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Warning, -16 late build Viper turbo breakdowns, bad rods.

Sunvang

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Jan 14, 2009
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2018 Arctic Cat Hardcore EVO
2017 Yamaha Sidewinder BTX LE
Apparently, the new engines in late build 2016 Yamaha Viper can't handle big boost.

There have been several breakedowns in dyno's and one confirmed on the snow, one turbo manufactor have sent an email out to all its dealers, telling them to warn their customers and stop them riding their turbo sleds.
The issue seems to be related to the rods, but what's wrong with them I dont know.

Owners with sleds with 270hp or more are told to stop riding, and a caution have been sent to those with 190hp, advicing them to stop riding until more testing has been done.


This looks like a big f'up.


Update:
I have the original email sent from McXpress in Sweden, not MPI, but it is in Swedish so no use posting it alone, but I can translate it.

Also heard that the material in the rods are to soft, and a company has almost already got a solution to the problem. They say they have changed the rod and piston, but will release more info later.


Sorry for any translation errors, my english isnt perfect.

Now the translation:

Hello,

We have some bad news.
It has shown that the rods in 2016 year
Viper engine can't handle the force created when
you are riding the 270hp turbokit.
We ask you to imediatly contact your customers that have
these machines and tell them not to ride them.
We are working with Yamaha to find a
solution to the problem.
No problems have yet been discovered with the rods
when adding a 190 kit, but we will do some tests
on this imediatly to check if they are o.k.
Thats why we ask you to even contact 190 customers and
inform them that they also shouldnt use their
machines before we have tested more.

Regards
Erik Marklund/Mc Xpress AB
 

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Last edited:

Apparently, the new engines in late build 2016 Yamaha Viper can't handle big boost.

There have been several breakedowns in dyno's and one confirmed on the snow, one turbo manufactor have sent an email out to all its dealers, telling them to warn their customers and stop them riding their turbo sleds.
The issue seems to be related to the rods, but what's wrong with them I dont know.

Owners with sleds with 270hp or more are told to stop riding, and a caution have been sent to those with 190hp, advicing them to stop riding until more testing has been done.


This looks like a big f'up.
I just did a quick Google search and I couldn't find anything about these failures. Do you have a link to more information? Could it be that these people had the bad programming from MPI? My thought was that the redesign of the motor was to make it even more solid, I would be surprised if Yamaha made a design mistake of this magnitude. That being said, even the best can make a mistake.
 
I have the original email sent from McXpress in Sweden, not MPI, but it is in Swedish so no use posting it alone, but I can translate it.

Also heard that the material in the rods are to soft, and a company has almost already got a solution to the problem. They say they have changed the rod and piston, but will release more info later.


Sorry for any translation errors, my english isnt perfect.

Now the translation:

Hello,

We have some bad news.
It has shown that the rods in 2016 year
Viper engine can't handle the force created when
you are riding the 270hp turbokit.
We ask you to imediatly contact your customers that have
these machines and tell them not to ride them.
We are working with Yamaha to find a
solution to the problem.
No problems have yet been discovered with the rods
when adding a 190 kit, but we will do some tests
on this imediatly to check if they are o.k.
Thats why we ask you to even contact 190 customers and
inform them that they also shouldnt use their
machines before we have tested more.

Regards
Erik Marklund/Mc Xpress AB
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    29.3 KB · Views: 648
looks like the 14s where the ones to get. better starting and heavier rods. wow supposed to get better not worse.
 
looks like the 14s where the ones to get. better starting and heavier rods. wow supposed to get better not worse.
Wrong! There was a epidemic of hard hot starters and codes. Far more than there are starters failing now.
 
I have the original email sent from McXpress in Sweden, not MPI, but it is in Swedish so no use posting it alone, but I can translate it.

Also heard that the material in the rods are to soft, and a company has almost already got a solution to the problem. They say they have changed the rod and piston, but will release more info later.


Sorry for any translation errors, my english isnt perfect.

Now the translation:

Hello,

We have some bad news.
It has shown that the rods in 2016 year
Viper engine can't handle the force created when
you are riding the 270hp turbokit.
We ask you to imediatly contact your customers that have
these machines and tell them not to ride them.
We are working with Yamaha to find a
solution to the problem.
No problems have yet been discovered with the rods
when adding a 190 kit, but we will do some tests
on this imediatly to check if they are o.k.
Thats why we ask you to even contact 190 customers and
inform them that they also shouldnt use their
machines before we have tested more.

Regards
Erik Marklund/Mc Xpress AB
Thanks for the additional info. Let's hope there is a quick fix.
 
Yamaha may not view this as a problem at all, their factory authorized turbo makes 4.5 pounds of boost and would most likely not cause a failure....
 
Yamaha may not view this as a problem at all, their factory authorized turbo makes 4.5 pounds of boost and would most likely not cause a failure....
Only time will tell that. May just take longer at stock or authorized hp. Obviously testing was not properly done if this is happening.
 


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