Had donuts replaced at 3,000 miles..again at 1,000 miles??

[MCApex44]

I went back and looked at the work order to make sure the dealer replaced all 4 donuts/gaskets...and they did. They also replaced the left hand/side manifold which was cracked. The mileage on my sled was 3,169 when they replaced the stuff last year. Now my sled (06 Apex) has 4,177 miles on it and I can hear the exhaust leaking (when first cold- started) and she is getting louder again (just like last year when the donuts went).

Anybody else within so few miles?? Did warranty (YES plan) cover it again?

 

[Charged RTX]

I have never had mine go bad but have had them apart. has anyone tried to take a little material off where the clamps come together so you can get them a little tighter before the clamp bottoms out?

 

[daver]

The only thing I can think of is the clamps should have been replaced also or possible grinded down like some ty guys did. Not sure if it works yet tho, i dont have many miles on mine yet.

I would think that it should be covered, dealer should realize the clamps are expanded when they go to put them back on and there is some play.

good luck
Dave

 

[canapex]

Same thing happen to me.Changed all the donuts at 2400 miles pipes were good donuts were toast.So now I have 400 miles since the new donuts were put on and now the flex pipe closest to the chain case cracked and the donut is not bad.Wonder if this will be coverd under warranty?

Side note,when the pipe cracks don't drive it to far if you don't have to the motor gets hot fast.Anyone else notice this?

Anyone know what a single flex pipe is worth on Apex?

 

[RTXZIGGY]

My 06 RTX has 8000 miles on it and has been in three times for exhaust leaks. It has had the donuts replaced, flex pipes too. YES picked it up each time, no questions asked. It's a little annoying, for sure, and a definite weak spot in these sleds, but I haven't been left out on the trail yet so I guess I can live with it. My first belt lasted 5500 miles and the track clips wore out at 6500 miles but no major problems. I originally bought the YES because of the complicated EFI and a somewhat questionable history with engine troubles on early RX-1's but am glad to say those were needless fears. Good luck!!

 

[MCApex44]

My 06 RTX has 8000 miles on it and has been in three times for exhaust leaks. It has had the donuts replaced, flex pipes too. YES picked it up each time, no questions asked. It's a little annoying, for sure, and a definite weak spot in these sleds, but I haven't been left out on the trail yet so I guess I can live with it. My first belt lasted 5500 miles and the track clips wore out at 6500 miles but no major problems. I originally bought the YES because of the complicated EFI and a somewhat questionable history with engine troubles on early RX-1's but am glad to say those were needless fears. Good luck!!

Good to hear!

 

[JeremyF6]

Well i feel ur pain. I'm going through the same nightmare. Changed all 4 exhaust donuts last march. No biggie once you've done it. no exhaust problems for the rest of the 08 season. Now after 3 weeks of riding it started to get real loud again so i took it all apart....and OMFG the left side y-pipe is cracked. Now for someone that has not priced one of these they are $314.00, for a piece of pipe...rediculous for what it is. In the process of putting it all back togther and hopefully this is the last of the exhaust problems. If this keeps up its time for another sled..cause i cant justify spending 1/4 of the sleds value for an exhaust....absolutely criminal in my opinion

 

[canapex]

I called today and one y pipe(or flex pipe) was $138.00 and there is a updated part number for the flex pipe.Has anyone put the new one on?
New part#8fu-14615-01-00 Warranty does cover the flex pipe.

Well i feel ur pain. I'm going through the same nightmare. Changed all 4 exhaust donuts last march. No biggie once you've done it. no exhaust problems for the rest of the 08 season. Now after 3 weeks of riding it started to get real loud again so i took it all apart....and OMFG the left side y-pipe is cracked. Now for someone that has not priced one of these they are $314.00, for a piece of pipe...rediculous for what it is. In the process of putting it all back togther and hopefully this is the last of the exhaust problems. If this keeps up its time for another sled..cause i cant justify spending 1/4 of the sleds value for an exhaust....absolutely criminal in my opinion

 

[MCApex44]

Yes it is PAIN. A few weeks ago I was complaining because we didnt have snow. Now its the best snow weve had in many years and now I have to go through this crap again. 1.5hr drive to the dealer, leave the sled with them for few days (at least), 1.5hr drive back home, twiddle thumbs, listen to sleds roar up and down the road, 1.5hr drive back to dealer, pick up sled, pay labor costs, 1.5hr drive back home, get on sled, cross fingers the exhaust and idler wheels stay together, get off sled, thaw out fingers/hands. Yep...another $100 in gas for the vehicle and $100 in labor costs for the sled...
Money is money but what burns me the most is the time missed.

Now I just got myself all worked up. I have been thinking about adding up the cost of owning this sled for a while now but I have been to chicken to...till now. This sled has hit the pocket book like no other sled I have owned (and they have all been Cats). Believe me or not...I am telling you I have never dumped this kind of money into a Arctic Cat.

Not sure what the present exhaust leak and 2" of play in the steering will cost. Of course this excludes oil change costs and common stuff but aside from those costs I added up the bills and I have dumped about $1,000+ in 2 seasons/4,000 miles. The major bummer is I have lost out on many of miles on the trail in the repair time. That just isnt right...

 

[07 GT]

Same problem here. Im starting to get pretty ticked off now. I replaced the donuts at 2800 miles and now the sled has 4200 and Im getting the same noise when started up cold.

Its rattling again. Im getting sick of tearing this thing apart and changing the damn donuts.

Has yamaha improved this design at all? I have a 07 GT. I wanted to go riding today but now I have to change the donuts again!

Makes me miss my 00 SRX. I only changed donuts once on that sled and it had 7,000 miles on it.

 

[speedjunky]

I was reading about all the problem on this site about them being shot at 4000 + miles. So I though I should do mine. I had 4100 miles on my 06 GT. Took it apart and they where as good as the new ones that I ordered. I hope i didn't open a can of worms. And yes I ride hard.

 

[scar]

I did the same thing after reading all the problems.5000 miles.I hope I didn't open a box of donuts!Originals were in perfect shape.And yes I ride everything hard.No groom trails for me.

 

[MCApex44]

Update...I just picked my sled up last night from the dealer. I am so glad I got the YES warranty. They replaced the Y pipe ($396), right side manifold ($94), gaskets, ($52). $204 in labor. About a 1,000 miles ago it was the left side/Y-Pipe/gaskets.

 

[07 GT]

Same problem here. Im starting to get pretty ticked off now. I replaced the donuts at 2800 miles and now the sled has 4200 and Im getting the same noise when started up cold.

Its rattling again. Im getting sick of tearing this thing apart and changing the damn donuts.

Update. I tore the sled apart again today and I found that 2 of the 4 clamps used to hold the y-pipe to the flex pipes were loose! They weren't loose when I changed donuts before.

The donuts looked fine, as well the y-pipes. I just ground a little off the spacer and reassembled. Sounds good again.

Maybe I should buy some new clamps? Im thinking from the constant heat they are subject to probably wouldn't hurt.

 

[Iceman57]

Are the clamp bolts tight but the clamps loose on the pipes or are the bolts loose on the clamps. If the clamps are loose but bolts tight I would install new clamps. If the bolts are loose you need to use loctite when reassembling? That’s what happened to me, when I checked the donuts last summer they were all fine and had 3000 miles on them. I reassembled the clamps without loctite and 500 miles later it started backfiring, when I tore it down the chain case side clamp was off the pipe and the bolt was missing and that exhaust joint was cracked. I will use green loctite when reassembling.