Any wrenchers?

hey, B, thanks! that tips of the trade has been getting requested over on DooTalk too! It's prolly about time that I spiff that up eh? Keep in mind, I kept it VERy basic. the point about getting into it if you're new to is is that YOU'RE NEW TO IT!!! don't be worried about that! We've all been new to it at one time. Boy do I have some good stories about putting things back together wrong and WEEKS in the shop looking where some little bracket went that didn't sho wup on my parts diagram only to find out it was an after market shovel holder!! hahahahahaha

Anyway, if any of you ladies are interested in getting started on learning a few things there are TONS of people out there who would want to teach you. Just getting over to that thread an reading all the posts from the other girls will give you TONS of info! if you want to take it to the next step and aren't sure of where to go, ALWAYS feel free to PM me. By no means do I know even REMOTELY all that I should but I can often point you in the right direction or get your wheels spinning towards finding your own solution!

For those of you on two strokes. they really are the most basic engine out there. if ya just start paying attention to what other people are doing with them -spending some time in teh shop when peeps are doing full rebuilds, you will learn a LOT! And, as long as the build is going well -VERY important part of the quation here- anyone would want ot 'show off' and tell you ALL about it so ask your questions!! (just don't do it in the middle of a wrench session gone bad... on those occasions it's best to just grab a beer and sit down and wait for the storm to pass!)

For those of you who have NO interest in wrenching, ever, period! think about this, please... learn the basics... as long as you're out riding the steep and deep -or even just hanging out on the trail while your riding buddy hits up the gnar- YOU could be your riding partners lifeline. If you are not paying attention to where you're at so you can get back out, how your sled is running so you know how to change a belt, adjust a belt -new belts often need adjustment so that your sled can shift fully out and possibly climb some long hill that you have to make it out of to go for help- change spark plugs... BASIC things!! I'm not saying it's often you'll have to rebuild a sled on the side of a hill while someone's life depends on it! But, it's VERY common that you shread a belt and it could happen while you're riding for help!!!

off my soap box!!

Onto if we like to wrench...

Hi, my name's Skadi and I have an adiction for shop time! In fact, I live in my shop so i can be closer to my toys!!! tis true -actually it's cause I'm broke right now but it sounds cooler when I say I'm doing it to hang out with my toys!!

Hey Girls - turnin wrenches is not just for the boys... been tearing things down for some time now - only because I like to see how things work. Had my pony tail dripping from changin my own oil (a few years back B4 the local quicky oil change places opened). My personal best was my husband worked swing shift and said the water pump needed changed on the Trans Am before we left on vacation (this was when he left for work at 2pm...)by the time he got home at 11pm the water pump was DONE!!! of course had my dad come check that I did it right.

I have no problem popping a spark plug, changing a belt, or even taking the head off my sled - even bought my hubby an electric start for christmas and told him I'd install it myself but being the guy, he let me act like I was going to change it on christmas morning then decided I needed help

If you want to REALLY know how to play, learn how your sled does what it does, don't be afraid to get dirty.

I used to change the oil in my rig instead of studying for finals - was a GREAT distraction! (course, I always had to go back to studying....)

I work on my sleds.... for the most part. I've torn my motor down (thx Mark) but he put it back together, but everything else I manage to struggle through.... STILL wrestling with the darn pipe - can't get to those bottem bolts on the y-piece.... I have a LOT of support though - seems the guys are eager to help - went to Tony at Speedway Marine to ask how to get those darn nuts off - he loaned me the tools! I go to Cycle Barn to ask about the gaskets between the motor and the y-piece - Luke immediately walked me through what I needed to do.... I've changed the throttle cable in the parking lot of Waldrons - every guy who walked past asked if I needed help... Thomas (my 2 yr-old g-son) "helped" me change my hyfax.... clean my power valves and installd my side panel vents and intake vents.... new carbides - tighten the track - ice scratchers, got so that I could re-jet my mountain cat in about 20 mins on the hill (airbox and everything!!) - couple of other items - mostly maintenance for me, but save some $$ doing it myself!! plus a certain measure of pride....

good for you girls..nice to see...Having turned wrenches for a living for over 30 yrs now I have had female aprentices come thru now and again...If you dont mind..I will pass on a few tidbits that might help...1...before you can fix it..you must understand it...hardest part of wrenching is figuring out what is wrong...always check the basics first...a shop manual is a wealth of info...including diagnostics for most systems on your sled...and most describe how to disassemble and reassemble....2...when you tear something apart, pay very close attention to each part as you take it off...lay each peice out in order of removal....so when the time comes to go back togeather you can just work backwards down your line of parts....3..only tear one thing apart at a time...if it will be a while before you put it back togeather...carefully reassemble as much as you can so you dont loose any peices and so the order of assemlby will be fresh in your mind..taking pics of everything is also a very good idea....4.....wearing nitrile gloves will help to protect your hands from the harsh chemicals and parts you will be handleing...brakleen is a great product for cleaning parts(use over a drainpan or a garbage can..wipe up with rags or towels....)most online dealers have the factory parts breakdowns online now, they are great to look at if you dont remember how to reassemble something....5...biggest thing you can do for your sled..is to look it over after every ride..grease all your zirk fittings(lube points on the suspension and steering as well as jack shaft and driveshaft), also look for things that dont look normal or are bent or missing...nuts and bolts coming loose are very common....and very easy to fix if you catch them before they fall off..

I also like to wrench. I like to know how something runs, and how to find the problem when there is one. If I don't understand it it's tougher to fix. I do love my shop manual, and have parts of it memorized! My boyfriend helps me at times, like with changing out the track or something that's a pain to do alone. But I like crankin the music and hangin in the shop. I really don't like having a problem out riding and not able to fix it myself.

Soccerd6- I've also changed out a throttle cable on my old Ramcharger in the parking lot at NAPA, as well as working on the carbs, etc. Customers kept coming over to watch and try to help, pretty funny.

Thats what I do for a living so when it comes to the sleds and ATV's I let my husband do it cause he has a desk job and needs the Practice!!! I did get out the buffer and Polished the tunnels on both our sleds. resent:

hmmm.... I guess I am a loser, or spoiled. I know that I need to learn the basics for the safety/survival reasons. I definately know that. My husband and son (he's learning) do all fixing and maintenance including gasing up, oil, loading/unloading. Everytime they do stuff before/after/during riding or at home it is so dang cold I can't stand it.
Guess I need to get my butt out there.

Of course! Still a little shy about messin with the motor, but I would love to learn. I love working on the ol' sled, from changin the oil, greasin the zerks, puttin a new can on, all of it! I think it kind of makes you bond with your machine lol.... You really take pride in your work and its always is fun when the boys ask who tuned your machine you can say, "Well, me silly boy!"

Motivated!

Thanks for this thread...ladies you have motivated me to do more!
I am able to do the basics...now I move onto bigger and better...and louder!
Time to kick hubby outta the shop and take care of my own biz...

Love the Wrench....

Ah yes...Brakleen is the bomb!! I haven't worked on my sled much...partly because I haven't needed to much...it's a stock 600....just a little bit last year. I change my own plugs/belt etc....but I think every sledder should know how to do that....you just never know what life will bring you out in the backcountry. I want to learn MORE MORE MORE!!!
I know enough to be dangerous on a 4 stroke. I have worked in the Automotive industry for 20+ years... Gawd that just made me feel old!!!

I like working on my truck & the jeep too. I do my own oil changes....and get absolutely filthy...I still don't understand how someone can get sooo dirty doing that....and I know it's just dorky me!!!
It hurts when your hair gets stuck in the creeper too.

My old man has several old Chevy's & he has taught me a lot about wrenching. The right tools for the job & leverage helps so much. One of my best wrenching memories was tearing down a 327 Chev completely...with him watching...with a glass of red wine in hand:wine:!!! And I loved every minute of it!!! :lips:

I'm looking forward to learning more about a 2 stroke engine. I'm hoping to spring check a new ride this year. You can bet I'll be reading everything I can get my hands on....and demo-ing everything I can get my hands on....

I love workin on sleds. Used to get my fair share of working on them when my father had a Yamaha dealership and I worked there. Now that I work in a hospital now I dont get to get my hands dirty near as much. I do miss it. It was always so much fun to learn something new everytime.

Well, I haven't really done much all by myself but I do know how to change spark plugs and belts, put on risers, and just generally take things apart and put them back together. I like knowing how things work.

I do a lot of helping and that suits me just fine, I learn how to do things and I still get the slick look of somebody who knows what they are doing. Helped change out the rails, track, put a rkt secondary kit on, did maintenance on the primary, put a new speedo in, and a few other things on my m7 so far. Also I did a lot of work on my first sled with my father's help, pistons, wiring, etc.

I guess it does take me longer to do things and I don't like people watching me struggle but I can do them and that is an empowering feeling.

Coyote- I hear you on the bad sounds. Ugh, I'm paranoid, especially on the trails any more, always thinking my engine is about to go. It is such a bad feeling when it happens.

CoyoteGirl said:

AK, I can't get use to wearing gloves. I don't feel like I can feel anything!

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same here - I went and got my nails done today.... I had DARK, DARK purple polish on.... she took it off, shook her head and started mumbling to herself..... she remembers past years, nails full of grease... too funny!

Skadi said:

For those of you who have NO interest in wrenching, ever, period! think about this, please... learn the basics... as long as you're out riding the steep and deep -or even just hanging out on the trail while your riding buddy hits up the gnar- YOU could be your riding partners lifeline. If you are not paying attention to where you're at so you can get back out, how your sled is running so you know how to change a belt, adjust a belt -new belts often need adjustment so that your sled can shift fully out and possibly climb some long hill that you have to make it out of to go for help- change spark plugs... BASIC things!! I'm not saying it's often you'll have to rebuild a sled on the side of a hill while someone's life depends on it! But, it's VERY common that you shread a belt and it could happen while you're riding for help!!!

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EVERYBODY - Women AND Men what Skadi said is SO TRUE - I have said this many many times and said this in another thread -

You as a rider have a resposibility you MUST know how to get YOURESELF out BY YOURSELF - your and your riding partners LIFE can depend on it! Know the trail to get out - and basic stuff - if you get your parter back to the rig, do you know how to load your sleds? If a life depends on it, do you even know how to disconnect a trailer and drive out w/out the trailer?

I have been amazed at how many people, not just women I have taken on rides and they don't know 1 - where they are or how to get out, 2 - how to load/tie down their own sled. And when checking people in my groups I ask how many came with printed maps of the area and it is usually 1 in 10 will have a printed map! You can NOT count on your electronics to always work, a printed map will help you figure out where you are.

One of my favorite quotes came from last year when I put one of the guys in the lead of our group and he even had a map and I told him where we wanted to end up on the map - he stopped at every intersection and asked me which way to go then he said " I feel like I'm following you from the front of the line". I told him, but at least this way he is paying attention to where we are, have been and he will be able to lead us back out of the mountains.

PEOPLE - ask to take the lead once in a while, so you learn the places you go.

Ok- I'll put my soap box away now too....:face-icon-small-con

RIDE SAFE - RIDE SMART - TO RIDE ANOTHER DAY!!!!

CoyoteGirl said:

AK, I can't get use to wearing gloves. I don't feel like I can feel anything! And I am so in love with brake clean. That is god's nectar right there! LOL (and should be used sparingly and with gloves... but not me!)

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Coyote..just so you know..I cant wear them either...just slows me down to much.try this..use go-jo italian pumice hand soap when ever your wrenching..use it often to keep your hands from drying out....as for the sounds and smells of the shop..nitromethane is still my favorite..:beer;:beer;

2PolarisRiders said:

EVERYBODY - Women AND Men what Skadi said is SO TRUE - I have said this many many times and said this in another thread -

You as a rider have a resposibility you MUST know how to get YOURESELF out BY YOURSELF - your and your riding partners LIFE can depend on it! Know the trail to get out - and basic stuff - if you get your parter back to the rig, do you know how to load your sleds? If a life depends on it, do you even know how to disconnect a trailer and drive out w/out the trailer?

I have been amazed at how many people, not just women I have taken on rides and they don't know 1 - where they are or how to get out, 2 - how to load/tie down their own sled. And when checking people in my groups I ask how many came with printed maps of the area and it is usually 1 in 10 will have a printed map! You can NOT count on your electronics to always work, a printed map will help you figure out where you are.

One of my favorite quotes came from last year when I put one of the guys in the lead of our group and he even had a map and I told him where we wanted to end up on the map - he stopped at every intersection and asked me which way to go then he said " I feel like I'm following you from the front of the line". I told him, but at least this way he is paying attention to where we are, have been and he will be able to lead us back out of the mountains.

PEOPLE - ask to take the lead once in a while, so you learn the places you go.

Ok- I'll put my soap box away now too....:face-icon-small-con

RIDE SAFE - RIDE SMART - TO RIDE ANOTHER DAY!!!!

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that is very good info..I run a gps mounted right off my handlebar clamps..so I can ride out from my cabin in whiteout conditions(50 miles one way almost all above treeline in big hills)..other then that I seldom use it..i am amazed at how many people just climb on and follow without paying any attention to where they are going..i ride lots of areas with lot's of new people and I always pay very close attention to what every trail /direction change looks like from the direction I will be coming back in....when we drop out on a river or a lake I look for a promeinent landmark(hill, huge tree/ group of trees) that I can identify later on the way back..even if I can only shine my light on it....



thank you girls for all the thanks..if ya need help just singout....mike

that is very good info..I run a gps mounted right off my handlebar clamps..so I can ride out from my cabin in whiteout conditions(50 miles one way almost all above treeline in big hills)..other then that I seldom use it..i am amazed at how many people just climb on and follow without paying any attention to where they are going..i ride lots of areas with lot's of new people and I always pay very close attention to what every trail /direction change looks like from the direction I will be coming back in....when we drop out on a river or a lake I look for a promeinent landmark(hill, huge tree/ group of trees) that I can identify later on the way back..even if I can only shine my light on it....



This is very true. This man knows his way around and can follow his gps when needed. I followed him in blind faith in pure whiteout coming out from his cabin the one and only time I was up there. I was never so happy to get down off of a mountain and under the soup.

I do some of the work on my own sled, I can change plugs, belts and can tell you if it is not running right, however, I have the most wonderful husband and riding guys that take care of me all the time. I watch a lot and spend a lot of time in the garage, but usually they end up doing most of the work. I like getting my hands dirty--I can't wear the gloves either. My newest toy to work on is putting together my IQR- We have been piecing it together through out the summer- EZryde, Zbros front end, Carls' 685, VE tunnel with 150-2.5 paddle.
When not working/learning about my sled, I am working on my summer car- 95 Mitsu eclipse-GSX. Turbo awd. We bought it as a pile and now I am happy to say that we have one of the smoothest and nicest looking cars in the area. I am working towards taking it to the track, but so far the clutch and me and still getting to know each other.
I took my IQ with 685 to the hillclimbs back here last spring for the first time and it was a blast. I thought I was going to puke at first, but it ended up okay. I posted about it on LR. I am hoping to race more this season.

I agree with the posts about safety. My husband rides a lot higher than I do, and I need to know how to get to him and how to save him if neccessary-God willing I will never have to use my knowledge, but I would be studpid not to know it.

I absolutely HATE wrenching on sleds!!! But I do alot of it and have become fairly proficient at it. New track, new chain case, new top end, lots of jetting and clutching, etc. etc. Haven't changed a crank or put on a new tunnel (yet) and hope to not have to learn these!

Things I DO know:
1. I hate greasy hands/fingers!
2. I am not capable of wrenching without bleeding/busting a knuckle
at some point.
3. Riding is WAY more fun than wrenching!

Oh yeah, RACE GAS SMELLS GOOD!!!