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Offseason upgrade plans

BeartoothBaron

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All right, it's been a pretty good season, but there's no denying that it's starting to wind down. With that in mind, I'm thinking about getting a jump on a few upgrades so I can get them done over the summer. From now on I'm swearing off any upgrade projects or unnecessary sled work during the winter, no matter how small!

A quick rundown of the sled: '02 600 RMK 144 (track is a recent addition and lightly ported). Only engine work is Boysen reeds, Holzmann ATACC, and new NGK plugs and wires. Stock pipe and silencer – I actually tried a SLP can, even that was too loud, and from what I hear there's very little gain for the money with any exhaust "upgrades" on this 600. New (a couple seasons ago) primary clutch, rebuilt secondary. SLP Magnum Force weights, R-32 helix, springs are relatively new Polaris (bk/gn primary, sil/bl secondary). I switched the gearing around when I put the 144 in. Has RydeFX clicker shocks all around and SLP Powder Pro skis. Otherwise, I've gone through most of the normal wear items and added a few minor bits and pieces, including a 2" handlebar riser.

So, here are the definite upgrades planned:
Snow eliminators. Either WRP or Better Boards; I've seen good reports on both, but wondering if anyone's had issues with either holding up long-term.
New motor mounts – pretty straightforward.
Gear down further. Right now I've got 19/41, and that's perfect down around 4000' (it pulls hard and easily hits 80 on the speedo on a half-mile run down the road, even with a slight uphill), but I'm thinking a 43T lower gear will be more ideal above 8000. Thats another 5% (10% over stock, 19/39) plus it uses up a lot more of the chain. The current lower gear and chain (41T and 74P) are from the 800 I parted, and while it's an approved combination, it has a big dog-leg and takes up all but 3/16" of the tensioner.
LED taillight - not a big weight savings, but cheap enough.
Replace idler bearings, convert rear to two-wheel.
Replace original (far as I know) VES valves, bellows, and springs.

Some probable upgrades are:
Lightweight seat. Digging through old posts, it seems the WRP seat is the most popular, and it's also the cheapest option. Boss and Skinz are also options, but they're more expensive (both $500 vs $370). Any reports on those would be great.
Lightweight trailing arms. Fabcraft would be nice, but not sure if they're available or worth the expense new. Be nice to find a good used set... I also have half a thought to try my hand at fabricating my own.

Some that I've thought about but not sure they're worth the money and/or work:
TEAM secondary. A new TEAM Tied setup would be nice, but $500 or so for a new one would probably be better put in the new sled fund. I'm guessing a used one could be a good choice, but beyond making sure it's for a 1" keyed shaft, I don't know what to look for. I assume one from a VES 600 RMK would be a drop-in replacement though. I've got a good working secondary that I've rebuilt, so the performance characteristics are the only motive for upgrading.
Intake upgrades. I know a lot of people put the SLP intake bits on almost as a matter of course, but I'm not sure they'd make much difference on a 600.

Anyway, I'm happy to hear any input on all that. In particular, opinions on the seat, snow eliminators, and what (if anything) is worth the time and money on the secondary. I'm looking to keep the cash outlay minimal; $500 would be nice, and dropping more than $1000 into this sled doesn't make sense (and I know, some would suggest that number is closer to $100, but :face-icon-small-dis). I'll definitely be riding it a couple more seasons unless I win the lottery – which is hard to do when you don't buy tickets – and probably keep it indefinitely as a spare/loaner. Finally, if you see anything here and think "I've got that and could part with it," let me know!
 

BeartoothBaron

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I would pass on the TIED secondary unless you can find a used one for a great deal.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. Unless I lucked out and picked the right helix and spring off the bat, it's easy to see spending hundreds more chasing clutching. Would you consider a TEAM secondary off a 600 if I can find it, or just stick with the button secondary (possibly with a helix swap)?
 

Dazzler

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Just a thought on your better boards, does your 02, 600 have the perimeter cooling system? ( coolant plumbed down the outer side of running boards ) I know the 03 edge 800's all had it..
 
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BeartoothBaron

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Just a thought on your better boards, does your 02, 600 have the perimeter cooling system? ( coolant plumbed down the outer side of running boards ) I know the 03 edge 800's all had it..

Yup, mine has the side-rail cooling (I think all the liquid-cooled EDGE RMKs have it, but can't say for sure). I always have to clean out a bunch of snow and ice if I ride in deep snow; at least the heat helps soften it up when it freezes to the runners.
 

whoisthatguy

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How about perc reverse. Which requires an 18 degree magneto, 04 oil pump, 04 CDI box, 04 wiring harness, 04 left side handlebar heater controls, and secondary clutch that works with reverse.
 

sno*jet

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the more you lighten the sled theres really no need for gearing lower. check yourself once in a while by putting bone stock gear/chain back in and try some big hills. peppy bottom end can fool ya.
 

BeartoothBaron

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I'll have to investigate the gearing further. I partly based my decision to gear down on the fact that the 700/144 uses the same gearing. Digging through the Polaris parts catalog, it appears the '03 600/144 also used the same gearing though. I haven't got it dialed in at altitude yet, so maybe that'll make a difference. On the other hand, I'm not too concerned about losing top end speed, just whatever's best for deep stuff and/or climbing hills.

PERC would be nice to have; if/when I add it depends on whether I can find the parts for cheap. Stinks that you need the headlight/heat switch cluster for that, I just replaced mine because the standard high-low beam switch failure.
 

BeartoothBaron

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Well, I'm behind schedule as usual. I did score a deal on a brand new SLP dial-a-spring mountain helix (48/32M cut) just recently, so I'm excited to see how that works for me. Anyway, the big question I have right now is on the drive clutch. I picked up a Gates C12 belt – the 47C4572, which is their match for the Polaris 3211080 – and it's wider than the Polaris belt, wide enough that it's tight to the sheaves before it bottoms out.

I've heard lots of good things about Indy Specialties clutch servicing, but I wonder if that might be overkill. The clutch is only a couple years old – long story short, I took my clutch to the dealer (shoulda known) for a rebuild, and they messed it up so bad I got a new one out of it. On the cheaper end, there's a guy down the road who I'm pretty sure could shim it for me, but then there's the question of how much that'll throw off the balance. On the other hand, I hear some brand new clutches aren't very well-balanced to start with. The third option would be to send it off to be shimmed and balanced only, but then if the clearance is still off, I'm not really making headway...
 

BILTIT

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I would send to Indy spec. And get the full meal deal. Primary is very important to have setup perfect. I have been using the gates carbon that is a direct cross for the -1115 Polaris belt and pretty happy with it.


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BeartoothBaron

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Well, clutch is on its way to Dan – if I'm going to spend more somewhere, that'd be the place. I sent the new belt along to set the clearance. I'm still a little confused by Gates sizing: the Gates belt is spec'd at 1/4" bigger circumference and 1/32 wider than the 080 belt. I figure it needs .040 more clearance in the primary from what I can measure – that's a little tricky too, because the height of the belt is less. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I also sent the front shocks off to JB Shocks for rebuilding. One, I believe, has been rebuilt in the past; the seal and shaft look like new. The other has a couple nicks in the shaft and the seal looks like it's getting brittle and cracking. Strangely, that one seems to have a stronger charge than the other.

Other things coming up: I'm thinking I'll pull the motor so I can put in new mounts, I'll be cleaning the VES and replacing the bellows and springs, and give the carbs a once-over. I also have a thought to split the case and replace the crank seals, but probably not unless I see something. Lastly, I'm thinking I'll go with a WRP seat and snow eliminators. Funny how a little snow on the ground gets you moving on these things (had an inch or so last Sunday morning). I'm probably not the only one in a "snow is coming!" rush, and I'm sure Jerry and Dan get sick of the fall rush, but here we are. If all goes well and we get a couple more dumps of snow this month, I should be taking my first ride of the season about a month from now!
 
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BeartoothBaron

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Well, finally got in some real riding, and for better or worse, the sled worked way better than I did! The snow wasn't super deep powder, and was mostly manageable for my sled. A good rider probably could have taken it most places people were going this past weekend (Island Park); another foot of powder and it would have been a different story.

To recap what's been done:
WRP snow eliminators and Seat Concepts seat.
Primary machined and balanced by Indy Specialties and side clearance set for Gates 47C4572.
Refreshed secondary with SLP dial-a-spring and new buttons.
Geared down to 19:43 with fresh oil.
All idler bearings replaced (none failed, but they were nearly dry), and two-wheel kit installed.
New motor mounts.
New carb boots (old ones were shot).

The hardest piece was the snow eliminators. I elected to cut individual openings rather than one hole. I stared using a grinder and cut-off wheel – that works, but not very well. I switched to a jig-saw with a metal-cutting blade, and that worked much better. You want a reciprocating saw with a short blade; a jigsaw will work, but there are better types. I marked out the holes, then used a stepped bit to drill the corners. Then I just cut from hole to hole with the jigsaw. I also epoxied the remaining strips to the boards. Probably overkill, and the Lord's adhesive Polaris uses would have been a better choice. Last recommendation, use a heavy-duty or powered riveter. I just used a cheap standard type, and it could hardly pull a rivet by the time I finished.

The seat was a pretty straightforward install, and it makes a huge difference, especially with the 2" handlebar riser I have. I felt like I was riding a chopper on the old seat, and standing up was like getting up off the couch.

The two wheel kit was more of a "why not?" I didn't notice any difference. The idler bearings are something I've been meaning to do for a while, and it's about an hour's job. It's not a bad idea on an old sled, although if you want to save a little money, I'd say just replace the upper bearings (by the torsion springs), and have a couple new bearings sitting around. I'd actually recommend this approach if you don't want to spend $10/bearing on a quality set. I don't trust the cheapies, and I'd definitely say you're being foolish not using quality bearings in the rear and upper idlers. The idlers on the skid you can just take off until you get back down if the bearing fails; it's not like they're going to lock up the track, and sleds like the Pro-RMK ditch them anyway.

The rest of the stuff was just nuts and bolts, really. The motor mounts hadn't failed yet, but were showing some signs of distress, plus I'd had to shim the clutch side rear to get the clutch aligned right. The 19:43 setup is a pretty good one because you can use a 74t chain and it doesn't leave a lot of slack for the adjustor (less of a dogleg is slightly more efficient, or so I hear). I took a chance on Kimpex carb boots, and they work, but I wouldn't say that's the way to go. They fit just fine, but there are some obvious flaws. I will definitely take a close look at them at the beginning of each season, maybe more often. Aftermarket rubber parts are always iffy, and I wish I'd stuck with OE.

Anyway, the only issue all weekend was an off-idle bog. I turned out the idle screws, and that seemed to help, but not eliminate it. I started one turn out on the air screw, and two on the idle screws, and running a 45 pilot jet. I've got a pair of 50s, so I might try those. Other than that, it ran smooth, and the clutching worked great. I've got Magnum Force weights, and started with them empty, then added a set screw to each (for about 62g), and it pulled 8000 pretty consistently on long pulls, higher when we were down near the trailhead (mostly rode from 6500-9500'). If I'd had a little more time, I would have adjusted the secondary for a slower upshift: it didn't get to peak RPM as quickly as I'd like. The gear down was one of the biggest difference-makers. Working around the trees, I felt like it was a lot easier to control when I just needed a boost here and there.

For the next step, I need to up my riding game. Riding with an experienced group gave me plenty of pointers and motivation. A newer sled would have helped, but I'm still not in a hurry seeing how far I am from tapping out my current sled. We'll see how this year goes income-wise, but if it's going to be a stretch, I can still have a lot of fun on this sled. I'm not in a hurry to move away from a sled that's dead reliable either. Then I see where I can buy a brand new 159 x 2-1/8 track for $425 and a set of rails from Ice Age for $400. So, less than $1000 for a nice chunk of track. I know it's not going to turn it into an AXYS-stalker, but should be enough that I don't have to worry about snow too deep. There's also the fact that this will be my backup sled for a while once I do get another, and I don't want to ever let it go. I'm leaning that way unless I end up with more money than time this summer...
 

BeartoothBaron

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Yeah, I've thought about getting more elaborate, but in the next couple years I'll probably have funds for something newer, plus I have far more projects than time already! So, the appealing thing about the 159 and Iceage rails is that it's a relatively simple drop-in, plus I'd like to keep the sled close to factory. I would love to build an ultralight EDGE around a 660 and a 163 though, maybe even convert to a belt drive.
 

whoisthatguy

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Just remember that you will never get the money out of the sled that you put into it, because only cheapskate 20 somethings are in the market for Edges.
 
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