Oil consumption on a VMAX 600

fordrewls said:
My 96' XT drinks about 1 quart of Yamalube to every 100 miles. I have heard this is normal from my friends. I can't stand, however, the way it sucks fuel. I just tested out the mpg. After 20.4 miles, I had to put in 2.69 gallons of fuel. That equates to 7.58mpg. Ridiculous. Does anyone know if this is normal for this sled? I have the factory twin pipes on it as well. Any feedback would be appreciated. I may be getting a new RS Vector :WayCool: , but would still like to get this fixed.
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my dads 1994 vmax 600 gets 4mpg.. thats why were selling the phucker. hes going to buy a apex i think because its gets like 4 or 5 times better mpg. if anybody could tell me why i'm getting 4mpg would be great and its not a stuck enricher thing or running to rich
 
Yamaha's of that time were well known for high oil consumption. There was a recall for pumps on some 1997 sleds because of high consumption. As I remember it Yamaha would like to see about 100 miles per quart, but I believe they said that about 80 was still acceptable. That is a quite a bit of oil though. I have a 1997 Venture 500 that shortly after it was new was using as much as 1 Quart to 50 miles. Next comes the dilemma; do I set the pump for less oil and lower cost and more convenience and less plug fouling or do I set the pump for more oil and be good to the motor? It is a hassle having to carry 1 or 2 quarts of oil along to make it back home when going for a days ride. When going for a multi day saddlebag trip it is really a pain. The oil pump operates at a variable ratio so consumption really can't be quantified using a set ratio (like 50/1). When the motor is using more fuel at higher throttle settings a higher ratio will be used. Of course it will also vary when measured by miles per quart but not as much. To measure usage, fill the tank or make a mark on the tank at the oil level. Drive 100 miles and add a quart of oil and check level. Adjust the cable and recheck. I have an old Phazer that operates pretty much as -fill the tank and forget about it- about 500 miles per tank and that is a small tank. But the motor keeps going and going -high mileage and abuse and no problems. The pumps are all made by Mikuni. The only concern would be to make sure the pump is calibrated correctly for your sled.
 
The_BeaverBanker said:
my dads 1994 vmax 600 gets 4mpg.. thats why were selling the phucker. hes going to buy a apex i think because its gets like 4 or 5 times better mpg. if anybody could tell me why i'm getting 4mpg would be great and its not a stuck enricher thing or running to rich
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4 MPG means there is a major problem somewhere. Not only could the plungers sticking do it but also misadjustment or a sticky cable. Make sure the cable is loose at the carbs with the lever in off position. The other common cause would be a perforated fuel pump diaphragm. With the sled running on a stand at idle, squeeze the pulse hose shut (between fuel pump and crankcase) with a pliers (hold it for a minute). If the RPM,s increase, that is the problem. Next check the carb inlet valves for leakage (wear, debris, damage, float height).
 
nwille said:
Buddy, I wish MY dealer knew that...they tell me a quart of oil every 5 gallones of gas is just the nature of the beast. I have a 97 VT600. I just had it in today again, and they tell me the same thing. They will not replace the oil pump for me, they say if it's going bad it wouldn't pump rich. I'm getting this right from the manager of place. I'm not sure what else to do. Is it easy to do myself?
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Go to a different dealer. There is a service bulletin with 1997 models and serial numbers with bad pumps. Even if yours is not included the pump could be bad.
 
during the new top end rebuild becouse of the faulty recalled pistons, the frist 132 miles i used 15 gallons of gas and one gallon oil, so i guess the next fix is oil pump ? , this is one the 97 vmax twin, has not fouled plugs nor smokes a lot,and are useing amsoil hp
 
Yes, I would say you definately need a pump. The fuel usage is about what they get.

Faulty recalled pistons? What was that about?
 
PZ 1 said:
Yes, I would say you definately need a pump. The fuel usage is about what they get.

Faulty recalled pistons? What was that about?
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My 97 vt600 had the same piston issue. It was rebuilt the first season when it was new. The original 97 pistons had ring locating pin problems. Apparently the pin would get free and would cause problems. I replaced my oil pump a couple of winters ago as it was drinking oil. I forget exactly how much it was using, but it was bad, plug fouling and tons of blue smoke. Now oil consumption is a lot better, and I use arctic blue oil as it is cheap.

It used to get 10 mpg, but now it can't get that much. 7300 miles on it, and the best is 8 mpg. I think I will check the reeds and probably do the reed mod, as well as clean the stator as the head light is very dim. Going to a led taillight has kept the passenger's hand warmers working much better, the pyrometer showed that as well. 20 degrees Warmer with just the led taillight bulb vs the incandescent bulb.
 
If everything is set up right and your oil pump isnt bad, you should be able to calculate almost exactly 50:1. My 97 600 xt get almost bang on 50:1 on every ride this season. If you guys are having very high oil consumption id say bad pump or out of adjustment. For mpg factory set up should be 8-10mpg, with clutching and jetting 12mpg is possible.

But realistically from a sled that runs 8mpg to one that runs 12mpg, if you do 1000miles a year (1600kms) thats a difference of about 40gallons of fuel, or about 140 bucks a year. Its not that big of a deal in my eyes compared to the price of a new sled, cheaper than having a cat and having to rebuild it every year...

ps. thats 140 bucks for you lucky asses in the USA, 40 gallons up here would be closer to 190 bucks
 
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Yeah, if it felt as strong as it used to be, I would not care to much about 8 mpg. The last ride it was pretty doggy. Both plugs we firing, but I have a feeling it needs a bit of TLC.

What makes it worse is that my 600 xc gets basically twice that mpg, and has a good 20+ more hp. I have actually thought about putting a 136 or a 144 on the xc, and getting a 2 up seat for it. I will think about that closer to winter depending on what happens in the next few months.
 
My vmax gets around 6 MPG, every calibrated correctly, although it is a bit rich, I like to be on the safe side. I also use a lot of oil, 32:1. I also find that the oil cable isn't long enough to accommodate a handlebar riser, and it pulls on the oil beyond spec. When it still had the riser, it would get maybe a 16:1 ratio if you were lucky.
 
32:1 oil ratio on that v max? If it has the original oil pump, that is the reason. Yamaha had serious issues with that oil pump in 97. They had issues with that oil pump. Now I don't think they recalled it, but offered an update, that cost money. Mine failed so bad it would kill plugs quickly. It would stuck the oil tank dry in 70 miles or so, no more than 100 miles per tank of oil. The new updated pump really did help. It's still not super easy on oil, but no worse than our other sleds.
 
I haven't fouled a plug yet, but I do get about that 70-100 MI range. I wasn't able to get the pump adjusted to spec, as there still isn't enough slack in the cable, probably a nice "gift" from the previous owner. I don't mind using heavy oil, cheap engine insurance.
 
Yep, I use cheap oil in this yami too. Take a moment and get the part number on the oil pump. I bet the original oil pump is on it, and it has failed open like mine did. The sled had a lot more power after changing to a properly working oil pump.

Port Yamaha has a nice parts fiche and you'll see the original superseded part and the better newer redesigned pump. It wasn't cheap, but it is well worth the money and will pay for itself pretty quickly in less oil used, and slightly better mpg, as well as simply more fun to ride.
 
horkn said:
32:1 oil ratio on that v max? If it has the original oil pump, that is the reason. Yamaha had serious issues with that oil pump in 97. They had issues with that oil pump. Now I don't think they recalled it, but offered an update, that cost money. Mine failed so bad it would kill plugs quickly. It would stuck the oil tank dry in 70 miles or so, no more than 100 miles per tank of oil. The new updated pump really did help. It's still not super easy on oil, but no worse than our other sleds.
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There was a recall on the pumps and they covered it fully. It was not on all 97 sleds though, only certain models and serial numbers. Mine was running rich but was not one of the sleds in the recall. Either I or the dealer talked to Yamaha about that and they said even if it was not one of the affected units, if it was taking too much oil, they would replace the pump. The pump was replaced, but after a time it started guzzling oil again - after the warranty had run out. I ran it that way for a long time before finally buying another pump. It seems to be the nature of the beast with those pumps.
 
I solved my tight cable issue (also caused by my riser) by cutting a section out of the underneath of the hood and re routing it. I could take a pic if you wanted to see what I did, its not the prettiest but it works.

I also dont run mine rich, I tune it as it should be. Its a yamaha as long as its not leaning out anywhere it should give you lots of trouble free miles.
 
I would find a Yamaha dealer that was in business back in the early 90's because the was a service bulletin sent out on the 94-95 Vmax's that addressed this problem. If I remember correctly it called for a change in the oil pump setting and also a leaner main jet as well as a very thin shim that went under the needle clip that allowed you to be able to(lean) move the clip and to be in between the two clip setting on the needle. A friend of mine had a 94 Vmax 600 and there were times when trail riding he would foul plug after plug, after the changes were made it was a whole different sled. I know this to be true as I saw the bulletin my self. If you know a dealer that was in business back then ask him to check his old bulletins and I am sure there is one on it.
 
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