anybody out there with a snowmobile??

[nickyd]

OK OK I know this is a site for DIRT riding - but last year I inherited 2 snowmobiles from my uncle - rebuilt one entirely - we are supposed to get some snow here (in the East) and I wanted to know if anybody knows what I should do to prep them? motor wise, they are prepped - I know to check the gear oil but what else? anything to the track/etc? Thanks

 

[Studboy]

Check the hyfaxes, check the track tension, replace the primary clutch bushings, check the chaincase tension and oil, check the brakes. You should be set after that. :)

 

[reelrazor]

What studboy said is pretty good but I will add a couple things, more about things to watch for if you aren't familiar with sleds.

Give the belts a good looking over. If the sidewalls look polished they have been worn. They should sit a bit proud out of the secondary(driven) clutch a little(varies by sled but most will stick up above the sheaves a millimeter or three). If the belts are frayed at all, replace them. If there is any noticeable narrow spot in the belt, replace it-it will vibrate bad at speed and mess up the clutch action) They aren't cheap($50-$130), well, you can get cheap belts($30-$60) but it is usually better economy to buy a premium belt.

If you ride the sleds and then park them for more than 10 minutes, pick up and drop the rear end a couple times. Grab the skiis and lift and shake them too before starting the sled. They freeze down to the snow pretty fast in some conditions. Bounce on the running boards a couple times to unfreeze the suspension. This will prolong the belt life a lot. I see lots of guys leave a nice cloud of yellow belt smoke trying to get a sled moving because they are too lazy or un-informed to do this.

Don't fire 'em up if you smell gas-open the hood and look things over. They catch fire fairly regularly, especially sleds that have sat for any length of time and then get run. It usually happens after a few runs. The lines get brittle then you throw heat and then cold at them and they crack. The bellypans will hold quite a bit a fuel and the fires are spectacular and fast.

Try not to stop in powder. You will most likely get stuck trying to get moving again.

Don't just sit there on the seat, throw your weight around-it makes a big difference.

Tap the brakes to weight the skiis to turn harder.

Turning around is best done by locking the track up at a decent speed and cranking the skiis. Other wise you will need a big turning circle. Hang off hard when doing this(or high side-your choice).

Just like bikes, nailing the throttle while airborne brings the front end up, brake brings it down(I know you're gonna jump them if you are into dirtbikes).

 

[nickyd]

how tight should the track be? I'm with you on the belts - and knocking it around before starting - they freeze in place pretty quick.

 

[reelrazor]

It varies a bit from sled to sled but with the rear end airborne you should be able to push( Each manu has their own spec for how much weight to push with etc) a gap between the track and the hyfax of 1 1/4 -1 1/2" midspan on the bottom run of the track. Usually that means that it will sag 3/8" or so without pushing on it.
Basically you want it as loose as it can be without track ratcheting.

Making sure the track is running in alignment is more important than worrying about the tension being "perfect".