PV pins missing! What should I do??

[BlitzK]

When it rains it pours, and when it pours it starts a mud slide that eats everything in its path... uggh


OK... so.. 2001 XLT1200, just bought it... ~100 hours on it.

It has the symptoms of a bad starter bendix, started pulling stuff apart..

Did all I wanted to do for now (exhaust out), my new bendix isn't here for a couple more days, so no rush...

I ordered PV clips last week, they should be here tomorrow or Wed, so I started taking the covers off

Cyl 1, pin missing

cyl 2 pin sitting ontop of the PV, I pulled the pin out and set it aside.

cyl 3 seems to be "fine"

I'm thinking the worst...

I pull the head to check and see what I can find

pistons and cyl's look good (doesn't mean they are, but they do look good.). I can't crank the motor and check for pressure because the bendix is bad (well, I think!)

The last time out it ran fine, I came in and shut it off on my own... it wouldn't restart because of bendix (which had been acting up before).

sooo... how do I go about pulling the PV's out? looking down into the cyl's they look fine and I don't see any pieces chipped off or missing.



Thanks guys for all of the help!! This is my first PWC I've wrenched on myself and I'm learning so much (like how glad I am I don't do this for a living! haha). I've done muscle cars and boats but it's the first PWC.

[birel33]

post some pictures of pistons and of the valves. Also if you need some I have a crap load of powervalves.

[BlitzK]

post some pictures of pistons and of the valves. Also if you need some I have a crap load of powervalves.

I'll go snap some pics here in a little bit and post them.

I found the pin for the 1st one too, so it didn't fall into the motor!

I took 1 PV out and it looks ok, the very edge/tips of them look a tiny
bit banged up. The pistons look good from the top and the cyl walls feel fine.

I'm going to go pull the other clip out shortly and take some pics.

Cross your fingers!

[BlitzK]

Each cyl up next....

[BlitzK]

btw, the pistons look dark/wet because when I pulled the heads yesturday I rubbed a little bit of 2-w oil on them ( I live in 600% humidity!).

valve pics up soon

[BlitzK]

[BlitzK]

I figure the more pics the better

This is the first cyl PV...

[BlitzK]

This is PV #2...

[BlitzK]

So what do you guys think?

Clean them up and they're good to go or replace?

[Fercho]

Whaever you do do not buy any aftermarket power valves unless you go to gas valves, You should be able to pickup some at a good price from those who have switched to gas valves. I belive that OEM valves are way better made than aftermarket ones, Now to prevent the pin from coming loose again THE BEST OPTION is to use a set of R&D exhaust valves arms ONLY. This is the best option because it is a single solid billet piece, but it can only be installed by completely removing the valves shafts, which in your case is a no brainer.