i know i know its not a stand-up but...

[Matt_E]

I had nothing but good times with 03 Seadoo that had a 720 in it. I owned it for a year and never had a problem.
Then I bought an 04 XP DI with the 951DI engine. That thing was powerful and quick, but the engine gave me lots of trouble. To be fair, the problem was the high pressur fuel pump, and two shops couldn't figure it out over seven weeks.
Still, it gave me a very bad taste of Seadoo reliability and service, especially in a new ski with only 50 hours on it.
Over the past two years I've worked on a few Seadoo engines, and most problems are caused by the operator. The only engine I am truly leery of is the 951, based on my own engine and some that I've worked on.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I had nothing but good times with 03 Seadoo that had a 720 in it. I owned it for a year and never had a problem.
Then I bought an 04 XP DI with the 951DI engine. That thing was powerful and quick, but the engine gave me lots of trouble. To be fair, the problem was the high pressur fuel pump, and two shops couldn't figure it out over seven weeks.
Still, it gave me a very bad taste of Seadoo reliability and service, especially in a new ski with only 50 hours on it.
Over the past two years I've worked on a few Seadoo engines, and most problems are caused by the operator. The only engine I am truly leery of is the 951, based on my own engine and some that I've worked on.

My bad experience was with the 951 as well, it would sicken most to find out how much i spent to get the hour meter up to 135 hours, lets say around $175 for every hour on the meter and that price doesn't include the first engine that was replaced on warranty at 59.5 hours.

It's important to point out that up until the 951's, Seadoo engines were know for reliability and not too many people would have bashed them and probably still won't. I had a 93XP that I sold my buddy in 98 that is still running to this day.

 

[Matt_E]

You seriously spent $23,625 on that motor?

 

[OCD Solutions]

You seriously spent $23,625 on that motor?

yes, not including oil, gas or plugs. 2 complete engines, 5 rebuilds on second engine actually! some my fault, some not. The only thing worse than the original engine only lasting 60 hours was each subsequent engine only lasting 12-20 hrs.

 

[Matt_E]

Damn.
I'm glad I got into standups and sold the XP with 75 hours on it.
I lost out financially big time because my dumb ass financed the thing.
Still, I was very glad to get rid of it.
That was the last toy I financed.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I paid cash for mine in 99 and lifted the crate off it myself. If I had a loan on it I would have given it back to them at 75hrs and washed my hands of it.

Unlike others who may bash because of what they have heard, I have paid for the right to bad mouth Seadoo.

Now, when it comes to Skidoos that's a totally different story, Bombardier makes some incredible machine there.

 

[superjetkev]

I paid cash for mine in 99 and lifted the crate off it myself. If I had a loan on it I would have given it back to them at 75hrs and washed my hands of it.

Unlike others who may bash because of what they have heard, I have paid for the right to bad mouth Seadoo.

Now, when it comes to Skidoos that's a totally different story, Bombardier makes some incredible machine there.

IN2, i agree. you've paid to bash. it just pisses me off when people jump on the seadoo sucks bandwagon when they never owned one or even worked on them. while its well known the 951's are time bombs, the rest of their engines are pretty good. but 23 grand...thats gotta be a record.:Eyecrazy:

 

[Mark44]

Never had an issue with my 96 GTX other than normal I had to replace one exhaust gasket at 150 hours other than that its still the same as it was in 96.

I think its a 700 CC something motor.

Mark44

 

[trd_yota]

my uncles 98 gtx limited was awesome.....until the motor locked up but it was his fault....to many beers so he forgot to flush the moofer out and the salt did a number on it in mexico....oh well it will live once again this summer after its 5 year hiatus lol.

 

[Big Kahuna]

951's plus the grey fuel lines = kaboom.

Replace the fuel lines. do the required maintenance and they will last.

 

[chriselmore_1]

where do the footholds go in that thing?

 

[Matt_E]

951's plus the grey fuel lines = kaboom.

Replace the fuel lines. do the required maintenance and they will last.

That wasn't my problem. :dunno: :biggrin:
Bad fuel pump and incompetent shops cost me the better part of the couch season in 2004.

 

[bllewis394]

I don't hate Seadoo's, I've just grown very wary of them. Mine had lots of power too but with great power comes great respo....bills, it comes with big bills.

lol

 

[Ross_C]

A friend of mine had one...best part of that boat was you could sub it. If you were going forward and threw it in reverse. The bow would duck under and if you gave here a little throttle going forward you could soak the girls in the front of the boat. Still have not managed to make a Yamaha do that yet, but it is not for lack of trying.

I don't know if that is a selling point for you or not...

 

[AlexanderD]

turned out to be a pretty good thread!

people are mentioning yamaha jet boats. to be honest i didn't know they made one.
hard to find info on these things it seems!
anyhow> and suggestions as to what model of Yamaha to look at?

 

[steve-uk]

for the price range yamaha exciter, they are pretty rare to find, you may have to cross into the states, the newer yamaha boats are $30k+

 

[Yami-Rider]

Sea-doo's are ok, but after working on them for a few years i would never buy one again, because they usually do stuff backwards campared to yama/kawi and that kind of annoying.

 

[Matt_E]

Some things on Seadoo engines are very very nice. Examples:
Allen bolts nearly everywhere.
O-ringed heads
Very good electrical connectors
Stator disconnects very easily
Nice OEM exhausts.

 

[AlexanderD]

here is a nice unit! shouldnt have any issues with a merc engine eh...

 

[AlexanderD]

dunno if its worth a trip down south for...what am i talking about! its a great excuse to go to FL!