06vectorgt
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
AKrider said:
Talked to hondo in person about this at the Big East this year - his was replaced at 21,000 miles.
mtkaboater
Extreme
There is a lot of talk on this thread and a lot of hearsay - not a lot of folks that had the actual problem. So few problems that most dealers don't even know about it until one of you brings in the bulletin and asks about it.
My 06 Vector has 8600 miles on it. If I worried about every little thing I read on TY, I would need a prescription to deal with the anxiety. PortParts is right, there are so few actual incidents, that I'm just going to ride...
My 06 Vector has 8600 miles on it. If I worried about every little thing I read on TY, I would need a prescription to deal with the anxiety. PortParts is right, there are so few actual incidents, that I'm just going to ride...
To be exact it was Dec 2007 at 22,127 miles.
I had the entire sled looked at in preparation for the Guinness run which started at 22,605 miles.
During that maintenance period, the oil tank was replaced due to an oil leak, and had the valve check performed (3 exhaust valves were tight and shimmed) a little early because I didn't want to put it in the shop at 25,000 miles, which would have cost me time and miles.
During that maintenance period, I was never told about the tensioner being replaced until I asked about it. This seems suspicious in its own twisted way.
I only became aware of the tensioner issue from this site and a couple of others that began discussing this issue at another venue.
Before the tensioner change the motor ran fine and didn't give me any indication of a problem.
Being a touring guy I have a tendency to be easy on the equipment.
These are all the insights I can provide.
Within a few weeks, the sled will be going into the shop for some maintenance and a track change (24,542 miles on the track). I'll ask a few questions and see what I can come up with.
I had the entire sled looked at in preparation for the Guinness run which started at 22,605 miles.
During that maintenance period, the oil tank was replaced due to an oil leak, and had the valve check performed (3 exhaust valves were tight and shimmed) a little early because I didn't want to put it in the shop at 25,000 miles, which would have cost me time and miles.
During that maintenance period, I was never told about the tensioner being replaced until I asked about it. This seems suspicious in its own twisted way.
I only became aware of the tensioner issue from this site and a couple of others that began discussing this issue at another venue.
Before the tensioner change the motor ran fine and didn't give me any indication of a problem.
Being a touring guy I have a tendency to be easy on the equipment.
These are all the insights I can provide.
Within a few weeks, the sled will be going into the shop for some maintenance and a track change (24,542 miles on the track). I'll ask a few questions and see what I can come up with.
mtkaboater
Extreme
Thanks Hondo. More evidence that this issue is overblown.
06vectorgt
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Thanks Bob, I knew it was around 21k miles just couldn't remember the exact miles. I also recall you stating they snuck in the tensioner without telling you - a little unusual to say the least, never had a Dealer slip in a +$120.00 part without charging me or at the very least telling me.
Great info on Hondo's sled!
You bet Guy's,
Glad to help!
Glad to help!
I talked to my Yamaha friend today. I sent him the bulletin yesterday and he'd seen it before when it first came out in 2005. He said the tensioner is automatic and doesn't need the owner's help in doing its job. He said the failures Yamaha was seeing was due to owners tightening their adjusters improperly. If you remove the bolt from the back of the adjuster, you can push it further in with a center punch. There were owners who were concerned about noise and tried to quiet their sleds down by tightening their tensioners. There were also owners (like I mentioned earlier) who did work or modified their sleds and didn't properly reassemble and install everything (including their tensioners) and experienced a failure.
He said if I was going to have a tensioner failure it would have happened already. The dots are Yamaha's way to alert service personnel whether the sled has the stock tensioner (orange dot) or had a replacement tensioner installed (blue dot). He also mentioned that there had not been a single failure documented in Alaska. But that info is probably about a year or two old.
He said if I was going to have a tensioner failure it would have happened already. The dots are Yamaha's way to alert service personnel whether the sled has the stock tensioner (orange dot) or had a replacement tensioner installed (blue dot). He also mentioned that there had not been a single failure documented in Alaska. But that info is probably about a year or two old.
grizztracks
Tech Advisor
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If the failures are do to over tightening the tensioner is the cam chain braking? I thought engine damage was a result of a loose chain allowing it to jump time.
The color coding of parts makes sense but the original tensioner still has been discontinued and replaced with a revised version. That indicates to me that Yamaha recognized a problem with the performance of the old one and corrected it. I'd like to know if the new tensioner has been redesigned or if the old one had faulty parts that now have been updated. Something lead Yamaha to make a change.
I think we are making this a bigger issue than it is but even if you decide to ignore it you'll always have some concern tucked away. I may not get to the tensioner this year but if I decide to keep this sled much longer I'll eventually replace it myself just for the piece of mind.
The color coding of parts makes sense but the original tensioner still has been discontinued and replaced with a revised version. That indicates to me that Yamaha recognized a problem with the performance of the old one and corrected it. I'd like to know if the new tensioner has been redesigned or if the old one had faulty parts that now have been updated. Something lead Yamaha to make a change.
I think we are making this a bigger issue than it is but even if you decide to ignore it you'll always have some concern tucked away. I may not get to the tensioner this year but if I decide to keep this sled much longer I'll eventually replace it myself just for the piece of mind.
06vectorgt
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
AKrider said:
Would love to see that 2005 bulletin! Finding all this just a little hard to digest!
RobWarrior
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
I'm riding mine without a second thought, I think you guys are beating a dead horse there just isn't that many failures.
I never had a two stroke last past 4000 miles without cooking the engine?
We shouldn't be causing a big scare on these sites because the season isn't here yet and we have nothing better to talk about.
Put it to bed boys the 120 hp will out last the chassis.
I never had a two stroke last past 4000 miles without cooking the engine?
We shouldn't be causing a big scare on these sites because the season isn't here yet and we have nothing better to talk about.
Put it to bed boys the 120 hp will out last the chassis.
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
I agree 100%! ^^^^ I was hoping to see hondo's experience with the tensioner too. How many forum members have actually had engine damage due to a failed tensioner?
I was hoping to see hondo's experience with the tensioner too. How many forum members have actually had engine damage due to a failed tensioner?
Bradford
Expert
nytrodude said:
Yep, pretty much an in/out deal. The spring in the new tensioner comes pre-loaded and a metal tab holds the spring from moving until you have the tensioner installed. Just bolt it into place, pull the tab, install the small bolt in the hole that the tab was in and you're done. The gasket is a separate order and chances are you'll need it.
Brad
jeffkinney
Newbie
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2009
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I spent the weekend updating the cam chain tensioner in my '06 Rage. Hope this helps anyone thinking about doing this upgrade.
Parts List:
10-8ES-12210-01-00 Cam Chain Tensioner Assembly
10-4FM-12213-00-00 Tensioner Gasket
10-8FA-14623-00-00 Exhaust Pipe Gasket (3)
Remove handlebars and controls.
Remove seat.
Remove Fuel Tank
Remove these two exhaust mounting bolts hidden under rubber plugs.
Remove the exhaust manifold cover and exhaust clamps. Slide muffler back out of the way. Remove exhaust headers and replace donuts.
Old Style tensioner with orange dot on left. New style (blue dot) on right. Tab on new tensioner holds spring in place and is removed after installation.
In engine compartment remove air cleaner, battery box, secondary clutch, engine mounting bolts, and anything else in the way. Tilt engine forward and this is the amount of room you have to work with. It's tight, but saves a couple of steps over removing the entire engine. Luckily it goes back together quicker than it comes apart.
Parts List:
10-8ES-12210-01-00 Cam Chain Tensioner Assembly
10-4FM-12213-00-00 Tensioner Gasket
10-8FA-14623-00-00 Exhaust Pipe Gasket (3)
Remove handlebars and controls.
Remove seat.
Remove Fuel Tank
Remove these two exhaust mounting bolts hidden under rubber plugs.
Remove the exhaust manifold cover and exhaust clamps. Slide muffler back out of the way. Remove exhaust headers and replace donuts.
Old Style tensioner with orange dot on left. New style (blue dot) on right. Tab on new tensioner holds spring in place and is removed after installation.
In engine compartment remove air cleaner, battery box, secondary clutch, engine mounting bolts, and anything else in the way. Tilt engine forward and this is the amount of room you have to work with. It's tight, but saves a couple of steps over removing the entire engine. Luckily it goes back together quicker than it comes apart.
