Maintenance for 3500 mile 97 700sx ?

The 1997 700 SX I purchased new has 3500 miles on it. The only
problems I had since new:

1) Replace broken starter recoil spring

2) Carbs had to be cleaned last year

Are there any common issues that may come up around
the 3500 mile mark I can avoid with preventative maintenance ?

Thanks
Dean

May want to clean the carbs this year as well.

Grease anything in the front and rear suspension with a zerk, also grease your steering.

check the rear trailing arm mounts in the footwells, the rivets tend to come loose a lot on the '97's, and Yamaha has an upgrade rivet kit for them if they are loose. Hate to lose the trailing arm mounts cruising down the trail

i grease the front and the rear suspension about 5-6 times a season. only takes about 15 minutes and you wouldnt believe the water that comes out of the greasr fittings. saves it from freezing up im sure.

I copied this from an earlier post. Clear the mice out first. Just kid'n Pull the carbs and clean them using compressed air and carb cleaner, the green junk in there is real bad for the motor. Remove the jets and blow through the passages until clear. Blow your primary out as well as the secondary with compressed air. Pull the primary apart and check the weights for dams and low spots. Replace if needed. Pull suspension and inspect closely for cracks or bent parts. Check idler wheel bearings and replace if bad. Grease cross shafts on the suspension, straighten if bent. Eyeball the carbides and replace if worn. If they still look so so, run em for the first few trips then change them out. Pull the dip stick in the chaincase and inspect the magnet at the end for filings. If there are only a few and the oil level is up to the line you are probably OK. If there are many shavings and splinters, pull the cover and inspect the chain and gears for wear. Also adjust the chain tension. Check the exhaust doughnuts for blow outs too. Seems I never even notice these going bad but have replaced quite a few over the years. The one thing I worry about the most is that damn bearing behind the spedo housing on the drive shaft. Seems the water clears the grease out and they need repacking every fall. Sure is a pain but then you wont be the one on the side of the trail broken down ! There is no place like home to do preventive maintainence. Be prepared when the snow flies and enjoy !!

http://www.totallyamaha.com/snowmobiles/aaTECH/Service_Ticks&Recalls/Trick and Recalls.htm

CHECK THIS LINK ALL ABOUT 97 SX/600-700

All I can say is CRANK BEARINGS. Most had issues in the 5500 to 8000 Mile range. If they go, it easier to look for a 98 Case, crank, and bearings. The 98's had better bearings, however they will not fit the 97 case's with out some machine work. The bearings are also stupid expensive to buy.

Maddogs700srx said:

All I can say is CRANK BEARINGS. Most had issues in the 5500 to 8000 Mile range. If they go, it easier to look for a 98 Case, crank, and bearings. The 98's had better bearings, however they will not fit the 97 case's with out some machine work. The bearings are also stupid expensive to buy.

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i agree, just did that to my 97 700sx this fall, bought a 2000/01 600sxr lower end from btv recently and bolted on my rebuilt upper end and am ready to go once my track gets here!! found it more cost effective to go this route then buying new bearings for the crank!

drive shaft bearing under the speedo. ive heard this is pretty common

also check your reed stoppers, the metal seems to crack after a while and would really cause a mess in your engine. check your spark plug caps as well, test with an ohm meter should be about 5000 ohms resisteance. a cheap little part really makes a sled run like shit.