Hard To Pull when cold... Normal?

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snopax

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Dec 24, 2009
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Hey guys...
I've meant to ask this question a while ago. After the sled has been sitting overnight pulling the recoil is pretty difficult. It takes a good 3 or 4 pulls before the engine becomes lose enough to actually give it a "good" pull. Is this normal? I worry that it might be a lubrication thing and I may be damaging rings or cylinders while yanking it over those first few times.
If it is not normal what causes the condition? I always have the choke on full for while pulling it and my oil line seems to be set right. Any thoughts?
 
it's normal. I'll usually gently pull it over a few times to loosen it up before trying to start it (with the switch off). Some oils probably make it worse depending on how the cold affects their viscosity. My sled only sleeps outside maybe 3 times per year. When I park it, I stall it with the choke, which seems to make it easier to start the next day, probably because it takes some of the oil away.
 
Good Idea, Ill try that next time... What about opening the oil pump line until it stalls?
 
nature of the beast.

i've removed the plugs before to turn it over a few times to help loosen it up after it has sat outside (-40*c) when it has been really cold, then replace. makes it a lot easier

Otherwise it's like everyone else is saying, you need both hands and a few pulls to get her fired up. ;)!
 
My wifes 600 is so easy, just turn the key lol In reality, though the easiest to pull start in our fleet is the Phazer, next is the Viper and then the SXR. Al
 
snopax said:
Good Idea, Ill try that next time... What about opening the oil pump line until it stalls?
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The reason to stall it with choke is to remove the oil from the cylinder walls with the gas. Stalling it by opening the oil pump will make it even harder to start, if it stalls at all.
 
Stephfg said:
The reason to stall it with choke is to remove the oil from the cylinder walls with the gas. Stalling it by opening the oil pump will make it even harder to start, if it stalls at all.
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Hmmm...

I've always flipped the choke a few times while on decel while reving the throttle under engagment speed (but not stall it) before turning my sleds off.

An old man Polaris riding bud told me it'd clear moisture from the choke plunger wells. I still do it on my SRX without injection.

Does it work? Not a clue, but I've never had a frozen choke the next morning. ;>)


Seems stalling with the choke would also be adding oil along with the fuel on our Yamahas. The light ends would be gone the next morning so I'd think you'd be left with heavies and oil.


-overnight soak = 2-3 pulls regardless of temp.
-5 day soak and = 3-5 depending on temp.

Prev Main, clean carbs, fresh fuel, no additives, breakfast meat.

works for me.
 
Why would you want to wash away any oil that might stay on the walls of the cylinders?? I would much rather pull over a a hard pulling sled with oil on the cylinder wall than pull over an easy pulling sled with no oil protection on the walls!! If you are haveing such a hard time pulling it over lift some weights man!!
 
SRX700guy said:
Why would you want to wash away any oil that might stay on the walls of the cylinders?? I would much rather pull over a a hard pulling sled with oil on the cylinder wall than pull over an easy pulling sled with no oil protection on the walls!! If you are haveing such a hard time pulling it over lift some weights man!!
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;)! ;)! ;)!
 
snomofo, you're right that you don't need to stall it. Choking it a few time is sufficient. I'm not sure why it works but it seems to. Again, my sled's rarely outdoors overnight, and my Blue Marble doesn't thicken.

I'm not overly concerned about starting it the next morning. It won't run without gas, and you're not getting any gas without oil in it. So it's getting its protection.
 
SRX700guy said:
Why would you want to wash away any oil that might stay on the walls of the cylinders?? I would much rather pull over a a hard pulling sled with oil on the cylinder wall than pull over an easy pulling sled with no oil protection on the walls!! If you are haveing such a hard time pulling it over lift some weights man!!
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My worry was there was no oil on the cylinder, causing the hard pull.
 
snopax said:
My worry was there was no oil on the cylinder, causing the hard pull.
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No they just pull hard the first couple pulls when it is cold out. The colder the harder they seem to pull.
 
Stephfg said:
snomofo, you're right that you don't need to stall it. Choking it a few time is sufficient. I'm not sure why it works but it seems to. Again, my sled's rarely outdoors overnight, and my Blue Marble doesn't thicken.

I'm not overly concerned about starting it the next morning. It won't run without gas, and you're not getting any gas without oil in it. So it's getting its protection.
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Right but if you wash the cylinders by choking it out there is going to be no oil on the walls of the cylinders when you are pulling it over!! Unless you have some magic way of getting an SRX to start on the first pull!!! :rofl:
 
SRX700guy said:
Right but if you wash the cylinders by choking it out there is going to be no oil on the walls of the cylinders when you are pulling it over!! Unless you have some magic way of getting an SRX to start on the first pull!!! :rofl:
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On an oil injected engine I could go along with this but with pre-mixed fuel at the carb, using the choke is adding fuel and oil. The lite ends of the fuel will evaporate overnight so what's left is oil.

Anyhow, my experience suggests the guy (or gal) doing the tugging is the largest variable. The older I get, the harder it gets to pull the cord.

Maybe Wheaties if breakfast meats aren't your thang. ;>)
 
My first pull isn't even meant to start the sled. A good steady pull is all I do, then the second I pull a little harder. 3rd one is the money shot
 
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