98 xp decals and trim work

H

HYDROSTREAM

Location
elizabethton tn
Hello, just bought a 98 xp for my daughter. which handgrips do you recommend? also, should i go with ipd or pwcgraphics for new stickers? lastly, some of the black trim has some fade. do you guys like the SEM trim black product to paint this stuff? thanks a lot. i appreciate the site.
 
Big Kahuna

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
As far as Graphics goes. PWCGraphics are really good, use to use them for my race numbers. IPD is good as well. I never had good luck painting Rubber Trim, one time I did I used a self etching primer and then a Spray Paint for Plastics. It held up ok, not great.
 
WFO Speedracer

WFO Speedracer

A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
Location
Alabama
ODI's are the easiest to install , have lots of different options and they won't come off unless you want them to , graphics is up to you, if you want stock looking graphics PWC graphics has you covered, I have neve used IPD so I can't say one way or the other on those. , some of the black trim can be brought back to life with a heat gun , if nor SEM is the hot ticket although I don't usually use all of their products they recommend, to do so would coast a small fortune .
 
WFO Speedracer

WFO Speedracer

A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
Location
Alabama
Big Kahuna said:
As far as Graphics goes. PWCGraphics are really good, use to use them for my race numbers. IPD is good as well. I never had good luck painting Rubber Trim, one time I did I used a self etching primer and then a Spray Paint for Plastics. It held up ok, not great.
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Use bulldog adhesion promoter first then paint it, it will stay on that way, bulldog is excellent stuff but like all paint products it is expensive.

BTW if you need any parts I have a few of those in various year models s laying around here , I might redo one out of the two eventually.
 
mrfist9

mrfist9

Location
ATL
IPD for graphics
PWCg is a love hate for me.

You won't succeed painting the trim, just clean it up with some back to black stuff or replace.

Those hulls are a little funky to ride just a heads up, they like to roll you off doing slow maneuvers.

951s also always an episode
 
WFO Speedracer

WFO Speedracer

A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
Location
Alabama
I have worked on 951's for years with no real issues, they don't like water ingestion and will kill a top end in short order if you submerge it , they don't like any kind of aftermarket starters or starter clutches , but then what engine does really , other than that no real issues to speak of , regardless of the horror stories you hear I have never seen one throw a rod or bust a case , I am sure it happens to someone some where but the crankshaft is pretty beefy on a 951.

OEM wear rings suck, I usually use the solid type wear rings , if it has gray fuel lines on it ditch them , replace the lines and clean the carbs , make sure all the flaps are on the air intakes and the rubber boot is around the exhaust joint to keep water out of the engine .
 
mrfist9

mrfist9

Location
ATL
WFO Speedracer said:
I have worked on 951's for years with no real issues, they don't like water ingestion and will kill a top end in short order if you submerge it , they don't like any kind of aftermarket starters or starter clutches , but then what engine does really , other than that no real issues to speak of , regardless of the horror stories you hear I have never seen one throw a rod or bust a case , I am sure it happens to someone some where but the crankshaft is pretty beefy on a 951.

OEM wear rings suck, I usually use the solid type wear rings , if it has gray fuel lines on it ditch them , replace the lines and clean the carbs , make sure all the flaps are on the air intakes and the rubber boot is around the exhaust joint to keep water out of the engine .
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It's funny you described exactly what happened to the 98 GSXL I had

Threw a rod actually cleanly snapped it in half, didn't window the case... But it hit the trash can it was so chewed up.

They make ungodly power. My 951 X4 I built ran 65

But they are not even remotely comparable reliability wise to Yamaha Kawi, or even 717/787

They are a serious pain in the ass. That head pipe alone gives me nightmares just thinking about.
 
H

HYDROSTREAM

Location
elizabethton tn
thanks a lot. any recommendation on hand grips? is the vts trim hard to replace? it wants to move but wont. i was told gear is stripped but that i can buy the unit for like 50 bucks online and replace it with a couple of plugs and a few screws. any recommendation on removing the old decals? do i use a heat gun and then maybe some of that airplane cleaner stuff they sell? thanks a lot. i really appreciate you guys helping me out .
 
WFO Speedracer

WFO Speedracer

A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
Location
Alabama
mrfist9 said:
It's funny you described exactly what happened to the 98 GSXL I had

Threw a rod actually cleanly snapped it in half, didn't window the case... But it hit the trash can it was so chewed up.

They make ungodly power. My 951 X4 I built ran 65

But they are not even remotely comparable reliability wise to Yamaha Kawi, or even 717/787

They are a serious pain in the ass. That head pipe alone gives me nightmares just thinking about.
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If you are saying that a 951 is not as reliable as a 650 -701-760 Yamaha or even a Seadoo 720 yes you are completely right but then you are comparing apples and oranges , for a true comparison compare it to a Yamaha 800 -1200 power valve engine , in that scenario the Seadoo 951 wins hands down every time , those 800 & 1200's have kept me in groceries since 2000 , if I was depending on 951 Seadoos for engine rebuilds to make a paycheck I would have quit a long time ago or I would have starved to death.

Right now as I speak I have 3 dead 800's and 7 dead 1200 power valve engines here to rebuild at some point in time and I just sent a 1200 out the door a few weeks ago , I have 1 Seadoo 951 , it belongs to me and is being rebuilt just because , it didn't come unwound or blow up.

Now if you want t o compare it to a Seadoo 951 DI you are probably on to something then.

There is no real world in which a 951 Seadoo is harder to work on than a power valve Yamaha engine ,
 
mrfist9

mrfist9

Location
ATL
HYDROSTREAM said:
thanks a lot. any recommendation on hand grips? is the vts trim hard to replace? it wants to move but wont. i was told gear is stripped but that i can buy the unit for like 50 bucks online and replace it with a couple of plugs and a few screws. any recommendation on removing the old decals? do i use a heat gun and then maybe some of that airplane cleaner stuff they sell? thanks a lot. i really appreciate you guys helping me out .
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I gave up on the stock trim setups. They wire back through the MPEM which is lame when they start shorting out.

There's a few solutions but basically run your own relays, you'll be much happier. The motors are cheap

Heat gun and patience
3M eraser wheel also works well for the stickers
 
mrfist9

mrfist9

Location
ATL
WFO Speedracer said:
If you are saying that a 951 is not as reliable as a 650 -701-760 Yamaha or even a Seadoo 720 yes you are completely right but then you are comparing apples and oranges , for a true comparison compare it to a Yamaha 800 -1200 power valve engine , in that scenario the Seadoo 951 wins hands down every time , those 800 & 1200's have kept me in groceries since 2000 , if I was depending on 951 Seadoos for engine rebuilds to make a paycheck I would have quit a long time ago or I would have starved to death.

Right now as I speak I have 3 dead 800's and 7 dead 1200 power valve engines here to rebuild at some point in time and I just sent a 1200 out the door a few weeks ago , I have 1 Seadoo 951 , it belongs to me and is being rebuilt just because , it didn't come unwound or blow up.

Now if you want t o compare it to a Seadoo 951 DI you are probably on to something then.

There is no real world in which a 951 Seadoo is harder to work on than a power valve Yamaha engine ,
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You got me on the PV Yamahas. We don't talk about those
 
mikidymac

mikidymac

Location
California
HYDROSTREAM said:
thanks a lot. any recommendation on hand grips? is the vts trim hard to replace? it wants to move but wont. i was told gear is stripped but that i can buy the unit for like 50 bucks online and replace it with a couple of plugs and a few screws. any recommendation on removing the old decals? do i use a heat gun and then maybe some of that airplane cleaner stuff they sell? thanks a lot. i really appreciate you guys helping me out .
Click to expand...
Best fitting and easiest are the OEM grips. Still available and are about $30.
What typically kills the VTS is water getting in through a bad rubber boot at the jet pmp. Make sure you get a new one with your replacement VTS. VTS is really nice on the 1997+ XP hulls so I would repair it.
 
Myself

Myself

manic mechanic
Location
Twin Lakes AR
I use to be in the heat up the plastic camp........I am NOT anymore. Mask off the upper hull with wide painters tape. Use a scotchbrite pad to work all the oxidization off the trim. If it's real bad I've been known to stel wool or even razor blade scrape it off. Wipe it all clean with alcohol. Next use a microfiber and rub in a product called Flood Penetrol. You can buy it at Home Depot and most paint supply stores. If the plastic looks dry after you make it around the ski.....rub it down again. Keep it in the dry for 24 hours, it will feel sticky at first but dry up and make the plastic look like new again. After that just keep it protected with your favorite brand product. Here's a dirty old pig XP that I fixed up and sold last year.....that is NOT a new hood decal! I also revamped my old HX just before winter. Just an FYI.......the HX shock boot WILL fit on the XP......I did it.
 

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WFO Speedracer

WFO Speedracer

A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
Location
Alabama
The best stuff I have found for black trim is this product in the second link , it's somewhat expensive but it works really well and if you keep the lid wiped clean and keep it sealed it will last for many years . I have personally used this product and I know it works as stated , you can read more about it in the third link provided to PWCTODAY below.

The Penetrol Myself spoke of sounds like it works pretty much the same as this product does though and it's way cheaper . If you go the Penetrol route I am pretty sure you want the oil based stuff in the link below and not the Floetrol Acrylic additive, Amazon has both .

Using heat is a mixed bag on Seadoos , on some plastics such as 93 and up X4 hoods , steering covers , steering bases and grab handles it is pure wizardry , on other parts such as rub rails and bumper corners it doesn't do a lot , is has something to do with the different compositions of the plastics
which all act differently to being heated, basically you are burning off the oxidized plastic .



 
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