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Is it ok to run Polaris VES oil in a sled without exhaust valves?
Oil?
- Thread starter Turbotim2
- Start date
Noooooo! Not an oil thread! Just kidding. Yeah, it's fine to run VES oil in a non-VES sled, although there's nothing to gain over a basic snowmobile oil. Carbureted, non-VES motors tend to be the least sensitive to oil - in fact, many people just run cheap TC-W3 oil in them without immediate problems. I would suggest always running an oil formulated for snowmobiles and/or performance two-strokes (including chain saw oil, although that's usually more expensive). The thing about TC-W3 is that it may not be as heat-tolerant: most marine two-strokes are lower-revving, lower HP/CC, and don't run nearly as hot internally (especially compared to air-cooled sleds). Kind of a tangent there, but it's not a place I'd cut corners on a sled I cared about - I won't run less than premium eth-free and quality oil in any of my sleds. That said, if it's an old junker and not taking you anywhere you couldn't walk home from, that's a different story.
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I apologize, I am sure the topic has been beaten into the ground! I have two new to me sleds, one with and one with out exhaust valves so just wanted to make sure they were compatible and get one oil. Thanks!!
No problem - totally just kidding on the oil thread thing - there have been some some arguments over the yeas, but it's been a while. Nothing wrong with running the same oil in both. By the way, if they're both carb'd sleds, something like Castrol snowmobile oil may actually be a good choice. The current thinking is that it's too thick for EFI, without the gas mix to distribute it, but it was the go-to for one of the best engine builders (Indy Specialties) for a long time. The downside with exhaust valves is you may have to clean them more often, but reports vary on that.
T
Ok, thanks! They are both carb'd, I don't know what the previous owners ran in them. I ended up getting Amsoil Interceptor oil under my brother's recommendation. I have never had an exhaust valve sled before so I want to be cautious about that. Hopefully I made the right choice.
My thought is with a carbureted sled, any quality two-stroke oil formulated for snowmobiles will work ok. I don't know of anything wrong with running the best synthetic oil out there, but there's less to gain. The newest formulas are super thin to help them circulate in the "dry" crankcases on EFI sleds; it might be thinner than you'd want without the gas to slosh it around though. Oils like VES were developed to minimize deposits on exhaust valves: most if not all benefit is not having to clean the valves as often. Even with such an oil, you should clean the valves regularly (at least once per season - more often if you ride a lot). But how quickly it builds up depends on the oil, the gas, how you ride it - lots of things. So if they come out relatively clean, you can extend the cleaning interval. Another thing that really helps, you might want to buy a can of something called carburetor dip (could be other names; it comes in a paint can and does wonders to dissolve carbon deposits) to soak the valves in. You'll also want to inspect the diaphragm and springs while it's apart and replace them if they go bad. Anyway, going back to the oil, VES or Interceptor oil are both good if you're mainly looking to minimize maintenance. I used to always run VES in my old sled, but switched to Castrol because it's half the price, Oreilly's carries it, and everything I've read indicates that it'll do as good a job or better, provided I kept on top of the valves.
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Thank you, I suppose I could run the less expensive oil in the non exhaust valve sled and save a few bucks!
Yup, no reason not to there. Hope they both work great for you!
T
Thanks!
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