6 replies to this topic

[mcphee64]

I'm a new Seadoo owner. Purchased a 1997 Seadoo 1800 Challenger from a guy in his 60's that used this thing very little. Everything looks like new from the engine to upholstery to paint. The boat has not ran in one and a half years. He put stabalizer in the fuel, and got all the water out. To be honest I'm not sure if he did anything else. But either way, the boat sat outside for the first winter with the top on it, and then it's been parked inside in a heated shop with the top on it. My question is should I take this into the dealer to get it serviced. Or can I do it myself? What should I do to get it going? The battery is dead so I'm going to replace that. It has between a quarter and a half tank of fuel, and the fuel smells good. Please help as I am new to not only the seadoo but also to a jet drive boat.

[Kevin Leclair]

I would put a new battery in it and try to start it up. Check the plugs and see how they look too, if they have never been replaced then it might be a good idea to go ahead and do this too.

[mcphee64]

I would put a new battery in it and try to start it up. Check the plugs and see how they look too, if they have never been replaced then it might be a good idea to go ahead and do this too.

So you don't think I should drain the gas at all? Someone mentioned just fill it up with new fuel so it mixes a little. Also, I'm guessing the oil in it is fine, as the reservoir is full. But, with a 4-stroke engine I would change the oil maybe drain the coolant and refill etc. just refill fluids. This being a 2-stroke that really isn't all an option, so want to make sure that I get everything cleaned out. I looked at the plugs I will change those didn't look too bad but had some carbon build up. When you winterize it says to put antifreeze in the mufflers etc. If that happened do I need to clean any of that out. Flush the system at all?

[Kevin Leclair]

It definitely wouldn't hurt to put some fresh gas in the tank, especially if the fuel collected any condensation for sitting so long. Do you know if the guy actually winterized the boat?

When we had a our 2-stroke, we kept it in the garage where it stayed warm so we just added fuel stabilizer and disconnected the battery. Typically at the beginning of the season I would charge the battery then I would hook the hose up and flush everything out. It would run "really" smoky due to the fuel stabilizer being burned off. Once this tank had been completely burn off during the first outing then everything was good to go.

[mcphee64]

It definitely wouldn't hurt to put some fresh gas in the tank, especially if the fuel collected any condensation for sitting so long. Do you know if the guy actually winterized the boat?

When we had a our 2-stroke, we kept it in the garage where it stayed warm so we just added fuel stabilizer and disconnected the battery. Typically at the beginning of the season I would charge the battery then I would hook the hose up and flush everything out. It would run "really" smoky due to the fuel stabilizer being burned off. Once this tank had been completely burn off during the first outing then everything was good to go.

I don't know if he winterized it. I think that he just made sure all the water was out of the lines and then he put stabalizer in it. Here in the Willamette Valley it only gets below freezing once or twice and even then it's right around 32 degrees out. I just want to make sure that I don't mess anything up. I just talked to a boat repair place not a seadoo dealership as they are closed today and they said change the plugs replace the battery and fire it up. Do you think that'll be fine without it being winterized? Also should I grease anything or spray lube any where first? Thank you

[keviseeb]

I don't know if he winterized it. I think that he just made sure all the water was out of the lines and then he put stabalizer in it. Here in the Willamette Valley it only gets below freezing once or twice and even then it's right around 32 degrees out. I just want to make sure that I don't mess anything up. I just talked to a boat repair place not a seadoo dealership as they are closed today and they said change the plugs replace the battery and fire it up. Do you think that'll be fine without it being winterized? Also should I grease anything or spray lube any where first? Thank you

If the engine wasn't fogged down the first thing to do is take some 2 stroke oil and put a tablespoon in each cylinder, crank it over with the spark plugs grounded to the grounding block. Crank it for 10 or 12 revolutions then install the plugs loosely. Crank it over with the wires hooked up but the plugs loose, believe it or not it will fire up and blow some of the oil out through the threads. It will also lubricate the cylinders walls which are almost certainly dry and probably a little corroded. After it runs a few seconds put in new plugs and start the boat on the trailer but in the water, the through hull carbon seal need to get cooling to it. This is a good time to check for leaks around the drive and exhaust. Work the shifter, steering, and throttle too. With respect to the gas if it is ethanol blend remove it before doing anything, if it is the MTBE fuel add stabilizer and octane booster, fill the tank with fuel if you are sure there is no water. Since the tank was not filled it most likely has water in the fuel, its up to you if you want to take a chance. Don't be alarmed by a lot of smoke when it first starts, thats normal for the older 2 strokes due to the center crankshaft seal design.

Kevin Seeber
Kingsland Marine

[Jesse Campbell]

If the engine wasn't fogged down....

With respect to the gas if it is ethanol blend remove it before doing anything, if it is the MTBE fuel add stabilizer and octane booster, fill the tank with fuel if you are sure there is no water. Since the tank was not filled it most likely has water in the fuel, its up to you if you want to take a chance.

What is involved in fogging down the engine?
If storing the boat for a while, what is the best way to leave the tank? Full? Drained fully? How long can it be stored for each?

Thanks!