VintageVmax.com

4 years now i have my 1983 540 vmax right where i want it. starts easy, don,t leak out of gearcase, jeting right on, clutching,no burn downs, just hauls, jeff fornier and i worked together on porting update, have put 90 miles on it this winter just riping around my house. KNOCK ON WOOD. 3:16 (yammie tony)

Tony, are you going to get that thing on a gun yet this year? I'd be interested to know just what the porting is worth speed wise
It turns out I now have my original engine which I thought had problems ready to go. That engine looked like it was ported by a crack head with an axe. To get that mess cleaned up, its just a bit past the update porting spec's. I went with a completely different engine for the big one, when I put that in, it still had the problems. I unwound about a mile of elec tape and found when the crackhead moved the cdi over to left footwell, he had crossed up some wires. Everythings good now, and my org engine has new pistons and is fresh. Might have to look for a place to put it.
Bob

bob, would love to. that would also tell me if this sled as good as i hope it is. i will say the updated porting works. without a doubt feels pretty strong. i also would love to vintage drag race this sled. the old girl running pretty good. one thing i will say these vmaxs love very low snow conditions. very fincky to different snow. when yamaha called this sled a lake racer, they sure meant it. mine need ice picks and glare ice 3:16 (yammie tony)

I hear a ya there pal, my SRV is still the fastest, and it shouldn't be and only because the VM and Cat just blow the track off. The SRV has a 3/4 in track and picks and no heat exchangers to worry about.
Not sure yet on how long of picks or track I can get in the others without seeing water

On my 81 srx I can only run 3/4 inch studs but on the vmax I think has smaller front drivers you can get away with 8:25 inch . Stud has to be less the 1 inch or thay will hit. Tony I like to line the sleds up one day that would be fun any places down there we can run. I bought a 83 vmax from pa. Looks to a real improve stock from back in day .sat in some guys barn for 25 years.that my next project.

My problem is deciding what I really want to do with mine, I wanted it to go trail riding, but I never have time to go trail riding.I'd like to get out of the oval racing and go back to drag racing, still have a drag sled but the kid likes turning corners If we went back to drag racing I could take these sleds along for me and Wendy. then I want a short light track, but that won't help on trails. Do you guys have strictly vintage classes out there, or have to race against the current 600's

ken sure we can run. i need to get some traction to mine first. i ran 1'' ice picks no problem in my 83. 3:16 (yammie tony)

Tony I think the 83 has smaller front driver u should get a way with 1 inch ice pic I got my 83 vmax of Eric .who got it from mark.who found it in pa.
Looks to be a low mile grass only raced sled .lots neat stuff on . It has full psi work done to it cylinder crank Case and head and pipes .do u recall if the psi stuff worked back then.

want to sell those psi pipes of that vmax ken ? 3:16 (yammie tony)

Tony I like to try the psi set up on the dyno I think thay are better pipes then aanns pipes real nice work on the cylinders and head. Too I see someone has your old 79 srx back . I wish I got that sled.

Looking at the Dynotech pipe test from back in 87
Stock pipe 86.8 HP 8000 rpm
Aaen 83.7 8500
PSI 85.9 8500

Stock pipe was roughly 5-6 hp above either aftermarket from 6500 on up to 8000

mark has it ken. and i myself work alot with bruce with psi. stock pipes were best on vmax. 3:16 (yammie tony)

Hi Tony,

Thanks for all the information, I enjoy reading it. I am wondering exactly how your 540 is set-up for clutching and carburation. I am 2200ft above sea-level, have some bogging issues on the bottom end. I snapped a crank and had stock cylinders on, and when I rebuilt the engine i decided to put some ported cylinders on. The sled once it hits the mid-range and top end, it goes great, and will basically keep the skiis off the ground slighlty for as long as you hold the throttle down. But the bogging issue remained the same with the stock cylinders over to the ported ones. The sled engages at around 4800rpm, and have that purple comet spring in it. I am running 290's for jetting, but never looked at my pilot jets before as I just ran what the previous owner did. I looked yesterday an noticed they are 25's. the '86 service guide on the vintage vmax site shows they should be 40's. Could this be the issue? As well, when you initally start up the sled for the day, sometimes it will just idle, sounds like it's running off of 1 cylinder, and if you press down on the throttle, there is no change in rpm. it almost sounds like it will stall out. Then when you flip the choke, it perks right up and is ready to go. This low-end bog has been nagging me for years, and since your sled goes as you say, I would love any input you can give me.

Thanks!

Nathan

"when you flip the choke, it perks right up" = Sounds, like it runs better with more fuel. Pilot jets have the most effect from idle to ~1/4 throttle and this is where the sled is bogging. Never saw a 540 with less than 35's for pilots...

Thanks, I am going to pick up some pilots tomorrow and we'll see what that does.