Xpdi

[Pepish]

I've got an 03 xpdi that blew out the rear piston a few years back and Im finally getting around to working on it again. The failure happened with only 40 hours on the clock and I suspect was caused by bad fuel I had to get from a marina.

After trolling previous threads, it appears there is a laundry list of potential problems and I'm starting to wonder if its even worthwhile to invest the time and money to repair it.

I really do miss this ski though as it was magic when it ran. Any insight on these machines is greatly appreciated.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Its all in what you value. If you value it and plan to take better care of it...it might be worth it.

If the piston came apart, the entire motor has to be broke down for cleaning. You can then determine the condition of the crank and other parts and start to tally up what it will take to get back on the water.

I just sold a mint XP-DI in the dead of winter for $3200 w/o a trailer with 80hrs on it yesterday.

 

[Pepish]

Thank you for the reply. That is a mint ski, mine is in just as good condition, except for the whole engine thing......

I think I may have framed my question incorrectly. I have no problem putting the time, effort and money into rebuilding it and prefer this ski to any of the 4 stroke models. Reviewing past threads brings up stories of mpem, air injector, fuel pump, etc. failures. Im not looking for maintenance nightmares if there are inherent problems with the engineering of the di system. If so I would likely try to pickup an older carbed model and scrap mine.

Here is a pic of the piston, pretty bad....

 

[Minnetonka4me]

LOL well hang your hat on this...I have never seen a piston fail like that. Congrats!!!

I personally say stay away from 951s all together, but thats just me.

Well as it sits its worth about 600-800.

Everything you listed is replaceable. We all love to bitch loudly when costly parts fail, but it isnt like its normal.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Get the engine rebuilt by a company that offers a 1-2 year no fault. Drop it in. If it works, ride it hard. If it blows, have them warranty it and sell it seperate from the hull.

 

[Pepish]

Unfortunately I dont ride enough for a no fault warranty to matter. I bought it new and it took me 7 years to get 40 hours on it, too many other hobbies.

These engines obviously have the wrong kind of notoriety associated with them. What is it about them that causes the reputation? I have a couple of late 90's yami 700's that still run like the day I got them and have never been rebuilt.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Seadoos in general get a bad wrap b/c people with little mechanical knowledge buy them, they have no idea what to look for and how to keep an eye on things...so then when something big breaks they bring it to the stealership and get raped on retail price new parts.

DIs need to be plugged into buds to get dianositics which isnt cheap either.

The 951 in general were very under engineered to make them fit, and they had a heck of a time keeping water spray from getting into the motor. Thats why your machine has such a weird air intake system. So if a guy doesnt put it together right it will spray water out of the mani/pipe surfaces and get sucked into the intake. Then a piston skirt gets weakened, breaks, tears up the cases, and you got a big huge bill.

And to be even more general the more HP you make, the more side force is put on crank bearings. That is why you still see original 580 motors running still from 1992.

Even being a Seadoo guy, I can say Yamahas twin motors were absolute rock solid motors.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

based on your usage description.. i'd say part that puppy out... take it apart, box & label it, and start making listings on ebay. Use the money & a little savings to get a decent used ski and move on.

now.. if you have a good friend that happens to be a Seadoo DI guru that lives down the street, i'll change my tune rather quickly.

a plan B.. you might want to consider converting it to a carb model, but again, time, money and expertise is involved, so it would be nice to have at least a Seadoo Carb'd guru thats a good friend that lives down the street. (those are easier to find )

 

[Pepish]

Nope, no seadoo gurus of any type near me. Sticking with the lightweight two stoke theme, any recommendations for a reliable, fairly high power runabout that is home garage friendly?

 

[LouDoo]

What part of the country are you in, 2 person or 3 person ski, and what type of riding, cruising, jumping wake? And do you want a ski or a boat?

Lou

 

[Pepish]

Im in MD, no bigger than 2 person ski, aggressive riding on rivers and bay but no long distance rides, mostly short excursions from the beach.

 

[LouDoo]

For aggressive riding and some cruising I would suggest a 96 or 97GSX, it's a 2 person ski that two can ride comfortably. If you want something that's more aggressive and a wake jumper I would suggest a 96XP or 97-99SPX, the downside is it's really not a 2 person ski.

Both skis have the 787 motor, 110hp, and with a little maintenance very reliable.

Lou

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Yup the gsx is a nice happy medium and the 787 is a lot more reliable (imo) than the 951. Only issue with the gsx is they changed things between the two years so replacement parts cost a bit more.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

 

[Spimothy Leary]

For aggressive riding and some cruising I would suggest a 96 or 97GSX, it's a 2 person ski that two can ride comfortably. If you want something that's more aggressive and a wake jumper I would suggest a 96XP or 97-99SPX, the downside is it's really not a 2 person ski.

Both skis have the 787 motor, 110hp, and with a little maintenance very reliable.

Lou

megaditto's

 

[Pepish]

Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciate it. Considering this list, it seems all of the 3rd gen xp's suffer the same issues. A real shame since aside from being slightly front heavy and plowing at low speed, the ski feels perfect.

I used to ride with a guy that had both the gsx and the 2nd gen xp. That gsx used to whoop on my raider 700 and was a big reason why I picked up my xp in the first place. I never rode the gsx but did ride his xp and I recall that ski being in the air more than the water. Im not familiar with the spx, is this hull similar to the gen 2 xp?

Is it at all feasible to fit a 787 into the 3rd gen hull? Should I consider any of the 4 strokes? I have ridden an rxp and while extremely fast, it was way to heavy to throw around.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I love my XP, a GSX will never cut like it does, also the GSX beats the crap out of you in the rough...

I actually own both, and my XP is miles ahead my favorite ski...

Just buy a 99-02 one, they are carb.

or get your engine fixed... SES is around $1k i think for a 951 DI?

Parting a ski out, isn't as easy as it sounds, there are a few high $ items, but it's also a lot of work, and i'm sure no one here wants a good looking ski to hit the landfill...

SES will give you a no matter what warranty on that engine... so even if you blow it, they replace it.

I've done more 951 engine swaps than I can recall, all carb, but I wager the DI is similar enough...

the XP is a killer ski, everything I wish a spark was... will someone slap a spark engine in one already?!

 

[Pepish]

Agreed. I have not ridden another ski with the feel of the 3rd gen hull.

My preference would certainly be to fix it but not if its a grenade in its best incantation. Ill be looking into SES.

Not sure what you mean about the spark engine, swap in a 4 stroke?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

correct, not to get off topic, but the spark is 90HP, and so I wonder how it would do in the front of an XP... less HP but maybe a 'better' setup for the new world of 4 strokes.

There are a few engine shops, so shop around, I just hate to see a good ski go to an early grave.

Do you know how many hours were on it when the piston went?

When these engines go... they usually go hard, and take most of the internals with it. Which is why unless you've built a few of them, I prefer the whole rebuild w/warranty method...

then you know you're going to get another couple hundred hours of out it.

shame I don't still have that 2001 XP hull I tossed last summer... that would have made a good candidate for a conversion.

 

[Pepish]

My ski has slightly over 40 hours on it, I think 42. I would hate to toss a good ski out also, especially the best one I have ridden.

The motor went not long after I filled up at a marina (no choice, it was either that or be stranded). It started stuttering not long after leaving the marina and barely made it back to the dock. Wouldn't start again afterwards. I drained the tank, some of the dirtiest fuel Ive ever seen btw and no idea of the octane, cleaned the tank, pickup, pump, fuel lines, filter, fuel rail and injectors. Fired it up with fresh fuel, it actually started, but instantly knew there was a bigger problem. Pulled apart the top end and found the blown out piston. Ill have to check but I think it took out part of the rave blade with it.

Ive not rebuilt a ski engine but ride quads quite often and have had to rebuild several engines and trannies over the years (4 strokes).

What ski is the spark engine out of?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

http://www.sea-doo.com/watercraft/sea-doo-spark.html?gclid=CPmi1OigzLwCFYpaMgodZFgAfA

The RAVE 'sliders' or valves aren't much, used OEM (or new) are better than aftermarket.

sounds like you know exactly what killed this engine.

the 951 isn't a home repair friendly engine... even with 42 hours, all those bearings, rods, seals, etc, are.. 11 years old.....

I don't care who you go with, I'm just highly suggesting, from experience, you go with a shop that will give you a no matter what warranty, and just slap that sucker in there. You have time before spring even!

If it was a carb ski, I'd be making an offer on it now for you... I have a carb 951 sitting in my basement ready to rock lol.

 

[Pepish]

If I end up rebuilding, I will definitely ship out the entire engine. Just trying to dig up as much information as possible before deciding which way to go.

The whole buds system and $800+ fuel pumps are a huge turnoff though.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I believe you can test some of that, even if your engine does not 'work'.

 

[Tytan]

I would not put a lot of time, effort and money into a DI ski unless you absolutely love it. When they run they run great and are fuel sipping misers but when they have problems it gets frustrating and expensive really fast, Candoo system is a must have to properly diagnose.

 

[jammin777]

My ski has slightly over 40 hours on it, I think 42. I would hate to toss a good ski out also, especially the best one I have ridden.

The motor went not long after I filled up at a marina (no choice, it was either that or be stranded). It started stuttering not long after leaving the marina and barely made it back to the dock. Wouldn't start again afterwards. I drained the tank, some of the dirtiest fuel Ive ever seen btw and no idea of the octane, cleaned the tank, pickup, pump, fuel lines, filter, fuel rail and injectors. Fired it up with fresh fuel, it actually started, but instantly knew there was a bigger problem. Pulled apart the top end and found the blown out piston. Ill have to check but I think it took out part of the rave blade with it.

Ive not rebuilt a ski engine but ride quads quite often and have had to rebuild several engines and trannies over the years (4 strokes).

What ski is the spark engine out of?

hmmm i wonder if the dirty fuel may have clogged the fuel filter or clogged the fuel injectors causing a lean condition? may be a good idea to replace the injectors as well along with fuel filters and strainers at the fuel pump. in other words you need to find the cause of the engine failure if you proceed to rebuild it to ensure it doesn't happen again. and while you are at it replace the oil lines and filter.
that is a clean ski with super low hours and only you can determine if you want it bad enough to get her going again.
i would recommend downloading the service manual and study it as it may help with the decision to rebuild the ski or not.

 

[Pepish]

Im not sure if it was junk causing a partial blockage, really low octane or a combination of both. I wish I had taken a picture of the brown sludge fuel back when I drained it. It did start after I had cleaned out the fuel system though, just with marbles in the cylinder.

I've never scraped or parted out a toy before but after checking the classifieds, the decision is getting easier and easier. I have enough other stuff, that I use far more often, suckling the teat. Maybe its time for death by fire....