sledfvr
Pro
I bought an Boondocker '03 Rx-1 recently and on my second ride it threw the #3 rod out of the case. I was only running 12-14lbs boost with 30% 110 and 6500ft in elevation with 11.5-12 afr's. And its got a .063 headshim in it. The guy I bought it from had bought the sled as a box of parts and had to put the motor together. He put it together and put the turbo on it at 1000 miles and it only has 1800 miles on it now.
I've been doing lots of reading and it sounds like #3 is usually the rod that lets loose on these motors. It was full of oil and only had 250 miles on an oil change with semi synthetic 0w-30 yamalube. It blew at about 1/4 throttle and made no noise or ticking or vibration prior to that. I'm guessing that maybe the rod bearings had gotten switched around when it was reinstalled, but why is it always #3?
I've been doing lots of reading and it sounds like #3 is usually the rod that lets loose on these motors. It was full of oil and only had 250 miles on an oil change with semi synthetic 0w-30 yamalube. It blew at about 1/4 throttle and made no noise or ticking or vibration prior to that. I'm guessing that maybe the rod bearings had gotten switched around when it was reinstalled, but why is it always #3?
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I don't know about the #3 rod, but the only engine I lost was a Boondocker rx1. If you were like me I use to blow a ton of oil out the crankcase ventelation hose with that sled. And the rx-1's don't automaticaly shut down your engine if you have low oil or oil pressure like the Apex so if you don't see the oil light come one (which is suspect on the Boondocker oil bottle anyway) it is likely you may have ran low on oil a few times and it takes just a few to finally seize a rod bearing.
sledfvr
Pro
This sled doesn't blow any oil out the crankcase vent at all.
powder muncher
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
If they run out of oil-pressure it seems the #3 rod looses oil first.
May just be from being on its side running that did the initial damage.
I did have a look at a stock engine where # 3 seized up doing exactly that.
The guy actually got the block replaced under warranty --- don't think that will happen once you have a turbo on.
I have a tether on the shelve I meant to install on mine for that reason.
May just be from being on its side running that did the initial damage.
I did have a look at a stock engine where # 3 seized up doing exactly that.
The guy actually got the block replaced under warranty --- don't think that will happen once you have a turbo on.
I have a tether on the shelve I meant to install on mine for that reason.
I can tell you if you ride the sled until the oil light comes on...'03-'04 it causes bearing failure. Typically the #3 is the first too go and I feel its a design issue yamaha had/has.
But that being said, the oil usage was typically caused by hard rings. Which were updated in 2005.
If you have not seen any oil usage then I would want to know if it was bearings or rod that failed.
If the bearings failed, I would think in 1800 miles no oil usage then possibly they used old bearings or possibly mismatch blocks that destroyed the new bearings.
If the bearings have not failed but the rod did, then when the engine was rebuilt, was a rod from that motor reused? A rod under that much boost with history of being in a hot motor should be garbage imo.
So, what I am saying, when you decide if you decide to rebuild, make sure you have matching blocks, new rods, rings and bearings. Those would be my recommendations.
Been down the same road with a '03 rx1 w/5k miles. Bought, put 300 miles on and BOOM.
But that being said, the oil usage was typically caused by hard rings. Which were updated in 2005.
If you have not seen any oil usage then I would want to know if it was bearings or rod that failed.
If the bearings failed, I would think in 1800 miles no oil usage then possibly they used old bearings or possibly mismatch blocks that destroyed the new bearings.
If the bearings have not failed but the rod did, then when the engine was rebuilt, was a rod from that motor reused? A rod under that much boost with history of being in a hot motor should be garbage imo.
So, what I am saying, when you decide if you decide to rebuild, make sure you have matching blocks, new rods, rings and bearings. Those would be my recommendations.
Been down the same road with a '03 rx1 w/5k miles. Bought, put 300 miles on and BOOM.
rxrider
Jan-Ove Pedersen
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What part of the rod failed? Was it a bolt failure or a rod failure? Wrong tork procedure on the bolts, stressed out bolts reused is not good, detonation will certainly kill con rods and bearings, overheating.... to name a few. Take Familyman's advice 
kinger
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I think its more prevalent on the boondockers kits then anything else. It seems fairly rare although one guy on snowest it did it 4 times! I would have sold her after 2! LOL
Trust me he has done it 4 times, I know the guy. Its been a bad deal for him, he sure has alot patience.
rxrider said:What part of the rod failed? Was it a bolt failure or a rod failure? Wrong tork procedure on the bolts, stressed out bolts reused is not good, detonation will certainly kill con rods and bearings, overheating.... to name a few. Take Familyman's advice
Yes, right torque spec very very important.
Have you tore into it yet? I am wondering were you are seeing damage.
Pictures would help a lot determining what happen.
I feel some people think if the oil light comes on when out on the trail its okay to drive it 50-100 miles back before putting oil in. Those are the sleds that are seeing the #3 cylinder take a sh*t. The guys that keep the oil up and don't wait on the light the engine is lasting a long time. Moving the sensor up in the resevoir might have save some engines from those that don't like to stop to lift the hood.
Brent
sledfvr
Pro
I added a pic at the top. The bearing got hot, you can see the bluish color. I have never had the oil light come on on this sled, but who knows about the previous owner.
Looking at this, I would bet the other bearings are shot. Double check, if so then it was an oil issue.
I don't know about the boondocker kit, but my bender had an extension block placed behind the oil filter to feeding the turbo I wonder is something isnt installed correctly? Check for plugged, pinched oil lines. Since the sensor is at the bottom of the oil resevior it will hold oil....no light, but the motor might not have any. Did you have good circulation when you changed the oil? if so then......
if the other bearings are good, and only this one is bad, then faulty assembly or failure in a part caused this.
I remember picking out the same parts out of my '03 prior to the bender....I feel for you!
I don't know about the boondocker kit, but my bender had an extension block placed behind the oil filter to feeding the turbo I wonder is something isnt installed correctly? Check for plugged, pinched oil lines. Since the sensor is at the bottom of the oil resevior it will hold oil....no light, but the motor might not have any. Did you have good circulation when you changed the oil? if so then......
if the other bearings are good, and only this one is bad, then faulty assembly or failure in a part caused this.
I remember picking out the same parts out of my '03 prior to the bender....I feel for you!
by the pic one stud is broke with the nut on it and the other stud is in one piece with the nut off, if you inspect the nut are the threads intact or half stripped. I would say py the pic its an improperly torqued rod bolt resulting in catastrophique faillure just my 2 cents
rxrider
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X2 - on what I can tell from the pic
sledfvr
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I just looked at the nut and the threads are not stripped. That nut must have backed off. That makes me feel better, I was about to lose some faith in the rx motors.
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I had an issue with a boondocker once with one of their earlier kits where the problem was the oil tank. The baffles that remove the air in the stock oil tank were not built right in their tank, it would not remove the air properly and pump oil with air bubbles in it. Lack of oil on Rx1 engines or bad oil or double o-ringed on the oil filter always takes out #3 rod first. Just my experience.
