DistortedLite
Newbie
Hey I just got my first sled at the beginning of the season(06 Apex), I was running it pretty slow at first as I was learning to ride. Since I've been running it a bit harder I've noticed an oil leak. Tore the sled apart to find it and it seems to be coming from the crankcase breather tube that goes into the bottom of the air box. Another weird thing I noticed while filling it back up was that the the oil was very dark and smelt burnt (I put in new Mobil 1 synthetic 0w30 & NAPA gold filter at the start of the season) and I've only put around 200kms on it so it should still be like new.
The leak seems to be pretty slow if I stay below about 40mph but if I throttle up to 70mph I lose quite a bit of oil. Asked my mechanic friend about it and he said I might have some stuck piston rings and the blow-by could be pushing out the oil.
I'm gonna borrow a compression tester this weekend and see what that says, just wondering what should compression be on this engine? Also curious if anyone else has an idea on why the oil is blowing out of there?
The leak seems to be pretty slow if I stay below about 40mph but if I throttle up to 70mph I lose quite a bit of oil. Asked my mechanic friend about it and he said I might have some stuck piston rings and the blow-by could be pushing out the oil.
I'm gonna borrow a compression tester this weekend and see what that says, just wondering what should compression be on this engine? Also curious if anyone else has an idea on why the oil is blowing out of there?
https://ty4stroke.com/search/2166796/?q=Cracked+oil+tank&o=relevance&c[node]=36
Id look at the oil tank link above. How many miles on sled?
Id look at the oil tank link above. How many miles on sled?
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DistortedLite
Newbie
I bought it naturally aspirated, the previous owner never said anything about it being boosted. He just said he did radar runs on the lake and that the sled had been sitting for 3 years. The sled has 10 800kms (2800miles) on it. Its not a cracked tank, oil seems to be getting pushed through the crankcase breather into the airbox and is draining from the airbox to the bottom of the engine bay.
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I would guess the rings are shot for some reason. You could try running some ring free, sounds like the combustion is being pushed back into the crank.
https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/details/engine-med-rx?b=Helmets&ls=yamaha-motor-company
If the oil is overfilled it could be blowing it out the breather tube.
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Right!! True!!
mbarryracing
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Sounds like the faster you run it, the higher the RPM, the more it pushes oil.
I agree the new oil shouldn't be black after 200km so that is a symptom of something. Even with a hole in the piston, it shouldn't push that much oil out the crankcase breather, just a lot of blow-by mist. If a piston was damaged enough to have that much blow-by it would start hard, idle and run HORRIBLE.
That kind of damage is not common on a stock NA Apex, you have to do alot of bad things to get detonation that severe. Never know what the previous owner did...
Because of the size of the spark plug threads, a compression tester adapter is not common but you can do other checks.
If it were me, I'd first check the oil level in the tank. Make sure it's not full to the top of the tank.
Second pull the air box and make sure the vent lines aren't simply switched (AKA oil tank vented to air box and the crankcase to oil tank). Never know what the previous owner did...
Then start it up with air box out to see what (if anything) is coming out of the crankcase breather tube. If you start it up and it's huffing like a locomotive exhaust stack then you have piston / cylinder issues.
I agree the new oil shouldn't be black after 200km so that is a symptom of something. Even with a hole in the piston, it shouldn't push that much oil out the crankcase breather, just a lot of blow-by mist. If a piston was damaged enough to have that much blow-by it would start hard, idle and run HORRIBLE.
That kind of damage is not common on a stock NA Apex, you have to do alot of bad things to get detonation that severe. Never know what the previous owner did...
Because of the size of the spark plug threads, a compression tester adapter is not common but you can do other checks.
If it were me, I'd first check the oil level in the tank. Make sure it's not full to the top of the tank.
Second pull the air box and make sure the vent lines aren't simply switched (AKA oil tank vented to air box and the crankcase to oil tank). Never know what the previous owner did...
Then start it up with air box out to see what (if anything) is coming out of the crankcase breather tube. If you start it up and it's huffing like a locomotive exhaust stack then you have piston / cylinder issues.
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x2 on dosing it with ring free. it would not hurt to try 1st.
my old 05 rx war , that my brother owns now, will burn 0w40 synthetic yamalube but will not burn the 0w30 semi synthetic yamalube. usually doses it with ring free the 2nd tank of gas every year. how it has been for the last 3-4 seasons.
my old 05 rx war , that my brother owns now, will burn 0w40 synthetic yamalube but will not burn the 0w30 semi synthetic yamalube. usually doses it with ring free the 2nd tank of gas every year. how it has been for the last 3-4 seasons.
Since the oil still appears to be dirty I would start from scratch and do a complete oil and filter change.
- ensure all the oil is drained from the tank drain and the crankcase drain
- install a Yamaha oil filter
- clean the oil screen in the bottom of the oil tank where the hose connects
- be very fussy on the amount of oil you add
- ensure all the oil is drained from the tank drain and the crankcase drain
- install a Yamaha oil filter
- clean the oil screen in the bottom of the oil tank where the hose connects
- be very fussy on the amount of oil you add
DistortedLite
Newbie
Thanks for all the tips. The oil was filled to about 3/4 the way up the cross hatch on the oil dipstick so I don't think its an overfilling issue. I've put a couple cans of seafoam through the gas but I'll look at trying to get some ring free. When I get the compression tester this weekend I'll pull the air box off too and see what comes out out the breather while its running.
Pete_man26
Extreme
Is there any oil residue out the exhaust tips to indicate oil making it into the exhaust system?
Try spraying the seafoam through the throttle bodies when the sled is running, I had to do this on a 03 RX-1 that was burning a quart of oil per tank of fuel. It smoked the crap out of the yard but once it was done no more oil burning. The rings on the 03's apparently would stick over time and seems like the seafoam fixed it up. Sled also has more power then it's had in years.
Try spraying the seafoam through the throttle bodies when the sled is running, I had to do this on a 03 RX-1 that was burning a quart of oil per tank of fuel. It smoked the crap out of the yard but once it was done no more oil burning. The rings on the 03's apparently would stick over time and seems like the seafoam fixed it up. Sled also has more power then it's had in years.
SAB1
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It’s to much oil as above. Have had that happen when when I have the oil changed. That’s why I do my own now.
DistortedLite
Newbie
Sorry it took so long for an update but I ran a tank with ring free mixed in and then got busy with school etc... Anyways the ring free didn't fix my issue and I finally got my buddies compression tester and it seems like I wont get to finish the season. Cyl 1 - 130 psi, cyl 2 - 125 psi, cyl 3 - 5 psi, cyl 4 - 48 psi. I'm guessing I'll be replacing piston rings. Just wondering if there is a thread on here walking through a rebuild and also if you guys know where the best place to find parts is?
mbarryracing
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It's not rings, the piston ring lands are damaged from detonation and that could have also damaged the cylinder bores. That doesn't typically happen in stock form. If it wasn't boosted, the previous owner likely was spraying it with NOS, then when hurt the engine he put it back to stock to dump it.
