from reading this thread and looking at the pic its obviously a lean burn down, and contributing to the fact you used 87 octane in a piped viper with stock head is most likely why it went down. The mag and center cylinders have more compression then a srx does, add in the mag cylinder gets the worst cooling from the stock head and then added ignition timing and you have a sure result for detonation with low octane fuel. The slp jetting specs are good for the pilot and mains but the needles need to be raised up for todays lousy gas quality. The needles and nozzles are also leaner in a viper then a srx so thats why they go down more often, too many cards not in thier favor.
If you look or post pics of the other piston tops it will likely be eveident of detonation on the center cylinder as well, the pto survives more often because it has a lower compression ratio so it runs a bit cooler.
Really the srx base gasket will not make and wouldnt have saved you in this instance. the only differance is the holes for the coolant are slightly bigger for 2 of the cylinders but it really doesnt make the sled cool another 10 degrees or anything.
if you have smeared aluminum on the cylinder you can use muratic acid to eat it off, it wont hurt the plating, just will eat off the aluminum, use it outdoors and wear a mask ,nasty vapors off it. You can then hone the cylinder if the plating is not messed up and reuse the cylinder. just depends on how bad its damaged from the burn down.
