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EACH NEW SLED has a slightly different break-in time and procedure. Here are a few tips from some of the manufacturers.
POLARIS 800Folks at Polaris tell us that the break-in period for the 800 is considered one full tank of fuel and oil. They note that the first tank should be pre-mixed at a 40:1 ratio or 32 ounces per 10 gallons of fuel. In addition, Polaris engineers tell us that filling the oil reservoir with Polaris Premium 2-cycle semi-synthetic oil will seat the rings faster than using Polaris VES Gold Plus. Once this first tank of oil is drawn down, change to VES Gold Plus.
During break-in, oil levels and lines should be inspected periodically to make sure there are no bubbles and that oil is flowing freely. Coolant and hoses and wire routings also should be inspected. Polaris says it is important to vary the throttle opening and speeds and not hold the sled wide open for extended periods. This will allow the sled to break in slowly and reduce friction on close-fitting machined parts.
The engine management system features a break-in calibration that automatically makes minor adjustments during the first couple hours of vehicle operation to complement the break-in procedures as well. Finally, the engine break-in procedure is meant to be performed during normal vehicle operation on snow. The practice of revving the engine with the snowmobile on a track stand, or prolonged engine idling are never recommended as they do not put the snowmobile under real world conditions required for proper engine break-in.
SKI-DOO 800 E-TECIt takes 120 liters of fuel passing through the injectors in the new 800 E-TEC for it to reach complete break-in. The ECU is programmed to track the exact milliliters of fuel that pass through the injectors. For the average rider this equates to 4 or 5 fill-ups as most people don’t burn an entire tank before refilling.
At 80 liters the E-TEC’s ignition timing becomes normal. It takes another 40 liters for the oil programming also to become normal.
YAMAHA APEX XTXLike all sleds it’s important to read the owner’s manual for proper break-in procedures, but most critical for the Yamahas is getting the first oil change done at 500 miles. New Apex models have an oil change reminder function in the gauge. Owners will see an ‘OIL 0000’ message displayed. It will indicate the miles since the message started, the same way as the fuel light tracker. This message is normal and does not indicate anything is wrong. It’s just a friendly reminder to be good to your engine.
The demo team managers at Yamaha and our own riders believe that the time the Apex sleds start to loosen up and really shine varies from sled to sled and how they are ridden. It usually takes several tanks before the tracks are fully broken in, the bearings have been seasoned and the sleds are wide awake.