Rear end trouble...need advice HELP

[CMIKE]

Saturday we rode down to Hammond LA to eat some crawfish, It was a spur of the moment day trip, there and back. Crawfish were good but kinda expensive.

 

On the way back...the I noticed the normal SCREAM seemed to get louder. The closer I got to the house, it was almost unbearable...you really need ear plugs now.:puzzled::puzzled:

When I got home I parked it outside the shop to let it cool off before putting it in the shed and noticed a puddle of oil about 2" round under it when I moved it into the shop. It smelled like gear oil.

Got to looking...oil all over the rear wheel and tire...and some on the frame under the bike.

Today I got a chance to tear it down to see what is going on...looks like it was leaking oil at the flange where the pumpkin connects to the drive shaft tube.

Yep the seal on the drive shaft is toast but it was replaced not to long ago during a tire change. Pulled the pumpkin off and the cup where the drive shaft slips into seems very loose. Like maybe the outer pinion bearing is gone. It seems it has about 1/8" slack in it. I think on the drawings it is called the gear coupling.

About how much slack should be in the Gear Coupling. I do not remember any slack there in the past but maybe I am wrong.

I need somebody to tell me what they remember on their final drive.

I already called a dealer and he said bring it...but wouldn't you know this would happen in the best time of the year to ride.

 

HELP me out with some advice

[MiCarl]

...About how much slack should be in the Gear Coupling. ...

 

If you can feel slack it's too loose.

[royalstar09]

Is it still under warranty?? Id say a 2007 is (which is is whats in your profile). Just saying I would NOT have touched it if it is.

[CMIKE]

Is it still under warranty?? Id say a 2007 is (which is is whats in your profile). Just saying I would NOT have touched it if it is.

 

Yep it is still under warranty

 

Closest dealer is 2 hours away...figured it was something simple like an oil seal or something...not much worth my trouble of finding a trailer and hauling it so far for a $3 oil seal...unless it is serious. I am afraid this is serious.

I talked to a dealer a while ago...and he said he would replace parts in the rear end that is bad... ...I am not so sure I am good with that. With only 22000 miles...if the pinion bearing failed prematurely (what I suspect)...then there may be more that is worn inside that rear end. It has screamed since I got it new. No dealers would pay attention to me about it screaming, so I put loud pipes on it and turn the radio up and ride it. I am hoping for a new rear end.

I am about this far from buying a VMAX rear end and be done with it.

Edited March 14, 2011 by CMIKE

[wes0778]

Yep it is still under warranty

 

Closest dealer is 2 hours away...figured it was something simple like an oil seal or something...not much worth my trouble of finding a trailer and hauling it so far for a $3 oil seal...unless it is serious. I am afraid this is serious.

I talked to a dealer a while ago...and he said he would replace parts in the rear end that is bad... ...I am not so sure I am good with that. With only 22000 miles...if the pinion bearing failed prematurely (what I suspect)...then there may be more that is worn inside that rear end. It has screamed since I got it new. No dealers would pay attention to me about it screaming, so I put loud pipes on it and turn the radio up and ride it. I am hoping for a new rear end.

I am about this far from buying a VMAX rear end and be done with it.

 

You know you are welcome to my trailer if needed!!!

[MiCarl]

Yamaha doesn't sell the ring or pinion as individual parts. If the pinion is bad they'll replace the whole final drive.

 

If it's just the bearing they'll replace that.

[CMIKE]

If you can feel slack it's too loose.

 

I put a dial indicator on it...just to see how much slack is in it.

I measured 28 thousands...but dang it seems like it is more than that.

Same up and down as side to side. Feeling that slack it seems too loose for me...but measuring it...it don't seem like it is too much.

 

Still leaning on the Vmax rear end. $300 exchange and can have it back on the road in 5 days. How long is it gonna take the dealer to look at it...work the warranty issues...get time to work on it...then finally fix it. 3-6 weeks? I dread this already. I generally hate other folks working on my bike also.

[wes0778]

I put a dial indicator on it...just to see how much slack is in it.

I measured 28 thousands...but dang it seems like it is more than that.

Same up and down as side to side. Feeling that slack it seems too loose for me...but measuring it...it don't seem like it is too much.

 

Still leaning on the Vmax rear end. $300 exchange and can have it back on the road in 5 days. How long is it gonna take the dealer to look at it...work the warranty issues...get time to work on it...then finally fix it. 3-6 weeks? I dread this already. I generally hate other folks working on my bike also.

 

Just a thought, but what if you took just the pumpkin to the dealer? would he agree to that?

[CMIKE]

Just a thought, but what if you took just the pumpkin to the dealer? would he agree to that?

 

Nope I tried that angle. He said put it all back together and bring the whole bike. Do not bring it in pieces.

 

I got it down there...5 hours of my time...$93.81 of diesel.

 

They said they would try to get it back to me in a MONTH. So April 15 I should be spending another $100 to go get it. I am not sure I am gonna let it stay there much over a month.

 

Tell me again how good this 5 year warranty is?????????????

[flb_78]

Dang, for about double what you spent in diesel, you could of picked up a low mileage used one off ebay.

[SilvrT]

(Rear end trouble...need advice HELP )

Obviously this thread is not the kinda help I was looking for.... :rotf:

[Squeeze]

(Rear end trouble...need advice HELP )

Obviously this thread is not the kinda help I was looking for.... :rotf:

 

 

 

 

OHHHHHHHH ..............

 

 

Me thinks, there is TOO MUCH INFORMATION already !!!!!

 

 

I really don't want to know what kinda help you would have looked for .... :doh:

 

 

:crackup:

[CMIKE]

Dang, for about double what you spent in diesel, you could of picked up a low mileage used one off ebay.

 

Yep this is souring on my stomach more and more everyday.

They did call me yesterday afternoon late, to ask me what was wrong with the bike and what work was I requesting...???

I guess the service manager did not write what I told him and I guess I should have not wiped the oil off the final drive, exhaust or cleaned all that oil out of the drive shaft tube.

I just might wind up in jail over this...

[bongobobny]

You're not the first person to have this problem!! I know of a couple of other members with similar stories!

 

Yes, it should be replaced under warranty. Not the whole rear end, that is not necessary to fix the problem, just the bad parts...

[CMIKE]

Update on the Dealer Warranty repair.

The dealer called yesterday and said they were gonna have to pull the engine... to fix it. They think the oil was coming from the drive shaft of the engine. Since the oil was dripping off the frame near that area. They want to replace that drive shaft seal coming out of the engine. (it smelled like gear oil and was difinitely gear oil.) They said do not worry about anything warranty was gonna take care of all if it. I never noticed any engine oil missing..always check it before and after riding.

They found the tour up seal on the drive shaft on the gear end. I tried to explain that the oil was traveling up the drive shaft tube and spilling out at the engine side of the swing arm. I re-inforced the fact that there was so much slack in the pinion bearing and seems they are not to much worried about that. But I think I convinced them to change both the pinion bearings since we do not know how much oil was in the rearend when I found this issue.

Said they were ordering parts Monday and should have it back to me around 4/1/11.

One thing ...looks like I will get it back earlier than they first said but...seems they may be working on Yamaha for some shop time. I guess that is not my concern as long as it is fixed on their nickel and back to me in a reasonable time. I have not yet defined the term reasonable yet.

I hope I do not have to address the term reasonable...

[MikeWa]

Sounds like Yamaha is doing a pretty good job for you. Which other company will take a four year old bike and fix it faster on their nickle?

Mike

[CMIKE]

I am really glad to have it back but...been gone almost 5 weeks.

Seems they must have splattered some brake fluid on my front fairing causing the paint to curl up in 5 spots. These spots are on the upper left and range from the size of a raisin to the size of a small wart. They also broke the Plexiglass on my left lower fairing vent...

I pointed this all out to them before I left the dealership. They said they were gonna work with me on resolving these issues... They are already talking about getting the guy down the street to paint those spots:no-no-no:...I was talking about replace the entire front fairing. They are determined to keep this bike away from me all dang summer.

 

I rode it home about 95 miles...when I got home. I smelled something so I got to looking around. The final drive was hot hot...I got one of them infared thermometers and measured 165'F in the hottest point on the final drive unit. Exhaust was only 115 to 120 back around that area. The dealer said they are not sure how hot these units get...I have yet to check it out to see if it has any oil in it at all.

Some of what I was smelling was oil leaking from the valve cover gaskets. 3 of 4 cylinders were seeping oil there. Not a lot but enough you would ruin your Sunday pants if you wiped your finger on them

Then I found a bolt missing that clamps the exhaust below the original horn and another one near here about to fall out. Other side same bolt missing.

I was going to carry it to the local body shop to see what it was gonna cost to repaint the front fairing...if they are gonna pay to paint it, I want the guy I trust to paint it...then I noticed the left floor board was loose. Both bolts so loose you could tighten them with your hand.

I called the dealer back and they said they would send me the missing bolts.

I am afraid to ride it till I can go through the entire bike to make sure everything it tight and ready to go. If that floor board would have came off on the interstate at 85 MPH...I could have been killed.

You are probably wondering how the valve cover gaskets were involved in a rear end gear warranty work. they said there was an oil leak at the base of the left rear cylinder and removed the engine to change this base gasket. Then they went back in to re time the bike since they said it was ticking. the bike feels to me like it does not have the power it did before...I believe the timing is still off. I will check this soon.

They said they would have to talk to the owner before they decide how to handle this. i am expecting a call tomorrow or I am calling them again.

 

I am sure hoping they make this all right...or it will be WAR...full out WAR you hear me. I will call everybody and their brother with Yamaha...I will tell every forum on the internet about their poor work and what they did to me and my bike. I will write and mail letters and send emails till I run out of sent email storage space.

Now I am calm, I did not act ugly while I was at the dealership and will maintain that till they try to run over me. I am waiting to see how they try handle this.

Fingers crossed...

[ediddy]

If I were you I would go ahead and call yamaha. At 25,000 miles I was on my fifth rear end. I called a district service manager with yamaha and they sent a factory rep to my dealer twice. They said they did get a batch of bad rear ends. I now have 54,000 miles and haven't had anymore problems. I was impressed with yamaha during that time. They never once tried to get out of doing what was right. As for the fairing, the dealer can replace that under warranty with no problem. I took my bike to my dealer when I found some of the tabs that hold the windshield were broken. They replaced the fairing, no questions asked. My dealer told me anything costing $750.00 or less can be replaced under warranty with no questions asked. Over $750.00 they have to get approval from yamaha. I am still amazed at the stories I hear about dealers. Some of them shouldn't be allowed to hang a sign saying yamaha. Good luck.