vmax 500 motor problems - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

1995vmax500LE · 12-16-2007, 07:40 PM

hey i have a 95 vmax 500 le with 15690 km's on it. I decided that it was time to rebuild the top end this week as i was making some big changes to the sled anyway. When i got the jugs off i found that both pistons had 1.5" cracks in the skirt on the intake side. The cylinders were fine adn the pistons had no scratch marks to indicate any snow ingestion or anything else to indicated some problem as to why these cracks might be there. Im just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and what could be the cause of it(cold seizing?). thnxs

**smallengineguy** · 12-16-2007, 08:26 PM

If the cracks were all that were there (no scratches, etc.) it's just probably the 15000km on the motor!!

IRONDOG · 12-16-2007, 08:29 PM

They are cracked because you have 15690 kms on them- the skirts have collapsed to the point that they are rattling around in the bore and finally started cracking. No cold seizure, no snow ingestion, just tired pistons. It's very common, I see it all the time. You just happened to be lucky enough to catch it before they broke.