Wizard
Member
I'm on my 13th season with a '98 SRX600 and with all I've done to it over the years I'm stumped! I'd say it was for sure the end of the season in 11/12 that it first began smelling of antifreeze on start up but the smell always went away after just a few minutes and it was more fun to ride than wench considering everything else was working great. I'd purchased an '01 SRX700 about that time and wifey had began riding the old '98. All last season I let it go because it wasn't getting worse and I was ironing out issues with my new-to-me toy. Anyway, I tore down the top end over the weekend, cleaned and inspected everything I took off looking for the problem but found none, and installed all new Yamaha brand base and head gaskets. During the tear down, I had some liquid come out of the pipe for cylinder #3 (which I hung up so it could drip dry over the past couple days) and I noticed some evidence of oil mixed with anti freeze in a sort of slurry in the exhaust manifold of #1. Non of this bothered me because I knew I was on borrowed time, but now that it's put back together with new gaskets, etc. I rode it about 2 miles and while it starts, idles and runs super smooth and god, it's smoking like crazy!!! It seems to be a bluish smoke with not much of an anti freeze smell, so I'm optimistic that it will burn off on a longer ride, but it's a lot of smoke. My question is, if it doesn't stop smoking and/or I find the smell at start up is still there, is there a known place to look for where else anti freeze could be getting into the motor (maybe in the bottom end) or do I have a cracked block? Anyone gone through this and have a good idea what I'm up against?
If you know what cylinder it was coming from so that would be the one youd need to tear back down and find the problem, its either a cracked cylinder up around the triple exhaust ports or the head is warped, or the case top is gouged or something to let antifreeze pass.
I have seen on some older srx like yours the o-rings get all dried and whiteish colored and let antifreeze pass, did you clean out the o-ring grooves well on the cylinder? were the dowels on the cylinder base all corroded into the case?
I would start it up and put it on a jackstand, run it for a bit then pull the spark plugs, youll see real quick which one is drinking antifreeze as it will be all wet and shiny looking.
I have seen on some older srx like yours the o-rings get all dried and whiteish colored and let antifreeze pass, did you clean out the o-ring grooves well on the cylinder? were the dowels on the cylinder base all corroded into the case?
I would start it up and put it on a jackstand, run it for a bit then pull the spark plugs, youll see real quick which one is drinking antifreeze as it will be all wet and shiny looking.
A couple of bucks
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A non-contact thermometer is an excellent way to trouble shoot a suspect cylinder. Be it a problem such as yours, or a rich/lean condition in a cylinder.
Wizard
Member
The top surfaces of the case (under the cylinders) was flat with no gouges and I cleaned it and the cylinders (top and bottom) up like new. Everythiong turned out looking super fresh and I threw the old head gaskets (o-rings) and base gasket away and installed new. The only thing I really had to deal with was one of the dowels on that cylinder was super corroded and wouldn't allow the cylinder to come off without securing a makeshift "hook" to it using the head bolts and then pounding it off by pulling straight up on it with a slide hammer secured to the hook; like pulling a dent out of a body panel.
Also, when I first got into the tear down I was surprised to see how clean my #3 piston was; like it hadn't even been running, though I know it was because it had lots of power and all 3 pipes were getting hot right after starting the sled. I check that they're getting hot on startup because I've had a lot of idle jet issues over the years until I got turned on to Sea Foam. Anyway, the plugs had always looked nice and coffee (with a little cream) brown, but the top of the piston literally was shiny and bright aluminum. Freaky!! Lol!
My optimistic side is telling me that the slurry in the pipes has been reduced to mostly oil and will burn out and be back to normal after a good long ride. We're taking one this weekend. I'll report back.
Also, when I first got into the tear down I was surprised to see how clean my #3 piston was; like it hadn't even been running, though I know it was because it had lots of power and all 3 pipes were getting hot right after starting the sled. I check that they're getting hot on startup because I've had a lot of idle jet issues over the years until I got turned on to Sea Foam. Anyway, the plugs had always looked nice and coffee (with a little cream) brown, but the top of the piston literally was shiny and bright aluminum. Freaky!! Lol!
My optimistic side is telling me that the slurry in the pipes has been reduced to mostly oil and will burn out and be back to normal after a good long ride. We're taking one this weekend. I'll report back.
then #3 is the leaker, pay attention to that spark plug it will be wet and shiny, and the piston top as you said will be all clean as the antifreeze is washing away the carbon deposit. It can still make heat in that cylinder if the leak is small enough but its ingesting antifreeze with the clean piston top..
Keep an eye on the spark plugs while your out riding it.
another thing is itll likely leak more after you get some pressure in the cooling system, so check it well after your riding for a bit.
Its also likely why you smell it first on the start up, as when you shut off the sled from the previous riding trip,it still had pressure in the cooling system and then it puddles a bit in the cylinder or case and it shows up most at start up. Once you ran it for awhile it burns it off and keeps up with the leak so you think its running fine.
I would keep an eye on #3 for sure. Youve got a cracked cylinder or warped head something happening there. Antifreeze will eventually ruin the crank bearings, as it washes away the oil film on the bearings.
Its also likely why you smell it first on the start up, as when you shut off the sled from the previous riding trip,it still had pressure in the cooling system and then it puddles a bit in the cylinder or case and it shows up most at start up. Once you ran it for awhile it burns it off and keeps up with the leak so you think its running fine.
I would keep an eye on #3 for sure. Youve got a cracked cylinder or warped head something happening there. Antifreeze will eventually ruin the crank bearings, as it washes away the oil film on the bearings.
Wizard
Member
Yeah, I was worried about that, too, like wondering if I'd already hurt the bearings. I have spare heads, if it persists, I'll get a cylinder and replace both.
Thanks for the input.
Thanks for the input.
A couple of bucks
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You can check warpage the old school style. On a piece of NEWER(not the old stuff with small bubbles in it) glass along with a set of feeler gauges.
Wizard
Member
Good news for...well, for me, anyway...in case anyone cares. The SRX600 slowly but surely cleaned itself out and the anti freeze smell on startup is gone. I guess it was either the base gasket that I replaced or all the corrosion I cleaned up around the dowels on the suspect cylinder. Anyway, I'm up to 3 old SRX's running really good and one stupid problem with a 96 VMax 600XT that will only reach 7k RPMs even up on a jack stand with no load whatsoever. Dang POS seems to have an ignition problem because I've checked compression and gone through the clutches and carb's; nothing I do makes any difference at all. SMDH...
I would still look at the piston top and spark plug, it will show up there even if you cant smell it, also take a sharpy and mark your anitfreeze line on your coolant bottle ride it and recheck line should not move.
WedigSRX
Member
Don't forget about the water pump leaking as a option.