600 VMax BIG!! Engine Trouble - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

that600vmax · 12-18-2007, 01:11 PM

How's it going everybody? My sled decided to die on me yesterday after running strong for the past couple days. Came to find out I didn't have any compression coming out of one cylinder. After pulling the head I found that a huge chunck out of the top of the piston was gone and it had scored the piss out of the jug. My question is, I was wondering if anyone has ever had a jug bored out enough to put a sleeve in it? The head isn't currently sleeved but I know they do make one for it. Curious to know what boring the jug would all entail, and how to go about getting it done, and if anyone thinks it is possible or if I should just get a hole new head. If anyone could give me some advice it would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

COOKSTER · 12-18-2007, 02:30 PM

Likely cheaper to look for a replacement jug. Have you determined the cause of the failure?

that600vmax · 12-18-2007, 02:56 PM

It looks like the top of the pistons got so hot they started to fall apart, because we took a wire brush to the top of one of the pistons and it was shiny aluminum underneath the black charred mess on top. That piece that came off the top of the piston is what had to of scored the wall, and it also came up yesterday and hit the bottom of my spark plug and closed the gap on the plug. See if figured it would be cheaper to bore it out and sleeve it because a new head is going to be a little over 400 and a new sleave is around 90 and whatever it takes to bore it out. Thanks for the reply though, get back to me if you have anymore input. Thanks.
-Ryan

SawBlade · 12-18-2007, 03:15 PM

should be able to find a replacement jug on ebay for 50 to $100. may have to search a little while but you would be amazed at all that is available for that sled on ebay.

you still need to find out what caused the problem to begin with.

that600vmax · 12-18-2007, 06:27 PM

Thanks for getting back to me. I found the replacement pistons, rings, and clips on ebay for about a 100 but can't find the jug, I will keep looking though. Like you said I still gotta figure out what caused the problem. It is a higher mileage sled and I know things break with high miles so that never helps. I saw in the book that it needs to run on 93 octane which it never has because when it snows enough to ride, it is usually enough to make me not be able to get into town since I live in the country so I use the 87 octane on our farm. Do you think I should run it on 93 octane? All I know is something got terribly hot, hot enough to break down the head on the piston. I will look into it further. Get back to me if you got anything else. Thanks again.

SawBlade · 12-18-2007, 06:31 PM

87 octane is ok. thats what most people run. if you want to pay the extra for higher octane it certainly wont hurt.

that600vmax · 12-18-2007, 06:39 PM

Got any other idea's what it might be then?

SawBlade · 12-18-2007, 06:50 PM

it appears that it ran lean. may have been caused by dirty carbs, sucking in air someplace (intake boot or crank seals), detonation due to a partially sheared timing key or incorrect timing adjustment. May have run without proper lubrication and just got hot (oil injectors may have clogged or pump shaft broke). Diagnosis is the funnest part of wrenching. somewhere in that mess it will have left a signature of exactly what caused the problem. may have been a combination of things. loss investigation... thats the fun stuff. Study the damage and come up as many possible scenerios as you can. then investigate all possible causes. The truth of what happened is there, now you have to find it. pay attention, grasshopper, to the details of the crime scene.

IndianRvrShiver · 12-18-2007, 07:14 PM

Here's a whole engine for $400 or OBO....may be worth looking at!!
HCS Snowmobile Forums

SnowRida · 12-18-2007, 07:16 PM

If the top of the pistons were a shiney aluminum, you are running to lean! It was getting ready to burn a hole in the pistons.You need to pull the carbs and clean them well. Take the jets out and clean them also. Better yet, replace them. Re-set your air/fuel mixture to specs. Hope you have your manual. I would go ahead and replace the jug, and install new pitons and rings. Sound like it was ready for a top end anway's.Make sure your oil injection unit is working as well. You will need the proper fuel/oil mixture. What year is your sled? How many miles on the sled?

that600vmax · 12-18-2007, 09:20 PM

Thanks for the input. The sleds a 96 with just under 5000 miles on it. I cleaned the carbs last year and always run stabil through the system before she goes up for the year, but that don't mean anything I know. I will definately cleaned the carbs especially since the entire engine is out of it right now and they are a line or two from coming off and easy to get to. The top of the piston was shiny aluminum after we took a wire brush to the top and got rid of the charred mess on top. Should the pistons be dark looking on top if everything is running as it should, because that is something I don't know enough about. I do have the manual and will most definately follow the specs when it all goes back together. But I gotta get to the bottom of the problem first. Hit me back when you get time. Thanks a lot.

that600vmax · 12-18-2007, 09:25 PM

dang you know your stuff man. Your using words I've never even heard of, but I got you though. I have copied and pasted your reply and I am going to take it out to my sled tomorrow and run through it one by one. Like I said I found the pistons and the hole 9 yards on ebay, but can't find the jug. Let me know if you know of anywhere I might need to look. Thanks again. Get at me if you got anything else.

SnowRida · 12-19-2007, 02:36 PM

Here's on you can try.

Snowmobile Parts for Sale - Snowmobile Salvage Company with Yamaha Snowmobile Parts, Skidoo, Polaris, Arctic Cat

bansheex · 01-09-2008, 12:07 AM

Rings in these sleds usually last about 5k miles then thin out and catch the exhaust port,this takes a chunk out of the piston sometimes when it happens. The exhaust port is rather large and has no bridge so when the ring wears out it will pop out and snag a port. I would still clean the carbs and its a toss up if you should just go ahead and replace crank seals (I would since its 1/2 apart already)If not I would at least do a leakdown after reassembley.

bobsledd · 01-09-2008, 04:37 AM

I would replace crank seals while it is out, as mentioned before it is running to lean. As for a jug i got mine from cedar cycle (Cedar Cycle - Authorized dealer for Husqvarna, Briggs and Stratton, Kohler...) for 150.00 + tax. 616-696-5141 My piston-rings and complete gasket set were purchased from jr graham (J R Graham, Powersports Warehouse) 185.00 with 2 day air. Bob