Heres a new one that I don't believe I ever posted

R

red devil

New member
Joined
Jan 15, 2004
Messages
250
Location
pocono's pa.
Reading Ironvipers post and was thinking about 2 years ago I came out of hotel room after running day before with no probs. Well started sled up let it warm up and going down trail maybe 4 miles at a 40 mph pace and the thing just died like I hit the kill switch. Here's the interesting part after trying to pull the sled over it wouldn't turn. Thought that was it for the viper. Guess again, pulled plugs one at atime and looked down the cylinders expecting to see a hole in piston or something there were no holes. Pulled the sled over with no spark plugs which it did seem hard the first pull but started turning over anyway.Drove the sled another 500miles that trip with nothing wrong brought it back home and checked compression all perfect and still runs good almost 4,000 miles later and hard miles. Was that a vapor lock of some sort? When I say you couldn't turn it over I mean that if I pulled on the cord harder it would of broke. Anyone had this happen to them? Just thought I would have seen on my sled what Ironviper has now.
 

wow that is really weird. I'm not even going to try and guarantee what it was, but it ran fine after that? I would say a vapor lock could definately be possible, but why?
 
Wow, I think the Yamaha gods gave you a second chance. I have bad luck, and if that were me, my motor would have been cooked. Anything else strange happen to you that day? Bridges collapse behind you, water part infront of you?
 
I know guys it sounds unbelievable but thats exactly how it happened. Noticed some topend problems this year but all in all it still runs even with the 800 skidoo that I smoked last year and previous year. That got me to thinking about that morning and I will take her apart this year to see what up. Still runs good now with alittle starting problem when I get back from lunch. I might not take it apart but I know it will get the best of me and I will do so. I"m piped too! I guess I'm lucky for once was running with a skidoo& f/6. Wouldn't of heard the end of it.
 
you know what i was thinking about this after i posted, and i think its fairly likely you might have cold seized it. All of the signs are there, you may definately want to get in there and look for the signs on the cylinder walls and pistons. It happens when the pistons expand faster than the cylinders so fast that they actually lock against the cylinder walls. This pretty much happens from not enough warm up time (or such a thing as not being warmed long enough for the entire system to be warmed somewhat, so when the thermostat opens the cold water hits the cylinders and shrinks them down, causing the seizure)
 
I warmed it up pretty good! B ut maybe you are right on with this? Thanx for the added worry now,just joking. Still runs and never let me down but it deserves a looking over. Think I will have to worry about crank and lower end issues? It did just stop and nothing moved all at once. Boy! you have me worrying now. When I think about it and when it happened I think it was colder out because I thought I leaned out . I will have to ask those guys if they remember that and how cold it was. The sled was running when they came and realized I wasn't there.I explained what happened and they couldn't offer an explanation either.Sled ran fast last year,slowing now but is still no turtle to say the least. THANX will let you know whats up.
 
For it to stick like that, it almost had to be hydro (fluid) or mechanical (seizure). Fluid is unlikely because it had been running at or above engagement for a while. I hate the term "cold seizure". Although it is a condition that can happen, it is so often used as a scapegoat excuse that allows dealers to blame engine failures on usage. If tolerances are truly right, current stock engines shouldn't be able to "cold seize".

It is really a wonder that you didn't bend a rod if you pulled on it extremely hard. I advise that if the pull rope doesn't turn over normal, go immediately to the primary clutch and turn slowly by hand. You get a much better idea of what is happening by doing this, plus you can turn either direction. Any resistance (other than compression) I stop until I know what is causing it.
 
cold seizure can happen quite easily on engines that are in perfect condition, especially with powder forged pistons (as the vipers and srxs have), because the very light pistons heat up so much quicker than the cylinders, and when metals heat up they expand, so when the pistons expand so quickly (like if you start them up and just jump on them and go without letting them warm up good enough) and the cylinders dont have much heat in them yet, the pistons will literally expand so quickly that they ram up tight against the cylinders, and seizure is the result. Now most of the time they will still run after this once the pistons back off the cylinder walls, but the damage has been done, and you will see scoring on the skirts and cylinders.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top