Powerplant629
New member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2026
- Messages
- 2
Has anyone experienced a sudden, low speed lock-up of the track drive (Transmission) ? While travelling at slow speed, the transmission suddenly locked up. It did not jump into neutral and any attempt to shift did not make a difference. The secondary could not be rotated by hand and neither could the track. Upon towing the machine out of the bush, we removed and opened up the transmission. No faults were found but after reassembly, it worked normally again. We suspect the shift forks may be at fault but can no longer confirm this hypothesis. Has anyone else had such a problem. This machine only has 1500 km on it and we're not looking forward to another 30km walk back to the truck! Thanks for any input!
RON HYDRAULIC YAM
Member
Hope someone sees you here . You might also look around the 4stroke section for
any results. Didn't find any metal in the oil pan like a part squashed between two gears
and such stuff often dislodges when turning track backwards.
Deere tractors in the past engaged two gears at same time to get park.
Surprised nothing broken teeth , no missing shims keeping them close?
https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/snowmobile/2018/vk540-vk5nfjb/track-drive-2
Ron
any results. Didn't find any metal in the oil pan like a part squashed between two gears
and such stuff often dislodges when turning track backwards.
Deere tractors in the past engaged two gears at same time to get park.
Surprised nothing broken teeth , no missing shims keeping them close?
https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/snowmobile/2018/vk540-vk5nfjb/track-drive-2
Ron
Powerplant629
New member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2026
- Messages
- 2
Thanks Ron! I searched through the rest of the threads and didn't see anything relevant. Upon dissassembly, we didn't encounter any obvious problems. Talking to the dealer didn't result in any further information and they have never heard of a similar problem before. However, just yesterday our cross country ski club VK540 seems to have experienced the exact same problem while grooming. A sudden low speed lock-up from the Secondary to the jackshaft. Investigation is planned for this weekend and I'll be paying particular attention to the shift forks and associated shift cam!
RON HYDRAULIC YAM
Member
I have thought of all sorts of ideas on how to haul home a dead VK ... Old box liner from truck ?
Hood from neighbours car ? Big Toboggan ?
Mine had been used by a club before I bought it .
My 1993 has same trans and found a number of posts about shifting in the past but not
going solid stop. Mostly getting into reverse. I shut mine off in direction I wish to go next.
When I want to reverse, pull it back into low , then pinch up the release latch then release
it as still moving the lever forward . Goes in solid every time. Going from HI into reverse
almost failed with clicking and grinding every time. There seems to be a gap in the gears between
Hi and Rev BUT if it has jumped out of low I could imagine getting into Rev at same time.
Not likely , but were either sleds shifted to low when not running first?
Never had a manual but had tried once to shift before running with poor results.
Had both machines just started away or been running for miles?
You mentioned Neutral . I would need to go out and look . Don't recall a proper
spot for N, just a nasty place it went when missing Rev. Usually cured by shutting off
engine and jamming back into H before it quit spinning so it didn't sound so bad
grinding in square cut gears as the secondary would be spinning at speed.
Hope you find something but nothing expensive.
Ron
Hood from neighbours car ? Big Toboggan ?
Mine had been used by a club before I bought it .
My 1993 has same trans and found a number of posts about shifting in the past but not
going solid stop. Mostly getting into reverse. I shut mine off in direction I wish to go next.
When I want to reverse, pull it back into low , then pinch up the release latch then release
it as still moving the lever forward . Goes in solid every time. Going from HI into reverse
almost failed with clicking and grinding every time. There seems to be a gap in the gears between
Hi and Rev BUT if it has jumped out of low I could imagine getting into Rev at same time.
Not likely , but were either sleds shifted to low when not running first?
Never had a manual but had tried once to shift before running with poor results.
Had both machines just started away or been running for miles?
You mentioned Neutral . I would need to go out and look . Don't recall a proper
spot for N, just a nasty place it went when missing Rev. Usually cured by shutting off
engine and jamming back into H before it quit spinning so it didn't sound so bad
grinding in square cut gears as the secondary would be spinning at speed.
Hope you find something but nothing expensive.
Ron