Do MR1s require periodic valve adjustment?

[Bruce]

@fairpilot mentioned the need for valve adjustment every 200 hours in another thread. If this is something that needs to be done then I want to start doing it.

I Googled a little and found a thread from 2005 saying that the valves were supposed to be checked every 200 hours. I have looked at the online owners manuals for several MR1 powered boats and did not find anything about adjusting the valves. I also saw a 2005 service manual that said to inspect and adjust valve clearance every 200 hours.

I have also read about MR1 powered waverunners that ran for thousands of hours with little more than oil changes.

Is anyone having their valves adjusted periodically? If so how often? How much does it cost?

Thanks

 

[Scottintexas]

I only remember one thread about it from the old site, I think it was a member from the Chicago area, @Julian or @OperationROL might remember better,
they took it in for preventive and had them adjusted and the mechanic screwed something else up along the way,

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I think Yamaha's recomendation is overkill. Personally, I've only heard of one person getting this done. I will wait until there is and issue that points to the adjustments needing to be made.

 

[fairpilot]

Personally I dont think it has to be done at 200 hrs but call a yamaha dealer and they will probably tell you it does pert he manufacturer. These motors use shims of different thickness, not like the old days of adjusting valves on a car. I have never heard of a MR1 ski going thousands of hrs, my friends MR1 went 900 hrs before it threw a rod through the crank case, also I heard the valve adjustment was about 500 per motor. I would call yamaha and ask. My manual says 200 hrs ,see pic last line.

 

[Bruce]

This is one of the threads talking about high hours on the waverunner MR1s. http://www.pwctoday.com/showthread.php?t=226376&page=3

 

[fairpilot]

Wow that is a one of a kind ski. 3500 hrs is crazy I still can't believe it. Not without a rebuild at some point. I would love to see pictures of it. Bruce we can only hope for that. How many hrs a week you gotta ride. Does he ever say what year it is? Then we could calculate it. If it was me it would take 87 years@40 hrs a year

 

[MikeyL]

For I.8's, I tried to answer this today in the original thread herein:

https://jetboaters.net/threads/chaparral-supercharger-rebuild-rates-manuals-gas.4507/

I do not have answers for MR-1's. Best Wishes to all, Mike Lulejian - Out on a 38 degree Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Bruce]

Wow that is a one of a kind ski. 3500 hrs is crazy I still can't believe it. Not without a rebuild at some point. I would love to see pictures of it. Bruce we can only hope for that. How many hrs a week you gotta ride. Does he ever say what year it is? Then we could calculate it. If it was me it would take 87 years@40 hrs a year

That thread has 21 pages of comments with many high hours reports from rental operations. A thousand hours per year seems reasonable for a year round rental operation. As a side thought, think about all the revenue these machines are generating at $75 to $125 per hour! I looked at several similar threads before deciding to buy my SX230. My conclusion was that the MR1 engine has amazing longevity with minimal maintenance required. Here are a few

#25
2366 hrs these is what the computer count the counter wont work after these hrs
and i was on the 2 or 3 display but i have few vx over these hrs maybe arround 3500 or 4000

#28
no mechanical ajustments other and time chane tensioners no valve ajustments
dont get me rong the engines expiriens a lose of power and consume plenty oil but no smock
i was try to see how far i can push the engines but i never lose one due mechanical problem
these dint came cheap 3 or 4 wire harnest per unit few sets of injectors and coils 5 to 6 pump rebuild
and every 30 days i run valve cleaner and marbel mistery oil true the fuel
the engines kept runing but if i stop a ski for a week few of the ex valves lock up and i have to remove the head to unlock them
these is all on vx 110 on limit mode on on fx and ho i have few customers have major faliure but i blame these to lark of use and service

#55
Have a 2005 VX110 with 1297hrs. on it. Runs "Stock" every day 55mph (according GPS), just lot of oil consumption (1 quart every 10hrs.) and little rugh idle.I wonder, is it nesseccary to adjust the chain tension after so many hours???

#74
i just did the 1200 hrs service on 3 of my vx 110, rental machines, so far so good, oil change done every 50 hrs and filter every 100 hrs since new.oil consumption like 1qt every 10 hours and still no smoke, start burning oil after 1000 hrs,checked compressions once in a while when replacing plugs, still within 5 psi with specs, still works perfect like day one.spark plugs replaced periodicly ever 300 hours unless they fail.(don't fail often, skis never idle)pulled the engines last spring to replace motor mounts and reseal the midshaft housing (did 6 skis so far).replaced 2 regulators but never the stators, keep replacing batteries as soon as they start to be weak,replaced all the clamps on all water intake hoses as they corrode fast, replaces pump bearings on one of these and this is it...like these machines a lot, previous xl 700 were good too, i still have 2 of them used as a spare machine, they are now about 2500 hours ( counting hours with all rentals recorded on fileas there is no hour meter) rebuilt engines 3 times each, 5 times pump bearings each too, when i talk with my competitors, they don't go that far with their sea doos at all.

#80
i never did any valve train adjustment on any of my skis, the clearance has been checked at 1000 hours, still within specs, i think the oil consumption is comming mostly by the valve guides seals.
i have seen many 4 stroke engines in my automobile mechanic carreer consumming oil and still having good compressions at "cranking speed", again because of worn valve guide seals or worn bottom piston rings, the one supposed to keep the oil away from combustion chamber.
still no blue smoke, which is ok for me, just greasy exhaust pipe
ask bill cosca the jetski rental guy in hawai on this forum, he has vxs close to 3000 hours and still running and burning oil 1 qt every 10 hours.

#102
I have a couple of VX's at 904 hours & 941 hours.
I just sold a dozen or so with 700+ hours on them
Oil change every 50 hours, oil filter every 100 hours.

#115
I've got 1200 on one of my 08 vx's. It's a rental thought. Still running like a champ

#120
Whilst in Australia last month a rental operator I know up in Noosa Heads has a VX with 1800 hours on it.
Being used in salt water, no motor work.


#142
the rental season just restarted here in florida, so far 2 vx 110 deluxe with 1400 hours , 1 with 1200 , 2 with 600 hours.
no engine problem beside high oil consumption pass 1000 hrs, all had mid shaft housing resealed and pump bearings replaced around 1000 1200 hrs.
valve clearence and compressions checked, within specs and timing chain tensioner checked, everything look good so far.
the oldest should reach 2000 hours by the end of the season if the buisness is good.
all the machines are running on L mode.
happy with these skis, love them.

#146
never had to adjust valve clearence so far, never took any head off or anything beside 1 ecu,1 charging regulator and 1 fuel pump.
i checked valve clearence at 800/900 hrs, still within specs, did it again at 1300 / 1400, still
ok.
Bill Cosca the renter from hawaii who use to be very active on this forum told me the valves never need to be adjusted, he had skis up to 3000 hours with no valve adjustment if i remember well.

#198
806 hours on my 2009 VX110 Runs perfect no problems yet.

#199
Met a rental operator up in Noosa, QLD (Australia) just over a year ago.
He runs VX110's in salt water everyday. They sit on a PWC docks while not being used.
One of his had over 1800 hours on it.... still using the original engine.
Gotta love these Yamaha's!

 

[fairpilot]

Wow that is awesome guess they are pretty bullet proof. Would love to hear others who had major failures. What they were and when. Good maintenance is invaluable. I have to say though I hate it when you take care of something so good and have issues . would also be nice th hear what oil these skis are using.

 

[Bruce]

would also be nice th hear what oil these skis are using.

Oil was mentioned several times in that thread. What I remember is someone was using Castrol 20W50 another used Yamalube and another was using a Walmart synthetic.

Chris, Did your issue turn out to be valve related?

 

[txav8r]

It was actually @Impelled that did a valve adjustment (on his MR-1HO), and while they got the valves checked/adjusted, they also introduced a water leak and then had to march down that path to find out what they did wrong and get it corrected. It's in the book, says it needs to be done. Does it? I would consider it a necessary thing on most all Japanese engines, if only to verify adjustment. These are tight tolerance engines boys. In the infamous words of Clint, "do you feel lucky, well do ya?"

 

[fairpilot]

No my issue was a chunk of manifold on #3 cylinder corroded away putting salt water into the engine. Why this happened is still unknown to me again it was flushed thoroughly after every use in salt water. My only thought is that I use to flush with salt a way and use to leave it in the engines thinking any salt in engines would be broken up per their instructions for removing salt build up. My belief is leaving it in engines for extended periods attacked any small areas of corrosion leading to my failure. I now flush with it but rinse it out.

 

[Bruce]

This is the kind of question where it would be really useful to have Yamaha participating in our forum.

 

[fairpilot]

Sure would . They probably lurk but will never reveal themselves because the flood of questions would make their lawyers uneasy

 

[GTBRMC]

Sure would . They probably lurk but will never reveal themselves because the flood of questions would make their lawyers uneasy

Bingo

 

[jcyamaharider]

It isn't unheard of for the manufacture to post on a message board. I am on a mustang message board and a Ford representative posts on the site all of the time answering questions and concerns. Also they HELP out when the dealer will not.

 

[buckbuck]

Impelled's experience was enough to make me blow by the 200 hour mark without looking back. Those PWC comments only reinforce my decision to wait until I start experiencing an engine that is not running right.

 

[txav8r]

If I remember correctly, Impelled had a non Yamaha mechanic with plenty of Yamaha engine experience. That may have been part of it, but it is a little tricky I expect getting the head down to valves and back past all the water seals without issue. As I remember, he had an itty bitty pipe or tube that transitions the head and had to be resealed and they didn't replace the seals, or maybe it was that placement of the seal was critical? I can't remember but it really had nothing to do with the valves, it was just the seal that was the culprit. The service manual is not extremely specific in areas like that and it is easily misinterpreted too. I think at 200 hours, I would take it into Phil Dill, and have Olin do the job, and I would ask lots of questions. Like any shop, they don't want you hanging out watching them. Bottom line is whether adjusting the valves is important...and I would think like any engine, it certainly has to be off at that point, if only by a hair. And how that impacts performance, efficiency, and wear, from that point with valves that are out of adjustment is the question. I can't answer it, but the bigger issue it seems, is if opening up the head actually increases a chance of trouble in its own right.

 

[GTBRMC]

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC

Any opinions on this, Jeff?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I change oil and filter every 50 hours.
I just did that to both my skies last week as a matter of fact. As for my engines I only use 1800 engines , Never had a mr1.
However I know a lot of people who do have them and I do not recall the valve lash being a concern.
My 2010 S H O supercharged ski had 651 hours on it when I sold it late last summer.
I flush with car wash soap , I only run in salt water. I have never had to do any valve adjustments and from all 62 years I have on this planet there is one thing I firmly believe in, if it AINT broke, DONT fix it!!!
Also I might add if you don't want it to break BUY a YAMAHA. That's my opinion yours may be different. But I doubt it.
Now I believe the worst thing you can do to a marine engine is let it sit for an extended period of time, so I moved to FLORIDA and I ride every week , usually 2 or 3 times a week. Ok so That isn't why I moved to Florida but it is why I stay here.
Actually think of it in this respect, your exhaust system has water in it when it is not in use, when your engine is not running some of your exhaust valves are sitting open, this is a direct rout to the water in the muffler, commonly called a water box " go figure".
So water likes to evaporate, when it does the water vapor travels up the exhaust system and enters the exhaust valves that are open.
I would guess some of that vapor condenses and enters the combustion chambers, NOT GOOD, and a good suspect for why the threads of some sparkplugs get rusted and cause issues.
Or the water vapor condenses on the valve stems of the closed exhaust valves, this can cause a valve to stick open and get rudely introduced to the top of a piston also NOT GOOD.
All that is the reason they have you fog an engine for storage. Lots of people don't do that or sometimes they did not plan on letting the engines sit , either way letting them sit is not good. I start mine once a week if the weather won't allow me to get out on the water.
I realize this really has nothing to do with valve adjustments but it is more likely to cause you a problem than not getting your valves checked every 200 hours.
So weather permitting protect your investment and get out on the water as often as you can. THATS MY ADVICE!