Cooling: Easiest/Cheapest/Most Effective

150+ or nothin · Apr 18, 2011

What is the best cooling mod for an 800 Dragon 163 in extremely hard packed snow. It seems to cool off back to 120-125 if I find some softer snow, but that can be hard to come by sometimes. I realize that I might be better off not riding or getting a different sled, but any ideas for how I can make this one work would be great!

I am looking for something that is easy to install/cheap/effective.

Possible Mods:
1) Additional rail mounted scratchers
2) Ski mounted scratchers
3) Non-dragon RMK bulkhead cooler
4) Additional aftermarket tunnel cooler (mounted between coolers in rear of tunnel)
5) hood vents
6) cooling additive such as "water wetter"
7) Longer snow flap
8) Track modifications (please explain)
9) other (I am all ears)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

mountainhorse · Apr 18, 2011

Watter wetter and the FTX add on cooler (the IQ's dont require welding) ... FTX can make you a 2-3 foot cooler That will solve your cooling woes (even longer if you like)

Easeir than the bulkhead cooler install.

chunkysoup · Apr 18, 2011

I used water wetter before and i can say that i didnt really notice a difference when i used it. On the bottle it says something about the mixtures u can run it with and the best result is to either run just the water wetter or water wetter and water mix. Using a 50/50 coolant and water and adding water wetter maybe brought my temp down 1-2 degrees if that. just in my experience

Hawkster · Apr 18, 2011

The 1 or 2 degrees isn't much but has anyone tested to see if it takes longer for it to get to a higher temp ? just curious ? it's used in other forms also , firedepartments , agriculture .

chunkysoup · Apr 18, 2011

I cant say i noticed a difference in how fast it got up to temp but i know it always climbed fast. PITA! I hate overheating!

150+ or nothin · Apr 18, 2011

Do you think an additional set of scratchers would be worth the money?

chunkysoup · Apr 18, 2011

i would throw the extra cooler from fastrax on it with a longer snowflap. I think that will help u big time! All the snow u r kicking up with ur scratchers is worthless if ur flap wont keep it in the tunnel.

PaulAnd · Apr 18, 2011

Cant ride my 146 without ice scratchers or slide kicks in icy or hardpack conditons without overheating, wrecked ice scratchers first ride... wrecked slide kicks in 1 season... All the pissed off peeps behind in snow cloud, priceless...

milehighassassin · Apr 18, 2011

Remove your thermostat, might not be a complete fix but it will help.

theshadowrider · Apr 18, 2011

milehighassassin said:
Remove your thermostat, might not be a complete fix but it will help.

Explain your reasoning for running without the thermostat. Are you thinking that with the thermostat out there is less restrictions so you get better flow? Most engines have problems without thermostats.

milehighassassin · Apr 18, 2011

theshadowrider said:
Explain your reasoning for running without the thermostat. Are you thinking that with the thermostat out there is less restrictions so you get better flow? Most engines have problems without thermostats.

I haven't had a thermostat in my motor for a while. I have only seen 140, maybe twice. Both on long trails and I have no scratchers.

I normally see around 90 degrees in powder.

No thermo allows all the water from the coolers to go into the motor without heating everything up. Dyne proven, the lower you can get the coolant temps (within reason) the more hp the motor produced.

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chunkysoup · Apr 19, 2011

If u want to mess with the thermostat: try taking it out and drilling a few holes in it to allow more coolant to flow through but still allowing the thermostat to function.

milehighassassin · Apr 19, 2011

chunkysoup87 said:
If u want to mess with the thermostat: try taking it out and drilling a few holes in it to allow more coolant to flow through but still allowing the thermostat to function.

The thermo is pretty small. It is hard to put holes in it. The one I have already has one hole.

If he is at 150 the thermo is open all the time anyway.

This will allow the motor to start getting colder coolant before everything is heat soaked.
.

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chunkysoup · Apr 19, 2011

But that wont help if he is holding high temps anyway. If ur temps r up to where the tstat is open all the time, removing it wont help. he needs a way to cool it down after it is opening.

milehighassassin · Apr 19, 2011

chunkysoup87 said:
But that wont help if he is holding high temps anyway. If ur temps r up to where the tstat is open all the time, removing it wont help. he needs a way to cool it down after it is opening.

Agreed that it won't solve all of his problems. But it will help. The motor will start cooling sooner. Instead of waiting until the sled gets to 130 degrees to open the thermo, it will be cooling before that.

Remove thermostat
Use scratchers
Longer snowflap
Try and find some powder or softer snow when on the trail.

Check that hyfax while you are at it. Probably needs replaced.

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150+ or nothin · Apr 19, 2011

Thanks guys. The longer snowflap is definitely in the works. My track is a 2.4" 5.1 and it has the very end of the lugs curling over. Do you think cutting the last 0.3" and putting screws in the track as F-bomb suggested would throw more or less snow on the coolers?

chunkysoup · Apr 19, 2011

More snow! I had an assault track with screws and all i can say is no one wanted to ride behind me!

mountainhorse · Apr 19, 2011

No disrespect intended Milehigh... but for most people, pulling the thermostat, IMO, is dangerous...

Many people don't have the patience to warm the motor up properly EACH AND EVERY TIME they start the engine... this includes a a brief stop on the hill to get your location, find a friend or eat lunch.

The thermostat controls the coolant flow best IMO...
I watch pro riders that race RMSHA, or experts that put an azz-whoopin on their sleds in the high load back country riding like Adams/Burandt/Rasmussen/Vohk/Mangum that run the thermostats... I ride in California... scratchers are a must, WaterWetter makes a diff as does a non ported snowflap.

Rather than removing the flexibility of the motor... IMO... increase the cooler capacity where it can make the most difference.... at the rear of the tunnel...

slash · Apr 19, 2011

80% of my kick up area is U cooler my flap is 20" + I run scrachers in all firm to hard conditions and Im running a 120deg t stat from a storm 800. The snow must be caught by the flap or it will not cool at all...

milehighassassin · Apr 19, 2011

Agreed that you do need to properly warm up your sled but it is not that hard to do. It's just that heatsoak is hard to get rid of. Venting could be of some help for your as well. Get some air moving through the motor bay.

I have front and rear Holz Ventz, an above the windshield vent and side panel vents.

Cooling: Easiest/Cheapest/Most Effective

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