oh noses... Wes Selby and SkiDoo are gunna f the Cat & Polaris riders up this year!

very few of these are going to Alaska for the fake cross country race... 

Cat has nine sleds to share amongst their racers

Polaris will pay $14 for a top place podium finish

 

what else?

6 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

We run silicone on all springs to try to take out the vibration that makes them break and fall off. Pounding through the rough ditches can stretch them too and then they'll fall off. 

I’ve been running a bead of silicone for decades and haven’t had any spring failures. It’s a good mod. 

9 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

We run silicone on all springs to try to take out the vibration that makes them break and fall off. Pounding through the rough ditches can stretch them too and then they'll fall off. 

Bead of high temp RTV down each side and stainless safety lock wire for each spring that is in proximity to the spinney bits.  

1 minute ago, racinfarmer said:

Bead of high temp RTV down each side and stainless safety lock wire for each spring that is in proximity to the spinney bits.  

All, REAL racers do that.

8 minutes ago, Not greg b said:

Does that actually help?? I have tried it and didn’t notice any difference 

Works most of the time. If you hit a big hole and flex everything it wont really help much but for vibration it does. I think the newer cats come with silicon inserts in the springs, maybe it's polaris i can't remember 

5 minutes ago, ZR6000RR said:

All, REAL racers do that.

Yeah, that is what we are discussing here Twinkle Toes.

2 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

Works most of the time. If you hit a big hole and flex everything it wont really help much but for vibration it does. I think the newer cats come with silicon inserts in the springs, maybe it's polaris i can't remember 

Lock wire through even the Y-pipe springs seemed to help if you'd loop it a few times.

5 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

Works most of the time. If you hit a big hole and flex everything it wont really help much but for vibration it does. I think the newer cats come with silicon inserts in the springs, maybe it's polaris i can't remember 

The catalyst has the silicone loaded springs now I think

3 minutes ago, racinfarmer said:

Yeah, that is what we are discussing here Twinkle Toes.

Lock wire through even the Y-pipe springs seemed to help if you'd loop it a few times.

Lock wire definitely does the job. Now that I'm old and slow i take the easy way with just rtv

3 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

Lock wire definitely does the job. Now that I'm old and slow i take the easy way with just rtv

I figure if the spring breaks, I'd be done either way, but at least it'll prevent the big chunks from costing me even more money.  It'll at least get you to the road and out of harms way, maybe.  

Trick I learned from an old aircraft mechanic.  

1 minute ago, racinfarmer said:

I figure if the spring breaks, I'd be done either way, but at least it'll prevent the big chunks from costing me even more money.  It'll at least get you to the road and out of harms way, maybe.  

Trick I learned from an old aircraft mechanic.  

Yeah pipe issues are more common than people realize. Were you racing in the firecat days when the pipes would blow out usually as far from a road as possible? 

3 hours ago, X2700 said:

Hell as far as Polaris having drain plug it’s not needed and one more thing to have issues with.

i just use my mini vac and suck it out.i drain mine frequently.just pulled cover from my pros for the first time after 11k miles.threw new bearing,seal and tensioner in even though looked good.

far as belt drive goes it needs a cover!!

 

Bwahahaha! Mini vac. You can’t get the hose past the lower gear & chain to suck out ALL the oil or the metal bits. All things a goddamn drain plug allow for. 

1 hour ago, racinfarmer said:

Springs hold your pipe to your can.  Could easily drop one in there if it breaks or gets loose on a ride.

He's never noticed as even at 15mph he crashes and almost totals his sled.  NOTHING would ever break the way he rides.  Can out run him on my boys snoscoot.

9 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

Yeah pipe issues are more common than people realize. Were you racing in the firecat days when the pipes would blow out usually as far from a road as possible? 

I think it was the 06 I raced, I remember leaving a road crossing, getting across the road and pinning it.  Didn't go anywhere, bogged way down, and did a massive backfire. 

Split the pipe wide open and ended my day.

I'm sure I threw that out.  Should have kept it for the Wall of Speed and Shame.

2 minutes ago, racinfarmer said:

I think it was the 06 I raced, I remember leaving a road crossing, getting across the road and pinning it.  Didn't go anywhere, bogged way down, and did a massive backfire. 

Split the pipe wide open and ended my day.

I'm sure I threw that out.  Should have kept it for the Wall of Speed and Shame.

My 04 did that to me out on the island in Munising. Tried riding back to the pits but didn't have enough power to get through the creek crossings. Ended up soaked and then frozen stiff by the time the sweep crew found me and got me back across superior to the pits. Closest I've ever been to hypothermia. That race was knarly, saw alot of crazy stuff happen there 

3 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

My 04 did that to me out on the island in Munising. Tried riding back to the pits but didn't have enough power to get through the creek crossings. Ended up soaked and then frozen stiff by the time the sweep crew found me and got me back across superior to the pits. Closest I've ever been to hypothermia. That race was knarly, saw alot of crazy stuff happen there 

I'm not sure what it was, but every now and then, that 06 I had would have a bog out of seemingly nowhere.  

After I was done racing it and just trail rode it, it never happened.

2 minutes ago, racinfarmer said:

I'm not sure what it was, but every now and then, that 06 I had would have a bog out of seemingly nowhere.  

After I was done racing it and just trail rode it, it never happened.

Could've been the smart valves bouncing off the bottom of the tank. We had issues with that running wfo in the tough stuff. Ended up ziptying weights to the valves to hold them down 

53 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

My 04 did that to me out on the island in Munising. Tried riding back to the pits but didn't have enough power to get through the creek crossings. Ended up soaked and then frozen stiff by the time the sweep crew found me and got me back across superior to the pits. Closest I've ever been to hypothermia. That race was knarly, saw alot of crazy stuff happen there 

That must have been a brutal race. Minnesota where most of the races are run doesn’t get enough snow to make huge holes like the Munising area would. You would have to set your sled up like a Sno cross sled over there 

14 minutes ago, Not greg b said:

That must have been a brutal race. Minnesota where most of the races are run doesn’t get enough snow to make huge holes like the Munising area would. You would have to set your sled up like a Sno cross sled over there 

It wasn't so rough as far as bumps go but it was a spring race and they had it layed out like an enduro dirt bike race. Lot's of mud, water crossings, and single-track type woods riding. The ice heaves that changed lap to lap were kinda spooky running flat-out across the bay

43 minutes ago, Cat45 said:

It wasn't so rough as far as bumps go but it was a spring race and they had it layed out like an enduro dirt bike race. Lot's of mud, water crossings, and single-track type woods riding. The ice heaves that changed lap to lap were kinda spooky running flat-out across the bay

If you were running that good luck. Wow 

Just now, Not greg b said:

If you were running that good luck. Wow 

Definitely alot different than the nd and mn races but it was alot of fun. It's too bad they don't have it on the schedule anymore. 

https://www.countrycat.com/arctic-cat-2712-154-oem-exhaust-spring-with-plug

 

8 hours ago, AK440 said:

Bwahahaha! Mini vac. You can’t get the hose past the lower gear & chain to suck out ALL the oil or the metal bits. All things a goddamn drain plug allow for. 

i have hard hose goes right in their no problem i get 99% out.i have verified this when taking cover off.if i see lots of metal on plug i'm taking cover off!Like i said i change fluid frequently so it stays pretty clean.cant believe guys cant get hose past lower gear!!

Its not just springs i find in belly pans!!bolts,nuts etc!were talking trail sleds that some guys never pull panels off accept to add oil!I'm just saying throw light cover on there to avoid a mess!!

on the older units with a plug in the bottom  an oil suction gun gets the vast majority out, then slide a pig pad under the case and you get a few dribbles.  or, lay it on its side... then remove the cover and clean up the mess.  not having a drain plug is idiotic imo.  but these new 'will never break' belts and drives will be interesting to watch.  personally I'd prefer to see some sort of scatter shield on them... in the event of

1 hour ago, X2700 said:

i have hard hose goes right in their no problem i get 99% out.i have verified this when taking cover off.if i see lots of metal on plug i'm taking cover off!Like i said i change fluid frequently so it stays pretty clean.cant believe guys cant get hose past lower gear!!

Maybe some guys have shorter hoses?  

1 hour ago, Sled_Hed said:

Maybe some guys have shorter hoses?  

you can't shove a garden hose in there...