Apex turbo gearing?

[MR MOOSE]

Just putting on my new 163" flex edge track today and found a bad bearing, so when I ordered the new bearing I also ordered a 19 tooth sprocket to replace the stock 20 tooth. Good or bad idea?? I'm a big guy (265lbs) and do lots of tree riding and have always geared down my other sleds but this is a first turbo build for me. Any input is appreciated as always, thanks.

 

[boost mod]

if you have not looked for boost/exhaust leaks that could make a bigger difference then dropping to a 19 and less deflection on the chain the better. your are running over 300 hp

 

[summitboy]

When i first started this 7 seasons ago i started out with a 260HP and ran the 20/40. i scorched a few secondarys lol. After lots of clutching nothing really helped my belt burning. I run the same clutch setup as every other turbo sled more or less.

I then went to 19/40 and it was a lot better. I then went to 290HP and my belts started to cook once again. I switched to a 47 helix and some heavier weights and that seemed to help (i didnt eat secondarys just belts)

I then went to a 174 and i started melting secondarys once again. I then went to 18/40 and that was the best thing i ever did ! Last season (season 7) i blew one belt (lasted all season long) and have one trip on the new belt (belt 2). Now in past seasons i would usually go through 8 belts ! I weigh 70 lbs less than you.

I now change my chain every year just to be on the safe side which is crap imo. My first chain lasted 4 years LOL. For the guys who say don't run the 18 or the 19 because of a dog leg in the chain, they don't know what they are talking about. Yamaha Nytros came with a 18 on some years so im sure Yamaha knows something about engineering. I ran a 19 for years and a 18 for a year.

My riding style is full throttle all day long. I don't stop except to eat lunch. If there is pow to hit im there ! I usually burn 15 gallons of fuel per day and on occasion i burn all my wifes spare fuel as well (deep pow days).

So take it for what its worth ! If you need help with the clutching post your setup and im sure we can make it work better.

 

[Turblue]

I have run stock gearing 20/40. Since 2005/06 51 deg helix and purple epi spring ...maybe used 4-5 belt total....never had one blow up or tweaked a secondary....run 174 with same gearing last year....mind you never rode much last year....running lots weight and small rollers...I'm prob 260-275 geared up. I know fellas trying to run 8bu's seem to have problems with belts IMO ......

 

[boost mod]

When i first started this 7 seasons ago i started out with a 260HP and ran the 20/40. i scorched a few secondarys lol. After lots of clutching nothing really helped my belt burning. I run the same clutch setup as every other turbo sled more or less.

I then went to 19/40 and it was a lot better. I then went to 290HP and my belts started to cook once again. I switched to a 47 helix and some heavier weights and that seemed to help (i didnt eat secondarys just belts)

I then went to a 174 and i started melting secondarys once again. I then went to 18/40 and that was the best thing i ever did ! Last season (season 7) i blew one belt (lasted all season long) and have one trip on the new belt (belt 2). Now in past seasons i would usually go through 8 belts ! I weigh 70 lbs less than you.

I now change my chain every year just to be on the safe side which is crap imo. My first chain lasted 4 years LOL. For the guys who say don't run the 18 or the 19 because of a dog leg in the chain, they don't know what they are talking about. Yamaha Nytros came with a 18 on some years so im sure Yamaha knows something about engineering. I ran a 19 for years and a 18 for a year.

My riding style is full throttle all day long. I don't stop except to eat lunch. If there is pow to hit im there ! I usually burn 15 gallons of fuel per day and on occasion i burn all my wifes spare fuel as well (deep pow days).

So take it for what its worth ! If you need help with the clutching post your setup and im sure we can make it work better.

stock nytro with a 19 what hp did they come with what not 300+
5 years 2 belts 320lbs with gear 174 track have never replaced a clutch
Guess i better not mess with my clutching and gearing.

 

[summitboy]

Maybe you need to flip the flipper a little more LOL !

And... The OP is riding a Apex not a Nytro ! Its a little different

Turblue, if i ran that setup (which i did) i could blow a belt in a hour LOL

 

[MR MOOSE]

Easy boys lol. My clutches are getting gone through right now and I can't honestly remember what's in em. I should be getting them back tomorrow and ill post my setup for some critiquing. Seriously though, thanks for the input and offers to help! I'm really trying to get to an enjoyable winter with as few stumbling blocks as possible!
MM

 

[boost mod]

summitboy maybe you should read what you write then when others comment on it would make sense to you.

(Yamaha Nytros came with a 18 on some years so im sure Yamaha knows something about engineering.)

giving someone advice to making the weakest link on any sled weaker when you have little confidence in it your self as you stated.
(I now change my chain every year)
ps I bench press more then my apex weighs i do not need to flip the fliper bud.

mr moose i would look into widening your boost power band witch is about 8500 to 10500. a billet compressor wheel and 9 blade turbine wheel will get you 800rpm earlier and a tru boost controller another 500 witch would make a way bigger difference then dropping a tooth or two and you are not sacrificing reliability or top end track speed.

 

[summitboy]

Oops. Sorry for responding. I should of known better. I was wrong and i know that now !

Good luck with the clutching !

 

[M5-]

Just putting on my new 163" flex edge track today and found a bad bearing, so when I ordered the new bearing I also ordered a 19 tooth sprocket to replace the stock 20 tooth. Good or bad idea?? I'm a big guy (265lbs) and do lots of tree riding and have always geared down my other sleds but this is a first turbo build for me. Any input is appreciated as always, thanks.

If it were me and I weighed 265 I'd run an 18 40 with reverse or 19 42 without reverse. The 18 might wear the chain a bit faster but who cares really it works awesome. Summitboy is right the 18 will save your belts and clutches big time and make your sled more responsive for tree riding, you don't need 90 MPH track speed in the trees its just physics . Gear it down you'll be glad you did.

M5

 

[HANDSOME]

I ditched the 8bus and have heavy hitters and 47 deg helix and ran a 19 tooth with a 162 and belt life was way better. I geared up last year and it pulled for ever ... or until i blew a belt. I am gearing back down.

 

[MR MOOSE]

Good stuff guys, thanks for the input!

 

[boost mod]

yes physics is also in play when you break your chain you can not stop because your brake is on the top shaft and your track is on the bottom with the chain between and murphy's law says it will not break in the trees but when you are flying around a corner and find out that a group of sleders have stop and now you have no brakes.

when did performance out weigh safety guys???

 

[MR MOOSE]

yes physics is also in play when you break your chain you can not stop because your brake is on the top shaft and your track is on the bottom with the chain between and murphy law says it will not break in the trees but when you are flying around a corner and find out that a group of sleders have stop and now you have no brakes.

when did performance out weigh safety guys???

Deffinately not trying to hurt anybody here, but I find it a little exaggerated that the 19 will have that drastic of a change on longevity. Maybe I'm wrong, I was planning on changing the chain every season anyway and I only put on about 1000 miles a year and I'd like to think that's enough? Not trying to pick boost mod, I do appreciate the input/opinions.

 

[boost mod]

Deffinately not trying to hurt anybody here, but I find it a little exaggerated that the 19 will have that drastic of a change on longevity. Maybe I'm wrong, I was planning on changing the chain every season anyway and I only put on about 1000 miles a year and I'd like to think that's enough? Not trying to pick boost mod, I do appreciate the input/opinions.

glad to hear that mr moose but not everyone is like you. this is a public forum and not everyone reading this knows how the chain case works. i wanted to hit home the down side and the need for more maintenance with this mod. there are guy's that figure maintenance is fixing only what is broken.

 

[MR MOOSE]

No sir, I'm a real preventative maintenance kind of guy! Partly because I hate break downs and partly because I love tinkering with my sled lol! Thanks for the heads up though Boost Mod

 

[DooTraxx]

Yep switching to 18 for me too this year. Had been running 19/40 but going through too many belts. After seeing the results of summittboy melting everything and now running all year after switching I have got to try it. As was said before change the chain every year and all should be fine.

 

[boost mod]

DooTraxx if you do a search on snowest of 18-40 gearing you will see guys have broken chains and slack adjuster i do not know the hp to do this damage but i do know this hp is not going to the track.
18-42 is available with reverse and non the ratio is very close but your chain/brake system is running with the efficiency of a 20-40 set up.

 

[Turblue]

I believe a lot of these busted chains probably have lots to do with how it's adjusted....when running a 18t top gear I'm sure you prob should check the slack every other ride.....I personally never set it like it says in the book....backing off a 1/4" turn...I run it finger tight..and leave it......has work for 6500 k.

 

[Tige]

No regrets!!

I had my Apex geared that same way for many seasons. Not one belt or any other issue. Fresh chain every season and inspection after every ride. Adjust to snug and keep oil clean.clean.clean. I would change my oil first sign of discolor. As summitboy says - to the bar all day long!! I do miss my Apex yes I do..

Ryan