Cat DNA Strikes again! -CHAINCASE TENSIONER ROLLER WHEEL FAIL

[eightpilot]

I checked my chain adjuster this fall when changing out my driven shaft and brake side bearing and it looked good, notice I said looked good. Upon inspection I could rotate the screws and axel in the adjuster rather easily. So I took it apart and also found green loctite in the middle of the two screws. I cleaned it up real good and tightened everything down real good using Red Loctite and my Makita cordless impact as hard as it could go, and I know thats darn tight!

I wished now I had welded and even really thought about welding it, but figured I had 5 years of warranty. Next time I have it apart I will be tack welding the screws. I don't think the factory loctited them good enough or gets the screws tight enough. That or the loctite just deteriorates enough where it doesn't hold good enough either.

Its a poor design and should have a simple shoe on the tensioner like Doo does instead of a rattling roller on the tensioner. The roller has too much vibration as it rolls across the links of the chain and is not smooth enough causing it too loosen up. Maybe we should check into what it would take to install Ski-Doos tensioner shoe on Cats arm.

That must be a Yamaha thing.... My 2013 pro cross cats all had the shoe instead of the roller.

 

[s davis]

2018 s tx dx 146 no tune,2700 mi belt finally lasting a little while was about to do 270 after seeing Dan's I better check one rubbing the case the other about 2 threads from out no sign of Loctite . So much thanks to Dan and others for saving my bacon. tacked now, so maybe a few more miles just to be sure before the tune. I would have to think everybody should look.

 

[PowderFalcon]

Spoke with my dealer yesterday, and Yamaha Canada hooped him for some shop hours on the claim, seems there is some "opinioneering" going on with the claims rep, only saw fit to pay him for 2.5 hours, he was out of pocket for 2 hours justifiable shop labor. This crap took place a week after I got the sled back since dealer didn't want me to miss out on a planned trip.
Dealers do not make a pile money off warranty I hear, and when Yam sticks it to them after the work is done, that's plain wrong imo. Happy to have a stand up dealer who looks after his customers!

PS, they don't pay for any inconvenience or cost you incur from being stranded, needing a tow or cab fare etc, which also sucks.

Dean Parker at Advanced Motorsport in Union (south of St. Thomas) Ontario !! I've had good dealings with him as well. Stand up fella and dealership.

 

[stevewithOCD]

2018 s tx dx 146 no tune,2700 mi belt finally lasting a little while was about to do 270 after seeing Dan's I better check one rubbing the case the other about 2 threads from out no sign of Loctite . So much thanks to Dan and others for saving my bacon. tacked now, so maybe a few more miles just to be sure before the tune. I would have to think everybody should look.

Dear Newbie Davis:
Welcome to the site!
I'm glad you were able to gain immediate success here on TY on saving your "bacon".
An Avatar will help your cause and so would complete sentences because besides for bacon i'm not exactly sure what the hell you said, but i did understand it.

P.S: Try not to mention BACON after 8pm on a testosterone filled website. Now i have to go make a BLT

 

[stevewithOCD]

Cat has had that chaincase since 2012 so i doubt there is more sidewinder out there than there is cats with that chaincase. Not to many people on the cat forums complaining about the chaincase,

I stopped by my local Cat dealer to discuss this issue.
They Red Loctite these wheels on all their sleds on first service because they had a bunch fail in the first year.
So this is NOT a Yamaha only problem nor is it due to chain tension or gearing or tunes. It is by any average man's observation a POOR design.
It is 2 ITTY BITTY screws tightening in opposite directions that means one can be loosened when the bearing isn't turning just right.

I have 7400 miles on mine so i'm not complaining yet.
My Cat dealer, who changed my track last year, believes they would have put Loctite on mine he believes. I HOPE!
Where's my bible?
Oh goddess PAX help me!

 

[STAIN]

PS, they don't pay for any inconvenience or cost you incur from being stranded, needing a tow or cab fare etc, which also sucks.

They are supposed to, its in the fine print. I just checked my Y.E.S. contract. $50 for towing, $250 for accommodations.

 

[AAD]

Have my ‘19 SRX case apart right now so checked those two little screws backside one was fairly tight and had some loctite on it the front one wasn’t tight at all and zero sign of loctite.
Added red loctite to both screws.

 

[Winderallday!]

PS, they don't pay for any inconvenience or cost you incur from being stranded, needing a tow or cab fare etc, which also sucks.

They are supposed to, its in the fine print. I just checked my Y.E.S. contract. $50 for towing, $250 for accommodations.

Hi STAIN: likely true in the case of a YES contract/warranty, but not factory 1 year warranty, at least in Canada. I bought mine as a dealer demo, and warranty was 1 year from date of delivery, which in my case ends in March of this year.

 

[XP123]

PS, they don't pay for any inconvenience or cost you incur from being stranded, needing a tow or cab fare etc, which also sucks.

They are supposed to, its in the fine print. I just checked my Y.E.S. contract. $50 for towing, $250 for accommodations.

Back in 2008 my wife's Nytro broke down up near Hearst Ontario. We lost 2 days of riding and spent two extra days in Hearst. I was able to collect around 300 bucks for hotel and meals from my Y E S warranty.

 

[RAMSOMAIR]

Pulled my 2017 Winder (stock) apart today to check. 6500kms.
1st time I've been in there and was pleasantly surprised to not find loose screws on the tensioner and was very clean with almost zero crap on the magnets. The case has been cracked open to drain 3 times now but never apart!

 

[journeyman]

Pulled my 2017 Winder (stock) apart today to check. 6500kms.
1st time I've been in there and was pleasantly surprised to not find loose screws on the tensioner and was very clean with almost zero crap on the magnets. The case has been cracked open to drain 3 times now but never apart!View attachment 146013 View attachment 146014

Boy that tensioner looks cheesy.....yep Cat DNA!!

 

[Dr. FeeLGooD]

"now we gotta muck around and tow this mucky thing back"...... (Edited)... . If it wasnt so painful that would be hilarious. Reminds me of the cat youtube video. Snapped as snapped can be.

 

[ROCKERDAN]

Hey gang....

Well I ordered the parts Monday at 2pm and they arrived to dealer wed 2pm! Nice work done by my Dealer! I went back to NY yesterday, got the parts last night....And this morning stopped at my welder and had tensioner tacked, and then grabbed some bearing mount for the Axle bearing, and got a allen set screw at Home depot(drawers) 1/4-20 x 3/8'' long. Also grabbed some Optimum black silicone for the oil tank as last time i used it I needed a pry bar to get it apart, so im going with that again. Grabbed some new reverse fork pads and dealer even threw in new chain lube.

The new updated part number for front cover dealer tells me is a new sight glass update. He has seen many of them in the shop, now my sight glass was fine so I hope this new one is good to go. He told me none have had issue with new part number so far. It does look abit different see pics.

Some pics of all the new parts and part numbers....All covered! Many thanks for a great dealer in WNY Don Georges.

Will start re-assembly tomorrow, I want to give the oil tank and bearing compound 24 hrs to setup, so im not gonna rush it back together.

Dan

 

[Chris Rose]

Hey gang....

Well I ordered the parts Monday at 2pm and they arrived to dealer wed 2pm! Nice work done by my Dealer! I went back to NY yesterday, got the parts last night....And this morning stopped at my welder and had tensioner tacked, and then grabbed some bearing mount for the Axle bearing, and got a allen set screw at Home depot(drawers) 1/4-20 x 3/8'' long. Also grabbed some Optimum black silicone for the oil tank as last time i used it I needed a pry bar to get it apart, so im going with that again. Grabbed some new reverse fork pads and dealer even threw in new chain lube.

The new updated part number for front cover dealer tells me is a new sight glass update. He has seen many of them in the shop, now my sight glass was fine so I hope this new one is good to go. He told me none have had issue with new part number so far. It does look abit different see pics.

Some pics of all the new parts and part numbers....All covered! Many thanks for a great dealer in WNY Don Georges.

Will start re-assembly tomorrow, I want to give the oil tank and bearing compound 24 hrs to setup, so im not gonna rush it back together.

Dan

View attachment 146019 View attachment 146020 View attachment 146021 View attachment 146022 View attachment 146024 View attachment 146025 View attachment 146027 View attachment 146028 View attachment 146029 View attachment 146030 View attachment 146031 View attachment 146032 View attachment 146033 View attachment 146034 View attachment 146036 View attachment 146037 View attachment 146039 View attachment 146040 View attachment 146041

Glad to see that your parts arrived. Hopefully things go together without issue. Wish up here getting parts doesn't take so long. 2 days and everything there!

 

[STAIN]

Do yourself a favor and replace all those grade 2 junk-#*$&@ torx head bolts with some real 10mm headed grade 8's.