What did I get myself into - 1994 Sea Doo SPI craigslist buy

[k9medic]

I just picked up a 1994 Sea Doo SPI off of craigslist for the lofty sum of $150. The owner said he has only had it for about 3 months and could not get it running. It has a FL registration sticker that expires this year so I figure it can't be too far gone in the "what works" department.

From what I can tell during an initial inspection, someone has bypassed the oil injection system and has at very least had the air cleaner taken apart as well as the fuel lines.


The last time I had a Sea Doo it was in 1994 and ironically it was an SPI. I currently have a Yamaha SX230HO Jet boat so I know my way around most things on the water jet wise. I'm just curious what I may actually be looking at to get this thing back on the water. My thoughts would be worst case scenario pick up a reman. engine and drop it in.

[Pacer]

You won't know what you have until you connect a battery and roll it over. Probably some carb and fuel system work at a minimum. Spin it over, make sure its got a little compression and go from there.

[k9medic]

It's been a while but I was on vacation for 3 weeks and just had a chance to dig into this thing.

I wound up pulling the motor and found that both pistons were seized as was the starter. A little bit of penetrating oil and disassembly and the pistons were freed up.

Here is where I am at now though - Turning the starter over, I can't seem to build any pressure using a test gauge. The starter doesn't seem to spin extremely fast but it does spin.

I put together a separate assembly and pushed air into the cylinder and it holds just fine. Any thoughts on this?

[Waterluvr]

Toss a new brush kit in the starter, that might wake it up like new again and get you cranking you really need to start there and see what that engine makes for compression to go forward with the project.

Those were cool machines back in their day, and for what a reman engine costs with a warranty you can have a nice ski for a little bit of money.

[3ftDeep]

We recently got rid of the last of our 2-strokes and were talking the other day how happy we are to be riding on reliable (knock on wood) machines. See if you can sell it for parts. Or do what I've always wanted to do and charge people $25 to have 25 seconds with a sledge hammer at it.

[k9medic]

I broke down and bought a new starter. With the new starter and a good battery I was only able to get 60 psi from both cylinders. Any thoughts on why it would be so low but be this even across both cylinders? Maybe a bad gauge?

[Orangecrush]

I broke down and bought a new starter. With the new starter and a good battery I was only able to get 60 psi from both cylinders. Any thoughts on why it would be so low but be this even across both cylinders? Maybe a bad gauge?

Bad gauge or a ring problem (from being seized or worn)... I'm guessing door number two.

[Powerslave]

try a different guage, good compression is 130-150. Under 120 your looking at a top end. Can get new pistons, rings and jugs bored at full bore for about $300 or less. Clean up carb and those nasty little filters in the carb, change all fuel lines and run it. Those ski's aren't worth much running anyway, maybe $1000 tops without trailer.