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I am in the process of rebuilding my old 91 indy 400 for/with my 12 year old son. I wanted him to ride my wifes previous sled, 98 indy trail deluxe, but he thinks it looks like a old ladies sled and is not cool. It's a great sled but I have to agree with him, although I didn't tell him that. I gave him the option of removing the rack and 2 up seat and replacing it with 1 up seat or rebuilding the 400. Unfortunately he picked the 400, so the rebuild begins.
The engine and drivetrain only has about 300 miles on it since I rebuilt it last year so thats not a problem. I need to replace the rear suspenssion shocks so I looked around for a extra 10 121" and found one in really good shape for $200. Cheaper that replacing the shocks in the old one and will be an improvement in ride over the stock, not to mention lifting the back end a bit, he likes the look of that also. I would like to go to 136 but I don't want the extra expense and work of instaling a different track right now. I have the measurements for installing the extra 10. He wants to raise the handlebars a couple inches so it is more comfortable to drive, so I have an extra set of handle bars from my rx1 that will give the 2"lift and I don't need to buy risers. I would like to put a different seat on it also because the foam in the original is prety much wore out. He is a tall kid and I would like to add a few inches in height to the seat and have it a bit stiffer foam also. Is there a seat from a different sled that would fit the contour of the gas tank or would it be easier to get some stiffer foam and custom make one from scratch.
I have to replace the front suspenssion bushings and shocks also. What options do I have for shocks. Do I need to go with the stock oem gas shocks or are there some better shocks that would give it a better ride up front with out breaking the bank. What is the max extended length of shock that I can use ? Would using a longer shock give me a higher more travel ride or would that just cause problems down the road. I have been thinking of putting some plastic ski's on, would it be worth it over the stock metal skis.
The sled has been under a tarp all summer and the clutches need some serious cleaning. What would be the best way to get them looking like new again the aluminum is quite dirty and I can't seem to get it off with warm soapy water. This will probably get a huge "NO" response but I would like to ask it anyway. I have used HVAC coil cleaner to clean the pontoons on my pontoon boat and it works wonders(for them). It is a spray on cleaner. Spray it on, let it foam a bit and rinse it off. The foaming action releases the crud attached to the aluminum so that it can be rinsed off. It's amazing what it does for the pontoons. Would this work for the clutches or would this be a big no no? I wish I had an old clutch to try first. I realize this seems like a lot of work to be doing to an old sled but this was my first real sled and has alot of sentimental value so fixing it up for my son is worth it, especialy since he loves it to start off with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The engine and drivetrain only has about 300 miles on it since I rebuilt it last year so thats not a problem. I need to replace the rear suspenssion shocks so I looked around for a extra 10 121" and found one in really good shape for $200. Cheaper that replacing the shocks in the old one and will be an improvement in ride over the stock, not to mention lifting the back end a bit, he likes the look of that also. I would like to go to 136 but I don't want the extra expense and work of instaling a different track right now. I have the measurements for installing the extra 10. He wants to raise the handlebars a couple inches so it is more comfortable to drive, so I have an extra set of handle bars from my rx1 that will give the 2"lift and I don't need to buy risers. I would like to put a different seat on it also because the foam in the original is prety much wore out. He is a tall kid and I would like to add a few inches in height to the seat and have it a bit stiffer foam also. Is there a seat from a different sled that would fit the contour of the gas tank or would it be easier to get some stiffer foam and custom make one from scratch.
I have to replace the front suspenssion bushings and shocks also. What options do I have for shocks. Do I need to go with the stock oem gas shocks or are there some better shocks that would give it a better ride up front with out breaking the bank. What is the max extended length of shock that I can use ? Would using a longer shock give me a higher more travel ride or would that just cause problems down the road. I have been thinking of putting some plastic ski's on, would it be worth it over the stock metal skis.
The sled has been under a tarp all summer and the clutches need some serious cleaning. What would be the best way to get them looking like new again the aluminum is quite dirty and I can't seem to get it off with warm soapy water. This will probably get a huge "NO" response but I would like to ask it anyway. I have used HVAC coil cleaner to clean the pontoons on my pontoon boat and it works wonders(for them). It is a spray on cleaner. Spray it on, let it foam a bit and rinse it off. The foaming action releases the crud attached to the aluminum so that it can be rinsed off. It's amazing what it does for the pontoons. Would this work for the clutches or would this be a big no no? I wish I had an old clutch to try first. I realize this seems like a lot of work to be doing to an old sled but this was my first real sled and has alot of sentimental value so fixing it up for my son is worth it, especialy since he loves it to start off with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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