[cutlass440]

Started repairing the damage on my Phazer from yesterday's crash. Basically just bent the steering stem (not too big a deal so far I was able to bend it most of the way back and I also found a used stem on ebay for only $20), and probably blew out both struts (kind of a big deal, no doubt expensive to repair or replace). I found out that when I compress either strut, they only rebound about an inch or so. One side is worse than the other, and makes a bit of a hissing sound when compressed. I'm guessing I blew a seal and most of the nitrogen gas out when I nose dived into that hole. Probably no point in having them re-charged eh?

Thought about putting the Vmax struts on the Phazer, but chances are they are too large to fit. Does anyone know if they'll fit? Maybe I'll just look up the part #'s and see if they match.

Doesn't look so bad in the pics below, but I guess it doesn't take much to screw up the steering. If you look closely you can see where the stem has been pushed forward in it's mounting bracket. It's been extremely difficult to bend it back in position.

That's the extent of the damage I've been able to detect so far. 'course I won't know for sure until I actually ride it again. Could have been a lot worse I guess.

Not quite finished bending the steering stem back, I'll post more pics when the repair is complete.

Then we'll see how it rides.

 

[dieselcamper01]

That is a bummer! Those struts aren't cheap if I remember correctly.

 

[SnoG00FY]

Too bad you don't live closer to me, I have 2 Phazers I use for parts and both have good struts.

 

[Yamaha440]

OOOOO, ouch.

 

[cutlass440]

Too bad you don't live closer to me, I have 2 Phazers I use for parts and both have good struts.

Hey SnoGOOFY,

You wouldn't happen to have a throttle lever you could sell me?

 

[SnoG00FY]

Hey SnoGOOFY,

You wouldn't happen to have a throttle lever you could sell me?

Yep, sure do! I have one with a thumb warmer on it (not sure if it works) and one without. But I would think that that after shipping and all it might cost more than it's worth. Can't find any on that side of the country?

I even have an extra steering shaft, so you don't have to weaken yours when you bend it back.

 

[cutlass440]

I'm cheap and impatient don't want to spend close to $30 and wait a week for it if I ordered it from the dealer.

I just found a used one locally though, thanks anyway. Hopefully I won't need your steering stem either, but if I do I'll let you know. :thumbsup:

 

[SMFXRSB]

Story time! How did you do it? Etc

 

[SnoG00FY]

No problem, Hope you get it fixed so you can go out and break it again!! j/k! lol!

 

[smokeshow81]

nice work, did u land that backflip? lol
hope u get it running again soon.

 

[cutlass440]

Story time! How did you do it? Etc

nice work, did u land that backflip?

Dude, I was nailing 30' backflips off a 10' jump when I hit an eagle mid-flight which caused me to under-rotate and I nose-dived the front end. Damned patriotic symbol of our country. Still landed it though.



But seriously...

I was just test riding it doing circles around a hilly, meadow area, trying to dial in the carbs, and it was actually running better than ever, when I hit a hidden "hole" in the snowpack.

From "'90 Phazer ll Excessive Smoking/Won't Rev Higher than 7000 RPM"

I'm getting a little bored of circling around the same areas so I ventured farther over to a rougher area that had some woody, leafless, shrubbery obstacles. It getting late in the day, dark and stormy, poor visibility with big gusts of wind blowing flurries of snow into your eyes.I was going pretty slow (maybe about 20) up a little slope and I came across a shrubby area and I steered the sled to what appeared to be a gap in the shrubs. When I got upon it I realized (too late!) that it was a hole in the snow and I fell into a five foot deep by about 7' wide trench. It was a section of a creek that didn't get fully buried by the snowpack.

I plowed the front end of the sled hard into the hole, slammed my helmet on the machine, and bent the hell out of the steering stem. The nose of the fairing now points downward into the hood, the throttle lever snapped clean off, and I can no longer turn the skis.

Fortunately for me I was pretty much unhurt (sprained my left thumb a bit, strained my right shoulder blade), and with the help of three other snowmobilers was able to dig the sled out and limp her out to the parking area.

Only the second time I've ridden the sled and already effed her up. Haven't had a chance to assess the damage yet, but I'd be surprised if I didn't bend more than just the steering stem.

I was so stoked to pick-up that free sled the other day too...

Damn. No way I could have seen that hole. I was right on the edge of it too: had I been about a sled's width over to the left I would have missed it.

Oh well, could have been much worse, and I'm so grateful for the help I got from the guys who got me out of the hole. Just wished it hadn't happened.