Hope your christmas was better than mine...

FrostBite2010 · Dec 25, 2011

1600 miles on my primary and it exploded today, spider failure. Awful nice of Arctic Cat to build these POS clutches that aren't rebuildable...and are known for failures. Grenaded my clutch cover and my hood as well in a big pull, luckily I didn't roll down the entire mountain and break more than my sled.

As there was no possible way to get towed out, I ended up walking out/riding double and the sled is going to have to spend the night out on the mountain until I can get the dealer to give me a loaner primary to get it off the mountain. I WILL not be purchasing another arctic cat primary, much better to pony up for the P-85.

For Arctic Cat's sake I wish they would resolve this issue before someone gets seriously injured.

Pics to come, when I can find my mini usb cord.

Merry Christmas Everyone,
Hope yours was better than mine,
Rob :face-icon-small-fro

RACINSTATION · Dec 25, 2011

We can rebuild them, not that it helps in this situation.......

mezz250x · Dec 26, 2011

Things like this really piss me off. Cat has to know that its a problem on there part, but they do nothing about it. Does someone need to die before they will recall the clutches?

4Z · Dec 26, 2011

Not a good Xmas for you Rob. Sorry to hear. Things can get unforgiving up there. Good luck mate....

RKT · Dec 26, 2011

We use to go through 3-4 spiders a year on our M Sleds. Kepe inmind we ride over 3,000 ,mountain miles every season.

Since 2011, we have not had an issue with the spiders. I do not know if they fixed it or not.. But the 2011 sled's (which only has about 2K on it) spider seems to be doing fine (and we would have never madeit 2K without at least 2 spider failures). So, some thing is different.. So, I suspect if you get a new clutch, it MAY be fixed.. We have also done our own P-85 converison.. (lots of work and not sure there are much performance gains ..BUT the fact that you can rebuild the clutch is a biggy..)

dooguy · Dec 26, 2011

primary clutch

What exactly goes on these clutches. Is this something that frequent inspection will show?

Griff · Dec 26, 2011

So, sounds like for those of us that have to travel west to ride, a spare primary needs to be added to the spare parts supply?

Hardass · Dec 26, 2011

Mine started cracking the spider in the center where it threads on to the shaft ,It started on the side towards the sheve so keep an eye on that area. i'm not sure if this is the normal place they break or not,maybe some one else will chime in on that.Personally the polaris clutch has issues with wearing out the wt bushings and then swinging with a tilt which eats the clutch. A combination of the 2 would be the best set up in my opinion.

FrostBite2010 · Dec 27, 2011

Ok...I lied.

Purchased a new 2011 primary...Freeagent (Michelle) offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. It was amazing how cheap she was compared to everyone else. I will be doing all my ordering through her now.

Big thanks to Michelle.

Hardass · Dec 27, 2011

Yep thats the place

Shwinecat · Dec 27, 2011

The thought process that you will see a crack or catch it before it grenades is a pipe dream. I personally have never talked to anyone who has stated they seen it cracked and then fixed it. Mine blew 25 miles from trail and I had the 2007 four tower. I religiously checked the clutch before I rode because people were having issues with them. Once they go they go.

FrostBite2010 · Dec 27, 2011

I had just taken mine apart a week ago to clean and inspect it, maybe 100 miles ago? There were no signs of wear or cracking. One of the spider arms broke about halfway up to the button bushings. This breaking allowed the weight to over extend (at max rpm). With no spider roller to hold the weight back it flew out of the clutch and broke where it attach's with the pin. Looking at the piece it showed no sign that it was fatiguing previously to failure. Break was clean. I will get pictures when I get the sled off the mountain, i took some when it happened but that camera only can be downloaded by mini usb and I can't find it. I'll take some with the smaller camera later.

CATSLEDMAN1 · Dec 27, 2011

in the clutch

HMMMMM. always ongoing thread the last 20 years, exploding clutch's, just now we can all see and hear it on the WWW.

Cat or Polaris have never built a clutch to my knowledge. they design them and then farm out the work to........last I knew all the same outfit. Years ago it was comet, but they all blew up, now its ??

Biggest new snowmobile model problems have always been clutch issues. The epic PC hot belt thread is going to set an involvement record here shortly.

Looking back over the last 30 years of bad front clutch issues, 100% uncontrolled vibration problems from, wow, too many varaibles that have been changed and fixed and eliminated from model to model. Here we are 45 years later with everyone using some variation on the 6 tower /three arm/ three weights clutch with a little more iron added here and there. Bad belts,weird clutching combinations, bad engine vibrations east clutch's.
Some of this factory induced, some wear induced and some shade tree induced. Most common common denominator I've seen over the years is belt issues ( burnt, worn, soft,hot, short ).

Up until the laydown cat motor, agood smartly blown cat belt was followed within a 100 miles by a broken crank.

Hardass · Dec 27, 2011

Shwinecat said:
The thought process that you will see a crack or catch it before it grenades is a pipe dream. I personally have never talked to anyone who has stated they seen it cracked and then fixed it. Mine blew 25 miles from trail and I had the 2007 four tower. I religiously checked the clutch before I rode because people were having issues with them. Once they go they go.

You want to talk to me? i personally was inspecting my clutch a week and a half ago and seen a crack halfway through the spider so i put a new clutch on . lucky you bet. but i was looking for it when i seen it. 08 m/1000

I_boondock · Dec 27, 2011

Hardass said:
You want to talk to me? i personally was inspecting my clutch a week and a half ago and seen a crack halfway through the spider so i put a new clutch on . lucky you bet. but i was looking for it when i seen it. 08 m/1000

X 2

'10 M8.

This is what it looks like-

Hardass · Dec 27, 2011

Mine was not like that mine was up and down along the steel shaft

flynfvr · Dec 28, 2011

clutch explosion

Merry Christmas Everyone,
Hope yours was better than mine,
Rob :face-icon-small-fro[/QUOTE]

At least you had enough snow to go ride...my clutch is going to last forever at this rate.(in all honesty that sucks) If they changed the 2011 spider why is it the same part number?

FrostBite2010 · Dec 28, 2011

flynfvr said:
Merry Christmas Everyone,
Hope yours was better than mine,
Rob :face-icon-small-fro

At least you had enough snow to go ride...my clutch is going to last forever at this rate.(in all honesty that sucks) If they changed the 2011 spider why is it the same part number?[/QUOTE]

According to Michelle (Freeagent) the part numbers have changed, and there have been less issues with the 2011. With such a cheap price on the clutch, I can have racingstation rebuild the other clutch with new spider, re-balance, and bead blasting and sell it for what I paid for a new clutch.

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Hope your christmas was better than mine...

FrostBite2010

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RACINSTATION

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mezz250x

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