VintageVmax.com

OK...This is the first vmax I have ever owned and rode (1986). I'm just wondering. When the motor is cold. Like it hasn't been ran for a day or so. The first two pulls on the recoil are VERY hard!!!! Like you can feel EVERY stroke the pistons take. But once the motor runs. And has been rode for a bit. You can pull on the recoil kind of easily. I did do a compresion test. The MAG side is 125. The PTO is 130 cold. I have been able to track down and contact the original owner of this sled when it was new. And they told me, that was one of the reasons why they sold it. Was that is was so hard to pull-over when the motor was cold. I have owned high-perf sleds before (El-Tigre, Interceptor 550, Moto-ski sonic, and others). And never have I had one that was so hard to pull-over. I keep thinking I'm going to rip the recoil rope every time I start it when she's cold.

Is this a common thing with the vmax?

I dont know what to tell you, mine's a one-pull-wonder , does it run bad at all. I thinking crank bearings?? Maybe a mouse got into the recoil or theres something stuck in there. Sounds weird to me...

Try changing the oil in the gear case it has 85-90 weight gear oil in it and it maybe old and thick.Also make sure the roller for the rope is OK,I have seen some of them stick and make it hard to pull. They will be a little hard to pull when cold but they are a very good starting sled 1 or 2 pulls is about all that they take. If that don't work try doing some more 12 oz curls and strengthen those arm!!lol..

Sled runs great..other than being hard to pull when cold. Starts on 2nd or third pull. when it's warmed up. it will start on one or even a half pull. And it will pull much easier.

But like I said...when I talked to the original owner on the phone one time. They said the same thing....Even when the sled was new. It was hard to pull when the motor cools back down.

Haven't used my VM enough to tell, but my SRV has been like that for the 20 years I had it, Always starts by the third time, and never broke anything

Mine is so stiff that I use an electric motor to start it the first time every ride. Once it is warm, it pulls and starts easily. I know what you mean about hard pulling when cold, but I have never figured out why.

My 97 RMK is even worse. I CAN'T pull it over cold, but starts easily when warm.

vmax-540 wrote:Try changing the oil in the gear case it has 85-90 weight gear oil in it and it maybe old and thick. Also make sure the roller for the rope is OK,I have seen some of them stick and make it hard to pull. They will be a little hard to pull when cold but they are a very good starting sled 1 or 2 pulls is about all that they take. If that don't work try doing some more 12 oz curls and strengthen those arm!!lol..

X2 !

Vmax540 wrote:

vmax-540 wrote:Try changing the oil in the gear case it has 85-90 weight gear oil in it and it maybe old and thick. Also make sure the roller for the rope is OK,I have seen some of them stick and make it hard to pull. They will be a little hard to pull when cold but they are a very good starting sled 1 or 2 pulls is about all that they take. If that don't work try doing some more 12 oz curls and strengthen those arm!!lol..

X2 !

could it be the oil for the water pump gears thats right behind the recoil?

sorry vmax 540 didnt mean to use the quote tab on that

Sorry. Yes that is what I mean't when I said gearcase..

my 83 has the same symptom pulls hard the first start after that its normal.

vmax-540 wrote:Try changing the oil in the gear case it has 85-90 weight gear oil in it and it maybe old and thick.Also make sure the roller for the rope is OK,I have seen some of them stick and make it hard to pull. They will be a little hard to pull when cold but they are a very good starting sled 1 or 2 pulls is about all that they take. If that don't work try doing some more 12 oz curls and strengthen those arm!!lol..

I haven't poked around the bottom under the sled to much. I seen a good sized hole in the belly pan (looks like it was put there for a reason) almost center under the motor. I that where the plug is to drain that gear oil? I allready changed the oil in the chane case when I swaped out the track with a new one. I didn't pay to much attention to the belly pan area at that time. Was just trying to get the track changed. And get that project over with.

Well I figured it out. Got done changing the oil. Looked ok. Doesn't take much to fill that.

I have noticed that the re-coil rope is slow to go back in after pulling on it. Might have to think about replacing the spring inside. Or find a different re-coil.

Sticky oil (or grease) in the ratchet clutch or on the center shaft will make the recoil return slowly. Especially when cold.

Will have to look into that. We had 9 below here this morning when I started it (well after waiting about 2-5 min for the rope to go back in).

The sled ran great all-in-all!!!!! Very fast!!! Just not sure if this vmax is faster or not than my Interceptor 550 I had last winter. It's very close!!! But, the vmax has a much better ride!! That's one thing for sure.