. I threw a battery on it, tapped the start, all regular electronics came on just fine. I gave start button a crank and had tons of oil through the transfer ports come shooting out. Either they flooded the case with oil back in the day or crank seals have leaked through the rv chamber.
I'm pretty sure the crank is good still, jet pump is good. Bore, hone and pistons on both cylinders. A top end gasket set. A full carb rebuild and this machine could be up and running again in a short time.
Lots of evidence it was used for distance traveling on the local, interior Alaska, rivers. Silt in the waterjackets, excessive clearance on the pump liner from getting "sand blasted", glacial silt residue in the hull and the gelcoat is rubbed through on the sides where gas jugs and cargo would have been carried. It has a water trailer hitch on it. This machine was used for utility and not recreation.
I was told it is the machine that someone used to run upstream through the white water near Denali Park where the raft tours operate.
I went by the next day and he had a 94 xp on the ground with trees growing in the foot wells and lichens growing on it.
Looking under the seat I saw, for it's age and present state, a rather complete and clean machine. The head was off and one cylinder had rust buildup in it. A quick rotation on the pto flywheel told me nothing was locked up and a quick inspection showed the machine was all there. I loaded it up and brought it home.
The head was off for over 20 years but the seat was on so rain and foreign material had not been working it's way in. The big question is the crank condition.
Today I rubbed and removed the rust layer off the one cylinder, the other was rust free. It appears there was water damage to the exposed cylinder back when it was running, lowering the compression and causing the motor to be taken down. I threw a battery on it, tapped the start, all regular electronics came on just fine. I gave start button a crank and had tons of oil through the transfer ports come shooting out. Either they flooded the case with oil back in the day or crank seals have leaked through the rv chamber.
I'm pretty sure the crank is good still, jet pump is good. Bore, hone and pistons on both cylinders. A top end gasket set. A full carb rebuild and this machine could be up and running again in a short time.
Lots of evidence it was used for distance traveling on the local, interior Alaska, rivers. Silt in the waterjackets, excessive clearance on the pump liner from getting "sand blasted", glacial silt residue in the hull and the gelcoat is rubbed through on the sides where gas jugs and cargo would have been carried. It has a water trailer hitch on it. This machine was used for utility and not recreation.
I was told it is the machine that someone used to run upstream through the white water near Denali Park where the raft tours operate.
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