Did I make a mistake?

[rickyboy]

Hi "folks".... I introduced myself a while back and have been looking fwd. to my first full/winter season at my new home, here on "The 108 Ranch".

I have a question and hope that possibly someone here can help in some way.
I hope I haven't made a mistake by buying 2 2002, 700 RMK's. Neither have elect. start or reverse. My wife finds it too hard to pull start and I might be getting too old to lift myself out or turn the sled around by hand if I need to. I've been told by my local dealer that reverse kits are unavailable. {not sure about elec. key start}
Can anyone point me in the direction I need to go to get a reverse kit for one or both my sleds? I would need everything for it. I've done the ebay thing and found one but it was just the "gear box", so to speak. I'm not sure what else I'd need, if anything. Is it just a "bolt on" and that's it?
So ya, if there's someone that can help I'd appreciate it.
regards to everyone
"rickyboy'

 

[meathooker]

Hi "folks".... I introduced myself a while back and have been looking fwd. to my first full/winter season at my new home, here on "The 108 Ranch".

I have a question and hope that possibly someone here can help in some way.
I hope I haven't made a mistake by buying 2 2002, 700 RMK's. Neither have elect. start or reverse. My wife finds it too hard to pull start and I might be getting too old to lift myself out or turn the sled around by hand if I need to. I've been told by my local dealer that reverse kits are unavailable. {not sure about elec. key start}
Can anyone point me in the direction I need to go to get a reverse kit for one or both my sleds? I would need everything for it. I've done the ebay thing and found one but it was just the "gear box", so to speak. I'm not sure what else I'd need, if anything. Is it just a "bolt on" and that's it?
So ya, if there's someone that can help I'd appreciate it.
regards to everyone
"rickyboy'

you should be able to convert an 02 to utilize "PERC" or Polaris Electronic Reverse Control. this will require a new CDI, secondary clutch, and controls. IMO it is not worth it to upgrade as you'd be throwing good money after bad. Depending on your budget i'd look into getting a couple 07 dragons. they have reverse and are fuel injected so they'll start first or second pull every time. ive seen some dragons for around 3500 ... good sled for the money

 

[rickyboy]

thanks for the reply. My budget doesn't really allow me to buy new sleds. I'd have to sell these 700's, and would likely be harder to sell with no reverse and elect. start. How much is this "PERC" ?? It might be my best alternative. I'll Google it and see what it in-tales.

 

[whoisthatguy]

Buy an 03 or later. Pretty sure they all have electronic reverse. If you can find an 03 or later parts sled, then you can strip the reverse off of it. But you can always sell one of the sleds that you have, and pay for the 03. There is a pressure release whole in the cylinders on the later Edge sleds as well. That pressure release hole makes it a lot easier to pull start. An electric start requires a batter and an extra gear with teeth to engage the starter. It adds weight.

 

[SnowRider1]

Buying a snowmobile is never a mistake! LOL. Yes, it is possible to get them where you want, but it is going to take some work. The 02 was the first year of the Edge chassis, and the only year that there were no compression relief holes in the cylinders. These made the 03 and newer a little easier to start. 03 or newer cylinders will help with making the pull starting easier, but not as much as you would like. To help my daughter start her machine first time for the day, we would flip the choke lever up to kill the engine. This washed some of the oil off of the cylinders and make it possible for her to start it.

Electric start kits should be available on this or some of the other forums. Your dealer can also get them for you. The Polaris kits come with a new clutch, so you need a puller if you do this yourself. Also need to move over the weights and spring from your old clutch. The kit that I installed on my wife's dragon only required me to drill a few holes. Most was plug-n-play and rivet in. You will also need to purchase a battery.

Now for reverse. The first thing you mentioned was a "gearbox". I never used or installed one, but I believe that it is a different chain case with a cable that routes up to your handlebars. This type only turns the track in reverse, where the PERC makes the engine operate backwards to turn the track in reverse. A PERC "kit", will be a new cdi, stator, oil pump, secondary clutch, and some wiring and controls.

The electric start kits are in the $500.00 price range. I have no idea on the cost of the PERC. You can check some of the snowmobile salvage yards for some of the parts to help piece it all together. It all sounds like a lot, but like anything else, one piece at a time, and before you know it, you are done. Good luck with this project!

 

[Jay]

As mentioned earlier there are two different reverse kits for your sleds, mechanical or the electronic PERC. All the guts for the mechanical will fit in your chaincase, you will need a different chaincase cover but that will be in the "kit" you also have to install a handle by your right knee but if you get a complete setup everything will be there and everything bolts right onto your sled. PERC is a nice option but I don't think the kits are available from polaris anymore, could be wrong. I have installed perc kits onto the '02 before and if your reasonably mechanical you won't have any trouble. I think you will locate a mechanical kit easier than the perc, and probably cheaper as well. Same goes for electric start, your best chance would be to find a complete setup from a wrecker or ebay. The '02s were harder to pull over due to no decompression hole but there not that hard to start. If your wife is having trouble starting it that just gives you a chance to look like a gentleman and start it for her. Always makes you look good to the other wifes and gets the other guys in the group PO'd The edge chassie 700 polaris' are a great sled, you'll have lots of fun with them. They will take you anywhere you want to go and then some. My wife has an '04 700 but mostly my daughter rides it these days. It's one of those sleds that I'll probably never sell because it is such a good all round sled. The '04s have perc but this one is pull start, really not an issue, they start so easily anyway. Enjoy the sleds and if your ever up Smithers way give me a shout and we'll get together. Jay

 

[AZ800]

You didn't make a mistake. 700 Rmk is one of the most bulletproof sleds out there. But if you want e start and reverse on both sleds that's alot of $. Better off selling and buying what you want. 03 and up Polaris and 01? And up Ski doos have electronic engine reverse.
Most mtn sleds don't have elect start though just adds weight so if you want e start on a long track may have to add it or look hard for a model with it.
Worried about digging out of a stuck? Get a hi jacker sled Jack. Good back saver.
Reverse is nice but not a necessity. It's a convienence but anywhere it's too soft to drag the back of the sled around without lifting it up reverse may just get you stuck anyway. Reverse doesn't work well in soft snow and it's useless in any real powder.

 

[Snomofo]

PERC on an 02

I put a perc kit on my 03 700, and I believe the 02 requires an oil pump change-----one that works in reverse

 

[rickyboy]

Hi again, and thx for your responses. It sounds like a lot of work and money to get the reverse and E start. I have 5 kids and I'm sure one of them would be better suited to use the 700 when they come to visit. Or maybe I'll put one up for sale. ..... I think I'll take one of your suggestions and buy an older, smaller sled that has the E start and reverse already, for my wife.
But I'm still wondering if I made a mistake buying these particular sleds. You see we're getting close to 60 yrs. old and we're not into the hill climbing and off track/road type of sledding. I'm prob. more inclined to be adventurous and do some climbing and riding the sled faster than my wife is, but she likes the trail riding more than seeing what hill she can get up or how fast she can get the sled to. .......like I might be LOL !!

I have another question but I think I'll start another thread with it.
Thx for your help and suggestions...... and if I do get up to the Smithers area I will give you a holler.
regards to all
rickyboy

 

[whoisthatguy]

You never mentioned which track length you have. Those sleds weigh over 520 lbs dry, so you will not want to get very far away from each other. I have difficulty visualizing a 55+ year old women, standing on the running boards while climbing a hill and screaming joyous howls at the top of her lungs.

You will need the longer seat on the edges, in order to carry both of you out when one sled decides to stop working, or gets so stuck that you can't dig it out, or wraps itself around a tree, or gets driven into a tree well(and there are lots of trees). Getting unstuck is an art in itself. Keeping from getting stuck, in an art that is even more difficult to master. You will be needing a couple of snow shovels, a 1/2" tow rope and backpacks to carry that in. A 136"x 1 1/2" track is strictly a packed trail sled. A 144"x2" track can be used for boondocking in wet powder when following a 151"x2" track sled. Don't get your hopes to high for hill climbing through untracked deep powder with a 144"x 2" track sled. A 151" track sled is a powder sled and is suitable for hill climbing.

In other words, you should be thinking more about track length, and not just about a reverse and an electric start.

 

[sweetxc654]

It seems you purchased mountain sleds to trail ride. The cost of converting these sleds to electric start and reverse is a waste of money you are talking a grand each(or more) unless you find used parts.

If you are having problems overheating ice scratchers will help but simply put, the sleds were not designed for this type of use . I drive an 02 rmk 800 on the trail but I put a 1.25" track on it and I dont drive on trails with low snow and I dont have ice scratchers but I dont drive slow either. Snow cools your sled and without adequate snow it just wont cool.

If you can selling the sleds would be the best choice. Purchasing a sled that is more suited for you riding style will not only be a better ride for you(as the rmk has an uncoupled skid which i know sucks on the trails). There are a lot of sleds out there cheaper than the rmk's that will be much better for you.

If selling isnt an option you can do some stuff to help you out. I sold my reverse kit here on the forums for less than 200 bucks, but it is harder to find parts for these older sleds than it used to be. Ebay is a good option but you really have to know what you are looking for cause most of the sellers dont have a clue what they are selling. Ice scratchers will help and they are pretty cheap. But changing your riding style will be the easiest. One thing i always do when driving trails is to get off the trail as often as possible to get snow into the tunnel. Even just hitting the sides of the trail while cruising will help you cool the sled other than that you just have to watch the for the temp guage and shut the machine off for a bit if it comes on. You shouldnt get to the point of boiling over before the light comes on so watch for it. If the light didnt come on then you need to get it fixed. If it keeps happening you could always put a lower temp thermostat or remove it all together. You may also consider putting in tunnel heat exchangers but they are not cheap either.

 

[rickyboy]

Man time fly's .... Since my last response on the subject a lot has happened. The best thing is that, I've made the move to being a full time resident here in "the Cariboo" region of BC. But what allows this and makes it even better is,.... the fact that I have retired.

Anyway,....I am still at a stand still on getting a reverse or electric start for one of my machines, or a different one altogether. I am looking for a smaller machine with those two luxuries though.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.