vmax4 800 drive problems?????

[vmax4ice]

i just finally got to take my vmax4 for a ride today. i just got it a couple months ago and had a couple repairs to do...got it back together, took it for a ride and it almost seems like when taking off the drive gears are slipping on the track??.....a firm thud..thud...thud. not making an audible noise, but would be hard to hear much over the aaen pipes. the track is tight. i noticed the track clips are chewing up the edge of the two outer drive sprocket teeth, but if the track was adjusted either way it would just chew up one side more than the other. it just seems like its slipping and grabbing?? also does it at moderate speeds and not really noticable when hammering on it......any help guys???? i have plent of snow on the ground now out here in the country, but in a few days it will be gone and starting to warm up. i was hoping to get to ride for a few hours before putting it away for the year!!!!!!!!

thanks in advance!!!!
josh

[vmax4ice]

i dont know much about clutching, but this has primary and secondary clutch work done to it and engages @ about 4k. could it be the primary not staying engaged the way it should and making me think its something else? what about chewed up chain case gears?

[mark the shark]

If the track clips are chewing up the outer drive sprockets, they may not be spaced correctly on the driveshaft. How does the track alignment look when you look at the back of the track? The ends of the slides should be equally spaced from side to side when you look through the track windows. If you have downloaded the service manual from this site, there is a page that shows the correct dimensions for the drive sprockets on the axle. I think I would start there.

Shark

[AL P]

I`m hip...not sure whats going on wth the drive gears getting chewed..but your description sounds EXACTLY like ratcheting..
these tracks have to be a bit tighter then your average snowmobile track...going by the book specs on the track adjustment, is questionable at best..mine still slipped when i set it to spec..so i just tightened it 1/2 turn at a time, until it did`nt slip anymore...

AL P

[vmax4ice]

i checked the spacing on the drive sprockets and the appeared to check out only about 2mm off.....i ended up pulling the undercarriage so i could turn the drive shaft by hand to be sure i didnt have some chain case/bearing/gear issues and found a bunch of noise and resistance. something is not right. i guess tomarrow i pull the chain case cover and the drive shaft and see what i have. still has to be some kind of allighment issue with the sprockets getting chewed, but i dont know what. thanks for the info.! that online manual is nice!

[Naskram]

..............before pulling the chaincase apart you may want to check the shaft bearing in then otherside (this one seems to go more often).
You can sometimes feel a bad bearing by wiggling the whole shaft/drivers ( towards front/rear), if the bearing is really shot the whole unit will move a little.
To check it properly you must take the bearing out and examine it.
First take the weight of the skid and loosen track, there is a circular panel held on by 3 bolts behind/below your secondary ( makes for an easier life to remove secondary) which your speedo cable goes into, you may as well remove the cable while your there and grease. Remove 3 bolts and plates behind, you will see the bearing sitting in there. remove, inspect ( If its weeping brown krud, its kaput) even if it looks fine take it out and feel the movement.

[mark the shark]

Marksan has good advice. There are only 3 bolts holding the speedo cover and bearing plates on that side. Mine were not tightened properly from the factory/dealer and I tore the driveshaft out of the frame racing a guy on an Exciter one night. We were a couple of miles from his cabin and I was able to drive it back. Talk about clunking! We got back and he was bragging to everyone how he beat me out on the lake, until I took off the side panel and you could see the end of the driveshaft and a big ugly hole. By this point there was nothing holding the end of the driveshaft, it was just wobbling around in the hole. Does your speedometer work okay? Sometimes when the bearing goes, it breaks the little square key that goes in to the end of the driveshaft to turn the cable for the speedo. I've had that happen before, too. No fun to try to dig the key out of the end of the driveshaft.

Shark

[8BU]

I agree. I had the same thing happen to me. Put on about fifty miles that day after speedo quit. Noticed a puddle of oil on the garage floor next day. The bearings where gone and it was just riding on the races. If your going to take your drive sprockets out change it to anti rachets drives.

[vmax4ice]

my speedometer worket at first and then stopped, so hopefully thats my problem! there does not appear to be any slop in the drive axle......hopefully just a dry bearing that needs replaced!

thanks,
josh

[mark the shark]

If your speedo stopped working, it's probably the bearing on that side. You won't really feel a lot of slop because the driveshaft is held rigid through the chaincase side, the speedo side is pretty much just a guide for the other end. Let us know what you find.

Shark

[Naskram]

""my speedometer worket at first and then stopped, so hopefully thats my problem! there does not appear to be any slop in the drive axle......hopefully just a dry bearing that needs replaced!

thanks,
josh ""
lf its the bearing, it sounds like it may well be, you will need one of these bearings.

93306-27206-00 Yamaha
or
62/22-2RS Generic

[mjdevries]

If your speedo stopped working, it's probably the bearing on that side. You won't really feel a lot of slop because the driveshaft is held rigid through the chaincase side, the speedo side is pretty much just a guide for the other end. Let us know what you find.
Shark

And if you still have the track tight and rear suspension on the sled it will pull the shaft tight to one side. I doubt you would really be able to wiggle or move it if it is still assembled.

[4holervmax]

Just a shot . But have you checked your belt for wear ,like if your brake is on and you try to move and you will burn a flat spot .
And that will do the same as you explained