Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

Hi!

Another newby here! A little about me...I am a life long mechanic have worked on everything from aircraft to weedeaters! I am a farmer for fun and a locomotive engineer by trade. I live in the Atlanta Ga area. I have cars, several trucks, a single axel dump truck, 2 tractors, a few motorcycles, a 24 ft regal boat with an I/O volvo penta (with an engine alignment problem...)and now 2 Yamaha 4 stroke wave runners. I have learned many tricks and tips over the years and would be very happy to help any member of this forum. In other words I expect to earn my keep.

I do have a question...What is the proper procedure to change the oil in an 06 fx 140 and an 07 vx? I have the vacuume oil sucker that I have used on my boat and 7.3 F350 I understand that I need the service manuel, and intend to purchase one soon. Anybody know where I can pick one up cheep? I would love to be able to download one even cheeper!! I did search first and maybe i'm not looking in the right place. There seems to be a LOT of great people here that have a LOT of knowledge that they share..

Thanks in advance for any help!

Wendell

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

PM me your email address and I'll see if I can help you out with the service manuals.

As to the oil change: both the FX and the VX use the same MR1 engine, although it does not look the same. Both use a dry sump oil system, so there are some very important differences in dealing with the oil system on these skis. In fact, probably the biggest mistake made is overfilling the oil on these skis.

First step in changing the oil is to get the engine hot. Run the skis on the hose for at least 12 minutes (always remember to start the engine before you start the water, and always turn off the water before you stop the engine). Use your extractor to pull out the oil. The entire system holds over 4 quarts, but you can only remove whats in the oil tank. If you can get out 2.5 qts. you are doing good. Try to get your extractor hose tip into the holes shown in the photo in the bottom of the oil tank, but be careful not to force the tube in the rectangular slots have sharp edges that can cut the tube, and there is a screen in the bottom of the round hole that you don't want to damage. Always put the same amount of oil back in as you took out. To get an accurate oil level reading the engine has to be HOT. Best time to check it is to ride the ski for 15-20 minutes, immediately get off the ski while it is level on the water, and check the oil. Shoot for a level 1/2 way between the add and full marks. You can't get it hot enough to get a totally accurate reading on the hose, but it will be close. NEVER check the level with the engine cold (normally oil may not even show on the stick when the engine is cold). Many guys make this mistake and over fill the oil, which will cause oil to overflow into the air box and ruin your $100 air filter.

Change the oil filter often, especially if you ride in salt water. They rust out easily. Many guys recommend more frequent oil changes on these skis. I like the K&N filters since they have a lug on the back that makes them easier to get off. I think the K&N 303 filter fits both skis.

Other point to keep in mind on skis with the MR1 engine, is that the spark plugs foul fairly easily. Always change the spark plugs at the first signs of performance problems on these skis. Be very careful not to over torque the plugs. They are very small and will snap off easily. I think the torque setting is only 9 ft. lbs. Also always put anti-seize on the threads.

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

WOW! I didn't know that there was so much to an oil change...I understand that these skis are very popular, so what else should I be on the lookout for?

Thanks
Wendell

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

Ga Farmer said:

WOW! I didn't know that there was so much to an oil change...I understand that these skis are very popular, so what else should I be on the lookout for?

Click to expand...

Hey that's why the dealerships are charging $400 for a service. Other things that are important as far as maintenance:

1. On the FX the intermediate housing needs to be greased once each year. There is a Zerk fitting attached to a rubber hose on the starboard side of the ski just opposite the oil tank. This gets easily overlooked, even by the dealers. Before you grease it pull off the rubber hose to see if there is any grease in it. If not, then reattach the hose and put in 33 pumps of grease from a standard full sized grease gun. The purpose of the grease is not to lubricate the bearings, but to fill the housing to prevent water intrusion. Use a marine grease and put it in slowly so as not to damage the seals. If you check the hose and it is full of grease (indicates that it has been greased in the past, since it comes from the dealer dry), or if you have greased it before put in 7 pumps of grease from a standard full sized grease gun each year. The 07 VX housing is sealed and doesn't have a grease fitting (they changed this on the 2010 VX).

2. Cables, and linkages need to be lubricated once each year. The trim cable tends to corrode easily, since it often goes unused. To lube it properly you need to take the handles off and get a good quality 2 screw cable luber like this one: http://www.parkeryamaha.com/yamahacableluberdeluxe.aspx It still makes a hell of a mess, so cover it with a rag to catch the overflow. I use the luber for the trim and throttle cables. I disconnect the linkages and smear marine grease on them at the rear of the ski where the trim and steering cables attach to the nozzle. The steering linkages at the front of the ski can be accessed through the front storage compartment by removing the 4 plastic rivets that hold the access door in place (just push the center of the plastic rivet in and the rivet will pull out).

3. Before any long storage (more than a month) the engine needs to be fogged. This is very important if you ride in salt water, and needs to be done more frequently. It is very easy on the FX........just remove the air filter, and spray fogging oil into the 4 round intake openings for 3-5 seconds each then crank the engine for 10-15 seconds and you are done. It is also easy on the VX. Just remove the large intake hose where it attaches to the throttle body and spray fogging oil into the opening. Reattach the hose and then crank the engine for 10-15 seconds. This will prevent piston rings from corroding into place, and also protect the valves (at least 2 exhaust valves remain open with the engine off and are prone to corrode from moisture from the exhaust system over long periods).

4. I spray all plastic and rubber parts inside the engine compartment down with silicone spray once per year. I spray all metal parts down (engine, pump, etc.) with Fluid Film at least twice per year (this may need to be done more often if you ride in salt water). Other anti-corrosive sprays that are options for this step are Corrosion X and CRC 656.

5. I spray and wipe the seats, and external plastic parts with 303 Aerospace protectant at least twice per year, and I spray silicone spray on the rubber mats. You should also wash and wax the ski at least once per year. Be sure and dry the foot wells before you store the ski for any period. If you leave water in there the paint will crack over time, and the mats will come up.

I can assure you the most damage you can do to one of these skis is to store it improperly for a long period of time. I see many more skis with damage that have low hours that have sat in someones garage for a couple of years than skis that have high hours that get ridden all the time. If you are not going to ride for more than a month or two do all the above steps before you put it away in addition to running some stabilized fuel through the system, and you will be OK.

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

Sure wish I would have come to this forum to before I added oil to my friends VX cruiser . pretty sure I caused some major problems trying to work out now . are you still available or in this thread or should I start a new one ??
Thanks !
Leisa

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

Ernest help !!! : ) I just saw another post on GreenHulk from you ... The ski I overfilled with oil is a VX 2007 with a leak allowing water in the hull , I took it mechanic and he said it would be a lot of labor and tried to repair from the inside ... water still coming in but much slower ....

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

The leak is usually around what Yamaha calls the joint pipe. Its sort of an oval looking thing that the drive shaft goes through. For some reason the 2007 and earlier VXs tend to develop this problem...........maybe faulty sealant around the joint pipe????

Anyhow, the only way to properly repair it is to either move the engine forward by taking it loose from the motor mounts, or removing it completely. That is the reason for the high cost of the repair...........it is labor intensive. The only way to do it properly is by taking up the old joint pipe, and replacing it, and carefully resealing the new one with 3M 5200 sealant. Patches around the plate never last.

Here is a link for a guy doing this repair: vx110 hull leak - PWC Forum: The best hang-out for Personal WaterCraft enthusiasts

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

my mechanic did say it may not work and it didn't but it was worth a try since it would cost so much to do it properly. Do you have any idea how much the repair should cost ? The other issue not related is the overfill oil . I checked oil it was low and added about a half of qt. it was a while back during the off season I am in FL so not much of an off season. I normally drop both skis in the water and run them once a month I noticed the VX was taking on water and when I ran it sputtered and cut off once or twice this was only at a slow speed in our canals . I took ski out and drained water to see where the leak was coming in , I saw it leaking down what sort of looks like a box near the back of the ski I could see sealant surrounding the box . That's when I took it in . When I got it back I wanted to put it in and see if it worked and I saw water seeping in . I since had done some research and decided to try to fix the oil . I rode for 10 or 15 mins and checked level it was just over the full mark so I took out about a half of cup out and it was just under full mark , it was still sputtering in canal so I went out to intracoastal to go wide open. It ran great I thought I was out of the woods except for leak . Then the alarm came on I stopped and checked oil and well was empty . Called my friend pulled me in . there was a lot of oil in the bottom of hull . I drained it cleaned it out and added two qt s of oil . I got it to start an let it run for about 20 seconds. Then I noticed evidence of water in oil well. I am getting ready to take to mechanic this morning to see what's going on I at least don't think the motor has seized since it started. Not sure How much I /we " my friend " want to spend especially because of leak another costly repair. Thanks so much for your advise it is very helpful !

Re: Newby to PWC's and the forum!! Yamaha FX and VX oil change howto?

If it was running good, the most common cause for an oil leak would be around the oil filter. If the oil filter on these skis is not changed at least yearly, they can rust out and leak. The other possibility would be that you got enough oil backing up through the air box when it was overfilled to allow it to leak out into the bilge. You definitely want to check the air filter for any signs of oil............even a little bit on the air filter will degrade performance.

With the labor involved, I'd say $1000 would be a fair price for repairing the leak around the joint pipe.