'16 Turbo recall - Interesting tidbits

[ordonje]

Yamaha Rod Replacement Procedure:
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2017/01/09/16-rod-recall/

I had a long conversation with my dealer on Saturday regarding the recall and the ramifications of it. Here are some tidbits:

The recall kits are not ready yet, but they should be in within the next two weeks, if not sooner
Yamaha is allowing 10 hours labor to install the kits. My dealer only has mine to do, but a neighboring dealer have 7 to do. That dealer has already done one with aftermarket rods and he says the entire job including all the re-aligning and set up is closer to 30 hours. He says at that rate, he won't have the last of his seven done until late January.

There is a regional dealers meeting with Yamaha in Syracuse this week. The dealers are hot, and are worried they'll take a soaking on the labor and want Yamaha to replace the entire motor. They are also concerned that some dealerships don't have good enough staff to do the work and those dealers will send people to other dealers than can do the work, just increasing the load.

It's a mess no matter how you look at it.

I'm dropping off my sled on Sunday, I'll let you know what my dealer found out at the meeting.

Jeff

 

[sk-rx1]

My dealer also estimated 30 hrs.

 

[ToddMeister]

Yeah my dealer thought the allotted hours were light as well.

 

[sk-rx1]

If a dealer has 5 or 6 rods replacements to do and maybe 50 2014-16) Viper reflashes that's an awful lot of unplanned work, right in the heart of the season prep season. Why didn't this start mid summer? Maybe they can hire a couple high school kids to help out after school.

 

[ToddMeister]

If a dealer has 5 or 6 rods replacements to do and maybe 50 2014-16) Viper reflashes that's an awful lot of unplanned work, right in the heart of the season prep season. Why didn't this start mid summer? Maybe they can hire a couple high school kids to help out after school.

Ahhh, don't want any high school kids workin on my sled, SORRY!

 

[alexm2816]

Keep the updates coming Jeff. I'm glad a dealer is being candid with someone.

Maybe I'm wrong, but while I do not doubt the skills and abilities of the Yamaha service techs, engine internals likely just isn't in their wheelhouse. It's like asking a carpenter to do your plumbing. Maybe they can do it, but it just seems inefficient and seems like asking for trouble.

At this point, I'm beginning to wonder if it makes more sense to ride the sled as it is this year and do the update next year after Yamaha has a chance to work out the kinks in how they're going to handle the issue. Sigh.

 

[cannondale27]

Back in 98 when the SRX cranks were all recalled they didn't have dealers do the cranks it was done by a regional site. A specialist. Walked in the place and there was cranks everywhere! But the guy was good. Still take work there now. Anyhow some guys got new cranks then gradually the rebuilt ones got in system. That's what they need to do now. Get some new motors out there then rebuild the old and keep going till it's done. Dealers will have enough with just swapping motors. Especially with turbo on it.

 

[ToddMeister]

Back in 98 when the SRX cranks were all recalled they didn't have dealers do the cranks it was done by a regional site. A specialist. Walked in the place and there was cranks everywhere! But the guy was good. Still take work there now. Anyhow some guys got new cranks then gradually the rebuilt ones got in system. That's what they need to do now. Get some new motors out there then rebuild the old and keep going till it's done. Dealers will have enough with just swapping motors. Especially with turbo on it.

Yes that is the solution I would prefer...

 

[sk-rx1]

Hearing that Yamaha is still working to identify the sleds with the weak rods, might be a substantially less sleds that need to be updated. That would be a good thing.

 

[alexm2816]

Hearing that Yamaha is still working to identify the sleds with the weak rods, might be a substantially less sleds that need to be updated. That would be a good thing.

When I heard they wanted dealers to perform the work this is immediately where my head went.

Still hoping for the sake of resale value and transparency that Yammy addresses ALL of the bad rods. Not just the ones on dealer equipped MPI kits.

 

[millstreet]

Has anyone received a recall letter yet?
When I spoke with Yamaha customer service in late October, they said we would be receiving them "soon"

anybody??

 

[kingtut]

Ahhh, don't want any high school kids workin on my sled, SORRY!

I wouldn't either, but how are we going to teach the kids these days if we don't teach them what a piston looks like. My first time rebuilding a friend's 2s viper was quite the learning experience. Besides, everyone could use a glorified tool fetcher.

 

[ordonje]

I talked to my dealer yesterday, he confirms Yamaha is holding back on an official recall and/or parts because it is trying to identify the sleds affected via serial number.
What this tells me is they do not have an idea of when installation of bad rods started and when it was stopped... it looks like are trying to discover that by compiling blown sleds in the field and seeing if a serial number pattern exists. Dealer told me they expect resolution of this within 10 days but we've both heard this before.

 

[cannondale27]

I have confirmed at least the no3 rod can be id ed with just side cover removed. As long as the rods stayed uniform like Hurricane suggested only one would need to be checked

 

[ToddMeister]

I wouldn't either, but how are we going to teach the kids these days if we don't teach them what a piston looks like. My first time rebuilding a friend's 2s viper was quite the learning experience. Besides, everyone could use a glorified tool fetcher.

Yeah I had to learn once, too, but the stuff I learned on wasn't under factory warranty yet!