I was thinking of getting an 06 or 07 Apex. I have read on this site about chain cases blowing apart. How big a problem is this.
Just stopped at my dealer and spoke with the service manager. He said he has had about 10 chain cases blow apart one of which also took out the oil tank. Surprise was 1/2 of them were 07's. He said the problem was with the magnesium chain case doesn't disapate heat. When it heats up (long high speed runs) is sucks in the seal a bit and when you loose the oil the chain case blows apart. He said in 07 they changed the cover but in his opinion this has not solved the problem. He expects that Yamaha will have a further fix in the future.
My question quite simply is it enough of a problem that I should not buy an Apex at this point. I can imagine it would be very costly. After 10,000 trouble free miles with my 04 the chain case issue concerns me.
Any input would be appreciated.
Just stopped at my dealer and spoke with the service manager. He said he has had about 10 chain cases blow apart one of which also took out the oil tank. Surprise was 1/2 of them were 07's. He said the problem was with the magnesium chain case doesn't disapate heat. When it heats up (long high speed runs) is sucks in the seal a bit and when you loose the oil the chain case blows apart. He said in 07 they changed the cover but in his opinion this has not solved the problem. He expects that Yamaha will have a further fix in the future.
My question quite simply is it enough of a problem that I should not buy an Apex at this point. I can imagine it would be very costly. After 10,000 trouble free miles with my 04 the chain case issue concerns me.
Any input would be appreciated.
RX1-er-2005
Expert
I know of some guys cutting extra channels on the dip stick seal for extra venting, I did it on my '05 even if its aluminum, they get VERY hot after long W.O.T. on lakes and rail beds, you can't even put your hands on the chaincase and you get this oil smell...
For that reason I run full syn. 75W-140 Quaker State and never had any problems and change my oil every 1500 kms or so...
The other thing, change your chain at every 10.000kms, my dealer has replaced a lot of chaincases because of broken chains and seemed to be around that 10.000 kms range...
All of the above is very little $$$ to pay for preventive maintenance and NO DOWN TIME...
I've herd all kinds of stories about blown chaincases, then ask those guys the last time they changed or even check the oil in them...don't forget you've got 150hp plus in that chaincase with 250ml of oil spinining at extremely high rpm's! for miles and hours at the time.
All this to say MAINTENANCE pays off!
Another good example I have 10.700kms on my '05 with original front "A" arms and bulkhead bushings, herd stories guys having to change them at 1500kms...the secret is to lube them with a good quality lubricant after EVERY ride, it only takes 2 minutes of your time...
My .02 good luck
p.s. I took a chance, I snow checked a '08 APEX LTX...
For that reason I run full syn. 75W-140 Quaker State and never had any problems and change my oil every 1500 kms or so...
The other thing, change your chain at every 10.000kms, my dealer has replaced a lot of chaincases because of broken chains and seemed to be around that 10.000 kms range...
All of the above is very little $$$ to pay for preventive maintenance and NO DOWN TIME...
I've herd all kinds of stories about blown chaincases, then ask those guys the last time they changed or even check the oil in them...don't forget you've got 150hp plus in that chaincase with 250ml of oil spinining at extremely high rpm's! for miles and hours at the time.
All this to say MAINTENANCE pays off!
Another good example I have 10.700kms on my '05 with original front "A" arms and bulkhead bushings, herd stories guys having to change them at 1500kms...the secret is to lube them with a good quality lubricant after EVERY ride, it only takes 2 minutes of your time...
My .02 good luck
p.s. I took a chance, I snow checked a '08 APEX LTX...
Interesting you talk about cutting the dipstick for venting. The service manager I spoke of thought that venting would be the solution. Has anyone ever done this and does it cause oil to come out the dipstick ???
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Smokey, I have logged on 6000 miles on 06 and 07 Apex's and have had zero problems. I would not be afraid to get an Apex at all 
My take on the gasket is either install problems from MFG, chain case gearing changes with bad reinstalls or back to back super long high speed runs in excess of 100 mph for long periods of time or miles.
My take on the gasket is either install problems from MFG, chain case gearing changes with bad reinstalls or back to back super long high speed runs in excess of 100 mph for long periods of time or miles.
Apex18
Expert
I heard of these problems too before i bought my 07 Apex. There are only a few people that have had problems i think. I bet in the real word the chances of you having one of these problems are very slim. I know buddies with Apex's, along with mine. We run high speeds all the time on lake, for long periods of time, and none of us have had these problems. If your really worried about it buy a 2007, because they also have the longer riser, updated mudflap, and tunnel reinforcements due to some people bending their tunnels. What i would do is make a "Poll", for who had troubles with their 2006 and 2007 Apex's to find out exactly how many Apex's had these problems, and what year.
SpecRTX
Expert
When I bought my 06 RTX, I immediately re-geared to a 40 tooth bottom. I had heard the same thing about the chain case seal being sucked in. When I put mine back together, I used Indian Head gasket seal. I did long runs, short runs, cross county runs, etc. At the end of the season I checked my case oil only to find that I didn't lose a drop and it was still clear (amber). I will mention that my RTX does not have reverse and I used full synthetic oil. Couldn't be happier with the sled. I highly recommend the Apex. Just my two cents.
actionjack
TY 4 Stroke God
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Lots of miles of WFO lake running before and after chaincase cover on my 06 GT changed to 07 part with no problems.
schmeg
Expert
I cut a slit in the rubber stopper on the dipstick for extra venting, and use full syn Klotz chaincase lube. No probs.
welterracer
TY 4 Stroke God
I have 4300+ miles and 0 Problems with mine too..
jds1000
Expert
I have 4300 miles on My 06 Apex ER with original everything and no problems. I haven't changed My plugs, belt, hyfax or wheels. I took My skid out this Spring to have My shock serviced so I may change the hyfax while it's out but they are still good. I also changed My chaincase oil at the end of both seasons. I was very surprised to see that the chaincase oil was still clear and clean looking after a full season of riding. My sled has never used any chaincase or engine oil. This is by far the most trouble free sled I've ever owned. I could see owning this sled and doing nothing to it other than change the oil and filter for many seasons.
sobfrogg
TY 4 Stroke Guru
I have been checking my chain case oil before a ride. It always needs a touch. My sled is bone stock.
After long highspeed rides I smell gear oil.
After long highspeed rides I smell gear oil.
schmeg
Expert
That is the crux of the problem, and why some are having issues. It gets real hot inside the case when you run hard and fast for long periods of time, and in certain cases the case can't vent rising internal pressures well anough, so it finds the path of least resistance to vent which always isn't the dipstick grommet. Its the cover seal at the 8 o'clock position. The cover casting is narrower here than on the rest of the cover and provides less surface bearing area. For 07, they re-designed the cover in that area. So,,,,the gear oil pusses out and you end up with a dry chaincase. The rest is elementary.
The best coarse of action, especially if you run hard like I do (usually 80 or so all day), is to run full synthetic gear oil, cut a slit joining the 2 ventilation channels the factory molded into the dipstick grommet. That will enhance the venting of the grommet. Also, check the level frequently.
The best coarse of action, especially if you run hard like I do (usually 80 or so all day), is to run full synthetic gear oil, cut a slit joining the 2 ventilation channels the factory molded into the dipstick grommet. That will enhance the venting of the grommet. Also, check the level frequently.
srxtwins
Expert
Jim You know how I ride and I have had no problems since switching to synthetic oil. I fill mine to the bottom standard mark [it is a reverse machine] with synthetic oil. We now fill all the sleds we service at the shop with synthetic to this level and have not had a oil related failure since.
Swiss Sledder
TY 4 Stroke God
Jim, zero problems with the chain case on either of my Attaks. You just have to follow the maintenance procedures specified in the owner's manual.
ReX
TY 4 Stroke God
Smokey,
I agree with everyone saying don't hold back because of a potential chaincase issue (overall these are great sleds), but considering your dealer has had 10 sleds with chaincase issues I'd definitely be concerned about it if you run your sleds hard.
I don't know exactly what is required to cause a leak, but it seems to be a combination of bad luck, local trail features (tight twisty vs long high speed) and local riding styles (and of course yours).
With the guys I ride with, we've all had chaincase leaks on 06/07 Apex's due to shifting of the cover gasket. Most of the time we caught the leak before any damage occurred, but we have damaged a couple of chains and gears due to running without enough oil (no actual chain failures though). Sometimes it took 5000+ miles before the chaincase started to leak, other times they leaked at very low mileage.
To the best of my knowledge, most of the 07s had the same chaincase as the 06s. My 07 RTX definitely did and it leaked.
In my case when I found mine leaking I installed an aluminum 2005 chaincase and cover. The 05 parts are a direct bolt on replacement and even though Yamaha Canada advertised the 05 RX-1 as having a magnesium chaincase cover, it is actually all aluminum. I had no issues after that and my chaincase always ran significantly cooler (to the touch) than the other Apex' I ride with.
I also carefully measured all of the seal geometry between the 05 chaincase, the original 07 chaincase and the updated 07 chaincase. I can't recall the exact numbers, but there is a significant difference in the way the seal sits on the flat cover surface and how the outer cover lip holds the seal in place.
The original 07 chaincase has only about 1/2 of the seal sitting on a flat surface and this makes the seal prone to slowly working its way out of position during many heat cycles and especially at higher temperatures. Both the 05 and updated 07 chaincase have improved geometry with the 05 that I used actually having the best geometry for holding the seal in place (as well as best cooling due to the better thermal conduction).
My advice would be to purchase the sled you want and since your dealer will end up dealing with warranty work anyway, ask them if they can install an updated 07 chaincase cover right away. You shouldn't have anything to worry about after that (other than idler wheels...). If they won't, keep an eye out for leaks or if you're really concerned, purchase an updated 07 cover to install.
If you plan to increase the hp (turbo, supercharger, etc.) or ride the sled extremely hard (wide open most of the time) you could always consider an 05 chaincase assembly. These seem to be bullet proof (note I've never heard of anyone with a leaking updated 07 chaincase either - but the 05 does run cooler).
I agree with everyone saying don't hold back because of a potential chaincase issue (overall these are great sleds), but considering your dealer has had 10 sleds with chaincase issues I'd definitely be concerned about it if you run your sleds hard.
I don't know exactly what is required to cause a leak, but it seems to be a combination of bad luck, local trail features (tight twisty vs long high speed) and local riding styles (and of course yours).
With the guys I ride with, we've all had chaincase leaks on 06/07 Apex's due to shifting of the cover gasket. Most of the time we caught the leak before any damage occurred, but we have damaged a couple of chains and gears due to running without enough oil (no actual chain failures though). Sometimes it took 5000+ miles before the chaincase started to leak, other times they leaked at very low mileage.
To the best of my knowledge, most of the 07s had the same chaincase as the 06s. My 07 RTX definitely did and it leaked.
In my case when I found mine leaking I installed an aluminum 2005 chaincase and cover. The 05 parts are a direct bolt on replacement and even though Yamaha Canada advertised the 05 RX-1 as having a magnesium chaincase cover, it is actually all aluminum. I had no issues after that and my chaincase always ran significantly cooler (to the touch) than the other Apex' I ride with.
I also carefully measured all of the seal geometry between the 05 chaincase, the original 07 chaincase and the updated 07 chaincase. I can't recall the exact numbers, but there is a significant difference in the way the seal sits on the flat cover surface and how the outer cover lip holds the seal in place.
The original 07 chaincase has only about 1/2 of the seal sitting on a flat surface and this makes the seal prone to slowly working its way out of position during many heat cycles and especially at higher temperatures. Both the 05 and updated 07 chaincase have improved geometry with the 05 that I used actually having the best geometry for holding the seal in place (as well as best cooling due to the better thermal conduction).
My advice would be to purchase the sled you want and since your dealer will end up dealing with warranty work anyway, ask them if they can install an updated 07 chaincase cover right away. You shouldn't have anything to worry about after that (other than idler wheels...). If they won't, keep an eye out for leaks or if you're really concerned, purchase an updated 07 cover to install.
If you plan to increase the hp (turbo, supercharger, etc.) or ride the sled extremely hard (wide open most of the time) you could always consider an 05 chaincase assembly. These seem to be bullet proof (note I've never heard of anyone with a leaking updated 07 chaincase either - but the 05 does run cooler).
