Looking for MI Snowmobile Experts

[Ranman]

I know this is not Donzi related, but the time for sleddin is fast approachin'. The people here are just too good of a resource. Last year I bought a '01 Polaris XC 800 and modified it with the following.

PSI twin Pipes
PSI Dial-A-Dome Heads
Racepak III EGT's
Red Spring and 66g weights in primary (per suggestion from PSI)

Other than studs and what not the rest is stock. I have played with the jetting but even way rich seems too hot on the EGT's although I have not been able to read the piston wash yet.

Anyway, I feel lazy this year and I just want to give the sled to a professional to have it dialed in right. Anyone know any Polaris gurus in MI I can go to? I'd really like to wake this thing up and no I won't paint it yellow....or green....or blue. :-)

[Moody Blu']

what spark plug are you running?

[Sagbay32]

Hey Ranman,
I live in White Lake and my buddy across the street had some sweet work done on his xc700 last year. I will talk to him tomorrow.

[Tomahawk]

Check with Chris Riley - Registry member in Cedarville, MI (U.P.). :)

[Classic Razorback]

Whats a Snowmobile?
Chris

[Forrest]

What? http://www.goldenplasma.f2s.com/forum/smilies/confused52.gif

[mattyboy]

that's the car we Snowbirds use to drive to Florida in the winter :p


Matt
taking the last ride this weekend

[Riley]

Hey Randy, I don't know if I qualify as an "expert" on sleds, but I do have quite a few contacts in the industry. I think we can get you pointed in the right direction on your Polaris. Email me your phone number and I'll give you a call and see what we can get set up for you. By the way, they are forecasting snow for the UP this weekend!

[Dennis]

Ranman, you must have speed flowing through your veins. Your boat is really quick and now I here you got an 800!!!! thats a fist full to begin with, let alone the options. Seriosly what do you want to achieve? hole shot or top end? I've been playing with Polaris for 10 years and from what you already have invested you should be there???

[Ranman]

Dennis, I would like to maintain a healthy top end 100 - 110mph, but I am looking for a good holeshot and a strong quarter. I'm tired of seeing the Cats and Yami's win all the drags. I wanted to come to the party with a strong Polaris.

My two biggest issues are this:

1.) I dont think the machine is revving high enough. On launch it peaks at 7900 then shifts out at 7700. I think the PSI twins would like to see 8200 - 8300. I've heard they don't make good power under this.
SOLUTIONS: Adjust springs and weights to get it too rev highet. Would going to a smaller gear in the chaincase (say 1 or 2 teeth) result in a better holeshot & quarter? Would the engine spin faster and get on the pipe?

2.) I have to get a jetting baseline. I have Avenger III EGT's, but getting the baseline seems tricky. On the 800 it is very hard to see the whole top of the piston through the spark plug hole so getting a wash reading is tough. The only other option I know of is to make a pass and pull the cyl head, adjust, make a pass, pull the cyl head, etc. This would be an absolute pain. Even at an extremely rich jetting (say 540's when 490's were stock), I still get a 1300+ degrees reading.

Anyway let me know what you think and thanks.

Here are some pics of the 800.

http://www.donzi.net/photos/ROak_snowmobile_motor001.jpg

[Dennis]

Exhaust temps are good and lean 1400 deg melts the piston so your close enuff. the gear is going to give you a holeshotif your hookin up?? but defininitly affect top end.
Do you have the traditional polaris BOG in the start or is it real crip. My expierience is that the drive clutch just pulls and the driven is the brains- it makes all the decisions ie: when to shift and how much?
In the beginning you need to make shure the belt sticks out of the drivin clutch at least 1/8 of an inch. if not remove shims! this will allow you to have a lower gear for a hole shot than the next guy! Then upon engagment the belt will cinch in that 1/8". If you start flush it will cinch in deeper!! Next the helix is multi angled but to what? PSI offers different angle settings this controls RPM and shift patterns= real strong downshifts and high rpm out of a corner!!!(carries the skies alot longer)you really need to make sure your pointed straight before you pull the trigger.
Weight transfer is important also if your skies are coming up to high, your lifting track and studs from bitting(6" is max) I wacked a guy on a XC700 because I sat on the tank and he leaned back with his ass in the air like most guys think! thats old technology! Next weight is a factor ie: just for the sake of conversation lets say you have 100hp vs 500 sled therefor every 5lbs = 1hp and thirty pounds= 6hp and 11 gallons of fuel = 88lbs
loosing weight and racing with low fuel can give you more HP gain than your PIPES!! WOW what a thought???? another thought is track drag? does it roll easy? too tight?? I know guys updating bearings and trueing wheels to eliminate drag hugh difference? I'm starting to ramble I should go? SEE YA!!!!

[Riley]

Hey Randy, I forgot to clue you in on a great sled website during our phone conversation today. Check out www.amsnow.com. (http://www.amsnow.com.) You can register for free, and all of the best info is on the free forum section. I'd post your questions in both the Polaris and Racing forums, there are a lot of top notch snowmobile racers that frequent these sites. I think you'll be surprised at the info available.

[blackhawk]

Ranman

Jetting - do not use your EGT's as a tell-all. They are used as a guide once a baseline has been established. I have seen people melt at 1200* and others run all day long at 1500*. So, get a spark plug hole flexible flashlight and use your wash as a guide. 540's sound WAY to rich. 460's were stock, not 490's.

Clutching - This is where it's at! Dennis is right about the belt being at least 1/8" above the secondary. But you adjust it with the external adjuster on the secondary, not by removing shims(quit that in 1995).

The problem with the new twins is that they have TOO much grunt down low and you can't get it to the track. Plus, the 01 XC8 came with a multi-angle roller helix but it does not work because it goes into the stright cut way to soon. Control your RPM's with the primary and the backshift with the secondary. But you want your clutches to work in harmony. If all you did was change the weights to 66 and their red primary spring then you are making noise and going no where! Drop me an e-mail and I will give you my phone # and give you some pointers. Otherwise I will be typing all day! :)

By the way Dennis, the old XLT and XCR piston port bog is gone. The new twins(and the XCR) rip from engagement on up!

[blackhawk]

Ranman, I forgot, check out this website:
www.redlineperformanceinc.com (http://www.redlineperformanceinc.com)

[Ranman]

Quick Update.

Thanks everybody for all the good info and especially to Chris Riley (amsnow.com is packed with info).

Here's the verdict: Talked to a fellow with appatently a good reputation with Polaris machines. Doug Flannery of Flannery Polaris. My 01' XC8 is going to him this weekend where he is going to sort it all out on the dyno and tune the sled from top to botom, front to back. I hear he puts together real screamers. Anyway, I'll keep you all posted and thanks again.

[blackhawk]

Ranman, Doug is an excellent motor guy. Probably one of the best in the country. Let him do some porting for you on that 800, he will really wake it up. I am curious what kind of hp your motor has on the dyno. What is PSI claiming for increases?

[Dennis]

I like the idea, it all has to play in harmony and the dyno saves alot of time and RUNS trying to dial it in. GREAT MOVE!!!!!!!!!!

[Voodoocanoe]

Randy, Do you ever take your sled out to Anchor bay at the DNR launch in Fairhaven ? On a typical Sunday there are several hundred lake racers, They usually have 3 or more tracks set up. If you want lets hook up this winter I run an old Arctic Cat Panther (sleeper) with a big bore race ported Polaris liquid cooled triple with 192 ice picks that runs 100+mph in 600ft it has "Bad MotherF....r" written on the tailight :eek:

[Riley]

Randy, I think you are making the right move going to Flannery. The man knows how to build bulletproof horsepower! If any of you guys want to see some top notch drag sleds, make your way over to Hastings next weekend for the MSA show and grass drag. Some of the quickest sleds in the country will be knocking heads at the Barry County Expo Center.

[Ranman]

Voodoo, I have never been out there, but it sounds like fun. We will have to hook up for an afternoon. I've been looking for a place to ride a bit that's not so far away. I will, of course, have to come out after I get my 800 in shape, otherwise it will be embarassing.

[Voodoocanoe]

Randy, Ice picks are a must, trail studs just do not get it out on the ice.

[blackhawk]

Voodoocanoe, now that's a sleeper! I thought our XC6 with a big bore twin was deceptive. But an old Panther, that's sweet. By the way, our "XC600" ran 97-98 mph in 500ft in 5.1's on the grass consistantly. Boating is awesome but there is nothing like going 0-100 in 5 seconds! :D

[Voodoocanoe]

Blackhawk, I have gotten some funny smirks when I pulled up to the starting line as the sled looks 100% stock, but I am the one smirking at the finish line, the sled is really dialed in clutch wise I have spent the last 8 years working on this thing and each year the cc's get bigger, there are alot of suspension mods to get it to hook up, and if you look real close you can see the triple Aaen pipes peeking out. But like you said there is nothing like acclerating from a dead stop to 100+mph in a few hundred feet. :D

[Dennis]

Is anyone doing Hastings, MI this weekend for the snow show and grass drags???? Its not far from Lansing? Lrge swap meet!! also Ranman-there right Anchor Bay on Sunday afternoon is TOO COOL for racing!! Got to be 500 people (kinda like Tip Up Town) even without snow its busy, just for the Ice racing. Ive been there 50 deg. and rain and its packed. Its close to DECKERS where we met

[Ranman]

You guys know of anybody interested in a clean '97 XCR 600 SE triple/triple??...cause I got one I need to unload.

[shovelfxr]

watcha askin ?

[Ranman]

The sled is super clean, has 3000 actual miles and is exceptionally clean (I'll post pics). It also comes with 144 studs, Polaris cover and extra set of carbides. This model is the Special Edition with plastic skis, temp and fuel guages. Asking $3000

[Ranman]

Here's 2 pics of my XCR 600 SE that's for sale.

http://www.donzi.net/photos/ROak_XCR_600_002.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/ROak_XCR_600_001.jpg