I posted this little story before, and I am updating it here because I am not really sure where to go at this point. I have an 03 RX1 that had a bone stock motor, HH clutch kit, ECP kit, Expert X skid, Floats, ski's, ripsaw etc. I took the sled to Fix Powersports and had a $5,000 engine mod done, which they installed, etc. I got the sled back in Nov last year, and rode it a few times with the mods. The sled was quick out of the hole, and had "decent" top end, but it never (in hindsight) seemed like it was as fast as I thought. Regardless, after about 300 miles on the motor, I was riding with a group in the UP, running a clean 70 mph on a straightaway when the motor blew...throwing a rod out of the block. Now, Fix is telling me that the motor cold seized and there is nothing they can do about that. The rod snapped in half, near the middle, and the piston is still free in the cylinder. I am having a hard time believing it was a "progressive" cold seize.
So...here is the dilemma....should I just suffer my loss? Did Fix but this thing together correctly? I am due anything from them...re: a warranty etc? I have to check, but I am sure that when I left he said they would take care of any problems.
BTW...the motor had about 1500 on it before the mods, it was never broken down in the past, I ALWAYS let it warm before riding it, and I never just get on it and hammer it. I have many people I ride with who can verify this...so that is why I am having a hard time swallowing this explaination.
Thanks in advance...
So...here is the dilemma....should I just suffer my loss? Did Fix but this thing together correctly? I am due anything from them...re: a warranty etc? I have to check, but I am sure that when I left he said they would take care of any problems.
BTW...the motor had about 1500 on it before the mods, it was never broken down in the past, I ALWAYS let it warm before riding it, and I never just get on it and hammer it. I have many people I ride with who can verify this...so that is why I am having a hard time swallowing this explaination.
Thanks in advance...
opsled
Active member
I don't think that anyone can say the engine builder is liable without seeing the engine and analizing it. There are many things that can cause rod failure on any engine and to point a finger at anyone without seeing the damage first hand and knowing what work was done would not be a responsable oppinion. I will say that engine mods of any sort to any engine are hard to warrentee without proper R&D by an experienced builder.
I know nothing about the company that did your engine so I can't comment on their qualifications or their work but the term "progressive cold sieze" doesn't sound right to me. I have bent wrenches on everything from 1155CI Cummings diesels to weed eaters and from my experiance most "cold sieze" issues (especially on a 4 stroke) can be avoided with proper piston fitting. Adding the word "progressive" leads me to think that the pistons may have been to tight to start.
If they wont stand behind it and you think they should you are going to have to prove your point which means you will have to take copies of the paper work showing what was done, along with specs, tolerances, build sheet, etc and the broken engine/parts to someone else that can verify your thoughts and would be willing to testify on your behalf. If there was no warrentee given with the work or you signed something like that you are probably screwed.
You are always taking a risk when you start modifing something from stock and warantees usually go out the window when you do. If you don't have the skills to do your own mods you will always be at someone else's mercy if something goes wrong.
Good Luck, opsled
I know nothing about the company that did your engine so I can't comment on their qualifications or their work but the term "progressive cold sieze" doesn't sound right to me. I have bent wrenches on everything from 1155CI Cummings diesels to weed eaters and from my experiance most "cold sieze" issues (especially on a 4 stroke) can be avoided with proper piston fitting. Adding the word "progressive" leads me to think that the pistons may have been to tight to start.
If they wont stand behind it and you think they should you are going to have to prove your point which means you will have to take copies of the paper work showing what was done, along with specs, tolerances, build sheet, etc and the broken engine/parts to someone else that can verify your thoughts and would be willing to testify on your behalf. If there was no warrentee given with the work or you signed something like that you are probably screwed.
You are always taking a risk when you start modifing something from stock and warantees usually go out the window when you do. If you don't have the skills to do your own mods you will always be at someone else's mercy if something goes wrong.
Good Luck, opsled
Like I said, the motor never really seemed right, and the day it blew, I ran a modded F7, a friends, and I think my top speed, GPS, was about 95. I knew, at that point, that something wasnt right but thought maybe it was due to the 20 degree temps. It was later the next day when the motor went.opsled said:
Fix did not replace rods in the rebuild, which is odd....but they did put in pistons.
Just a thought....with the 'lack of performance' put to one side....
If the rod broke in the middle and the piston is still free in the cylinder, then it sounds like a bad rod. If the wrist pin and the piston (top included) are OK, then I would say the problem didn't start in the top end, but the rod itself.
If the rod broke in the middle and the piston is still free in the cylinder, then it sounds like a bad rod. If the wrist pin and the piston (top included) are OK, then I would say the problem didn't start in the top end, but the rod itself.
Mtn-Track said:Just a thought....with the 'lack of performance' put to one side....
If the rod broke in the middle and the piston is still free in the cylinder, then it sounds like a bad rod. If the wrist pin and the piston (top included) are OK, then I would say the problem didn't start in the top end, but the rod itself.
I have seen stock 4 stroke engine with only a few hundred miles snapp the rod and everything was stock.
opsled
Active member
The term "cold seize" means the piston is sticking to the wall because the engine was ran to hard when cold and the piston expanded faster than the cylinder could and it stuck to the wall. Adding the term "progressive" means that this is a problem that occured early on and had been getting worse every time it was run. 4 strokes generally arn't setup as tight as a two stroke when it comes to piston to wall clearance and arn't usually as prone to this problem. These Yammies also have a cold start mode that doesn't allow the engine to be run hard untill it is warmed up so cold seizure should never be an issue with them unless the pistons were fit to tight to start with. The fact that they say the rod broke due to cold seize tells me there must be piston to wall clearance issues. If they were all changed they should have all been clearanced the same and there should be signs of the same problem on the other three cylinders. If the other three are perfect and only one is bad somebody messed up on one cylinder. If the other three are also showing signs of cold seizure they were probably all done wrong or your cold start mode wasn't working and you were hammering the hell out of it right out of the box.
Again I can't say for sure what went wrong without seeing the parts in hand but to me "cold siezure" shouldn't have been the cause if everything was setup right and the cold start mode was working. You're going to have to take your parts to someone else that is credible to get an answer to the question. Everyone elses oppinions here (including mine) are just speculation.
opsled
Again I can't say for sure what went wrong without seeing the parts in hand but to me "cold siezure" shouldn't have been the cause if everything was setup right and the cold start mode was working. You're going to have to take your parts to someone else that is credible to get an answer to the question. Everyone elses oppinions here (including mine) are just speculation.
opsled