Help needed - 2006 Vector engine failure

[birkebeiner]

My '06 Vector Mountain with 7,000 km / 4,400 miles on it had an engine failure a few weeks back, on my first ride of the season.

The dealer has opened up the engine and says the sprocket / gear on the crank shaft that drives the cam chain is totally gone (?) and therefore all valves were left in open position, resulting in a dead engine.

This happed while I was driving and the engine just died. I wasn't doing more then maybe 40 mph when all of a sudden the sled stopped. No noise, nothing. It was just like it ran out of gas or turned off the key.

Now I have to change the engine because the crank case, crank shaft and cylinder head with valves are gone.

Is there anyone out there that have had a similar issue? If so, what model and year? I know there has been a lot of talks about the cam chain tensioner on this forum and the dealer says this was something they changed up to 2005 models. Just thinking, if this was a known issue pre-2006, it might as well be an issue on a 2006 engine as well...?

Would like any information you might have, especially if it's on a 2006 or later model year, so I can use this info to get Yamaha (not the dealer) to pay for at least some of the cost!

 

[MadMax]

Cam chains from 05/07... Good luck.. MM

 

[jlparker77]

yes, yours falls under the bulletin regarding tensionors. More common than it should be.

 

[sgilbert]

with small engines in general, have seen worn timing chains eat the teeth off the lower sprocket

 

[Crewchief47]

The service bulletin covers 05-07 like the others have said.

 

[yamascoot]

yamaha will not help you. it has to be caught while its making noise, before damage occurs. even then, you pay to have the tensioner replaced. a lot of people have had them changed. there is an updated tensioner. its such a major job to replace it that yamaha is not helping many people, because it would be big bucks to them.

 

[RSVECTORFREAK]

Here's the link to the procedure and bulletin:

http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=90826