VintageVmax.com

OK, LOVE MY 83 VMAX. LOVE THE LOOKS, LOVE RIDING IT, LOVE SHOWING IT BUT THIS SLED IS GETTING ON MY NERVES. AGAIN I FORGOT TO SHUT FUEL OFF AND IT FLOODED AGAIN ON ME. SAT THERE ROEING AND ROEING AND FINALLY SHE FARTED AND PICKED UP SPEED. HERE THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME. ONCE I HAD IT RUNNING, I DECIDED TO TRY AND TAKE IT FOR A EASY RIDE, WENT TWO HOUSES DOWN FROM MINE AND SLED QUIT. I MEAN STOPED. I REACHED OVER AND GRABED RECOIL AND MY RECOIL WAS LOCKED. PICKED SLED UP AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY, TOOK BELT OFF AND GRAB FACTORY COMET CLUTCH AND THAT WAS LOCKED. WOULD NOT MOVE. NOW THIS TO ME MEANS BAD BEARING ON CRANK SHAFT SOMEWHERE. PULLED SPARKPLUGS OUT AND SPRAYED THRUST PENTRATING OIL DOWN EACH CYL, SLOWLY KEPT ROCKING CLUTCH UNTIL IT FREED AND SPUN OVER VERY SMOOTH. PUT PLUGS BACK IN AND ONE PULL FIRED RIGHT BACK UP AND RUNS GREAT. HAD IT OUT TODAY, SLED RAN PERFECT. WHAT GIVES WITH THESE THINGS. MY GUESS IS STILL BAD BEARING SOMEWHERE, OR SLED RING LOCKED OR THERE STILL WAS ALOT OF FUEL IN BASE AND IT HYDRO LOCKED. WHAT YOU GUYS THINK HERE. 3:16 (yammie tony)

Did you warm it up when you took it out? Maybe you just cold seized it and it locked up...When it cooled it broke free. Take a look in the cylinders for scoring?? If not that a bearing thats warming up?

Tony, I would think if there was still enough fuel in the C.C. to hydro lock that it would not have started or if it did would have been running on one cylinder or very loaded up ? If it was running and caught a ring enough to lock then certainly something would of broke ? I know you understand cold seisure and the fact that you stated you took it for an easy ride makes that less of chance.

RIPED THE OLD GIRL AROUND MY YARD TODAY, SLED NEVER MISSED A BEAT. DON,T KNOW!!! 3:16 (yammie tony)

Spooky! Replacing seals and a couple bearings may be cheaper now, than a more intensive rebuild later? How many miles are on it? Any time a motor seizes I would certainly be leary of continuing to run it before a positive diagnosis.

1852 MILES. THIS SLED IS RODE JUST TO KEEP THINGS MOVEING. PRETTY MUCH A SHOW SLED. BUT YOUR RIGHT, I DON,T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I DO KNOW ANY LOCK UP IS BAD. 3:16 (yammie tony)

I don't understand the whole flooding thing with these, I do suffer from it. Doesn't happen on my SRV or any other of my sleds, they don't even have shut off valves. When I can get the V Max in, I'm gonna switch to a single pump like the other sleds have.
Back to your problem, just to think a little differently. What do you use for oil? I switched to Amsoil last year. I had the engine out of the SRV just so I could paint the sled. I didn't plan on doing anything with the engine. So its sittin there looking at me, and I thought well, I should pull off the pipes and just look inside. Walls were completley covered with rust. I started it to bring it into the shop, started right up but only had to move it like 15 ft. rusty powder was everywhere.
I understand a V Max has a Nikasil bore, well everyones but mine, point is, could something in the botom end have some rust and as you ran it setteled in some place and jammed things up for a mineute?

Tuff call man, could have been a fluke, something long gone out the pipe, or it could be a warning. Wish I had a better answer

Something else to think about, I had a 1981 SRX that would lock up after sitting and you could rock it loose and get it to turn over. The problem with the SRX was the water pump bearings. The water pump bearings make more sense to me in your situation. I believe any 1983 ( even with 0 miles)that has not had the water pump seals replaced is leaking antifreeze into the gear case and into the water pump bearings. Make sure you change oil in the gear case every year just because of the build up of condensation. Does the oil on the dip stick look like milk? Just my guess.

FIRST BOB, I HAVE USED AMSOIL IN ALL MY SLEDS FOR THIRTY YEARS. ANOTHER THING ON THIS CRAZY FLOODING ISSUE, YAMAHA MUST HAVE KNOW SOMETHING TO ADD THE SHUT-OFF VALVES, I BELIEVE THE WAY THE MOTOR SITS IN THE CHASSIS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FLOODING ISSUES. I HAVE HAD EVERY SRX 76-80, NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM.
MODSINGLE, GREAT POINT HERE. MY VMAX DOSE SLIGHTLY TRIP ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. I AM GONNA CHECK THAT CASE. 3:16 (yammie tony)

Interesting, Dominator or Intercepter? and do you fog? I will still use the Dominator I have here, great oil, just change to something with some petro lube in it for the last tankful. Never fogged anything in my life. Will start now

INTERCEPTOR IN MY SRX,s AND STANDARD IN EVERYTHING. BOB I DON,T FOG BECAUSE A. I GRASSRACE AND B. THESE SLEDS ARE TAK,IN TO ALOT OF SUMMER SHOWS. 3:16 (yammie tony)