In regards to the “Moisture in Chaincase” question posed in Dear Ralph, (chaincases where the lube becomes water contaminated), SnowTech reader Dennis Gilbertson tells us by adding a small amount of brake fluid to the chaincase lube, the seal on the output shaft will swell slightly, and the moisture problem is eliminated. Thanks for the tip, Dennis!

Don Thompson, owner of the tricked-out SXViper Extreme featured in the Jan/Feb issue of SnowTech, asked that we add the following information regarding how he arrived at a hot clutching set-up on his custom creation;

“I forgot to mention someone who has been a great help in the clutching department on my custom Viper. His name is Tyler Flagg and he’s from Massachusetts. He goes by the name of “SRXMAGIC” on Totallyamaha.com. I hooked up with Tyler on the TY website awhile back and he seems to be a super knowledgeable Yamaha clutch tuner in the Northeast that a lot of people don’t know about. His shop is called Magic Clutching, phone 413-214-5564. I’m not trying to pimp the guy, but I’m a firm believer in giving someone credit when credit is due. He comes up with some awesome Yamaha clutch set ups using a pretty common sense approach to clutching that I’ve found firsthand to really get the job done.”

As reported last fall, a new trail in the Western U.P. of Michigan was planned to be ready for use this winter that would connect the Greenland/Mass City area with Silver Mountain and Sidnaw off to the east; an extension of Michigan trail # 12 from Ontonagon to Mass City.
We’re happy to report this new route was completed in mid December, was inspected by the Michigan DNR and has been groomed ever since. Big thanks go to the Superior Snowmobile Club in Greenland, Michigan (to join send $25 to P.O. Box 116, Greenland, MI 49929). The new trail added 23 miles of outstanding riding to an already popular area.
Another awesome new trail southeast of this area now connects Amasa to Republic, with about 40 miles of new trail through a very remote area. Trail # 18 heads northeast, just (east) of Amasa, providing yet another excellent riding opportunity.

At what point should a manufacturer extend the warranty past the agreed upon period? And at what point should a manufacturer cover repairs for a second owner? If it is a safety issue, the obligation is fairly clear, but what about mechanical issues?
Chad Hale, a customer service rep for a well-known company, asks these basic questions in the following;

“Back in 1995 I purchased four Polaris Indy XLT 600s. They have been really reliable sleds for the most part, other then one that blew a piston a year, or year and a half after I purchased it. Polaris was pretty reasonable in fixing it after a few phone calls. I have been riding ever since then and I was ready to move up to a bigger and more aggressive sled. So, I purchased a 2002 RMK 800. Beautiful sled , it only has 1600 miles on it, a brand new 151 inch track w/2 inch lugs from a 900. This sled is in mint condition. I purchased it (used) on 1-10-06. The individual I purchased it from said he has had not a minutes worth of problem with it on the mountain, BUY WITH CONFIDENCE IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT.
I took it up to the Uintas that Saturday (the 14th) for the first time and the crank broke off. I took it to Mountain High Motor Sports in West Jordan, Utah and they stated to me that they have had at least 7-10 RMK 800s come through with the same problem. So the mechanic contacted Polaris, as I did. We told them the situation and that they have had 8 or so other sleds come through with the same problem, they stated that they have heard of the problems with them, and it has become a issue but not a big enough one to warrant a recall, but that they do acknowledge there is a problem with it. But since it is not within warranty time frame that I was just going to have to deal with it and pay for it myself. I just put out $5,000.00 for this sled that I thought I would be able to enjoy for many years to come, but now it will cost me $1600.00 dollars to fix it. Polaris says it is a problem, but not a big enough one to address. Well, to me it is 1600 reasons to address it so it doesn’t happen to some one else. But for me, mine will have to sit it the garage, when here in UTAH we have had a great snow season so far and I could be up on top of Bald Mountain with the sun baking my face and an ice cold beer in my hand.”

A few thoughts here; the sled was bought second hand, not from a dealer. It was out of warranty. It possibly could have been bought with an extended engine warranty, that could have been extended to a second owner, but was not. Polaris is clearly aware of the frequency of this issue, as it was publicized in magazines and on the internet. We even published a “fix” for the problem from Allsport Polaris in Spokane, Washington that reinforces the PTO end of the crank with extra bearing support area.

In response to a question about hard turning REVs, our friend Harvey Edson provided the following (informative) insight;
“I have read your response in the Jan/Feb issue of the subject 600 HO Rev from a Bob Graham. I have a 2003 MXZ HO 800 that I put USI (PX 301) skis on as I didn’t like the Ski Doo “Precision Skis” The steering effort was so high that I re-tore a rotator cuff that had been previously repaired. I had considered all the suggestions in your article, and tried a few, all very valid suggestions. However, I didn’t wish to significantly change the existing responsiveness, and under/over steer characteristics of the sled. Of course most your suggestions do influence those parameters.
Suddenly, I happened to notice that the mounting saddles on the USI skis had three mounting holes. (I was mounted in the normal middle hole) I simply moved the skis forward one hole (now being mounted in the rear hole) and the effort was dramatically improved, similar to what I was used to on previously owned Polaris’s etc. For me, the problem was solved. (SLP also has something similar on their ski saddle mounts as well.)
Moving the ski forward reduces the steering restoring forces (steering effort in a turn). This is because the fore and aft distance is reduced measured between where the steering spindle would intersect the ground, and the center of the ski at the ground where the lateral force is generated (in a turn). In summary, the moment arm trying to straighten the ski is reduced.
In automotive terms, suspension engineers call what I am describing as “Caster Lag”. It affects: 1) On center handling (wandering), 2) Return-ability to “straight ahead” from a turn, and significantly 3) steering effort in a turn.
On manual steering vehicles, we intentionally reduce the caster (lag) to minimize steering effort. Believe me, it is very influential to steering effort on a sled, and by moving the ski fore and aft, one vastly changes the steering effort in turns.”

A number of you pointed out an incorrect operating RPM for the Arctic Cat 800 twin that was mentioned in the Jan/Feb issue in the “Dear Ralph” section (page 20).
The correct operating RPM for the Arctic Cat 800 twin is 7200-7400 RPM, NOT the 8000-8200 RPM that was mentioned. The power falls of quite abruptly after 7500 RPM on this engine and exhaust configuration. We suspect Ralph was thinking 600 twin, not 800 twin, when he provided the response. Ralph was reprimanded and sent to the dyno room for extra duty over this ………
Thanks to Les Schiltz and “Bubba800” for pointing out this one.

In the October-November issue, we raised a flag of caution in regards to some field reports of titanium springs wearing away at the ends of the coils in certain applications.
We have since learned additional information about the accelerated wear that was witnessed. It does seem there is a tendency of the ti springs to wear more at the end coils, but we can tell you that there are virtually zero reports of the titanium primary springs causing problems in the OEM applications, such as the Arctic Cat King Cat and M-7 LE models. These springs have and continue to outperform the steel ones. In mountain sled set-ups the consensus is that the ti springs outlast the steel ones across the board. Also, the Polaris and Arctic Cat racing teams report no “significant” problems with the titanium springs in their race sleds. All of the titanium springs that are being used in engineered packages appear to be performing quite well. In all of these OEM applications, it seems to be a non-issue.
We’re also told there are no “new design springs”. An official with Renton Coil Spring (a manufacturer of titanium springs) indicated the wear we’ve seen on certain titanium springs most likely comes from mismatching springs to applications. For example, springs made for use in a particular brand being used in other brands of clutches (like using a Cat spring in a Polaris clutch). Or, custom packages where the springs are not a completely engineered solution, like heavy mod motors that slam the primary (and the spring) all the way shut.
One should be aware the titanium spring is not an indestructible component. As good as the titanium springs are, they are subject to the design limitations of the clutches they are installed into. While they usually last much longer than steel springs, they can wear and are subjected to extreme conditions. Although a particular spring might initially “appear to fit”, one should only be using components specifically designed for a certain application.
Therefore, we must upgrade our previous suggestion of “for now, stay with chrome-silicon springs” to now read “titanium springs generally outlast steel, but they do not last forever”.

A number of you requested more information on the o-rings used to quiet down the clutch rattle on various 2005 Yamaha RS (three-cylinder) 4-strokes. The noise will not cause any mechanical problems, and is said to be a result of the power stroke interval characteristics of the three-cylinder engine design. The noise comes from the clearance between the primary clutch sliders and the moveable sheave, with the fix being installation of a new style slider button with an o-ring on the driver side of the spider.
Not all 2005 RS models experienced this. To install the o-ring and new slider, the primary clutch must be removed and disassembled to allow access to the sliders. This requires special tools, so if your sled exhibits this condition consult with your Yamaha dealer for the appropriate repair to be performed.

A number of readers expressed concern about the “Diamond Drive Service” in the December issue. The concern was that they’ve been previously warned to not tip a Firecat up on its right side for an extended period as this can cause air to enter the oil lines and possibly cause lubrication issues.
Therefore, if performing service on the Diamond Drive assembly, tip the sled up only as far as needed to perform the service (properly support the machine for safety) and pay specific attention to the possibility of air entering the oil lines, and bleed it if required to ensure adequate lubrication.