PART 2 HERE, • Yard Sale Jet Ski Repa... I went to a town wide yard sale this past weekend, and picked up this 1999 sea doo jet ski that needs some work, lets find out what that is by trying to start it up.
This is a good lesson though. Whenever I get a machine that is totally new to me I try to find out "what I don't know , that I don't know". I would never have guessed this about the water. I have never owned a jet ski nor been around one. This is why RU-vid is so fantastic. I recently got a Yamaha motorcycle and watched a BUNCH of videos before doing much.
Man, you are the most optimistic guy I've ever seen. There's no way in the world that I would have thought the engine was ever going to start. I applaud your enthusiasm and patience.
As an apprentice mechanic I painfully watched my boss make that same mistake with a diesel yanmar boat engine. When he went to take the head off for the 3rd time I finally told him my thoughts on why it's not a good idea to turn on the water until the engine was running or else it will run up the exhaust into the cylinders via the exhaust valves. That was 34 years ago and I have to say you are an excellent teacher/mechanic. One of the best I've seen. Love your videos. Keep them coming.
Just got thru watching Andrew Camarata's channel, I enjoy his channel as much as yours. He regularly picks up these older jet skis for next to nothing and brings them back from the grave.
A boat of any other shape or color is still a boat. Burn Off Another Thousand lol I love that you take the time to not only fix this stuff but video it for all of us to learn a little and be entertained. Cheers!
I have been to Kawasaki Jet ski school back in the day, I still work on them from time to time and have worked on a lot of SeaDoo's. I never turn on the water until the engine starts. I also use spray on copper cote (PERMATEX 80697 Copper Spray-A-Gasket) on my gaskets. You're on the right track, may have to learn a few new 4 letter words as its hard to get to anything with the engine in the hull. Use only stainless steel hardware. If I am thinking right there is a plastic nut on the back side of the choke cable that you can tighten to get the plunger to stay out. As water is forced out the jet pump it draws any water from the inside of the hull (must be in the water) so it should not need a bilge pump. just keep the pickups clean in the hull. Yes the shaft will spin all the time the engine is running. Killer deal at 400.00, trailer is worth that.
Also another thing, now that you flooded the engine, you need to get it running and well so it can burn off all of the water inside that motor, if you let it wait til spring you will have a ton of rust inside. Just a tip from a guy who has owned like 15 seadoos. Please get it running and burn it out, and then fog the crap out of it
That broken bolt is a GREAT candidate to slide a nut over it and weld the inside of the nut to the bolt. This will give you a hex nut for a wrench AND the heat of welding should help break-free the frozen threads.
You asked for tips, so here goes. SeaDoos around those years had fuel tank recalls because they would crack and leak fuel into the hull, so check for cracks. They are known to have defective fuel lines that delaminate on the inside and cause fuel blockages, I believe it is the unites that have gray fuel lines. Likes others have said turn water on after starting to prevent hydro lock. Don't run the through hull fitting on land more than 15 or so secs to prevent it from melting unless you pull the carbon seal back so it isn't touching it's sealing washer. Don't even think about taking this unit out onto the water with old fuel because it will ruin your pistons. The best thing is pull the tank and physically clean it, replace the fuel lines, filter and rebuild the carbs with rebuild kits that include the diaphragms. Check that air blows through the fuel lines freely when they are unhooked from the carbs, make sure the fuel filling cap is off when doing this and make sure you do it in both the on and reserve positions. You can download a manual online that will tell you how many turns out the high and low speed mixture screws. Also check the one way vent valve for the tank is clear and working properly. I have rebuilt hundreds of these because people would run them with dirty carbs and fuels systems that would wipe out the top end every time. Probably lots more tips but that will getcha in the right direction.
gelsik 2 stroke engines require gas and oil to be mixed together to lubricate the pistons and crank bearings. Old or dirty fuel turns into a solid substance and begins restricting the proper flow of gas through the carburetor jets. Fuel becomes restricted and changes the oil gas mixture. This can cause the pistons and crank bearings to become damaged. It doesn't matter if it is premixed or oil injected, the same result will happen. The worst thing you can do to a 2 stroke engine is running it lean because not enough fuel is entering the combustion chamber to mix with the oil and keep the combustion chamber cool and well lubricated.
You're correct. It's the grey fuel lines that deteriorate. I think it was from ethanol. They ended up switching to a different type (black ones) that can handle it.
Mustie, i've been watchin now for about a year. Love your vids. I've been looking for a project jet ski for a few years now. I was super stoked when i saw this video pop up in my subscriptions. If anyone can make a decent video of the workin's under the hood of a ski, its gonna be you. So glad i get to see what im getting myself into. Hope you work on it sooner, rather than later.
Classic seadoo. To start them, you always need a third hand to push the start button, pull the chock lever and trigger the throttle. After years of draining batteries I finally figured out the best way to start ‘me. You need to sit on the ski, with your left hand push the start button, with your right arm palm facing you, stick your index and middle finger behind the choke lever and with your right elbow trigger the throttle lever. It’s a little awkward, but works the best! I’d love a shout out on one of your next videos with the ski Mustie1.
I like how the caution label is upside down. This way you can read what to do when you`ve flipped the machine LOL. Well played Bombardier, well played.
I really hope you can make this your NOW Project. Even though you wont use it much. This is very interesting and fun to watch. And you got a lot of good advice in your comments.
Whenever I get an engine filled with water I always Purge all the water out that I can and then heat the plugs up with a torch and put them back in to help keep the plugs dry while I'm trying to start it if any water splashes on them. Just a tip :-)
Don't turn on cooling water for the Sea Doo untell the engine is running or it will fill the exhaust up with water then into the cylinders and hydro lock the engine. Also don't run then to long on the hose the Sea Doo need lake water to cool the carbon seal on the drive shaft. You can also run them with out water on a trailer for 15ish seconds at a time it's ok just let them cool down. I work at a dealership so if you want so good advice let me know FYI those manifold bolts break all the time.
If you have any questions on the machine let me know i have had quit a few of the 1998-1999 gtx sea doo's. I have rebuilt many of these. These machines have a lot of quarks. Also NEVER use a jumper pack on these machines. the computers fry really easy.
@Mustie1, I have the exact same ski! Check to see if it has gray fuel lines on it that say Tempo on them, if it does, you must change them! They turn to green goo and plug up the little screens in the carburetor causing it to run lean and it will blow up, easy fix, takes a little time, but it is a must do! It does have a built in bilge, runs off the exhaust, creates a lil vacuum and pulls the water out of the hull. Run it dry on the trailer for 20 seconds, after use to expel water from engine. MUST CHANGE TEMPO FUEL LINES IF NOT DONE ALREADY.
Love your videos! I have learned SO MUCH each time - Can't wait to see you dive deep into this one! hopefully sooner than later ;) - Since watching your videos I started hunting for "not working" items so far I rebuilt a partner 65s chainsaw (turns out its a classic!) 2 snow blowers, 2 riding lawn mowers and I love it! Thank your for all the "edu-tainment" vidz and keep it up.
I'm calling this one a wet start. Well, if nothing else, you have a good water pump here! Man, the H2O was flying! Can't wait to see this one on the lake! You got a deal...
Hi Mustie1, It is an Austrian Rotax engine, You got to get ALL of the water/water moisture out from the crankcase, let it warm up (gas oil mix 1:30) and sure that the crankcase is oiled being a 2 stroke it proberbly has rollers on the big end and crank bearings, and also needles on the small end, leaving water moisture in the crankcase over winter will kill the bearings. All the best to you and yours.
Mustie...pull the airbox cover and spray that thing to get it running with some rpm and NO water......let it heat up a few minutes. Then your crank won't rust over the winter.....do it NOW!
Come on Mustie ya can't leave us hanging on the edge. next vid needs to be some more wrenchin on it. Thanks for posting your vids very interesting. From the UK.
I had two Polaris jet skis, the 780 and the 1050 sltx. They are a blast when they are running, but a pain in the arse when they break. After two cylinders lean seize, did a full fuel system overhaul and small tidbits they are great runners. Sold it shortly after. Both had high performance parts like carbon fiber reeds, tdr waterbox and ocean pro intakes. Get it to run, have fun, then sell it quickly lol. And like everyone here said it, engine first, then water. Water off, then engine off.
Mustie As has already been noted several times, you wasted no time in breaking one of the Ten Commandments of PWC ownership. "Thou shalt never have the water running when the engine is not." Extremely counter-intuitive for the experienced mechanic, so you get a pass. Looks like you got away with it though. And even though its a sea doo, for the money you absolutely stole it. That machine appears to be in great condition, and its probably only seen fresh water. Beautiful. Have fun with it.
That engine had 135HP. They started using it in 1997. The sound of yours trying to start (before you got it to crank) and just make that click sound is so very familiar to me. I had a 96 GSX (800CC, 110HP) and I got so sick of dealing with that battery. If it wasn't fully charged, it wouldn't crank the engine. I guess it had high compression, or just crappy, power hungry starters. And mine had a common problem where it would drain the battery as it sat, so I had to always unhook it and it was a PITA to get to (current ones are easier). Then battery terminal bolt would often fall down to no mans land, requiring fishing with a magnet. Still, I had to buy a battery every couple of years, and they aren't cheap. Also mine developed the fuel line issue, which requires rebuilding the carbs and installing all new fuel lines. They're such a pain to work on, down through the tiny opening (mine was a 2-seater so the hole was smaller than the GTX in this video), while breathing gas fumes, as your chest is being crushed, that I didn't even bother and sold it. I was sick of working on it. The Sea Doos now allow you to take the top half of the hull off. They also have up to 300 HP! Among many other improvements (and double the cost of these late 90's models). One being, fixing that crappy DESS key, which is now RF. It only took them 20 years to fix it. That thing was yet another PITA. Also, the jet skis are made in Mexico now. It seems you need some starting fluid. Also, others have mentioned not turning on the hose before starting it, which was always a bit of a PITA (and understandable that you didn't know that, but I wouldn't have kept cranking it if it had water in the cylinders, plus your likely to burn up your starter), but also if you got stranded out on the water, you weren't supposed to have anyone tow it unless you clamped off a line, or the same thing could happen. I bought a clamp special clamp from the dealer offered for that reason. Thankfully I never got stranded, as I probably wouldn't have remembered what to clamp. I ended up removing the choke and the stock restrictive plastic, closed-design flame arrester, and installed a primer and some Ocean Pro separate (one for each carb) metal flame arresters, which along with removing the more restrictive choke, gave it a couple hundred more top RPM. And they looked better. Also it started easier with the primer vs. the choke. Back when I got mine new in 96, everyone had one, so there was always someone to ride with. That fad ended in a few years and now I rarely see any on the local lake. They can also be a big hassle. They're super fun for the few minutes/hours of ride time you get, but for that time, there's even more time spent taking it to/from the lake, and keeping it running. Just like a fighter jet! That, and being hard to work on plus parts being super expensive, and labor being really high if you can't do your own work, just makes it not worth the hassle to many. And mine would run through 15 gallons of gas in a couple hours. In the late 90's, that wasn't nearly as bad as it is now. Then there's dealing with taking up garage space to store it, buying a boating license, trailer wiring and lights going bad, trailer tires always going flat, and getting in the disgusting and probably toxic lake water (I was young in '96 and didn't care as much). Other than changing the grey fuel lines out and cleaning out the carbs/filters, you also need to clean the RAVE valves and lube the PTO periodically.
i hear you talking all the what it takes...easy just to hang out at the coffe shop and shoot the shit...but here i am running a 95 spx even in the winter 50 degree water...shit it is a thing of love being on my lake all alone...and just 11 miles from home to
Working on a 2000 Sea Doo GTX - thank God there's a Mustie video. Get to learn how to fix my issue AND get to spend time in mustie's shop. Oh happy day!
I was watching that that hose go and just knowing it was filling the cylinders up .. It was nerve racking. I’m like dude !!! Shut the water off or start it first .. omg !! Lol
As you can tell by my user name I have had a few 951's. It is a great engine and makes about 150hp. That snapped bolt is common on that engine. It is caused by vibration. When you replace it make sure you use a grade 8 or better bolt (OEM is best). You want to button up all 4 of the bolts with red loctite or they will back out from vibration. You can run jet skis without water and never hurt a thing. Just don't run it for 4 or 5 min. Also, you MUST run the shit out of this one several times in the next 24 hours. You filled it with water and you need to heat soak the bottom end to steam off the water. If not, your bearings will rust in then next few days. This ski will do 65mph when you get it going. Also, do not run "normal" TCW3 rated 2-stoke oil in it. You must run the SeaDoo XPS oil. I have had many friends tell me I am full of it. Mine never blew up, all of theirs did. That oil makes the difference. It is expensive but it is what that engine wants. I can't wait to see you take it out on the lake.
NO, do not do that, something about that XPS synthetic oil. It states in the manual that you must use it. Many people said or called BS on it. I am not going to start an argument, but people that only used XPS oil no issues and clean power valves. The others, well..... BOOM. People tried to start a class-action against BRP because of this exact oil. But, if you buy a carton of 3 gallons it is less money. It also does not use too much oil (3 gallons should get you through most of the summer if you don't ride every day) and the fuel as NICK stated is gone in a flash. I loved all my 951s as they were strong and good runners.
Amazing deal as always. I only rode a jet ski once at the beach but it was a blast. There was supposed to be a group of people going on a guided tour but I was the only one that actually showed up. Since I wasn't intimidated by the machine and was doing ok riding it, I got a super special extra long tour of the area.
Lol.. that was a great purchase. you could still make your money back if it doesn't work out for you. love your dog used to have one just like yours I miss my dog... you need to put them or in your videos your dogs.. 😆.. GOD BLESS..
me to ,,my old boxador the DOZER passed last year ,,he was 14 yrs old bless his heart ,,,,i still weep for him ,i am 70 live in a rooming house ,,i feel so lonely without him ,,but cant have another here
RU-vidr Andrew Camarata did a Yamaha Waverunner restoration just now. Someone suggested he should watch your channel for engine repair tips. You two should do a collaboration, Mustie1!
Well Andrew could learn a few things about how to properly disassemble and diagnose something instead of bashing/melting the shit out of stuff and then running to eBay for used parts. I love his channel but he definitely isn't a mechanic! Mustie1 is much better.
Nice score, looking forward too a trail romping session. Set a date and invite some friends over before the snow flies... *If you build they will come* Make for some sweet videos IMO.
Come on Mustie, the season is still young, sort of. I am selfish and want to see this jet ski project get going ASAP. Also, I would want to soak the internals of that engine with some two stroke oil since you had it hydro locked. I would not want to let that thing sit for any amount of time without first lubing the bejeezus out of it. Ask me how I know!
Damn why are we cursed with only 2 hand when 3 would be enough ha ha. And I really thought at last that the answer to the question was going to be, no it won't run. You the man Mustie 👍
OMG! I feel for that starter motor lol! If\when you get it moving,you'll get at LEAST double the bucks you spent! Then again,you're time is valuable too! Nice job anyway Mustie!
Mustie, you can’t run the water without the motor running on a seadoo. That’s why it swamped your engine. Also... you cannot run your engine with a jumper pack, you can fry your MPEM which is essentially your computer with too much voltage! They are very expensive, just get a good battery ASAP. Also, compression should be about 135 on that motor if it is solid.
I have a jet ski and its best to start it before turning on the water it will fill the cylinder every time, its not like a boat it wont hurt the water pump
I know I'm quite late, but if you still have the jetski, I'm pretty sure you can twist the choke knob about 1/8 turn to lock it. You could on our old seadoo boat, but I am too young to remember our '99 gtx. Our' 04 was fuel injected.
If you can, get that thing running and take it out for 20-30 minutes and then fog/ winterize the motor before putting away. You need to get all that water/vapor out of the lower end or else it will be garbage next spring. Excellent video as always.
Just sold all 7 of my project skis last year. I only ever got 2 of them into usable condition. They are so much fun to ride, but such a huge pain in the ass to work on. Tight cramped spaces, enough room to get a finger on a bolt let alone a socket and ratchet. To get a part out you'll surely have to remove three others to get to it. And hope that starter doesn't go out. located conveniently below everything. Have fun
I’ve worked on a few of these. They’re a little finicky but not hard to wrench on. The big exhaust tube is tough to get perfectly aligned with the manifold. Check the fuel lines, motor mounts, and make sure the oil injection is working (if it’s a 2 stroke). Also, aligning the prop shaft is tough if you replace mounts. My 95 bombardier 787 had such a cool way to cycle engine oil from the 2 cycle tank through the crank case and back to the tank. NO OIL CHANGES EVER. Big fan of these old skis.
