2011 M8 new owners CHECK YOUR DIAMOND DRIVE!!!

[IGBT]

I just pulled my Diamond Drive on my nearly new (11 months owned) 2011 M8 SnoPro with less than 250 easy miles on it.

The problematic bearing had already started to go (the cage is loose and out of the bearing) and there are at least 2 metal bits floating in the DD housing.

This is a stock 2011 M8 with almost no miles.

I don't know what I am going to do right now...maybe talk to Arctic Cat (my dealer went bankrupt 3 months after the purchase). If there had not been any metal fragments I probably would just upgrade to the SKF 3203 new bearing I bought, but now I will wonder if the metal fragments damaged the balls or races in the other bearings.

So, moral of the story...you can't even ride your 2011 M8 even a little bit if you have not checked your Diamond Drive. Also, my gasket was hard stuck to each half and was not possible to remove with tearing.

Here are some pics:

 

[neilsleder]

The gaskets is silicone. So you just re silicone it when its reassembled.

 

[IGBT]

The gaskets is silicone. So you just re silicone it when its reassembled.

Are you sure it is silicone on a 2011 M8? It certainly doesn't look/feel like a silicone gasket.

 

[GYMBRAT]

thats it!!!!!! im goin back to my Doo's

 

[IGBT]

Since my sled is still under warranty, I am going to take the DD to the dealer, let them fix it back to Arctic Cat crappy specs, replace any other damage caused by the metal bits, then tear it apart again myself and put in the new 3203 bearing.

If I just put in the new bearing now, and there is some other damage I don't know about, then I have little recourse.

 

[tekim]

The gaskets is silicone. So you just re silicone it when its reassembled.

There is a gasket part, either from Arctic Cat, or from (prob from others too, but these were the two that I checked out, bought mine from BDX). Note that they are for years 2009 and up.

tekim

 

[neilsleder]

Are you sure it is silicone on a 2011 M8? It certainly doesn't look/feel like a silicone gasket.

No now am not sure! Lol the DD that I have apart where 06 and 07. Sorry for almost leading you a stray!

 

[Slamnek]

Do yourself a favor and order the BDX bearing kit and the get a 3203 bearing and replace all of them. I had around 2700km on my 09 and that POS bearing was poooooched. I took all the parts out and gave them to the local dealer to press on all the new bearings.

 

[Bnorth]

I would just cut your losses and put the good stuff in. Don't waste your time with the dealer.

 

[IGBT]

Do yourself a favor and order the BDX bearing kit and the get a 3203 bearing and replace all of them. I had around 2700km on my 09 and that POS bearing was poooooched. I took all the parts out and gave them to the local dealer to press on all the new bearings.

2700km is about 10x the distance I got on my 2011.

I was not aware any of the other bearings tend to go bad? I have the SKF made in USA 3203 bearing already and that is the only one I plan to replace.

I am going to do it all myself and ignore the dealer. When I took it to them, they didn't even know it was called a Diamond Drive...

 

[Paul2727]

IGBT: Just did my 2011 M8 HCR. You are on the right track. Here's some more info:

https://www.snowandmud.com/arctic-c...upgrade-thread-lots-47974-12.html#post1609127

2009-2010 Diamond Drive Bearing Failure - Page 11 - SnoWest Snowmobile Forum