walked out of the mountains this AM!!!

jarlarch

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Sep 27, 2006
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Age
50
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mt
that's right my rx1 mtn 03 is still in the hills! heck it was only a 3 hour slog out! so here's what happened i was riding along a clear cut road and clipped a small lodge pole tree 1.5-2 inch with the right ski i wasn't really on the throttle but the sled jerked and i heard a crack or shearing sound and it sort of rolled to a stop as much as it could in 2-3' of snow. the engine never stopped but when rev'd it wouldn't go...

i shut it down, took a look at the belt... nothing. i dug it out and took a quick look at the track and drivers... nothing obvious. started it up again, no grinding, the clutches and disk brake rotor all spun when i tapped the throttle... however the track didn't spin and there was absolutely no binding or bog. so i pulled it over onto its side and did a once over looking for an something track spearing etc, but again nothing obvious.

i couldn't find anything i could fix without tearing into the chain case and even than i had no parts. so i figured i needed to head for the truck. so now i'm home and trying to figure out the next step... the sled isn't stuck but is sitting in 2-3' of powder so pulling it out may not work, but we'll give it a go in a few days. i'll also take tools so if we can't pull it out i could at least take a look at the chain case. i should mention i rebuilt the track tightener and went to a 2 idler wheel system so track tension wasn't totally set.

any ideas or experience with what broke, drive chain, axle, gears? it's about 8-9 miles in, so if it can't be pulled multiple trips is doable but more of a pain and cold. and i'll ask for advice on pulling out a sled in deep snow, it's relatively flat and slightly down hill, thankfully no real hills...
 

I would bring chain and gears with you when you go back. My first guess would be you broke a chain. It would be a lot easier to limp it out on its own power than trying to drag it to where you can load it on a truck or trailer. You didn't mention if you saw gear oil on the ground but even if the case happens to be busted you could limp it out without it even having oil in it. Good luck!
 
good question, and no i didn't see any oil in the snow but the it's difficult to see into the belly of the sled. these chains seem bomber and really difficult to break? thanks
 
No, they don't break easy but its been known to happen. The chaincase doesn't always get busted when they break so even if theres no oil on the ground the chain can still be broke. Like I said, I would bring one but I would also go in with one or even two sleds to drag it out if you had to, cover all your bases.
 
you should be able to tell if it's your chain by taking your belt off and moving your secondary back and forth. it's not much else it could be!all the best on getting her home!
 
The snow will set and you'll be able to pull it out. Bring a crazy carpet with you to tie under the track. Put a pole through the skis and tie that to the tow sled's bumper. That way you're keeping your weight off the sled. Plus with the plastic under the track you won't have brakes.

Could your knee have hit the reverse lever and knocked it between forward and reverse? I once had the top gear come off because the bolt let go.
 
We found it in our travels today, figured finders---keepers. Wanna sell that piece of paper that goes with it? Seems we need it to get it back on the trails here!! All kidding aside, I wish you the best of luck to get it out 1st try!!
 
thanks keep the questions coming i'm trying to diagnosis this from home...

definitely going to take in a new chain and someone mentioned a crazy carpet, i can't find any info on it however the idea of putting something under the track to reduce friction seems like a good idea. that plus the 'snow flap' concept to reduce snow build up.

a few lessons learn'd would have been
  • check to see if the track would turn
  • was there tension in the chain tension-er
i can deal with changing out the chain but a locked track seems like a whole new level!

i was doing a little homework on google earth, and the sled sits about 2 miles from a sled packed trail and another 6 more miles to the trucks. did i mention its still snowing! at this point i have 2) mtn max 700's lined up to assist in the pullout plus a 12v winch, com along, and a good bit of rope. i know at some point it's best to wait for the snow to settle so we'll see. the problem with you and your buddy's owning yamahas is you get a little rusty with sled extraction! not that this is my first rodeo but i'm usually throwing the rope around my bumper.
 
why was this post moved forum master??

Why was this post moved? it appears to be out of context in the head to head board. i'm attempting to get critical information concerning my 'technical' break down in hopes of a better diagnosis and tips for an already painful and complicated 'field fix':brr

Being in the 'head to head' forum appears to have significantly reduce the number of members viewing the post, sorry if my questioning is perceived as disrespectful;)!
 
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wow thats why i hate runing solo i would never leave my sled sit out in the boons youll come back to only a tunnel. is there a neutral between F@R? just seems to me if chain would break it would lock the track. is there room for top or bottom gear walk off splines?
 
The plan that you described in another post looked very good. Getting it to a trail or road is a good idea unless you will need to leave it again. In the backcountry it is unlikely that anybody will find it, let alone take parts off it. Near a trail or road, this is much more likely to happen. Just go prepared to haul it out if you can't get it fixed. Pack a lunch or 2 and a way to stay warm (something to lay on in the snow / cover you in a storm)
 
This may be my last post...

RETRASo the sled is out of the hills! Thanks for all the tips and information, which is what i valued from this site. unfortunately i probably will not be able to tell my tale due to stepping over the line
 
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jarlarch, you need to take a deep breath. so whats the big deal with them moving your thread. I bet when everyone gets on this site the first button they hit is <new post> so it doesnt matter where it is it will be at the top of the list if someone has recently been on it. just go to it and type ttt which stands for to the top. Sorry but this site is here for everyone to get free information that can help them save their time and money so crapping on th mods for moving this site will win you no friends and maybe make some less apt to give their input. I honestly dont see how moving the thread will kill it. Btw, i agree that if you started in tech then you started the thread in the right place but it still should not be made into such a big deal. Just my 2 cents.
 
YAMAHIZAL700 said:
jarlarch, you need to take a deep breath. so whats the big deal with them moving your thread. I bet when everyone gets on this site the first button they hit is <new post> so it doesnt matter where it is it will be at the top of the list if someone has recently been on it. just go to it and type ttt which stands for to the top. Sorry but this site is here for everyone to get free information that can help them save their time and money so crapping on th mods for moving this site will win you no friends and maybe make some less apt to give their input. I honestly dont see how moving the thread will kill it. Btw, i agree that if you started in tech then you started the thread in the right place but it still should not be made into such a big deal. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks you. The mods try and do the right thing. ;)!
 
Glad to hear you got it out of the mountains. You might want to go over to the 4-stroke side and tell your tale. Sled retraction can be challenging and actual stories may help others. I am interested myself in hearing what you experienced and found out.
 
You're right; the mods run the site which i'm sure is a lot of time and effort. I also recognize the tone of my responses have been brash however they were not intended to be personnel attacks, sorry if they were taken personal. the frustration lies in that the post was initially located in the 'tech questions' those are the type of people i want to have comment on my situation, i perceive the 'head to head' section as a my rx1 smoked your srx and this was not the intended direction of the post or information i needed. that plus the tech section has over 83,000 post and head to head has about 700, make you wonder if you're being blown off.

This post was not intended to be a 2 vs. 4 stroke, a i ride solo ego trip, to make friends, 'crap' on moderators, or a proclaim myself as a super mechanic, and if i wanted info strictly on sled extraction i would have posted on a skidoo site. however i was seeking info on produce tends (what generally breaks and what are the symptoms) and to gain from years of experience to assist me in diagnosing the problem and layout a plan. Plus i thought it was a rather interesting situation to be in and that others could relate.

I would argue i'm using and have been using the site for it's intended purpose for multiple years and never before been accused of 'crapping' on moderators or being obscene. per the rulez i generally attempt to located my posts in the most relevant and viewed category in order to increase the number of responses and help reduce overlap and frustration for the moderators. If you don't have an interest in my post and wish to continue dog-piling, great, i've said what i've needed to say...

YAMAHIZAL700 said:
jarlarch, you need to take a deep breath. so whats the big deal with them moving your thread. I bet when everyone gets on this site the first button they hit is <new post> so it doesnt matter where it is it will be at the top of the list if someone has recently been on it. just go to it and type ttt which stands for to the top. Sorry but this site is here for everyone to get free information that can help them save their time and money so crapping on th mods for moving this site will win you no friends and maybe make some less apt to give their input. I honestly dont see how moving the thread will kill it. Btw, i agree that if you started in tech then you started the thread in the right place but it still should not be made into such a big deal. Just my 2 cents.
 


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