08 FX Nytro Engine Failure @ 9000 km's/5625 MI

[Yellowknife]

You may recall back in 2008 I thought I had an engine failure when I found oil everywhere around my motor on a ride, and had low oil pressure. Turned out I installed a new oil filter over top of an old o-ring. Lesson learned.

This time around, it appears I have a real failure. It actually happened to my dealer on their shop floor. They had just finished some non-engine related warranty work and were about to drive the sled off the hoist.

Upon an attempted start-up, the engine turned over one half a revolution and jammed. They verified that the timing chain is skipping over the cam shaft gears, and the pistons contacted the valves. They believe the timing chain tensioner stopped doing its job.

The motor is being torn down to determine how many engine parts have been damaged.

I'll provide updates as this unfolds.

I did a search and read about 6 other FX Nytro engine's failing for various other reasons.

Unfortunately for me, the timing is critcal as I need both my sleds in top shape to head to Ontario December 18th for 6 weeks. The odds of this aren't good at this point.

What is discouraging is that I went to 4 stroke engine's for reliability over 2 stroke's and both my Phazer and Nytro engine's let me down not lasting much longer than the 2 strokes I had.

What is encouraging is that my dealer Force One is doing everything they can for me, and I know Yamaha Canada and Chris Reid are right there with them. I've never had service this amazing and I really appreciate having these guys in my court, especially at times like this.

Fingers crossed for some good luck, I need it!

YK

 

[mach9]

I wish all my failers could happen right there in the dealers hands.
Best wishes to your rebuild.

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

What is encouraging is that my dealer Force One is doing everything they can for me, and I know Yamaha Canada and Chris Reid are right there with them. I've never had service this amazing and I really appreciate having these guys in my court, especially at times like this.

Fingers crossed for some good luck, I need it!
YK

...AWESOME; that is what I like to hear, everyone working together Hope you ride is up and running soon 4 U

 

[BLUEBALLER]

Crummy deal. How many 4 stroke engines has your riding group killed?
I count at least 3 or 4!! WTF?

I thought they updated the chain tensioner on the FI engines?

 

[upei93]

Sad to hear about your trouble!! I do have to say that I lived up in John d'Or Prairie (which is probably 600 km's SOUTH of you) for a winter and it is freaking cold up there. Had a 98 TJ and that winter I froze batteries and even had the plastic on the inside of my door crack due to the cold. -40c was a common thing. Just the cold starts your sleds have to go through have to be hard on their life span 2 or 4 stroke and then there is the abuse you guys put them through. (which I love to watch BTW) There is a reason why they mostly run fan cooled sleds in the Arctic and Antarctica...BTW you have all the bigdogs at Yamaha Canada behind your back, maybe they can swing you a 2010 MTX to try out in Ontario??? I'll cross my fingers for that

 

[SledFreak]

You may recall back in 2008 I thought I had an engine failure when I found oil everywhere around my motor on a ride, and had low oil pressure. Turned out I installed a new oil filter over top of an old o-ring. Lesson learned.

This time around, it appears I have a real failure. It actually happened to my dealer on their shop floor. They had just finished some non-engine related warranty work and were about to drive the sled off the hoist.

Upon an attempted start-up, the engine turned over one half a revolution and jammed. They verified that the timing chain is skipping over the cam shaft gears, and the pistons contacted the valves. They believe the timing chain tensioner stopped doing its job.

The motor is being torn down to determine how many engine parts have been damaged.

I'll provide updates as this unfolds.

I did a search and read about 6 other FX Nytro engine's failing for various other reasons.

Unfortunately for me, the timing is critcal as I need both my sleds in top shape to head to Ontario December 18th for 6 weeks. The odds of this aren't good at this point.

What is discouraging is that I went to 4 stroke engine's for reliability over 2 stroke's and both my Phazer and Nytro engine's let me down not lasting much longer than the 2 strokes I had.

What is encouraging is that my dealer Force One is doing everything they can for me, and I know Yamaha Canada and Chris Reid are right there with them. I've never had service this amazing and I really appreciate having these guys in my court, especially at times like this.

Fingers crossed for some good luck, I need it!

YK

Don't get to worried. I am 1hr west of elliot lake and it's 7 degress and raining and not much change in sight for the next couple of weeks. Last year we had a ft of snow at this time and -10 temps.

 

[Grimm]

What warranty work were they doing?

 

[Brendo]

Yeah Im in Sudbury Ontario its fucking +12c I don't understand I've been doing snow dances killing no mutalating snow spiders nothing seem to be working!

 

[LazyBastard]

You may recall back in 2008 I thought I had an engine failure when I found oil everywhere around my motor on a ride, and had low oil pressure. Turned out I installed a new oil filter over top of an old o-ring. Lesson learned.

This time around, it appears I have a real failure. It actually happened to my dealer on their shop floor. They had just finished some non-engine related warranty work and were about to drive the sled off the hoist.

Upon an attempted start-up, the engine turned over one half a revolution and jammed. They verified that the timing chain is skipping over the cam shaft gears, and the pistons contacted the valves. They believe the timing chain tensioner stopped doing its job.

The motor is being torn down to determine how many engine parts have been damaged.

I'll provide updates as this unfolds.

I did a search and read about 6 other FX Nytro engine's failing for various other reasons.

Unfortunately for me, the timing is critcal as I need both my sleds in top shape to head to Ontario December 18th for 6 weeks. The odds of this aren't good at this point.

What is discouraging is that I went to 4 stroke engine's for reliability over 2 stroke's and both my Phazer and Nytro engine's let me down not lasting much longer than the 2 strokes I had.

What is encouraging is that my dealer Force One is doing everything they can for me, and I know Yamaha Canada and Chris Reid are right there with them. I've never had service this amazing and I really appreciate having these guys in my court, especially at times like this.

Fingers crossed for some good luck, I need it!

YK

Gotta wonder if something may have been damaged from the first time you lost the oil, i.e., is it possible that it ran dry (or partly)? Due to the added complexity, oil is much more important to a 4-stroke than to a 2-stroke. Usually when a 2-stroke runs without oil, it'll just seize and upon cooling down, it'll typically come back to life, but a 4-stroke without oil is surely a very very bad thing.

 

[SledFreak]

Yes, what was changed the first time around? New motor?

 

[Grimm]

Gotta wonder if something may have been damaged from the first time you lost the oil, i.e., is it possible that it ran dry (or partly)? Due to the added complexity, oil is much more important to a 4-stroke than to a 2-stroke. Usually when a 2-stroke runs without oil, it'll just seize and upon cooling down, it'll typically come back to life, but a 4-stroke without oil is surely a very very bad thing.

Dealer broke it, Dealer pays.

 

[**sj**]

this was my thoughts exactly L.B. ...the damage started with lack of oil pressure and is just showing its affects now...

 

[Yellowknife]

Sad to hear about your trouble!! I do have to say that I lived up in John d'Or Prairie (which is probably 600 km's SOUTH of you) for a winter and it is freaking cold up there. Had a 98 TJ and that winter I froze batteries and even had the plastic on the inside of my door crack due to the cold. -40c was a common thing. Just the cold starts your sleds have to go through have to be hard on their life span 2 or 4 stroke and then there is the abuse you guys put them through. (which I love to watch BTW) There is a reason why they mostly run fan cooled sleds in the Arctic and Antarctica...BTW you have all the bigdogs at Yamaha Canada behind your back, maybe they can swing you a 2010 MTX to try out in Ontario??? I'll cross my fingers for that

I agree 100%, the environment and riding conditions we have here are hard on snowmobiles, it cuts the life expectancy by at least half. I do what I can do minimize the impact like plugging the block heater in. We drive them hard too.

Don't get to worried. I am 1hr west of elliot lake and it's 7 degress and raining and not much change in sight for the next couple of weeks. Last year we had a ft of snow at this time and -10 temps.

I know the weather sucks now, but don't forget I'll be there for awhile and things can change fast. 3 weeks ago it was raining here, now we have over 2 feet of snow and 7 inches of ice. And, if I have to travel to get to the snow, that's what i'll do (if I have a sled!)

What warranty work were they doing?

The warranty work was;

1. Broken bolt inside drive shaft on chaincase side

2. Bearings on drive shaft and jack shaft needed replacing

3. Reverse handle needed to be replaced

4. Coolant Leak at water pump from last season - ceramic seal needed replacing (I forgot about this till now, not sure if they did it)

Gotta wonder if something may have been damaged from the first time you lost the oil, i.e., is it possible that it ran dry (or partly)? Due to the added complexity, oil is much more important to a 4-stroke than to a 2-stroke. Usually when a 2-stroke runs without oil, it'll just seize and upon cooling down, it'll typically come back to life, but a 4-stroke without oil is surely a very very bad thing.

I've been thinking about that. When it all happened it happened instantly, the seal at the oil filter broke, oil sprayed onto my clutch and my belt started to slip, I stopped right away (no indicator lights yet) and shut it off, took the panel off, seen the mess and towed it home. The low pressure light didn't come on while riding, I fired it up after we were stopped and the light came on later at idle, so we shut her down. When checking the oil level in the oil reservoir, it was just below the low mark, that was after being stopped and more oil was dripping out. If the oil level drops to a dangerous level, the engine won't start. That didn't happen.

Yes, what was changed the first time around? New motor?

Are you referring to the oil filter error I made? Nothing was changed, new filter and topped her up.

Crummy deal. How many 4 stroke engines has your riding group killed?
I count at least 3 or 4!! WTF?

I thought they updated the chain tensioner on the FI engines?

I've now killed 2 engine's, one guy I know killed 2 engine's as well on the older Nytro motors.

My mechanic did say the chain tensioner shouldn't have gone on this motor. I don't know what to say. Blaming it on any one thing at this point is a guessing game.

 

[Straight_up_XTX]

Yea... don't get too excited yet about riding in ontario... We are nowhere near riding season yet so far anyway. We're all crossing our fingers for a good cold snap and then a dump of the white stuff!

Too bad about the motor... better luck with the next one!

 

[SledFreak]

So, what is Yamaha Canada saying. They should just give you a new motor, since it's supposed to be bulletproof.