Oh man what a rough season...SRX Blues man the Blues.

kunomofo

kunomofo

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2013
Messages
141
Age
61
Location
Tamworth, NH
I had posted some of my issues earlier in the season - coolant in oil - well it happened to my SRX :-(

Anyways so I replace ALL THREE pistons with NEW OEM (2 had blown) - 2 used cylinders that we in GREAT shape from someone on here.
Been 2 weeks since she was back together - I put about 150 miles on the sled. Was running great - pulling like crazy - new Woodys, ripping through the groomed trails up here - I was in heaven.

THEN.

It happened. My mechanic had told me - she even farts - shut her down and call me. Well this afternoon late into a 2 hour run about 40 miles from my camp (alone) she farted, well she stalled out. My heart sank. I popped hood - called him up. No warning, no sputter nothing, just bog, then stop. OK - checked gas - looks fine - checked oil - plenty in there. So I pull the nice new plugs - all look perfect - all the same - nothing on them, no issue there that I can see. OK.

So gas was "kinda" on the low side so I thought maybe I am having a fuel issue - lots of hills, its low, maybe losing some on the ups. So I pull her over - 3 cranks - starts right up. Sounds FINE. Triple hum. OK. I take off, turn around to head back to camp, take is slow - 15- 20 max.

I ride about 15 minutes, bog. Then she stops again. I check the gas again, buggin me now. Message my mechanic - she stopped again. Well I figure, lets try to start her again, 3 pulls, starts right up - SOUNDS FINE. Triple HUM. OK WTF. So I head off easily thinking I just want to make it home.

Well.

10 minutes in- this time she just QUITS cold. No bog, just bam done. oh oh. So I don't like that, now I am suspicious - so I try to pull her - nope dead pull. Stone stop. No pull.

2.5 hours later I make it home (mechanic came out to get me). And now I am DEEEEpressed. Best snow in YEARS around here and my baby is dead.

We chat about it - we figure the plugs were good - did not run poorly, no pops, farts or anything. So he says well we will see when we open her up BUT it may be the crank. CRANK? Oh man now I am totally bumming. What, why, how??? We just put all this new hardware on and she was purring like a kitty.

So here I am back to the brain trust here - with tales of woe. This has been the best season and the worst all rolled into one.

At least I have the VIPER, she is running great and I will use this sled now but she is just NOT an SRX - you know what I mean.

Anyways, any insight on what it could be, what we may have done wrong to get to this point. I am as always grateful to the feedback.

One bummin dude.
 

So when you tugged on the rope the engine wouldn't rotate?

If it doesn't rotate pull the plugs and use a bendy light to look into the cylinder checking for any damage to the top of the pistons. If nothing found pull the exhaust and carbs and look at the piston skirts.

If it did/does rotate take Tony's advice and yank the harness and also check the other areas for rub-through.
 
yes no rotation. wow piston skirts and wiring harness/rub through - amazes me half the time how little I know - thank you we are picking her up from trail this morning and will take a look at her today.
 
If the engines not pulling over I don't think that a rub through. Sounds more like a seizure to me. Either crank seized or a piston seized. Just to clarify when you say its not pulling over you mean the pull rope can't be pulled right?
 
OK update - we just pulled it out off the trail.

When we got there - we went to take the belt off to tow her - and she turned over....so we checked the pull start - she PULLED! I swear last night when I went to pull the cord she was locked tight. Now she pulls (yes rope pull) - we did not try to start her - just towed her out.

So now it looks like perhaps it is not a catastrophic failure.....maybe a fuel issue? Anyways we are going the checks on her this weekend......

So for now I ride the Viper! I am really starting to like that sled but it just does not hop and pull the same as the SRX but it is a FUN sled to ride.
 
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but it isn't uncommon for things to cool off which allows the engine to rotate. I'd have a good look through the plug hole looking for scoring of the cylinder. I doubt that it hydro-locked.

Hope I'm wrong - good luck.
 
Thanks Guys - checking it out and will report back if things look confusing.......which I expect they will lol
 
i agree with snomofo as well, just the way he had described it made me think to my buddy who tired to start his sled after summer, dumped too much fuel in cyl, and the engine wouldn't turn over
 
smarter mofo than I.

I am getting a report in a bit - compression is good, spark is good. So far that is all I know!
 
Hopefully no real damage for you.
Little story for ya.
Had a buddy lean his old 1 lunger ski doo out last season By the time I got to him on the trail he had stopped the sled. and I could barely pull it over. Checked the high jet, screwed almost all the way in (way too lean). I let the sled set for an hour and a half or so, went back to it, adjusted carb and she fired right up. Has run great ever since.
I'm interested to see what happened to yours.
 
OK - still baffled BUT

Spark is fine, engine turns over easily. Was not vapor lock.

BUT I noticed last couple times out that she was not using much if any oil. I have only put 100 miles on since the new pistons and 2 cylinders.

One of the cylinders appears to have some light scouring - middle cyl.

We think it may not be getting oil - oil pump?

So at this point we do not know whats going on yet......he is going to investigate the oil issue further and report back!
 
no - not sure of anything at this point - but it has not used ANY oil in 100 miles....I added to the viper (that was following me) near a quart - and none to the SRX. not sure what else it could be?
 
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