More VST tips and DIY humor

DIYers -

I decided not to skip a year and glad I did them - just finished new VST filter job on the twins, first time I did VSTs.

There were several forum threads of different ways to do it, have a 1/2 in. thick file, I reviewed them and have completed the job and have some advise. If you did this job before, skip over and go down to DIY humor if so inclined.

VST filters, done for HPDI, very similar for OX66s & Fs. Didn't do the strainer can filter - will do next year.

1. For VSTs use the Flatlander post on bbc boards.zeroforum.com, from 10/2/05.
His method keeps the VST on the motor- no reason to get it off onto the bench. A lot more work.

2. After reading that thread, I advise the following additions/variations. be sure not to do this job w/o reading the FlatLander thread and see his photos. Read this thread after that one, and look at motor.

3. Do the port engine first on twins, you have clear access. Get a proper fitting fresh screwdriver with fatest handle for the 9 machine bolts on the tank cover, a flashlight, an antenna style magnetic pickup, and one of these popout claw ended spring style retrievers.

4. Loosen all the 9 screws before unmounting the tank. Some were bears for me, starting with the first one. Your screwdriver must not ride out of the screw head, bear staight down with very heavy force to break free these screws. On the 18th screw I overrode it and was lucky to get it out. The ones in the back are also accessible, stand on a stool up high. A few you can loosen the tank bolts a bit. Make sure you have a plumb angle into the screw. The one at the stainer can filter is off a bit on angle, that's the one that had me cussing, had to nudge the can a bit to get straight on, last chance freed it.

5. I bought the two VST filters and two o rings out of Andy, about 100 bucks.

6. Do one motor at a time on twins, use the second motor as a reference if you need one. Seperate the Tie bar and spread both motor apart for the starboard.

7. Use the claw type retrieval device or something similar to pull out the machine screws especially on the back side, I dropped 4 and one twice, into the cowl area, not to mention the 6 flat fender washers and rubber bushings on the tank 3 bolt mount. I got better on the second motor. Was loosing rubber bushings and fender washers only.

8. When dropping the tank lower section, do carefully, the electric pump stayed up, and the o ring stayed put, don't touch it. Take the lower tank to the bench, dry out and inspect whatever is in tank bottom, mine was clean. No rust. DON'T TOUCH O RING.
(my dealer said the O ring can go two seasons, he did new O rings last season).

9. Pay attention to how the filter comes off counterclockwise twist , and the part above it in how it fits up to the base of the electric pump. Good photo by Flatlander.

10. When you bring back the tank, keep your fingers away from o ring, slide up the tank bottom carefully and plumb, when you get about 1/2 inch from landing, look all around the o ring with a flashlight, make sure it is in the groove, you can see the entire ring from the front through the 1/2 in. gap. then keep going and the tank fits together with two guide holes, go straight up not sliding sideways, have two screws ready - install one at each end going all the way in and snug up. The O ring will be in place now. During the process of placing your hands, stay off the top edge of the tank, you may push out the O ring. I did the job when it was about 40 deg f outside, perhaps that's why the O ring didn't mambo out of groove, especially when the ethanol hit it.

11. Tighten all the machine bolts, install the back ones with the claw or magnet so you don't lose them down the cowl. Tighten all nine. Don't forget to tighten the drain plug.

12. When you start to install the three shock mounts, you have to place the plastic cover over the wires on the front end before tightening up the three mounts, otherwsie you will have to take them back out. The wire cover sadles over the top forward mount. Remember each mount has two fender washers and those rubber bushings, lock washer under head of bolt.

13. Don't forget oil line re-connection.

14. I'll do the o rings next time.

15. The VST media was coated with something completely, sucked on the tube and little flow. There is no way the motor would have beat 3K rpms, something like sitting in ethanol for 5 months must have done it. A blast of gumout from the back side cleared a spot readily, the flow was immediate. Glad I did this, would have been stuck working off the grady drive in the marina. Didn't reuse old ones, new ones went in.

Did the job in about 45 minutes per motor, & didn't rush.
Saved $200 labor and 50 bucks for the two o rings. And most of all - job was done 100% correct!
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DIYers VST humor -

1. When I dropped the tank, low and behold what's this?, the inside of a carb, with the float and needle valve. Thought I seen enough of carbs for my first 30 yrs, I bet yamaha pulled a carb guy out of assisted living to design this one!

2. One of the three mount bolts on the first motor was missing a lock washer, found it under the fender washer instead of the bolt head!

3. One of the bolts and fender washer were strange looking, both were chrome plated carbon steel, chrome was peeling off. Both washer and carbon steel bolt were not original. What the heck was this?

4. On the second motor, found a fender washer at the base of the tank! So that's where the first motor's missing fender washer was, in the second motors VST tank! I bet if I looked some more, would have found the stainless original bolt and stainless lock washer somewhere else.

Gotta luv those professional mechanics!

NO POS chrome plated carbon steel bolt or fender washer on my motors !
Spent another 45 minutes going to ACE hardware to get an M6 stainless bolt. Of course it was too long, had to dremel cut it shorter.

I covered the 65 cents plus tax for the bolt.
Saved more than $250, for gas station fund!

May return the chrome plated steel garbage hardware to the dealer for his next job!

There's a thread by INAFORTY from THT 9/24/08 that shows a photo of the VSt filter debris coating, it's very fine but blocks the flow thoroughly. The new filter has a slightly looser baggy media, the one I pulled out is taut.
And I had no problems end of last season at all, and no way the filter could have been that bad. I didn't drain the tanks, next year I will - but doesn't really matter, will do VST filters EVERY YEAR!

Good luck.

By the way, the boat is not in Montauk so it's not Bobby at Gone Fishing Marina - Yamaha certifed service, he's top notch - should be so lucky to have him work on my motors.

There's a dozen other dealers on Long Island.

I can afford to hire out much of this routine work, unfortunately, here's another job I have to do myself, can't find professionals with pride in their craft anymore. I would even pay more if mechanic spent more time to do it my way.

Another job added to my annual list, going to have to do the same with water pumps next year, wanted to contract those out too!

Such is life.

My hands smell like gasoline today with the usual cuts after another DIYer job well done - left some blood stains on the motor - but that's alright with me. When those ponnies fire up and come back to life next month, the sensation alone is worth it 10 fold.

Did you get the forum instructions that I referred to with the photos?
If not and you can't find it, I will search for them.

By the way, now that's I've done it, went back to check the invoice for dealer doing it last year, including the oil tank/filter service.
Whoa, this is a big one for the DIYers to save on, in both cases !

Next year I will probaby just clean the VST filter instead of replace it. Gumout spray from the backside cleans it right off.

I was also thinking about how the filter restriction could have come about in so little time and hours, less than about 70 hrs for me.

The material blocking the old filter is super fine, more like thin white or grey paint like, and it is not gel like.
Holding it up to light can hardly see through it, but the 1/4 in. diameter spot I cleaned can actually read through it when placing print on the other side. And i can't wipe it off with a dry finger. just like as if it had been painted.

Now I know why the racors may be useless aganst this stuff unless just fuel sitting in lines and the VST tank is enough to cause it to form.

If I wanted to spend a few bucks or had a buddy at a materials lab, can easily have this stuff identified and it root cause.

Yamaha need to make a much larger one, about twice the diameter, but would have no place to locate it under the cowl. Doesn't have to be in the VST tank.

I'm looking at these old filters again, it's definetly nice white in color, and it's not a particulate. I also saw some of this the stuff on the VST tank float, wiped it off. The float is black and this stuff is white.

Baking soda, even baby powder is much heavier though.

I bet a permanent magic marker could block the filter media.

Thanks Catch. What I wrote will make more sense now with the photos.

Easy DIYer job - done this way.

Watch what you drop, you may spend more time searching for screws and the other parts than the actual work ! The rubber bushings don't make any noise when they fall so watch them.

In the 4th photo down, see the O ring ?

If you look closely to the upper right, it has popped out of its groove.

When going back in, can't let this happen otherwise you will finish the job then have fuel leaks and a ruined crushed O ring and have to do the job over again.

I was thinking a thin coat of greese in the goove may be better to hold the new O ring than Flatlander's RTV silicon, I'll have to tackle that next year.

Gtoman,

See the O ring in the link's picture- it come's that way preshaped from Yamaha, there is no other O ring.

And the VST filter is the lime colored nylon component.

That's it on parts.

I have tiwns so twice over for all parts.

Yamaha recommends changing the other filter in the metal can, see the link's photo's. It's outside the VST tank and on top of it. Flatlander covers it's changeout too. I didn't do those (one per motor) this year, next year will.

Keep those VST filters clear, nothing else is going to stop these Yamahas !

For the VST filter, you need No. 9 and 28.

26 & 27 are reusable and appear as one piece in the Flatlander photo, it's a metal shaped plate with a formed rubber integral part that squeezes up against the bottom of the pump when the tank comes together. The VST filter holds it there when tank is parted.

No. 20 is the stainer filter in the can I was referring to, outside the VST tank and above it.

I believe Yamaha recommends Item 20 every year, I'm doing it every two years (next year).

A buddy of mine cut open the strainer, it's not like the VST super fine filter media getting plugged up. It's different and not the one I read is causing the blockage from the fine white stuff.

I'm told it's like a strainer should look like. It's expensive too, like you say.

Next year I will cut it open and see if it is as course as I expect, then it stays in many years at that price !

Look at Flatlander's 6th photo, that's exactly what I saw when the bottom tank section drops (notice the carburetor float -he he he !). My pump didn't drop down like he shows in previous photos.

He's showing the new filter in place in his photo 6 however.

You then hold the pump in one hand so it doesn't twist, then twist off the VST filter which comes down with the other piece above it - Items 26/27. 26/27 go right back in along with new VST filter.

When you close back up the tank bottom to the top, I believe the pump gets sandwiched in the tank via 26/27 (on bottom) and the other parts on top of thepump which I never saw.

I 've read some guys can't close the tank when done.
On 26/27 - you will see how it mates back to the bottom of the pump only one way.
When you bring the tank bottom back up into place by hand, there is essentially a miniscule gap left before screws go in. There is no forcing into place by hand or screws. Yamaha designed it right.

I'm being anal here, it's no big deal, just don't want you guys to get stuck with any surprises in the process.

You're right buddy!

But depends from what perspective taken.

Looking up from the bottom - it's CW to unhook it.
CCW, when looking down from above.

Easy force does it, then it comes right down.

The hook latches up with a screw head out the bottom of the pump.

Glad to hear it Catch 22 Walt!

If you still have the VST filter, put your lips to the port on back and blow or suck thru it, does it free flow ?

Mine was heavily restricted, until I scrapped away just a little spot.

I think the blockage on mine occured during storage, with the gas sitting in the VST tank. I can't see how else.

If Yamaha intented to block the stuff I'm talking of, they should have used an inline pleated canister, 100 times more media surface area, once in 5 yr replacement then.

There is no reason that filter needs to be in the VST tank.