Just got back from snowmobiling in Cadillac!

[ws6transam]

Hi everyone,
Well we just got back from our first snowmobiling weekend. It was pretty fun, for the most part. However the weather went south and everything warmed up so snowmobiling was confined to Saturday. We got in about 75 miles of trails on the two sleds.

The Excel V is running "okay": The engine runs great, but the track developed a bad vibration and howl so we had to knock it off. Fuel mileage was pretty bad, too, with the 540 cc engine only making 7 miles per gallon. Plugs are nice and tan, so I dont think it's a mixture problem, I just think we worked the motor hard trying to turn the track. I'm going to have to pull the track and check all the bearings to see what's going on.

Even so, both snowmobiles had some good guts: Plenty of engine to get you in trouble. We saw speeds of 80 KPH on the trails, and once on a snow covered road, I nipped 100 kph for a short burst, whereas my brother in-law took his chances on the Enticer and hit 120 kph. Most times, when on the trails, we were riding along at about 40 to 50 kph. By Saturday afternoon, the trails were getting whooped out, and on Sunday it was 48 degrees and everything was melting.

However, it pleases me to present a picture of the latest speed machine of our stable, freshly rescued from the great mouse episode:

http://ws6transam.org/Gallery/albums/Snowmobile-project/2008January_055.jpg

http://ws6transam.org/Gallery/albums/Snowmobile-project/2008January_056.sized.jpg

1980 Yamaha Excel V "EC540"
1980 Yamaha Enticer 340

[HoogiesNgrinderz]

I was in North Port all weekend for my best friend's wedding. Great area, definitely going back up there. Couldn't believe people were still fishing this afternoon on Lake Cadillac.

[Rome]

Where did you get that? Looks nice!

[Becca_007]

Sounds like a blast. I've never been snowmobiling.

[IROCFST]

I miss our annual trip to the U.P. My brother has a '96 Yamaha V-Max 600 for sale for $1000.

[ws6transam]

Where did you get that? Looks nice!

I found it at a local garage sale! Basically I bought two sleds for the price of one: I bought a 1980 Enticer 340 and this one was thrown into the deal as a non-runner. It took about $280 to get it running, but it's now got some track problems at the moment that I'm going to need to solve.

Yeah it was fun, but sheesh! 7 MPG!! These things are gas hogs!

[AL SS590 M6]

You get it working right and it'll get way better than that.

[Ferox]

Those 540's are good engines, but whatever you do, dont pipe it... I warn you because my brother had one, he put a DG on it, and it melted right down, so we rebuilt it, 21 miles later same thing.. so we rebuilt it again and took it to a yamaha dealer and had it rebuilt by them and tuned... 21 miles later.. burned up again.. same side everytime. We even switched the jugs out with different ones with stock pistons and still nothing. later my brother bought another sled same things 89 SRV 540, rode it for about 2 months and its was very reliable, then he put the pipe on it.. and it burned up the same piston as the other sled always had..

There good sleds.. just dont pipe em' :hmm:

[ws6transam]

Thanks for the info. It's fast enough for trails without a pipe, that's for sure. Fast enough to spray snow all over the place when you really nail the throttle. There isn't enough traction under this track to warrant any more performance.

As for my track, it needs all-new bearings in the bogie wheels, it needs new plastic sliders, and the metal track clips are all broken. I guess everything went to heck in those 75 miles, probably due to corrosion on the track clips from sitting all those years. I've got new bearings on the way, and I found track clips, but I still need to find new plastic sliders. 47.25 inches is the length.

[kammi10]

just go to the nearest dealer and they will have the sliders in stock... there like 10 bucks a peice

[ITSSLOW]

Sounds like a fun weekend. I was up north Friday-Saturday but only rode the trails Saturday. Went from Crystal Mtn to Caberfea. Actually our cabin which is about 5miles north of CM and Coyote Crossing which is like a mile south of Caberfea. About 120 miles.... Sunday me and a buddy went out of the cabin's 52acres and just messed around. A few pics....

(L to R) My best friend Ryan, my dad, me, Kurt (Dad's boss)
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC02949.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC01457.jpg
Seemed to be alot of broken ski doo pics!!! :omglol: Like 5 pics over 3 different break downs...
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC02938.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC02939.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC02940.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC02941.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2/GrandmaLS/My%20Toys/Snowmobiling/DSC02950.jpg

[IROCFST]

I might have a tool around here somewhere to put those clips on. They can be a pain!

[ws6transam]

Thanks Dave, but I just took the track into Full Throttle Motorsports, and they are going to install all 76 track clips for $65. We stuck a hard bargain !

The hardest part was getting the old track clips off, which I accomplished via cutoff wheel, die grinder, and pliers. Oh, actually the harder part was getting the driveshaft out of the trans tunnel due to rusted set screws. I eventually resorted to plan "B" which stands for "Backwoods". Nothing got bent, but I did have to dremel a bit of the tunnel.... Nothing that'll affect anything, and nothing that'll show. Anyway, Thanks!

Tom: Nice pictures!! I had a camera too but forgot to use it.

I'm going to try to arrange to go on a vintage snowmobile trip on Sunday at Houghton Lake, if I can arrange for babysitting for the day. It's still not definite as I have a hard, (really hard) time getting a dad's day off. It usually costs a lot of emotional equity and money.

[ITSSLOW]

Tom: Nice pictures!! I had a camera too but forgot to use it.

Thanks Dan! My dad normally is left up to taking the pictures but he forgot his camera because he was in such a hurry to leave. I ended up taking a few more pictures but have some killer video from the trip. Can't beat my 120mph flyby past the camera!!!