Jet Ski Under a Grand

[Mexico Joe]

Semi mocking Jerry's kayak post but relevant nonetheless. Picked up this beaut for right at the title price. Guy let it go for cheap because it didn't run. He told me it had been sitting for 7 months and needed the carbs cleaned. Ski turned over so I took a chance. Price includes trailer by the way so I feel like in total I'm into this boat for 4 or 5 hundo. Rebuilt the 787 dual carb and put it back on. Still wasn't getting fuel to the carbs but after I got the lines to prime it fired right up and idled fine. Sounds good to me. Have some experience with 2 strokes from my dirtbike days but these Seadoos are definitely more complicated. Looks like oil is feeding and smoke it light greyish blue. Not sure what brand oil is in there so I might pump it out because everything I'm reading says use genuine Seadoo XPS full syn oil. Really the only problem I see so far is the beeper doesn't work and the seat is torn but the seat skin is going to be replaced with black. Pretty confident that I can do the wear ring myself if it will need it. I still haven't changed the jet pump oil in the cone.

Concerns I have going forward: I want to be completely sure the thing is getting water and oil at all times. What is the best way to check this on my first lake test? I'm reading as long as the ski is getting oil and water you're good to go on these things. To my understanding I should replace the beeper because it warns of low oil and gas I believe. Not sure if it's a necessity but it looks pretty easy to do.

Side Note: I was going to take the ski to a shop in N Phx to do the carb rebuild but they wanted $300 to rebuild both carbs. Would have been another $90 if I hadn't already bought the rebuild kit. What a joke! Nothing against that shop, they get great reviews but I mean it literally took me 45 minutes if that and I took my time cleaning everything while drinking beer so I wasn't exactly going fast. The ski cost me 4 to 5 hundred mind you and I was going to pay $300 for just the carbs LOLLLLLLLL??? No chance. I was being lazy but I'm mechanically inclined. Took the carbs apart and they were actually really clean so I don't know if it ended up being a fuel supply issue. Thing idles perfect now.








Here's the ski when I got it home after giving it a wash. I've since buffed the hull and paint so it looks pretty decent. I will put a little more elbow grease into it and be pretty satisfied. Seat is torn but will be replaced.





I think a lake test is coming soon. Maybe this weekend but hopefully within the next week or so. I will be outfitting the SKI with a fish finder GPS unit and a cooler/rod rack setup for the back platform. Still trying to figure out how to encompass my live bait tank. I also want to be able to still utilize the swim step on the back of the boat with the cooler setup so I'm going to have to see how all that works out. More pics to come! Here's a video of the first time it started after I fixed it. I was so relieved!!

CHOLLABAY4LIFE​

 

[MEXIMO]

Looks like a good deal to me! Had a friend in Alaska that bought a wrecked one, a 650 I believe. Installed the motor and pump in a square stern Grumman canoe! Bolted the cone right to the stern, motor and pump in the rear and 2 seats in the center and front. Went in 3 or 4 inches of water and topped out at about 45 mph. What a hoot! We slayed many a rainbow, steelhead and grayling in that thing. Gonna try to build one myself one of these days. Good luck!

 

[Stuart]

Looks like you're on top of it! A little mechanical ability goes a long way and doesn't lighten the wallet so much. I used to do all my own service on my Yamahas. That way, I knew they were done right.

Your lake test will be key. Good luck, looks great!

 

[jerry]

Looks like a good deal to me! Had a friend in Alaska that bought a wrecked one, a 650 I believe. Installed the motor and pump in a square stern Grumman canoe! Bolted the cone right to the stern, motor and pump in the rear and 2 seats in the center and front. Went in 3 or 4 inches of water and topped out at about 45 mph. What a hoot! We slayed many a rainbow, steelhead and grayling in that thing. Gonna try to build one myself one of these days. Good luck!

That is nuts!!!!!, in a fun way

 

[Mexico Joe]

LAKE TEST: PASS

I took it out to Plez last weekend and actually got it in the water. Small adjustment to the carbs. Made sure that it was sucking water on the trailer which it was. I was surprised at how cool the engine runs. I think I have to put in a different spring for the N&S. Pop off pressure might be a bit high because I didn't have a pump when I rebuilt the carbs so I just used the spring that felt like it had more pressure. The reason I think the pop off pressure might be too high is because the ski is hesitating from idle or quarter throttle through mid throttle and then all of sudden is just picks up like nothings wrong and flies!!! I have idle set at 1400 but when you hit full throttle from 1400 - 3000/3500 for instance in the no wake zone it just hesitates for a split second and then picks up and just rocket ship! So to my understanding I'm running lean and I pry have too much pop off pressure on the N&S. Other than that the ski is flawless in my semi amateur opinion. Jet pump and wear ring seam to be golden because the ski is seriously a rocket ship. I can honestly say that I had ton of fun just cruising the North bays of Plez dicking around. These ski's are a blast. I hit 53mph for a top speed and being a 3 seater this thing is extremely stable but nimble. I was hitting some serious G's turning this thing but never felt out of control at all. Definitely happy.

Now leads me to my first real challenge. I ran it will the oil that was already in the oil tank because I didn't feel confident in draining and cleaning oil injection system. Problem is now it's empty. I don't know what type of oil was in there and I need to use full syn API-TC with this machine and mixing can be real bad. I'm pretty confident after a couple of nights of reading that I know exactly what to do to clean replace oil lines and filter/ clean tank.

After Ride Report: Ski checked out. No leaking oil, no leaking gas. Oil injection: PASS No water in hull. Engine was getting water: PASS. Only thing I forgot to check was the voltage to the battery when the ski was running. I will check the voltage on the battery soon to see if had any drop. I bought a digital battery charger and it was full when I went out there so I guess if it had any drop or significant drop that might indicate the battery wasn't charging. That might be the only thing that I can't say for sure if working right now. I'll check this weekend, cover on and I don't feel like messing with it. Other than that this thing is almost ready. Going to take the transducer out of the kayak and set up a system so I can use the finder and transducer on both setups. I looked into buying another transducer but the internet wants almost as much for a transducer as the entire setup with the head unit. Trying to keep cost down. We'll see. I'm definitely doing one or the other so I have to get that setup soon. Got my marine cooler in the mail so next is building the cooler/rod rack for the back. Aside from that just need to fix the seat cover and she's practically ready to hit the SEA OF CORTEZ!!!

During the lake test I never turned the engine off unless the boat was on the trailer however, this thing started every time, first push of the button so that's encouraging.

 

[jerry]

looks fun, The one thing I think I would do ( I bet you are) is increase my gym time to get upper body strength peaked out!

 

[brokenwave]

Mexico Joe, Congrat's on the ski purchase.
I hope the trailer isn't a Playcraft brand, if it's a steel boxed construction be prepared for some serious rust issues after a few years of launching in the ocean.

Mine is a 2004 PC and I always wash down the ski and trailer even flushing out the insides of the tubes with fresh water where the wiring runs and tipping it so it drained out
after 3-4 years getting launched only 2-3 times per year in Cholla the trailer is getting pretty bad. My 2004 Kawasaki 900 with 25 hours on it looks brand new but the trailer
isn't so pretty.
Both Playcraft's I own always rust from the inside out.
I will upgrade to a U-box construction or aluminum trailer eventually.

 

[Mexico Joe]

Mexico Joe, Congrat's on the ski purchase.
I hope the trailer isn't a Playcraft brand, if it's a steel boxed construction be prepared for some serious rust issues after a few years of launching in the ocean.

Mine is a 2004 PC and I always wash down the ski and trailer even flushing out the insides of the tubes with fresh water where the wiring runs and tipping it so it drained out
after 3-4 years getting launched only 2-3 times per year in Cholla the trailer is getting pretty bad. My 2004 Kawasaki 900 with 25 hours on it looks brand new but the trailer
isn't so pretty.
Both Playcraft's I own always rust from the inside out.
I will upgrade to a U-box construction or aluminum trailer eventually.

Honestly, I have no idea. I'll have to look. Trailer looks to be in really good shape. Title says it's a 1977 but that has to be a typo or it's been repainted because it looks almost new in my opinion. Tires have some dry rot on the sidewalls which makes me a little uncomfortable. Pry have to have those replaced before I hit the road down south. Pretty sure it has bearing buddies but overall the trailer is a 9/10... obviously I can't say if this thing has ever touched salt but I'm already stressing about that.

For the Cholla Bay NON-OWNER, how do you think I should flush this thing after use? Pay Hippie to let me use the hose?! I was thinking about bringing a jerry can full of fresh water in the bed of the truck and just using a bilge pump with my 12v battery box that I have for my bait tank to flush/pump water through the ski after use???? Other than that, I don't think I can convince CHUCKY to let me use the hose.... he's getting a little salty in his GOLDEN YEARS...

Any CB owners willing to let me use the hose for $$$$ let me know LOL

 

[brokenwave]

MJ, let me know when you are down, I'll lend you a hose just bring a beer. I'm on Pinto Point.
I get down about 45 days per year. PM me, I'll give you contact info.
Take a close-up pic of the trailer frame, that will determine if it's going to be a big problem.
We're here now leaving late Sat.