I have 5k miles on mine no problems cept jumped a snow bank into the street and broke my rear boogie wheel off saturday. keep in mind I have never replaced them cause I got an m10 in the waiting for this summer. I drive it like I stole!
8500 miles on my viper. Up until this weekend the only things I had to repair are stuff from abuse. Bent trail arm, tunnel, rear axle, cracked plastic. This weekend I blew the chain out of it, likely from not adjusting it lately. Rarely use premium fuel and have dumped anything that looks like oil in it, but try to use semi synthetic. Never changed the headgasket. I have bought this sled used and put maybe 3500 miles on it myself and I dont think I have even changed the plugs in it. This summer it will get a complete love in, including a 136 edge suspension change over. If I lived closer to michigan or wisconsin, I would buy me another one, they are so inexpensive low milers over there and not so beat up as mine. When I do buy a new sled I will keep this one.
yamabrute said:
I only have 3200 on mine, but I'm planning to swap a 136" edge in mine this summer/fall as well. Are you looking at going with the regular edge or the proX edge/IQ skid?
03viperguy
Moderator
knowing for a fact it was all done right and dialed in, and then it blew up kind of contradicts the fact it was dialed in and perfect. clearly something was off. not enough cooling especially with pipes, running lean, being stupid and holding it open for that long with pipes.... I have held my stock sled wfo across the lake up north and never had an issue. I have run slow, 35mph. I have run fast, 50-105 on the trails up north. and what killed mine was poor storage with the wrong oil for storage. not saying you should not put in the headgasket etc, but I put in a rear cooler within a week of getting it. and had the torque arm put in at the same time. never fouled a plug, never blown a belt. only replaced the rollers in my clutch. thing has been GREAT for a long time.s10mike said:
And I repeat..........
Just because your has not blown up does NOT negate the fact there is a head design flaw that buckled with aggresive timing curve makes this a rolling grenade. Fix the flaws via Opticool gasket and raise needles and its bulletproof. PLEASE PLEASE don't tell new guys this engine is fine so they can blow up theres.
I sure wish somebody knowledgeble would have posted what I did before mine blew with 800 miles on it. Simple 40 dollar gasket would have saved it.
Oh, last trip out was way warm and girlfriend got viper so hot the BRAKES quit working....LOL! Was so hot under the hood! Put snow on it and went the rest of the day....when set up right the engine really is tough.
Just because your has not blown up does NOT negate the fact there is a head design flaw that buckled with aggresive timing curve makes this a rolling grenade. Fix the flaws via Opticool gasket and raise needles and its bulletproof. PLEASE PLEASE don't tell new guys this engine is fine so they can blow up theres.
I sure wish somebody knowledgeble would have posted what I did before mine blew with 800 miles on it. Simple 40 dollar gasket would have saved it.
Oh, last trip out was way warm and girlfriend got viper so hot the BRAKES quit working....LOL! Was so hot under the hood! Put snow on it and went the rest of the day....when set up right the engine really is tough.
03viperguy
Moderator
wasnt saying it wouldnt happen, just stating my experience. I wonder, what elevation are you at in colorado? not really certain what I am at in NH. just curious
I ride anywhere between 7k and 13,5k. People have lost engines at all altitudes without the head mod. After the mod as I said we have ran this thing hard...and also slow. Got it hotter than we ever should have and it lived.
You ever get yours back together spend the 40 bucks for opticool gasket and see how much more power you have mid range.
You ever get yours back together spend the 40 bucks for opticool gasket and see how much more power you have mid range.
s10mike
Member
i think its the pipes, maybe makes it to tempermental. like you need to rejet everytime the outside temp. changes 5 degrees.
s10mike
Member
and oh yeah ,this guy was wondering what to buy. i was just pointing out a known design flaw in the vipers cooling system/engine arangement.yamaha makes alot of good sleds that you dont have to change head gaskets or raise whatever to keep from blowing up.
I have a Edge Position sensitive 2 136" skid. I dont know anything about it but sounds like it will be a big improvement. The biggest reason I bought this edge is cause it didnt cost me much and was local.ajviper said:
03viperguy
Moderator
I intend to get that gasket in there. not doubting you or saying you are wrong, I was just curious about the elevation. not trying to beat you up manstingray719 said:
have we pretty much concluded that the center bearing issue are due to the overall heat generated by the cylinders? I understand other things like not properly storing can cause the bearings to go bad over time, but with the cooling issue on the vipers, isn't this probably the main culprit for the crank bearings going as well?
ajviper you hit the nail on the head. Severe detonation can blow a crank in a matter of seconds. And the advanced timing curve on the Viper along with local hot spots on a cylinder can cause severe detonation as you have seen in these pics. Now, having a rusted crank is a diff thing 
Check your plugs for very tiny violet colored balls on the electrode...that is detonation. Be aware though that the detonation usually seen on Vipers happens really quick and this kind of maintenance may not help.
Soooo....if your piston has marks like a sandblaster hit the top - it detonated. No questions about it.
Check your plugs for very tiny violet colored balls on the electrode...that is detonation. Be aware though that the detonation usually seen on Vipers happens really quick and this kind of maintenance may not help.
Soooo....if your piston has marks like a sandblaster hit the top - it detonated. No questions about it.
that's what i figured...i plan to add the bender gasket before next season when doing some other things and the last time i check my piston tops looked perfect so hopefully I"ll be good to go for another 3-4k miles.
09nytro
New member
My wife overheated hers last year so i put the rear heat exchanger in it been go for most of the year ...then i was out ridding it with my kid and it quit running (rode about 3hours at slow speeds 25-30mph maybe 35 mph ) center cyc do you guys think it was the head gasket i have never put the bender one in or raised the needs ....and the plug was gray rode it home but was going topull it apart to see what happened ...so i will get that head gasket coming
nytro, search my name for old posts. mine did same thing.
hlmrx1
Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2005
- Messages
- 31
So guys what does this opticool gasket actually do? Where do you get it, Yamaha dealer? Stock clip position P-8, just got a Viper and I haven't had the carb apart yet, what do you do raise the needle (drop the clip one) to get more fuel? Thanks
Agpetro
Member
hlmrx1 said:
The opticool head gasket evens out the flow of antifreeze in the cylinders and head. You can buy one from either bender racing or hauck power sports. I dont think yamaha dealers carry them though.