i am in a quandary at the moment

[SkuTorr]

The new Xciting 400i arrives over there this Summer. Might be exactly what you need...If you don't get a Tmax!!! Heh, heh, heh!

[MrGrumpy]

thank you for your posts i was trying to get to know the tmax.. engine oil and gearbox oil change timetables the scoot i was looking at going to see is a 2010, so when i do go i can see what the service schedule the scoot has had, its done 9000 miles... am i right is the engine oil change every 5000kms or 3100 miles and the gearbox oil 20,000 kms or 12000 miles
and the v belt every 20,000 kms or 12000 miles and also the v belt transmission case has two air filters
sorry mr Grumpy or Funky etc for advance questions on the tmax cheers

Yes....worth checking. You have to change the oil (new filter NOT required) every 3000 miles or thereabouts (or whenever it asks you), and there are minor services every 6000 miles and a big service every 12,000. I paid only £78 (at a main dealer!) for a 6000 service on my Tmax mk4 yesterday, though this was without an oil change (don't ask....) but did include extra labour to sort out the gummed up rear brake.
The 12,000 service can be quite expensive as there is the oil filter, air filter and Vbelt air filters to change which can cost £60+ for parts alone. And of course the V-belt itself should theoretically be changed at 12000 as well! Plus spark plugs and other bits.
There isn't any gearbox oil as such (CVT), though the the wet chain drive needs its oil changing at some point, but this isn't difficult or expensive.
So 9000 miles isn't the best time to buy a Tmax as the 12K service is approaching!

btw the valve clearances ought to be checked at 24,000 miles, which takes a couple of hours labour.

[Funkycowie]

Easy enough to do most things on the TMax your self on the MK3, if I can do the servicing any one can and mostly its quick enough to do.The thing is as there are quite a few TMax owners here, past and present, you have a wealth of information

Oil filter and air filters can cost less than £60, I managed about £40 delivered for oil, air, both vbelt ones. Then changed them myself.

Brake pads are an easy swap out, seem to go through fronts pretty quick (4000 miles) on mine, rear has lasted over 12000 miles and is only half worn.

V Belt is near enough £100 for the real thing.

Chain oil is a breeze to do and should last a very long time. Mine is at 12000miles since last changed, crystal clear and almost the same color as new with no loss.

12K service can be all done by your self if things need doing, a lot of it is just checking and replacing where necessary.

[michaelphillips]

thanks Mr grumpy and Funky, i would plan to do most myself as been spannering a while now and the Nexus has given me a wealth of knowledge, having done all servicing myself and the fork seals and fork oil, new disks all round and serviced the calipers, changed clutch and contra spring, set the valve timing, brake pressure valve, water seals and new coolant, regulator and various other things.. So its been a long run on diy over the last three years form being a novice to a diy er so she has done me proud there
the tmax chain oil is every 12000 miles funky i was wondering which engine oil you use as getting wrong one can lead to clutch slip thanks for linky anonstarter yet i will have a max of what missus will allow so wanting to chop the nexus in, i only paid £1000 for her, dont ask how much ive spent and hopefully in trade in i could get that back, so a j300 would probably yield less in trade in yet £4000 purchase price then minus trade in, for a new scoot might be the way, the tmax is everything i have wanted and cant stop looking at the pics, so will have to go do my homework on what service has been done, and even when i haggle the drive belt will be a definate to change in the purchase price deal for a yamaha drive belt, as dont have a variator holding tool and its the only item that would require tools i dont have,as the other items i can do myself with the help of the great muppets (thanks)
witty as always SkuTorr bless you

[Funkycowie]

Variator holding tool can be made if you have some metal lying around... I used two pieces of metal, one about half the length of the other and drilled through the centre of the longest (about 40-50cms long). Then drill through one end of the shortest and joined them with nut and bolt.

Then drilled a hole in the other end of the shortest and a hole in the end of the longest, then got two long M10 coach bolts with a long section without thread, cut off the thread and wrapped with electrical tape so as to not damage the variator.

I'll post a picture later, it does the job. I also use the same tool but with smaller coach bolts for the driven pulley.

You could always borrow it from me

[MrGrumpy]

the drive belt will be a definate to change in the purchase price deal for a yamaha drive belt, as dont have a variator holding tool and its the only item that would require tools

Now on the mk1 and mk2, you didn't actually have to undo the variator - you could screw some bolts into the CVT and it would release the slack enabling you to remove the drive belt - just. I'm NOT a mechanic, but I have seen this done. However, I've read that this isn't possible on the mk3 because there's a bit of chassis in the way - anyone know if this is true?
Anyway, I don't think you actually need a clever tool to take the variator apart, just a socket in a very weird size (31mm or something). Again, whilst I can hardly tell one end of a screwdriver from the other, I've seen this done. I had a Malossi variator put on the mk3 and no special tools were used.

[MrGrumpy]

Obviously Funkiecowie has a lot more practical knowledge than I do!

[michaelphillips]

Obviously Funkiecowie has a lot more practical knowledge than I do!

thank you both.. i have an impact wrench not sure if that would do it.. its nice to know all this stuff cheers..

[Liam]

I bought a holder off eBay. It was cheap and nasty and one of the arms bent on the first use. I took it apart, used the good half with a stronger piece of bar and it did the job OK.
There is a strong looking one on eBay but it's almost £95 delivered. See Ebay item 151237511104
I think I'll get another strong piece of bar and make a proper job of it.
Its pity you're not doing the Cotsworld airport run on the 16th. You could have tried my tmax out for size

[Funkycowie]

Not actually tried that MrGrumpy... But in theory if you release the slack on the driven pulley it could be possible. The bit of chassis is what the bucket sits in, but I have in the past just wiggled the belt through... probably not good if there are sharp bits but I could not feel any hence why I did it. Socket wise I have been using a 29mm I think... I need to go in there and refurb the driven pulley side any way at some point which I think was supposed to be done on one of the services but I ran out of time and forgot about it.

The nut that holds the variator on need to be torqued up to 160NM I think... so whilst I do just about manage undoing it with brute force and a torque wrench it can be a bitch.