Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

  • Don't miss out on all the fun! Register on our forums to post and have added features! Membership levels include a FREE membership tier.

Sled is hard to start when its around zero degrees.

MNSledShed

Member
Premium Member
My 06 900 SB pulls over very hard and its hard to get started when its zero or below out. Takes alot of pulls to get it started. Wondering if anyone has any tricks or ideas. Ive heard of people putting block heaters or in-line coolant heaters on there sleds. Has anyone done this?
 
Pretty common for large displacement sleds to stiffen up excessively in the extreme cold. Best trick my friends and I have found is to pull the sled over very slowly (one 'chug' at a time) about 10 times before giving it an honest attempt. Works really good to get things loosened up so you don't hurt yourself, after that it should fire up in 2-3 normal pulls. Sure is nice to have a warm garage or enclosed trailer to keep them in though.
 
Last edited:
When im home in Minnesota its easy enough to keep in my heated shop but its when i go out west that i was looking to use a block heater. Plus it wouldnt hurt my Indy Dan rebuilt motor to start warm instead of cold. Im gonna do some research and see what i can find.
 
When below -35*c I usually sneak the wifes hairdryer and put it under hood for 10-15 minutes, does the trick every time. That way oil thaws out enough also. Do not leave on too long though do not want to create condensation.
 
Last edited:
I've always wanted to install one of the Yamaha in-line block heaters...mounts in the coolant hose.

For 1" I.D. Hose.

Yamaha part number
SMA-HEATR-CL-NT

$40

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120785885782

41yZl9aj5FL._SS500_.jpg
 
Last edited:
I looked into this several years ago, all suggestions above are good, with regards to 1" ID inline heater...that would work on water pump hose, but due to the proximity of steering column, injecters, jackshaft, bulkhead, oil resevoir, etc. there was simply not enough room & the top side hosers are .75 ID. Now I'm not saying it can't be done, but you would have to get creative. One interesting thing, on cold, clear nights, the snowmobiles parked in uninsulated aluminum trailers will get colder than snowmobiles just left outside. We're talkin early morning starts, -10F & colder overnight. I run a bit of isopropyl in every fuel up, regardless, as these motors are quite susceptable to moisture in the fuel. So my routine (with no external heat available) is to double check the ignition key is on/tether plugged in, kill sw. off, sounds silly but ...we've all done it! Verify throttle and brake are moving freely. Give the motor a few slow chugs, then with no slack in recoil, pull in earnest...still will be slow chuggin but surprisingly it doesn't take much to fire. Normally I wouldn't recommend this, but when it's frosty out, if you have a buddy to squeeze the flipper a bit @ start up, that will do the trick also. Once the cylinders are warm, shut'er down & check that coolant hasn't morphed into icy green slurpee, if it has, just go through a couple heat cycles until it melts. On the plus side, in cold weather the Liberties run like no other...they likey big, fat, oxygen molecules!
 
Thats a good idea! Where do you place it(what do you point it at)?



Sorry, been off for a while. I placed it just in between the manifold and the thermostat hose. Cover under hood with your sled cover and 10-15 minutes later starts 1-2 pulls. Point it towards the engine. the cover will trap the heat inside and will also thaw out your oil. Live in northern Canada where average temps for a couple months are -30 to -40*c so have been doing this for many years.
 
SW, you might be right. Doesn't look like there is enough room to install a inline heater. That would of been great to put on!

I used to try an in line heater but cannot remember what brand it was. I know it was made for snowmobiles. Had it on a polaris 500 which worked great. Then tried one on a 700 but just wouldn't work, wouldn't keep up the heat on the 700 but worked just ok on the 500. Must have been too much volume for it to work as it wasn't very big, but guessing an auto one would work for the 900 but not sure if that might be overkill?


EDIT- mind you our temps in the arctic are extreme but they may work well in the south. That may be the reason they didn't work so good for me.
 
Premium Features



Back
Top