JeepTherapy
New member
I stated earlier that i am relitively new to snowmobiles. I got my first sled in 2002, a new VMax 600. I opted for the additional yamaha 3 year warranty thing. Then in 2004 I bought a new Viper. Both sleds are ERs. I have had to put plugs in them a few times from fouling mostly caused by user error. My Viper ate a belt once but didn't leave me stranded, drove it to the dealer and they fixed it on the spot.
I read and see a lot of broken sleds. My only ride this year I stopped and checked on a Cat rider on the side of the trail with the hood open.
So am I just blessed or was my choice of sleds that good that I have had no break downs? Am I destined to be left walking at some point?
Both of my sleds are completly stock. Well the warranty is about to expire on the Vmax and I am thinking I would like to start tinkering with it. Am I just tempting fate by making modifications? I am not a healthy guy (bought the sled for therapy) (bought the jeep for therapy too) and walking is way out of the question. But I sure like the sound of a piped sled and there is a certian ski doo rider that dissed my VMax....
I bought the yamahas mostly because of what I saw as a very reliable sled with the best warranty I could find. If I mod the sled how fast do I start loosing the reliability?
I have been an aircraft mechanic for 20 years and a mechanic for life. So I am confident I can follow instructions and properly mod, just concerned about that reliability thing.
I read and see a lot of broken sleds. My only ride this year I stopped and checked on a Cat rider on the side of the trail with the hood open.
So am I just blessed or was my choice of sleds that good that I have had no break downs? Am I destined to be left walking at some point?
Both of my sleds are completly stock. Well the warranty is about to expire on the Vmax and I am thinking I would like to start tinkering with it. Am I just tempting fate by making modifications? I am not a healthy guy (bought the sled for therapy) (bought the jeep for therapy too) and walking is way out of the question. But I sure like the sound of a piped sled and there is a certian ski doo rider that dissed my VMax....
I bought the yamahas mostly because of what I saw as a very reliable sled with the best warranty I could find. If I mod the sled how fast do I start loosing the reliability?
I have been an aircraft mechanic for 20 years and a mechanic for life. So I am confident I can follow instructions and properly mod, just concerned about that reliability thing.
woolyviper
New member
I think there are lots of mods you can make without effecting reliability, silencer, reeds (spacers and cages etc), clutch kits etc. Pipes, porting and heads I think take a little tuning knowledge to maintain reliability, but it can be done. I went thru a learning curve with my son's ZR 600 when he piped and clutched it, changing jet's and needle positions all the time, but we finally found a good combination that works and added a variflow compensator that really improved performance and reliability.
Last edited:
PZ 1
Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2005
- Messages
- 987
Having a spare belt on the sled is a must. If you have never changed one, have someone show you and remove and replace it so you won,t have a problem on the trail.
VmaxSx600
New member
i got bout the same sled as you jeep and if its a twin do NOT put pipes on it unless you like to wrench on the sled alot... if you wanna have some sweet sound put a silencer on it best sound youll get outa em then get reed spacers and get a thinner headgasket... and if thats not enough for you go get some plastic skis and then do your clutch... right now i got plastic skis, thinner headgasket, reed spacers, clutched, silencer, thinner transfer rod washers and 98 studs and the sled just flys! funnest sled ive ever rode! (mines a twin also)
JeepTherapy
New member
VMax is a triple...
and yup, gots a spare belt and know how to change one now. Belt was weird, it just tossed a bunch of the lugs, couldn't even see that it was damaged, just vibrated pretty bad.
the mods I am considering at this time in order that I would do them;
bore silencer
remove one head gasket layer
reeds (bend or notch)
I don't understand clutching (yet) but I did get my dealer buddy to change mine to get WOT in the proper RPM range. But from what I have read here there is a lot to be had from clutching and I am pretty confident at least this has no effect on the reliability.
I think if I can handle the privious mods without destroying anything then I may be ready to move on to some of the more advanced mods, pipes, jetting, bigger cylinders. But these seem to be where people start talking about melt downs and such....
and yup, gots a spare belt and know how to change one now. Belt was weird, it just tossed a bunch of the lugs, couldn't even see that it was damaged, just vibrated pretty bad.
the mods I am considering at this time in order that I would do them;
bore silencer
remove one head gasket layer
reeds (bend or notch)
I don't understand clutching (yet) but I did get my dealer buddy to change mine to get WOT in the proper RPM range. But from what I have read here there is a lot to be had from clutching and I am pretty confident at least this has no effect on the reliability.
I think if I can handle the privious mods without destroying anything then I may be ready to move on to some of the more advanced mods, pipes, jetting, bigger cylinders. But these seem to be where people start talking about melt downs and such....
Old Thumper
New member
My Yamahas have been super reliable. We bought my wife's Phazer 500 new - now has 5000 miles on it. My V-max only had 350 miles when I bought it - now over 6000. Both are basically stock - V-max had track studded when I bought it - I added reverse first year. I just added reverse and electric start to the Phazer. I've done the standard plugs, belts, sliders, and a few idler wheel bearings. Only 1 breakdown on the trail. Last year on the Phazer a STUPID little 6mm screw that holds a plastic grille over the cooling fan came loose and vibrated out. It got into the fan housing - first it broke all the blades off the cooling fan, then to add insult to injury, it made it's way down to the bottom of the housing and trashed the generator. Over $200 worth of parts from 1 little 6mm screw backing out. When I put it back together I used stainless socket head screws instead of the philips head screws that Yamaha used, and I used locktight on EVERYTHING. The philips heads are dificult to tighten properly, especially after they've been in and out a couple times.
If you're gonna start working on your machine, use locktight on almost all fasteners, and get a decent torque wrench so you're not overtightening stuff. Stripped threads are very costly problems.
If you're gonna start working on your machine, use locktight on almost all fasteners, and get a decent torque wrench so you're not overtightening stuff. Stripped threads are very costly problems.
aSRX600guy
New member
NEVER ride further than you want to walk alone.
eventualy you will break or worse; crash
you've got a couple of reliable sleds. don't mess with carbs more than a tempaflow. don't put on pipes, and a silencer just makes it noisier.
clutching and grearing are safe and I'd recomend it.
you don't realy need to know how to cluch, theres plenty of people here who can tell you what you need to do.
eventualy you will break or worse; crash
you've got a couple of reliable sleds. don't mess with carbs more than a tempaflow. don't put on pipes, and a silencer just makes it noisier.
clutching and grearing are safe and I'd recomend it.
you don't realy need to know how to cluch, theres plenty of people here who can tell you what you need to do.
As an aircraft mechanic you shouldn't have any problems with modding stuff on a sled and keeping it reliable. Have fun doing it. We don't get enough snow in southern WI to ride anymore, so I get my fix by wrenching on them. Kinda sad, I know.
03viperguy
Moderator
I think you have a few good safe mods in mind, go for it. pipes and other in depth stuff will get a bit more technical and require more attention. if you like to gas, go, and get home, leave it alone or at the most the few mods you were thinking. pipes means headaches or possibility of headaches. my $.02