Mtn. Lite issues @ 200 km

[jay]

My dealer has been as helpful as possible with these issues being 4 hours away but his rep has not been.
My buddy and I each purchased Mtn. lites and have the following issues.
- Big hole in tunnel - Soaked through our snow suits from slush coming off muffler and the ice build-up on running boards. Dealer had panels made-up and shipped to us to block off rear tunnel hole - one ride on that and is better.
- Left A-arm/tie-rod nut came off about 5km from cabin so limped home with ski at a 45 degree angle, scratched paint on shock from a-arm rubbing and extruded spindle marked-up from extreme angle (had to ride the '95 340 Indy-Lite the rest of the weekend-thrilled)
- Bottom steering linkage/inner tie-rod end bolt on my buddies keeps backing off. There is a cotter pin to keep it from total loss but handle bar play is about 3-4 inches when bolt is loose.
- Right side panel is mounted to cooling fins on right side panel so minor side impact deforms or wrecks small radiator. Side panel should protect fragile components, not use them as mount points. (yes my rad is bent)
- The whole reverse issue - can't count on it to engage when needed. Can take minutes/restarts to get to function.
- Burnt out headlight at 10km (yeah thats nit-picking, took the chance to put in Silverstars)
Would like to be able to just go ride and feel I could count on the sled.

 

[phazerfly]

Man that really sucks, I'd take it the 4 hours to the dealer drop it and tell them to make sure everything is fixed before I picked it back up. My FX has 1050km's on it already and hasn't been any issues at all. Let the dealer deal with it its not your responsibility. As for the reverse does it have trouble engaging even if you're standing on it and just rock it back. I was having trouble with that and then I just started rocking it back when I wanted reverse and rock it forward to go back and now it never misses. It's just a thought. Good luck though.

 

[pat the rat]

same here with reverse,just rock back and forth and she engages.sometimes alot of the problems are the dealer set up

 

[Yellowknife]

- Big hole in tunnel - Soaked through our snow suits from slush coming off muffler and the ice build-up on running boards. Dealer had panels made-up and shipped to us to block off rear tunnel hole - one ride on that and is better..

Hole in tunnel is a pain but it is there for a reason, to cool the pipe. Did you cover the hole or just the sides between the seat and the tunnel?

- Left A-arm/tie-rod nut came off about 5km from cabin so limped home with ski at a 45 degree angle, scratched paint on shock from a-arm rubbing and extruded spindle marked-up from extreme angle (had to ride the '95 340 Indy-Lite the rest of the weekend-thrilled)

Thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye on mine as well.

- Bottom steering linkage/inner tie-rod end bolt on my buddies keeps backing off. There is a cotter pin to keep it from total loss but handle bar play is about 3-4 inches when bolt is loose.

I've noticed some excessive play in mine as well, but there are quite a few linkages in there since everything is crammed so tightly under the hood...each fraction of play on each linkage results in significant play in the bars

- Right side panel is mounted to cooling fins on right side panel so minor side impact deforms or wrecks small radiator. Side panel should protect fragile components, not use them as mount points. (yes my rad is bent)

What kind of impacts have you had? I'm confused of where you're specifically talking about. Are you saying the panel bolts into the rad or something? Pics would help.

- The whole reverse issue - can't count on it to engage when needed. Can take minutes/restarts to get to function.

The chaincase oil temperature is your problem. If you're starting the machine cold and expect it to work no problem, it may not. Run the track on a stand to get the oil flowing so the servo can engage, otherwise, don't park it in reverse or in a position where you need reverse to get out of your space. As soon as the chaincase gets some movement and the oil moves around, I haven't had the problem.

 

[BV1]

Ahh its not that bad, wait for your inner track wheels to go and then you can say you experienced all the Phazer issues.

I had only experience the hole snow issue.

-Steve

850 km.

 

[jay]

- the tunnel panel is a piece of aluminum 11.25"x26". I ran a bead of silicone around the top of the hole and lay the panel on top of the existing tunnel and pop riveted along the sides @ 3" spacing 1/2" from edge (tool/belt case must be re&re'd) I like this fix, looks stock/clean and seems to be an adequate solution. The forward hole to cool the exhaust tube before the muffler remains open for air flow and I trust will generate enough airflow back to the muffler. The turbo'd units do this so I figure it can't be too bad. My rationale is that my comfort/safety/dryness supersedes any concern for the muffler.
- the tie-rod/A-arm nut. My sled and another I met on the trail had the same experience. The nut was $9.25 and they only had a dark green nut (probably from a quad) blue Loc-tite'ed both sides, both sleds. So far so good.
- Bottom steering linkage. Can be done by removing black plastic panel behind front bumper. last time tried to threadlock and retighten without dissambly, was not successful. Need to re-do and take cotter-pins and nuts off, blue Loc-tite, and reassemble , two sides, two sleds.
NOTE TO YAMAHA - USE NY-LOCK NUTS AND/OR THREADLOCK
- radiator side panel mount. Yes the right side panel mounts directly to the fins of radiator, pull your panel off and shake your head (at yamaha I mean) Any force on the panel is absorbed by the fins/tubes of the radiator.
- reverse, It would seem our reverse engagement problems are worse than average as it is a problem in over 3/4 of trys, cold or hot, rocking jumping etc..
- lights, 'nuff said
- I don't appear to have the inner wheel deformity issue yet.
Had it out today just pulling GT Sno-Racers up the hill all day. 5-6 behind and it didn't even know they were there. Great torque.
And yeah I have pic's of these issues and a video-clip of the steering play/bolt but I would have to have my kids show me how to get them from My Pictures to this site and I don't want to learn anything more this year.

 

[Yellowknife]

Thanks for the clairifications.

I have been keeping an eye on the issues you've mentioned.

My only issues at this moment are over-reving and I'm losing coolant somewhere...but only at hot temperatures (not to be confused with over-heating) It isn't coming from the overflow tube, I re-routed it to watch for any leakage, but when I'm in the 'trappers' trails going slow and heating up (but not overheating) I start leaking coolant. Why it only does it then, I don't know. Where its coming from, not sure, but I've lost a lot now. I'll bring it back to the dealer soon and let them figure it out. Maybe something is lose only enough to leak when there's excessive pressure in the system when the heat builds up...I have no idea.