98 GTX Limited - new owner questions

[stevestk]

This is the first ski I have owned and I have some questions/concerns.
I'm concerned the oil injection may not be right. How many tanks of gas will use one tank of oil? I have a manual that says if you manually actuate the oil control the exhaust should get more 'smoky'. That doesn't seem to happen. (I understand that - I should be injecting too much oil). How do you get to the oil filter to change it? I can see it but it's under the exhuast pipe.

Runs well and is fast but is difficult to start. It tends to take two people because you have to use the choke and throttle. Once started, further starts are easy. Whenever the cover is taken of and the ski 'opened' there is a strong fuel smell, but no noticeable leak. I let it air out for a few minutes and the smell goes away.

Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.

[1fastski.com]

Re: 98 GTX Limited - new owner questions

try pumping the gas a few times and see if it starts better . if not have the carbs rebuilt and ajusted . oil will depend on how you run . going fast a lot will use more , if you go slow you wont use much . about a tank of fuel to 5 tanks of gas give or take how you use it .

[98xlt]

Re: 98 GTX Limited - new owner questions

if you can, store your ski with the seat off to allow better air circulation and make sure the fuel switch is pointed to the Off position.

I have learned to do a cold start by pulling out on the choke while holding the throttle open with my elbow (right hand,right elbow) and using the left hand for pushing the starter button. They do make carb primer kits that replace the std choke, you might think about it. I have not gone that route.

If your oil filter is in the same position as mine, in- line at the bottom of the hull between the engine and the oil reservoir, you reach down past the pipe to get to it. I use a couple hemostat style clamps on the hose to stem the oil flow. It can be a bugar to get the hose off the filter ends.

[kronk01]

Re: 98 GTX Limited - new owner questions

I also have a 98 GTX. Seems to be tough to start sometimes as well. I adjusted the throttle on mine as it ran at low rpms while idle. This seemed to help a bit.

[pwgsx]

Re: 98 GTX Limited - new owner questions

adjust the idle more and rebuild the carbs. How do your plugs look?? If black and oil fowled, you may be running ruch or light tan, may be too lean. Check em out!

[Bill O'Neal2]

Re: 98 GTX Limited - new owner questions

How many of you people know that a 951 engine with carbureators has an accellerator pump, and that using it like a primer will help you get your ski started much easier when cold? 1fastski knows it, as he is the only guy who has mentioned it here in this thread.

When your carbureators are dry of fuel, it will take some cranking over with the starter to fill the carbs with fuel. After a few seconds of cranking, you can use the throttle lever to pump fuel directly into the intake, just like as if you had a primer kit installed on your ski.

If your ski is still hard to start, chances are the accellerator pump diaphram needs replacing or more likely, the accellerator pump nozzels are clogged up and need cleaning. A visual check to see that they are both squirting gas into the carbs may be necessary. A 1998 GTX is about 7 years old now and may need the carbs rebuilt, or if that has allready been done, you may need to open the low speed adjusters a bit to give it more fuel at startup.

One of the very first things I do is to make sure those accellerator pump nozzels are both squirting fuel when I squeeze the throttle, because if they are not,the ski will be hard to start and it will not accellerate properly.