my first sled...have newbie questions

[keithw]

Good news finally got my first sled! Dragon 700 155. Everything seems great so far (checked compression, belt, clutching, track, electronics...all seem good). I do have a couple of questions.

The previous owner has the track reversed and claims it "hooks up" better. Anyone have any experience with this and pros/cons?

Sled was rebuilt end of last season and during the rebuild the head was "slightly" milled. All work done by a reputable well known guy in our area and he put in wider crank bearings during the rebuild as well. My question is that due to the higher compression the seller told me to not run SLP pipe as this will lean out the sled too much and I need a programmer to compensate. Thoughts?

 

[RMKRAZIE]

I do not know the answer to this but I'm sure Brad (1200psi, on the forums here) could help you out.

 

[tree climber]

milled or decked? sounds like maybe it way overheated or something and needed to be decked so it was flat again so the gaskets would seal again.. of course i only guess because i have no idea why it was rebuilt but problems with these motors seems pretty rare and makes me wonder if previous owner ran it too hard on hardpack or went wide open across the lake and wasnt getting cooled

 

[shmuckaluck]

Hey guys,
Surprised to here that a 700 had to be rebuilt, never here of anybody having problems with the 700's. anyway, I have a 08 700 dragon 163, it has a SLP pipe and muffler, and a after market head with domes. I don't need to change anything with the fuel. never heard of anybody I know reversing the track.

 

[MORSNO]

I've also never heard of anybody flipping a 5.0 or 5.1 RMK track around. I have also been running a SLP pipe and can for 4 seasons on my 07 D7 without any issues. You should contact the guy who rebuilt the engine to find out why the head was milled.

 

[sledless bdh]

yea, have never heard of stock 700's having any problems or tracks being reversed.......congrats though, ENJOY!!

 

[RMKRAZIE]

Ive heard of 700s going down, Mine did thats how i know. Check your throttle body boots for cracks thats how mine blew up.

EDIT: also check them for de-lamination from where the rubber attaches to the aluminum flange plate.

 

[xc6rider]

Reversing the track generally won't cause any problems. It's reversing it after it's been run normally first..... Or the other way around. If it's worked one way, then the other, it will start to separate sooner. Have heard of this being done a lot, although not with this sled or track in general. I'd keep running it the way it is, and just keep an eye on it. But budget for a track incase a problem arises.

 

[keithw]

Thanks to all for the quick replies. The track was run normally until last year and then switched. Talked to a couple of polaris service guys I am getting to know and they said running it reversed will give it a harder edge but could result in premature track wear.

On the motor side I have an update. I got better information out of the seller (amazing how after they have your money they are willing to tell you more stuff). He rebuilt the top end at 3000 miles cause he figured it needed it. In the process he purchased an after market head rather than milling the original head. Both cylinders hold 120 psi on the nose so I figure that is a good sign.

As far as airbox comments go...THANK YOU...Will be going over the sled tonight to be sure everything is up to snuff.

 

[Ski-Dont89]

congrats on your new sled...seeing as how it has higher miles here are some things i would do to ensure you have a good season

remove seat and tank for better access to everything.

1) remove the airbox, clean it up and tape the seam
2) remove throttle bodies clean them up good (odds are they are dirty)
3) build a tps tester and set the tps correctly.
4) remove throttle body boots throw them in the garbage and replace with the updated throttle body boots. part number-1203864
5) pull the reeds out and clean them up and inspect for any chipping/wear
i would replace them if they look warn/chipped
6) replace fuel filter
7) replace oil filter- its like 2 bucks is simple to do and gives peace of mind. also gives you the chance to get rid of an air bubble that is usually right dowstream from the filter.
8) with everything out of the way its a perfect time to check the oil pump setting. everyone i have ever checked was not set right. set it so the pointer is right at or slightly above the line.
9) replace exhaust valve springs. they are cheap and are probably fairly wore out on your sled. the pto side spring is also known for rusting out due to a drip hole in the hood that was placed directly above.
10) relocate that drip hole i was talking about. just plug that hole and drill a new one toward the exhaust side a little. this will keep moisture from dripping down into the hole and rusting out your ev spring.
11) clean your exhaust valves
12) put a piece of tape over the headlight adjuster knob. that is a straight shot into the airbox. slp also sells a pretty nice pre-filter for that if you want to get fancy.
13) i would bet money that whoever flipped the track around did so because the lugs were beginning to fold over badly. personally i would flip it back around and do the f-bomb track mod. its cheap/free and will make your track perform better.

here are some links that will help you do some of the stuff i outlined above
be sure to check out the increasing your iq section at the top of the iq section. some of the stuff i explained is outlined there in more detail with pictures and how-tos.

a nice write-up on cleaning reeds
http://backcountryrebels.com/showthread.php?t=17245

some reading on the track mod i spoke about
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1598734

more good reading
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177443

most everything else you should be able to find in the increasing your iq section that is pinned at the top.

cheers

 

[keithw]

Now that is what I call thorough...Great stuff. THANK YOU!!