Race fuels VS octane boosters, 860 big bore 09 Dragon

[Geartech]

So my problem is access to race fuels in my area. From the chart left from the previous owner he was mixing 4 gal of 112 octane with 8 gal of 91 for a mix of 100 octane I think. I'd love to do the same but 112 octane fuel is near impossible to get here in the Bitterroot valley.

Next option, I've never used this stuff before but there seems to be a line of octane boosters out there from Torco and a couple others that claim to get me in the octane range I need or even better. Has anyone used these octane boosters , really don't want to destroy a top end by being cheap.

Third option is to replace the domes or head with a lower compression, I'm not sure what head to use as it has a Carls Cycle/Edgeworks 860 kit on it, Oh its a 09 Dragon RMK 800 by the way. The cylinders on it aren't the single mono block like the factory but individual jugs so I'm not sure what head to use or even where to get the domes I'll need.

Any Ideas or suggestions. I'd really like to be able to keep the compression where it is but this sled is a bear to pull start and finding fuel for it could become an Issue.

 

[MrIQR]

Sounds like av gas would do the job.. cheap and fairly easy to get.

 

[ewanaburner]

Don't use octane boosters
Don't work for high compression 2 stroke motors (past experience)
AV gas works well and easy to get

 

[Geartech]

I'll swing byt the local airport FBO and see about getting 100 LL AV gas, found a place fairly close that sells Sunoco race fuels pretty close to me in Lolo MT so I should be covered.
Thanks for the info on the octane boosters, Klotz alsmot had me talked into their HiTrate race gas concentrate , Not sure how well it would work and would hate to detonate a top end by not driving a few extra miles worst case.

 

[sledhed]

Ran an 08 Dragon with a 860 Carls for years (I am also in the Bitterroot) and unless that is a custom cut head you can run pump 91 non-ethanol. The exception is if it has a twin pipe setup. The 860 is a custom head and cylinders and custom machining on the crankcase to accept the cylinders, and makes the engine closer to bulletproof over stock pistons and cylinders. I always ran the single pipe setup and never ran anything better than 91 octane non-ethanol and it ran like a champ... I still have a set of the exhaust valve gaskets which are specific to that motor if you are interested. The stock ones are not quite right and can cause runability problems. ALSO - Fabcraft / Mike is familiar with those motors (and local to the Bitterroot), you might give him a call and leave a message, he does his callbacks on Saturday usually.

 

[ewanaburner]

I'll swing byt the local airport FBO and see about getting 100 LL AV gas, found a place fairly close that sells Sunoco race fuels pretty close to me in Lolo MT so I should be covered.
Thanks for the info on the octane boosters, Klotz alsmot had me talked into their HiTrate race gas concentrate , Not sure how well it would work and would hate to detonate a top end by not driving a few extra miles worst case.

Tried it a couple of times and bought piston both times
And it leaves a film on the exhaust side of the sled that don't come of without wrecking decals and plastic
Smells good though

 

[Geartech]

Glad I saw your post Sledhed, It does have the SLP twin pipe but I'm looking to replace it or find a better can for it ( way too loud ATM ).
I'm going to check the compression on it later, Any idea what your sled runs P.S.I. wise.
And on a side note where in the Bitterroot are you, I'm down by Victor and could use a riding buddy or just info on good trails to ride also may need to take you up on those exh gaskets pretty soon.

 

[Geartech]

Think I found the Fabcraft you are talking about in Stevensville on eastside hwy.

 

[sledhed]

Glad I saw your post Sledhed, It does have the SLP twin pipe but I'm looking to replace it or find a better can for it ( way too loud ATM ).
I'm going to check the compression on it later, Any idea what your sled runs P.S.I. wise.
And on a side note where in the Bitterroot are you, I'm down by Victor and could use a riding buddy or just info on good trails to ride also may need to take you up on those exh gaskets pretty soon.

Think I found the Fabcraft you are talking about in Stevensville on eastside hwy.

Yes, last time I talked to Mike at Fabcraft he is working at the sled stuff part time, weekends / evenings, and returns any messages on Saturdays.
Only compression check I ever did was using a HF compression gauge and lets just say it did not work well, the numbers were super low even with a new top end (only did that for maintenance)...
SLP pipe info: The 860 setup uses a standard SLP 800 single pipe and can, sounds nice and works with pump gas if head is the same as what Carls ships without modification. But... I believe the Y-pipe was not the same as stock or SLP, so I don't know how you would get one of those. Definitely search eBay, there were blown-up 860 parts for sale on there occasionally. And SLP may be able to help you with the Y-pipe issue. Carls used to have a guy in their performance shop who knew these big-bores upside down and inside out, Chris, but he left and the last guy I talked to just basically knew parts and was not super helpful. If you press them, talking to different people in the performance shop, you should be able to find someone who knows their stuff.
And Skalkaho is a great ride, to the pass area or south towards Rye Creek, used to go up there years ago, mainly we go up Lolo, Seeley and Lincoln nowadays.

 

[Geartech]

It's got a head on it the says edge works, Not sure if that is what came with the carls 860 kit or if its been swapped. Tried to find them on the net but it looks like they are no longer around.

 

[sledhed]

It's got a head on it the says edge works, Not sure if that is what came with the carls 860 kit or if its been swapped. Tried to find them on the net but it looks like they are no longer around.

The edgeworks head is what comes with the Carls kit. So unless it was machined / customized, it should run with 91 fuel with SLP single...

 

[Geartech]

Gottcha, after I posted that I remembered it has carls cycle engraved on the top of it. DOHHH!!!.
Mine is running the SLP twin at the moment but I'm looking for a good deal on a single with manifold and can to swap onto it.

 

[sledhed]

Hard to find the y-pipe unless someone knows it came off a 860... I would contact Carls about the y-pipe, maybe it actually interchanged with another motor. Or contact SLP since it was them who probably made the custom ypipe... don't know if there was a part number on it, since I don't have the sled any more. Good luck!

 

[Geartech]

I may have to just live with the twins and make a new can for it that is a little quieter. I can find the SLP pipe and manifold but its for the stock 800 pretty easy but nothing for the carls 860 motors yet.

 

[BBP]

I may have to just live with the twins and make a new can for it that is a little quieter. I can find the SLP pipe and manifold but its for the stock 800 pretty easy but nothing for the carls 860 motors yet.

Do the silencers have packing? If so, new packing will do wonders for the noise.

 

[Geartech]

I'll have to pull them off and take a look. Need to pull the pipes anyway to clean and push a few dents out of them anyway.

 

[Geartech]

So I pulled the twin cans off the 860 after a New years ride and there is nothing left inside them. Ordering new packing and will be modifying the cans so I can
open them to repack when needed.
Sled was so loud I was embarrassed when going by hikers on Skalkaho, really made the sled unplesent to ride compared to the 800 boondocker turbo sled I have for the wife. But I gotta say its got some bottom end punch that you better be ready for.

 

[Geartech]

Packing made a big difference but its still a little too loud for my tastes.
Chasing a flashing check eng light that started just before I got back to the trailer Sunday. Looks like my ice scratchers broke a few miles before and temps
went to 160 ish then the cel started flashing. Trail was pretty packed down had the same issue with the tubo sled before I put the scratchers down. I'm hoping thats the issue with the
big bore sled and nothing else.
To be safe I'm going to order new thermostats and scratchers along with a spare set. Didn't realize how important those were for cooling on hard packed trails.