1980 Yamaha SS540??

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:02 am

Hi guys..
I just found this website, so I joined up and this is my first post. Pretty cool and informative website for sure, so I'm learning more and more about these sleds/engines everyday. Looks like there are a bunch of very sharp people on here!

I'm currently building a 1980 Yamaha SS440 project sled, but I'm doing it with a twist~ using a warmed-over '83 8U9 SRX 540 engine, carbs, ignition and recoil, with dual pipes from a 1985 V Max, modified to fit the SS440 engine bay. I'm basically restoring and building a vintage Yammi sled with greater performance, appearance, technology, etc., but I'm wanting to make it appear and look like something Yamaha could have built from the factory. I'm calling it my 1980 Yamaha SS540 Resto-Mod.

I've read a lot on here about some issues with the 1983 engines regarding oil injection, carburation, engine durability, etc., with factory and home-grown fixes that give greater performance and reliability. I'd like to put those fixes to my new engine, but I'm not sure what all there is out there to do to these things..

Can anyone help me in finding or pointing me to the info I need, so I can make these upgrade changes to my engine here before I put it into this chassis? Any ideas you might have are welcome also. I'll keep searching around here to learn more about my engine and thanks for this great website!!

Thanks a million.

Phil "PJ" Rickard

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 2:27 pm

14 views and no one knows anything about this engine???

PJ

onebun · Post by **onebun** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 4:01 pm

its a vmax 540,check stator,compression or disassemble engine and inspect everything readup in the forums on cluthching ideas keep it running cool ,ss is a fan so you got your work cut out for you. a few years ago i put a 540 fan out of a srv into that chassis real easy and the thing flew still runs good today as my buddy owns it.( iused carb wirring and clutching)good luck

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:51 pm

Thanks for the reply and for the correction on the engine model I have. I must have mis-understood the literature I found and read online. 1983 Vmax 540 it is..

I do plan the pull the engine down for a freshen up and I wanted to apply any modifications or upgrades to it that would increase its performance and durability while it's down. I'm just surprised that everyone acts so tight-lipped about this info, as if these are some special secrets from a 26 year old sled...

I already pulled out the fanner engine from the SS, freshed it up and installed it into a go-kart chassis from these guys, http://www.bristers.com/gokarts.php?id=quantum (there factory is right across the street from my shop) where I used a secondary clutch, chain case, direct-drive, etc. from a 1979 Kawi 340 Drifter to drive the thing. It's wicked fast and practically needs wheelie bars to keep the front nose down.. I like to tinker and build stuff like this in my spare time.

Thanks again for the reply.

PJ

Post by **tyler440** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:50 pm

what kind of info are you looking for? you could do update porting on the cylinders but you dont really have to, either way your going to like the 540 motor i would think... i would be very careful about the pipes tho... no other pipe makes as much power as the stock shape... water pump seals have a tendency of going bad but there really is not "secret" to replacing them.... also the oil pump ratio was updated after 83 but again no secret there....... ummmm hmmm what else.... thats all i can really think of right now.. maybe someone else will come up with a tip or two

Post by **tyler440** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:51 pm

oh btw welcome to Vintage Vmax!

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:41 am

Thanks Tyler for the info, as that's what I was looking for.

I bought a set of pipes online from a 1985 VMax, so I should be covered there and I read the info posted on this site about the water pump seal stuff. I'll use the part numbers provided in that tech thread to hopefully fix that issue once and for all. Thanks for that clarification.

I read about the oil pump issue here to, but I'm unclear on how to correct it for sure.. Do guys omit the oil injection on the '83 models altogether to correct the heavy oilion the stock system gives or do you replace the '83 oil pump with a later year pump instead? Can any modifications or adjustments be done to the '83 model to fix the problem? Which way works better based on everyone's experience here?

I did read about the update porting here also and it seems interesting. Is that porting mod just to gain more max power, torque or what? I assume it's more max power and maybe more efficiency, but that's just a best-guess on my part however.

I did also read somewhere about the carburation jetting on these '83 models that are super-rich from the factory and a lot of guys' lean them down quite a bit to get better power, fuel economy, etc. How far is "just right" though?

Sorry for all the questions, as I'm just learning about these engines for the first time and I want to do my project right, based on what you guy's know works. Thanks for all the help!

PJ

Post by **tyler440** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:01 am

we have just looked for a oil pump with a "red dot" that means it is updated... im not too sure what exactly changed as far as physical modification....

yeah the 83's where rather fat on the jetting to be safe... something like 310 mains i think... you can probably get it down to 290 mains... but nothing is for sure on that...

if i were you i would not worry about the update porting... i hear it wakes the motor up alot but neither chuck nor i have it done and we arent getting bored with stock

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:20 pm

Thanks for the "red dot" info...I didn't know that!

I snapped a couple of pictures of my project engine and by the looks of things, it may have the updated "red dot" oil pump on it afterall, albiet the dot is a bit smudged. What do you think?

Also, please take a look at the engine code picture I took to verify that this engine is a 1983 model. I'm pretty sure it is going by the engine number, but I'd like to have a second set of eyes look at to make sure.

Thanks a bunch!

EDIT~ I can't upload images to this thread for some reason....

PJ

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Post by **tyler440** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:22 am

yeah if there is red paint on the oil pump it has been updated.... if your motor serial number starts 8U9 then its an 83

not sure why you cant post pictures... try it again maybe

or maybe your picture is the wrong format or something

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:22 am

I figured out the image upload thing. Here ya go.

pj

Post by **tyler440** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:57 pm

yep thats a 83 motor... they are all the same really but the serial number is 83.... looks really clean too

jefflanthier · Post by **jefflanthier** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:32 pm

Since the engine is out of the sled a consideration about reliability would be the gearcase assembly, Mine had 7000 miles on it and my case needed work all new bearings and seals were replaced. There was alot of wear believe me!!! If you look in the MY PROJECT section look for 1985 vmax and look at the pictures of the case on the bench youll see the mess. Other than that its an awesome engine, built tough and heavy. And by the way my gear case caused my engine to lock up solid. Just a thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by **tyler440** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:03 am

i dont know why but i either missed the oil pump icture before your it didnt load....

yes that is a "red dot" on the oil pump... it has been updated your good to go on that

backfire · Post by **backfire** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 9:00 am

jefflanthier wrote:Since the engine is out of the sled a consideration about reliability would be the gearcase assembly, Mine had 7000 miles on it and my case needed work all new bearings and seals were replaced. There was alot of wear believe me!!! If you look in the MY PROJECT section look for 1985 vmax and look at the pictures of the case on the bench youll see the mess. Other than that its an awesome engine, built tough and heavy. And by the way my gear case caused my engine to lock up solid. Just a thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much appreciated! I've never had that gear case apart yet (nor have I ever seen such a thing before) but I assume there are gear drives in there that drive the oil pump and water pump? Did you use synthetic gear case lube when you put it back together?

Thanks again for the info- I didn't know that.

PJ