So, about 3 or 4 years ago, I thought I was getting a steal. I picked up a snowmobile for $1000, advertised as blown but with only 500km on it. Big mistake. It turned out to be a bucket of unlabeled parts, and this became my very first engine rebuild. Let’s just say, the previous owner’s “damage” was far worse than I could have imagined, and I ended up replacing a LOT more than initially planned.
We’re talking a new left jug, both pistons with Wiseco upgrades, and essentially the entire top end. That alone was over $1000 Canadian. Then there was the melted temp sensor – looked like it had been on fire! Another $200 gone. A new battery, almost $200 more. Belt? $200. And don’t even get me started on the missing hardware and random parts – easily another $250+ vanished into thin air.
While wrenching on the engine, we discovered the track was incredibly stiff to turn. Turns out, the secondary rollers were shot. Luckily, a friend with access to a lathe and some serious machinery fabricated a new bushing for the inner secondary out of brass. The dealer’s solution? Replace the entire jackshaft! DIY win, sort of.
Finally, time to fire it up. Engine light blazes on. It sounds decent, compression feels great, but then… a horrifying grinding noise when the track spins. Off to the dealer I went to decipher the codes. Their diagnosis? Bent left A-arm and a throttle cable they claimed was the “wrong cable, only opens 80%.” Oh, and apparently, it was running on one cylinder despite showing 140 compression on both sides. The codes they pulled were:
- Open circuit PTO injector
- Open circuit MAG injector
- Open circuit exhaust temp sensor
Frustration mounting, I parked the beast for 2 or 3 years. Life happened – baby, changes, you know the drill. Now all I want is to recoup some of my ever-growing investment.
Fast forward to this winter, and another delightful discovery. This guy didn’t just hit a rock; he annihilated it. The skid plate under the brake was smashed so hard it was pressing against the brake disc. My brake lever? Useless. Pads look fine, disc looks fine, but zero braking power. I hammered the skid plate back into shape, and the track spins freely again. Still no brakes though… fantastic.
Time to chase those electrical gremlins and codes. Online forums suggested wires rubbing on the jackshaft or injectors lacking dielectric grease. Back into the abyss I go – tearing everything down again, now in the snow and bone-chilling -30 to -50°C temperatures. Of course, all my specialty tools are MIA.
In a moment of questionable brilliance, I removed the fuel tank for better access, thinking I could avoid buying a secondary puller. Massive time waste and multiple cut hands later, I regretted that decision.
Fine, I bought the tools. Pulled the secondary, naturally dropped the retainer into the chaincase. Chaincase off, new oil again (seriously?!). Battery is now disconnected to power the headlights… for the fuel tank? Logic is escaping me at this point. Visually inspected the wires – they look okay, zip-tied to the fuel rail, not obviously rubbing. Greased the connections and started reassembly. Putting this Frankenstein sled back together was an exercise in brute force. Smashing frame parts bit by bit until holes aligned. Finally, everything is (mostly) back together, parts greased. Crank, crank, crank… no start. Can’t hear the fuel pump or injectors priming at all.
And to add insult to injury, the brand new belt I bought is now roasted, just from sitting on the trailer for two years with the seized brake disc. Trying to adjust it to fit, I open the secondary to spin it… and it’s stuck wide open!
During the brief moments the sled actually ran (sans belt), the primary clutch sounded… off. Sticky, almost like a turbocharger whine as it revved, but visually, it seemed functional.
So here I am, defeated and buried in snow. Is there a way to test these injectors without dismantling the entire machine again? How do I unstick this secondary clutch without another major teardown? And any ideas about this mysterious primary clutch issue without removing it?
Oh, and one more puzzle. There’s a wire originating from the DESS system, running down to the fuel rail with a plastic sleeve. It branches off to another wire that heads towards the airbox or DESS area – looks like a broken plug. The wiring diagram is useless; no name for this phantom wire. Any guesses, anyone?
Seriously, please help. I’ve sunk easily $2500+ Canadian into this money pit and haven’t ridden it once. At this point, I doubt I could even sell it for more than a case of beer. I’m starting to think I should have just bought the beer.
