We lost another one

[700]

Tried to ride my 98 SRX 700 to work this morning. Started fine, 0* took off the choke and started out Bumped the choke a couple of times as usual then completely off drove easy under 5000 for about a 1/3 mile then stopped to adjust my helmet. Then the rpms began falling and it died. Sounded kinda funny and it never dies. I pull on the cord and it feels a little funny but starts. The coolant light flashes I think 3 times then it dies again. This time it won't turn with the rope. I pulled the plugs and they all looked normal for not being hot yet. Wet around the edges and clean and dry around the electrode. I used the primary to turn it over and it feels like the bearings are seezed. I got it to roll backwards fairly well and each piston blows my finger off the hole as I rotate it. I looked in the holes with a flashlight and all have plenty off gas and oil. Again the engine wasn't up to temperature yet. So at that I walked home got my 1980 Enticer 340 and pulled it home! I've never had this engine apart it shows 3300 on the speedo but it was unhooked when I got it as payment on a bad debt so who knows the miles. I've put probably 300 miles on it this year and it's been running great! I put probably 500 miles on it before this year. I did check on the crank recall and it had been taken care of at the original dealer.
So any opinions on what happened and if I wrecked anything like the crank if a bearing seezed at idle? Why did it flash a code?
And to top it off my other sled a 440 Polaris is in the shop with a blown piston! I'm too old to ride the 340 Enticer I may not have time to fix this thing this season and I LOVE this machine!
SYMPOTHY

 

[Mysledblows]

Personally I don't think you let it warm up enough before driving off. The pistons grow faster than the cylinders and it seizes. The 3 flashes at start up is supposed to happen. It's a diagnostic that the powervalve motor is working.

 

[jefsnow]

Interesting that it seems to turn over backwards, but not forwards. The pistons don't care, they do the same thing forward or backward....... hummmm ?????

 

[Ding]

There ain't nothing like a good rip on an ole ET340!!! For full effect ditch the helmet and wear a hat with the ear flaps flopping. That burning ear sensation is priceless.

Notice: Riding without a helmet should only be attempted by completely unqualified riders with nothing to protect upstairs. The reference above was purely for nostalgic purposes only. Please do not ride your sled without the proper safety equipment.

 

[Ding]

Interesting that it seems to turn over backwards, but not forwards. The pistons don't care, they do the same thing forward or backward....... hummmm ?????

Bearings will do that especially if they get debris in them.

 

[jefsnow]

yeah, I think it is early on in a seize situation. Time to rip her down, and find out why. It is important to know why it seized as well as repairing the broken parts, or you are doomed to failure again ?

 

[700]

Personally I don't think you let it warm up enough before driving off. The pistons grow faster than the cylinders and it seizes. The 3 flashes at start up is supposed to happen. It's a diagnostic that the powervalve motor is working.

Yes I was wondering if I wasn't warming it up enough. I always take it easy for a while but it still is 5000 rpms or so and that's a lot more than 1800. It doesn't seem like the piston though. Like Ding said it feels like a bearing "piled up" It doesn't turn easy backwards, It feels like tight bearings and then it will lock up backwards too. It just turns even harder forward. So what are the chances I messed up the crank? Is it a HUGE project to change the crank bearings/seals?

 

[modsrx]

do u feel a sensation of grinding went u turn it ???
stator will give a sensation too because of the magnet .......
its depend what u need but the longest thing is to wait for the crank if u need to change bearing on it ... outside bearing you can do it but inside u need to send crank ..

let uss know what u find

 

[700]

do u feel a sensation of grinding went u turn it ???
stator will give a sensation too because of the magnet .......
its depend what u need but the longest thing is to wait for the crank if u need to change bearing on it ... outside bearing you can do it but inside u need to send crank ..

let uss know what u find

Yeh now that I think about maybe grinding would describe it. It really feels like a bearing to me. I was just reading an old post by MRVIPER about how if the engine isn't fogged in the off season moisture gets into the bearings and rusts them. I know this sled sat for a couple of years untouched witha bad track and I doubt it was fogged. This could very well be what happened. I know it is all just educated guesses until I tear into it but you know how it is when something like this happens, you want to share the joy with others as soon as possible! Now I just hope I can find the time to tear into it. What's the best way to tackle this, pull the heads and if all looks good, pull the entire engine out before going deeper?

 

[blkmax600]

There ain't nothing like a good rip on an ole ET340!!! For full effect ditch the helmet and wear a hat with the ear flaps flopping. That burning ear sensation is priceless.

Notice: Riding without a helmet should only be attempted by completely unqualified riders with nothing to protect upstairs. The reference above was purely for nostalgic purposes only. Please do not ride your sled without the proper safety equipment.

Thanks for the good laugh this morning....LMAO

 

[modsrx]

take out that motor it will only take like 1 h30 to taking out......u will need to take the primary clutch off

 

[700]

Update

I haven't had much time to work on it yet but I did check all the pistons/ clyinders and found #1 to have slight scoring and lots of little dents in the piston top and head from something bouncing around until it found its way out. It didn't happen that morning though as all the dents were dirty with no sign of fresh damage. It definately has a bad bearing but I won't know which one til tonight when I take the cases apart. I have a question: I checked the jets and it has #1=145 #2=147.5 #3=145. I know, I know I should have checked them before I had trouble anyway; Can you guys recomend a good trail setup for me? I want to be on the safe side. I am at 1200' and ride between -10 and +30 with an average about +15. this a 98 700.

 

[racerrob6m]

Rod bearing failure??

Yep, bearing failure I bet. Little dings on top of pistons, looks like a guy was in there with a mini ball peen hammer?? The little bastard!!


Mine was in a Phazer2, but the failures can still look similar!!

I had a bearing failure last year and you can see the heat distortion color on the rod, note how the piston, plug & head looked and the sharpnel that was in the exhaust in these pics:

 

[700]

looks like a guy was in there with a mini ball peen hammer?? The little bastard!!

 

[Whammy]

I know its hard to do, but gota let em warm up..

 

[maxdlx]

There ain't nothing like a good rip on an ole ET340!!! For full effect ditch the helmet and wear a hat with the ear flaps flopping. That burning ear sensation is priceless.

Notice: Riding without a helmet should only be attempted by completely unqualified riders with nothing to protect upstairs. The reference above was purely for nostalgic purposes only. Please do not ride your sled without the proper safety equipment.

I just spit diet coke all over my wifes monitor. Just from a pic of Ding naked on a exciter with nothing but a hat with ear flaps. Damn I'm tired. LOL

 

[Snowsnake]

You said you put 500 miles on it last year.Did you fog it when you put it away last summer?If the crank brgs were going to go from what the previous owner did then it would have went down last year.You wouldn't have got 800 miles out of rusted brgs.

 

[700]

What do you think?

Here are a couple of pictures showing damage. The clutch side bearings are out. The one split the race and is jammed. a lot of debre went up through the cylinder but I think a new piston and head will take care of that. I don't believe the race turned on the crank but I'm thinking a good used crank may be a better choice. I'm questioning the other bearings also. some of them make noise when you spin them. I didn't measure the free play in the lower rod bearings but they sure seem like more than .040 although they feel smooth. So how can I be sure I'm getting a good used crank? I can check it when I get it I know but how do I know if a 98 crank has been repaired?
I can't see anything wrong with the cases.
Also now I need to order parts from the dealer and I'm wondering what seals and gaskets,etc. get replaced no matter how good they look. I figure the exhaust side is fine but what about the water pump, intake,etc.?

 

[staggs65]

if it was me for the piece of mind you'd get for the relative small cost of a gasket set, i'd replace anything i pulled apart

 

[modsrx]

if it was me for the piece of mind you'd get for the relative small cost of a gasket set, i'd replace anything i pulled apart

yep and for the crank if its weld where the crank is press together the update have been done to it