Has anyone geared down a 165? And if you have, did you see better belt life? Cooler clutches? Was top speed greatly hampered?
Ace
Ace
Gearing down...
- Thread starter Ace Freely
- Start date
Come on Kanedog!!
You can doo it!!
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You can doo it!!
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- Oct 14, 2008
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Haha no kidding eh? I feel like a repeating drunk sometimes but no probs. I enjoy it especially if fellas are willing to learn and explore "outside the box" so to speak.
Yes. It works great. West Coast snow.
2017-friend blew 25 belts. Changed gears to 19/51. No more belts blown.
2018-friend getting 250 miles to a belt. Changed to 19/51. Currently at 500miles on new belt. Temps went from 220 to 190. No slipping or erratic rpms wfo. He rides with 85 lbs of gear and extra gas and he beats 850's with no gear and no extra gas. He is so happy to be able to hold it wfo without worry. No loss in top speed but it's not really a factor in the mountains. He will hold top speed of about 62mph but the other 850's will experience belt heat/clutch fade and slowly drop mph where he keeps rockin. No downside to gearing down.
Even better would be a 19/53. It would pull amazing. Stay below 62mph though. The primary clutch will go into overdrive and the belt will hit the bolts down in the secondary and belt will go boom.
Experiment !
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Ask the experts … lots of great info
https://www.ibackshift.com/
https://www.ibackshift.com/article/gearing-150.asp#gear2019g4
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I know, im a gearing down fool...
Sorry Ace...mine is a 154x3.0, not 165.
I ran bone out-of-box stock under the hood until this season. Original felts, foam, no venting, and did not do the suggested modifying belt guard that was the trend the last 2 seasons.
I would run the sled to "stinky belt smell" and back off. I blew 2 belts but i was being a snow hog and I knew (you know that feeling you get) the belts were gonna blow. 2nd one, i went over the handlebars.
Anyhoo...I went from 19-45 to 19-53 and my clutches run hot but not to the point of blowing a belt IF I pay attention to how the sled responds (engine speed and backshift ability) and not get greedy.
This season I removed the PTO felt and installed full Xtreme air vents on the PTO side panel. I want to see how much warm air they'll exchange.
Sorry Ace...mine is a 154x3.0, not 165.
I ran bone out-of-box stock under the hood until this season. Original felts, foam, no venting, and did not do the suggested modifying belt guard that was the trend the last 2 seasons.
I would run the sled to "stinky belt smell" and back off. I blew 2 belts but i was being a snow hog and I knew (you know that feeling you get) the belts were gonna blow. 2nd one, i went over the handlebars.
Anyhoo...I went from 19-45 to 19-53 and my clutches run hot but not to the point of blowing a belt IF I pay attention to how the sled responds (engine speed and backshift ability) and not get greedy.
This season I removed the PTO felt and installed full Xtreme air vents on the PTO side panel. I want to see how much warm air they'll exchange.
Stock is 21/53 on the 165, correct?
Ace
Ace
SUPER!
Thanks!
I hadn't seen anything even mentioned about gearing the G4 down before, yet everyone having clutch/belt issues.
I wondered why?
???
In 2000 (?) the 700 x 144's were having belt issues, and the 151 were not, and they were geared down a bit.
Parts list (thanks again guy's) shows 21/53 stock for the 165's.
Fiche only says 116 pitch. What is the stock chain? Is it still old skewl Silent? Or have they moved up to Hyvo yet? (I'm just coming off the Zx chassis, so I am out of the loop)
How many links wide?
Is anyone blowing chains? I don't recall seeing any threads about that...
Will wider fit?
By dropping to 19/53, are you able to get a 114 chain to fit?
From the above pic - I'm guessing no chain change. (???)
(2 tooth drop on one end = 1 less chain pitch in perfect world)
Is a 55 lower available?
Would it fit?
The pic above looks like there's plenty of room.
Wahl only lists to 51.
I don't recall my exact set-up on my 16/163 Zx anymore, but I'm sure that it's geared down, and I bet I haven't used 4 belts in 10,000 klicks!
I'm all about keeping the perishable costs down! (and reliability up)
If I want to go fast - I'll buy an MXZ.
Someone else can run point on the trail. I'm OK with with clean-up.
Are y'all running 154's as I see that you are listing 51T bottom gears.
Are you saying that above 62 will blow a belt on trail too, or just when working it?
I kan't believe that someone would blow through 25 belts before trying gearing! :face-icon-small-sho
.
Thanks!
I hadn't seen anything even mentioned about gearing the G4 down before, yet everyone having clutch/belt issues.
I wondered why?
???
In 2000 (?) the 700 x 144's were having belt issues, and the 151 were not, and they were geared down a bit.
Parts list (thanks again guy's) shows 21/53 stock for the 165's.
Fiche only says 116 pitch. What is the stock chain? Is it still old skewl Silent? Or have they moved up to Hyvo yet? (I'm just coming off the Zx chassis, so I am out of the loop)
How many links wide?
Is anyone blowing chains? I don't recall seeing any threads about that...
Will wider fit?
By dropping to 19/53, are you able to get a 114 chain to fit?
From the above pic - I'm guessing no chain change. (???)
(2 tooth drop on one end = 1 less chain pitch in perfect world)
Is a 55 lower available?
Would it fit?
The pic above looks like there's plenty of room.
Wahl only lists to 51.
I don't recall my exact set-up on my 16/163 Zx anymore, but I'm sure that it's geared down, and I bet I haven't used 4 belts in 10,000 klicks!
I'm all about keeping the perishable costs down! (and reliability up)
If I want to go fast - I'll buy an MXZ.
Someone else can run point on the trail. I'm OK with with clean-up.
Are y'all running 154's as I see that you are listing 51T bottom gears.
Are you saying that above 62 will blow a belt on trail too, or just when working it?
I kan't believe that someone would blow through 25 belts before trying gearing! :face-icon-small-sho
.
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Is anyone gearing down 175s I just bought a 2018 175 waiting for snow in BC here and hearing of the belt issues on some and not others but would going from the 21/53 to 19/51 benefit the 175s to. And if you gear down do you have to change clutching. Great info on here thanks
Did you have to buy a new chain? If so what size chain?
Went on https://venomproducts.com website. Don't see a 53T SKIdoo sprocket. I'll give them a call.
- Oct 14, 2008
- 3,103
- 3,855
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That's cool you asked about a 55t bottom. Excellent thinking. With a 19top gear at 1-1 that would be 54mph/86kmh approximately.
Overdrive is 63/101. If you could machine down the roller pin bolt heads to be even with the bottom of the clutch, the belt wouldn't blow at full overdrive. Now it's nothing but power the whole way through and you may get an extra 3-4mph more on the top end with 300 rpm over rev.
This setup would work perfect for tree riding and you don't care about top speed.
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B
I have a 2018 175 that I geared down to 19/53. Second best mod I've done so far ! Got Joey's clutch kit as well and the sled is a beast. Compared to my father stock one, there is no contest.
Where did you get the sprocket and chain?
I believe the 175's come with 21/53 gears. No need to change chains to go to a 19 top gear. Ski Doo must have the 53 gear and the chain since they come in the 175's.
D
No kidding....I have a 175, never blown a belt. What makes it the 2nd best mod?
To make this easy what is the :
number splines in what diameter shaft?
What is the width of the chain?
With this information we can order gears from anyone.
number splines in what diameter shaft?
What is the width of the chain?
With this information we can order gears from anyone.
If I go to 19/53 do you have to do clutch kit, would you get a bit of over rev and be able to use the clickers to adjust yours rpms back within spec. Thanks for the info guys
Latest gearing chart
https://www.ibackshift.com/article/gearing-150.asp#gear2019g4
51 gear 504152971
53 gear 504153778
I asked Dean at venom about the 53 gear and he said they are not available at this time.
https://www.ibackshift.com/article/gearing-150.asp#gear2019g4
51 gear 504152971
53 gear 504153778
I asked Dean at venom about the 53 gear and he said they are not available at this time.
So an 18 165 just needs the 19 top gear. Those should be readily available.
Ace
Ace
I am curious, and not trying to stir the pot. I mean, I usually do, but not this time. 
Has anyone actually tried the 2019 Doo setup yet? The finned secondary and direct venting seem like they would work. And the new belt.....
Has anyone actually tried the 2019 Doo setup yet? The finned secondary and direct venting seem like they would work. And the new belt.....
- Oct 14, 2008
- 3,103
- 3,855
- 113
- 60
For mountain sleds, the new secondary fins and new vent don't fix the heat issue. They just move air for the heat that shouldn't be there in the first place. The heat is coming from the belt slipping in the primary combined with too high of a gear ratio.I am curious, and not trying to stir the pot. I mean, I usually do, but not this time.
The lower gear ratio(gr) moves the belt up an inch or so on the primary providing more belt surface area for the sheave to grip and less load on the clutches. It helps 100% better than stock gears and lowers belt temp but the heat/slippage problem still exists in the primary.
Now if the primary heat issue was fixed along with a gr change, now you got an even better competitor. Hey that kinda rhymes!
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