1992 Indy 500 EFI

[vtl382]

Hello all. I am new to this forum and relatively new to old snowmobiles. I picked up a 1992 Indy 500 EFI last year and love it. I actually like it more than my 2015. Anyway, it needs some work. I have been told that a good place to start would be to check the chaincase to ensure it has been properly lubed. Pardon my lack of knowledge here, but I know (or I think) it is on the outside of the brake. Correct? I do not see any reservoir or way to check the fluid level. Can somebody please help? Maybe post a picture or something? I will try and post a picture of my engine....

[05rmksteve]

This is what you will be looking for to check the chain case fluid level. You should also check the chain tension. The pic is from an 93 efi sks.

[Lake Powell]

I believe the 92 chaincase will have a small bolt inside a rubber nut assembly that you remove to check oil level. Best thing to do is remove the exhaust pipe and remove chain case cover to drain out old oil and clean out the crap at the bottom of the case. You can also check and adjust your chain tension at this time then reassemble and add your chaincase oil till it comes out the check hole.

[Merlin]

Welcome to Snowest!

I'd recommend getting a service manual or an operator's manual at the very least as there are numerous maintenance items that will be covered. Things like lubrication points & intervals, track tension adjustment, drive belt inspection & deflection, etc.

You're on the right track in wanting to check the chain case oil & on a "new to you" machine the best thing to do is to remove the cover to properly drain and clean out the case as already suggested. Then you can inspect the chain, gears, & tensioner while it's open. Reassemble, adjust chain tension, & refill with oil.

All of that will be covered in the manuals.........

Originally Posted by vtl382

Hello all. I am new to this forum and relatively new to old snowmobiles. I picked up a 1992 Indy 500 EFI last year and love it. I actually like it more than my 2015. Anyway, it needs some work. I have been told that a good place to start would be to check the chaincase to ensure it has been properly lubed. Pardon my lack of knowledge here, but I know (or I think) it is on the outside of the brake. Correct? I do not see any reservoir or way to check the fluid level. Can somebody please help? Maybe post a picture or something? I will try and post a picture of my engine....

[Bushwacker1]

Originally Posted by Lake Powell

I believe the 92 chaincase will have a small bolt inside a rubber nut assembly that you remove to check oil level. Best thing to do is remove the exhaust pipe and remove chain case cover to drain out old oil and clean out the crap at the bottom of the case. You can also check and adjust your chain tension at this time then reassemble and add your chaincase oil till it comes out the check hole.

Yes the chain case you have was not very user friendly and you need to pull the bolt mentioned above and then add oil till it comes out of the bolt hole. There was no drain plug on that case so draining required just pulling the cover and then cleaning up the mess. As mentioned If you pull the pipe off it is easier to access the cover. I have drilled and taped the case for a drain plug to make service easier. Just need to be careful about where you drill so it does not hit one of the case webs. Another option is to tip the sled on its side, remove the cover and then use a turkey baster to remove most of the oil so it is not so messy. If you find it is very low on oil you may want to look at the seal and the condition of the bottom bearing. It kind of puts a damper on a day of ridding when you need to drag a sled in with a failed bottom bearing. (I was not up on things like checking chain case oil back in 1992 and learned that lesson.)

[vtl382]

Thank you. I have been searching for a manual, unsuccessful currently.
As for removing the cover and cleaning, is there a special cleaner that is best to use? Also, how about tension? I imagine it shouldn’t be too loose nor too tight.






QUOTE=Merlin;4111540]Welcome to Snowest!

I'd recommend getting a service manual or an operator's manual at the very least as there are numerous maintenance items that will be covered. Things like lubrication points & intervals, track tension adjustment, drive belt inspection & deflection, etc.

You're on the right track in wanting to check the chain case oil & on a "new to you" machine the best thing to do is to remove the cover to properly drain and clean out the case as already suggested. Then you can inspect the chain, gears, & tensioner while it's open. Reassemble, adjust chain tension, & refill with oil.

All of that will be covered in the manuals.........[/QUOTE]

[Merlin]

Any garden variety brand of "Brake Clean" in an aerosol can will work well to rinse off the parts & to spray into the nooks and crannies in the case.

I'd suggest sesrching the 'net for the proper procedure however a rule of thumb that will usually work in a pinch is to tighten the adjusting bolt by hand / fingers until all slack is removed from the chain. Then loosen the adjuster a smidge, maybe a 1/4 to 1/3 of a turn, then lock the jam nut. The idea is to run the chain with as little slack as possible to prevent shock loading during rapid acceleration & deceleration yet not so tight to cause premature wear.

Hopefully someone will chime in with the information for this model as there are subtle differences in chain case design that affect the exact procedure used.


In the meantime don't stop looking for a manual until you have one.


Good luck!

Originally Posted by vtl382

Thank you. I have been searching for a manual, unsuccessful currently.
As for removing the cover and cleaning, is there a special cleaner that is best to use? Also, how about tension? I imagine it shouldn’t be too loose nor too tight?

[vtl382]

Thank you. Looks like I got a weekend project

Originally Posted by Merlin

Any garden variety brand of "Brake Clean" in an aerosol can will work well to rinse off the parts & to spray into the nooks and crannies in the case.

I'd suggest sesrching the 'net for the proper procedure however a rule of thumb that will usually work in a pinch is to tighten the adjusting bolt by hand / fingers until all slack is removed from the chain. Then loosen the adjuster a smidge, maybe a 1/4 to 1/3 of a turn, then lock the jam nut. The idea is to run the chain with as little slack as possible to prevent shock loading during rapid acceleration & deceleration yet not so tight to cause premature wear.

Hopefully someone will chime in with the information for this model as there are subtle differences in chain case design that affect the exact procedure used.


In the meantime don't stop looking for a manual until you have one.


Good luck!

[steepndeeper]

Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a manual.