Beginning of the year maintenance

[yamahamaniac]

This is my first year gettin my rx-1 ready for the winter. I am wondering what maintenance I need to do with her before she is good to ride. We just had our first batch of snow, like 2 feet or so, and I took her for a little run up the road and she's working perfect but I know there are things you need to do at the beginning of the year with these machines. Can any body tell me exactly what i need to do to make her winter ready??

 

[RedRocket]

4-STROKE:
Change oil
Grease all fittings in suspension
Check track tension
Clean air filter
GO RIDE!

2-STROKE:
Change plugs
Clean air filter
Clean or replace Reeds if applicable
Remove head to clean carbon from pistons
Replace piston rings while at it
While replacing rings, notice crank bearings are bad - replace
Take off exhaust to clean out carbon
Top off oil tank with $30/gallon "cheap" stuff
Replace pull chord broken while trying to start cold

Start up and ride approx 100 miles then Repeat!

 

[Nainduck]

Little reminders like this always make me feel better about the recent purchase of my Nytro MTX. Spent too much time working on the "2-Stroke List".

 

[yamahamaniac]

Thanks Redrocket. The only thing i need to know now is when you change the oil you take out the dipstick and a cap on top of the engine then you drain from two plugs on the bottom of the sled. When putting oil back into the sled where do you put oil into? The dipstick hole and the hole on the top of the engine or just the dipstick hole??? Tell me this and I'm ready for the winter. Thanks.

 

[RedRocket]

Thanks Redrocket. The only thing i need to know now is when you change the oil you take out the dipstick and a cap on top of the engine then you drain from two plugs on the bottom of the sled. When putting oil back into the sled where do you put oil into? The dipstick hole and the hole on the top of the engine or just the dipstick hole??? Tell me this and I'm ready for the winter. Thanks.

I typically put 1 quart in the engine and 1-1/2 quarts in the tank, run until warm and check the fluid until it's full. Don't forget that when you check the oil level you DO NOT screw in the dipstick, you just rest it on the threads and then check it.

Here are the pages from the 2003 service manual for the oil change:

Click thumbnails for larger images

 

[yamahamaniac]

hahahaha it was in the manual? lol I looked through that like fifty times and never saw that lol.... why do you put it in the engine cap also?... only says to put it in the tank in the manual.... should I change the oil filter as well??

 

[highpockets]

Dangit,I think I got a little carried away with my preseason !

 

[RedRocket]

why do you put it in the engine cap also?... only says to put it in the tank in the manual.... should I change the oil filter as well??

I put some in the engine cap as well as the tank just as a piece of mind. I know it's dry sump and the oil is pumped in as soon as the engine starts but I like knowing the valve train has a good covering of fresh oil before that starter even begins to crank. I think they tell you to only put oil in the tank so you don't lose track of how much oil you put in. Can you imagine some one who's not so mechanically inclined trying to follow a manual that says put one quart in the engine and 1-1/2 in the tank and then check. They would probably put too much oil in and then blame the manual.

The manual says to change the filter every 12,000 miles but I change it every year with my first oil change mostly for piece of mind.

 

[yamahamaniac]

Thanks a lot man.... I think foining this site was the best thing I could have done. So far it has been helping me a lot with my Ton.