SLED POWER 101

[renegadespec1]

I started this thread because we have so many sled powered threads...maybe it will become a sticky...
I can no longer shift and hang onto the wheel, so sled power is the only way to go, plus I've been using sled motors in my buggies for almost 20 years...Here's my approach...I mainly only buy whole running sleds...So I can take it out and give it a thrashing, I recently came up with a way that I can hang on..I rigged up a safety harness, with a short teather clipped to the steering coloum, that allows me to "hang on" without hanging on so to speak...Anyway... I look for sleds in the late spring and early summer...People are thinking about boats and such, and dealers don't want to store the sleds till 1st snow.
I tend to look for 90's sleds due to the fact that the tracks, suspension, and ski's are worn out driving the price down, but we don't care about that part of it anyway...I like it when the owner tells me that it's been fogged so it will be hard to start, and pulls the plugs and lets you see them...they will have a film on them.. meaning it was stored propperly...
Next I look at how much crap and debris is laying in the belly pan, if it has half decayed leaves and cat tails I ask about maintenance like when was the last time it was greased?...Just a side note cracked up hoods and torn up seats are not really an indicator to how the sled was treated or maintaned...just that it has been rolled or the dude had a hungry dog, and polaris seats always tore at the back...
Now to the good stuff...I always give the clutches a good looking over for scratches and dents on the sheave faces this is usually caused by using a prybar to put the belt on instead of rolling it on...Dents from pounding on the clutch instead of using a puller, remember these motors have delicate seals in the crank case...Also take a look at the belt if it's really worn or chunked out the owner may not have kept up on other things. Keep in mind the belt and the clutching dictate the perfomance of the machine...
Next I whip out my minni mag and look down the spark plug holes, there should be no chips/dents/damage of any kind...and they should have a nice even black covering of carbon...Now there maybe less on one side due to the intake charge washing some off...thats okay, while looking down the plug holes use the primary clutch to turn the motor and take note to how smooth the motor feels if it feels notchy that could be a bearing or crank problem...
If the motor has black drool under the exhaust, thats okay but if it has washed looking lines that shows a serious flooding problem in the past I'd ask the owner about the flooding,or it has been run with bad exhaust gaskgets...most sled engines have a couple of drain plugs on the lower crankcase half that really helps to get the motor un flooded...Look over the coil packs,control cables, and exhaust pipe...If the cables look okay move on to starting it up...
Listen carefully as soon as it fires, you are listening for exsessive rig slap and for wrist pin tinging, don't close the hood yet since the rear of the sled should be off the groound already for storage (so the track doesn't rot or flatten the lugs), rev the motor just enouph to get th primary to close enouph to pull the secondary at a creep, look over how the cluches look when turning slowly, wobbles are BAD, let the motor warm up breifly keep in mind it only has heat exchangers so will overheat quickly if you let it run too long... give the motor a stab on the throttle take note of how it sounds and pulls and how the clutches react..( keep in mind it may be slightly rich )
Most owners get pissed if you do this but if you can't take it for a quick spin on the grass this is the next best thing...get some pressure on the brake to simulate the machine pulling it's weight and rev the motor to overcome the brake...but don't loose your mind and ride the brake till it smokes, a motor with weak seals may sound great with no load but have no power when working... Unless you have the tools seals need to be installed by a dealer or pro shop...and gets spendy fast... next shut down the motor and check the cylenders for even heating one hot and one cold could be a cooling problem or a compression problem...becarefull when doing this, I like to pull the plugs and give them another quick look, alittle wet is usually okay but look over the whole motor for coolant leaks,etc...
I hope this helped clear up some questions that are floating around out there, I haven't had any expeiance with the new 4 strokes but there are a few here that work with them and I hope they chime in

[masterfabr]

Good info,spec!!

[renegadespec1]

Thanks Master,
I know that I left some stuff out but my hands needed a rest after all that typing...
I got a new sled yesterday and got to try out my new harness set up It kept me on the sled [smilie=non_banana1.gif] But didn't help with controls or steering...
Back to my approach... I like to look for sleeper sleds, these are hopped up and look stock or even a little junky...I just picked this one up yesterday...this was an easy buy...I know the guy who owned it and he worked for the guy who held the world record, for ice drags on sleds...He needed some cash..I knew that he just had this motor done by shellbeck,It started out as a 96XCR 600... It's bored 030 over wicked trail portjob, shaved head with the dome modifiers,blah,blah,blah..let's just say IT HONKS ... dude needs some pipes for his vintage drag sled,and 500bux...So i go thru the steps on the openging page of this thread...only I'm so stupid I put my harness on and grass drag it...Grabbed a hand full it stood up * almost ate the handle bars cuz the teather was short to keep me close to the bars so i wouldn't have to grip the bars...as soon as the ski's hit the ground my usless hand ran into the throttle stood it up again,tried to get off hammer but the 3rd trip exploded the chain case...I kinda wanted the reverse any way...here's some pix of a really great buy and example of what I was talking about, 500 bux plus a set of my pipes, and I got a killer power plant...that's got less than 250 miles on a complete rebuild...

[ultraman]

Awesome info spec Hey, i'm running a 30 pilot jet now , beacuse that's what was recomended with the tripple pipes.Should i go back to the 50 pilot now that i have the factory pipe?Around 7k she hits hard, but below it's kind of sluggish.I'll probably drop the clip too.It's in #2 now i believe.

[renegadespec1]

Punkin,
Do you still got the ungodly pipe on it?...Ya... go back to the 50 and I think it's 1 turn to 1 1/8 out after a soft bottom... How do your plugs look? the needle valve is only good to about 1/4 to 1/3 of the throttle response, the 50 pilot jet should help you get out of the hole better..but read your plugs often... also I can't remember how did your plugs look after the re-main jetting?...I would go and pick up a set of 220's and maybe a set of 210's depending on the temp and distance above sea level where you are going to be thrashing...PLUS I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT YOU WERE JETTED AT...But the mains are for 3/4 to wide effen open throttle...Try clip 1 *(are you clipping from the top or the bottom)The very top clip groove is the leanest and the bottom is the richest...if it is blubbery out of the hole (fat blubbery) not lean dying drop the needle further into the seat(move the clip up the needle) if it seems lean...(like its out of gas and dying)move the clip so the needle sits higher-or the clip closer to the taper...Punkin keep a notebook on the changes you've made and the results...this is a major helper when it gets cold especially if you have allziemers like i do Something I forgot when you put in the other pilot jets ...let the motor warm up...start at 1 turn and slowly turn out till the motor picks up RPM's at the MAX RPM's stop
I have found that if you go back about an 1/8 of a turn your pretty close to being on the money as far as the pilot jet goes...try it before you go and let me know...

[odybuggy]

I have been watch the site for a while and final came up with a question worth signing and asking. *I have an fl 350 Odyssey and that my wife use and I am thinking about put a small sled motor in it. *I have found what looks like a good deal on a complete motor package from a 2004 arctic cat 440 f7 but I am in So Cal and know nothing about sleds and have found little on the artic cat sleds. *My other thought (which was amazing I had 2 in 1 day * ) was to use a motor out of a polaris scrabler I have found a few of the 500 around but I am not sure about the the power.

Thanks for any light you can shine on this for me

[tinman]

odybuggy, *is it efi or carb? will you get the e.c.u.? If efi, you'll need the fuel pump. So you'll want the harness. I'm with spec, buy a whole sled. protodie or protolite may know more about seting up an ody.

[Bugpac]

stay away from a huge motor mod on an oddy....i ran a stock one a few weeks back and it has all it needs in the corners, they seem to handle like shit, now if your talking of an a arm conversion as well, then hell ya, pump up the ponies.....

[AtvNut]

that 4 stroke 500 polaris should work real well if clutched properly

[odybuggy]

Thanks guys! * I am leaning more toward the polaris. *Much easier for me to see before I buy. *I am pretty sure the 440 is an EFI motor. *The guy is just parting out the sled and said I coud get anything that I need off of it. *

Would love to pick up whole sled much easier to put things together when you take them apart your self. *But do not want to pay to ship the whole sled arross the country.

Thanks again I am going by the polaris shop in town to night to take a few measurements and look at the mounting and take it from there