Scooter Bob
New member
Thanks for the help from this sight!
I went from a 96 Indy Lite Deluxe 340 to this big Venture this year so I could take the other half along.
I know it's a lot bigger, longer track and all, but I couldn't believe it would only get about 8.5 m.p.g. (the 340 always got 16 m.p.g.)
I've replaced all the track clips(3/4ths were missing), new graphite slides, new plastic ski skins and carbides, aligned skis, and nothing was helping it.
After a 200+mile overnight trip this last weekend, I came to the conclusion that maybe it's just too rich (plugs were plenty black) and I just needed to lean it out a bit. I also wanted to tighten up the secondary clutch as I keep hearing it bang after a coast and restart.
I followed the tips and pics found here and moved the needle clips from the middle to the top notch(only has 3 notches). Thanks much for the explanation found here.
I then pulled the helix off to adjust the spring tension. I found it had NO PRELOAD.
Any other brand of clutch I've had apart you hooked the spring and then rotated the helix 1/3rd of a turn to the next ramp. I couldn't find any explanation here, so I just put it in with the 1/3 preload to the next ramp.
Boy does she run out now. Absolute night and day difference. I checked the new plugs with a mid range run for a 1/4 mile and shut down. It looked white enough to make me nervous so I just put the needles back in the middle where they were.
I think that clutch was the problem all along. Probably some slippage, as well as shifting too soon all the time where the engine was working way to hard to go. I'll get another test run on it tonight and check the plugs again.
QUESTIONS......
What is proper assembly/tensioning of the secondary clutch helix?
What kind of milage should this sled be getting running trails at 40-50 mph?
I went from a 96 Indy Lite Deluxe 340 to this big Venture this year so I could take the other half along.
I know it's a lot bigger, longer track and all, but I couldn't believe it would only get about 8.5 m.p.g. (the 340 always got 16 m.p.g.)
I've replaced all the track clips(3/4ths were missing), new graphite slides, new plastic ski skins and carbides, aligned skis, and nothing was helping it.
After a 200+mile overnight trip this last weekend, I came to the conclusion that maybe it's just too rich (plugs were plenty black) and I just needed to lean it out a bit. I also wanted to tighten up the secondary clutch as I keep hearing it bang after a coast and restart.
I followed the tips and pics found here and moved the needle clips from the middle to the top notch(only has 3 notches). Thanks much for the explanation found here.
I then pulled the helix off to adjust the spring tension. I found it had NO PRELOAD.
Any other brand of clutch I've had apart you hooked the spring and then rotated the helix 1/3rd of a turn to the next ramp. I couldn't find any explanation here, so I just put it in with the 1/3 preload to the next ramp. Boy does she run out now. Absolute night and day difference. I checked the new plugs with a mid range run for a 1/4 mile and shut down. It looked white enough to make me nervous so I just put the needles back in the middle where they were.
I think that clutch was the problem all along. Probably some slippage, as well as shifting too soon all the time where the engine was working way to hard to go. I'll get another test run on it tonight and check the plugs again.
QUESTIONS......
What is proper assembly/tensioning of the secondary clutch helix?
What kind of milage should this sled be getting running trails at 40-50 mph?
you should be seeing at least 8-10 when soloing. that 99 is geared the same as my 01 sx500r. best i ever saw was 10 when crusing at the speeds you are at. sled tops out at 80mph geared like it is with 9 tooth drivers.
if you look on the clutch and the helix, there are #. on a yamaha to get the degee of wrap you add the 2 together, multiply by 10, and twist it like you did. ideally most yamahas like 70 degrees.
if you look on the clutch and the helix, there are #. on a yamaha to get the degee of wrap you add the 2 together, multiply by 10, and twist it like you did. ideally most yamahas like 70 degrees.
I have a 97 and 98 600 twins and 8 to 10 mpg is the best you will ever see. I have a 2010 nytro xtx and the best I get with that is 15 to 17 mpg.
Scooter Bob
New member
Scooter Bob said:
Took my grandson for a putt tonight and put on about 20 miles. The new plugs are now both tan on one side of the insulator, and black on the other. I filled it up just before we got home, so I'll see if the mileage improves any by the weekend.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Scooter Bob
New member
Getting better!
Just filled 'er up last night after putting 54 miles on it, mostly solo Wednesday night, on excellant trails. Was running 60mph most of the time, with a couple blasts to 80mph. Came in at 9.3 m.p.g., but like I said, I was on it pretty hard most of the time.
I'll be filling it up in a few hours after running 50 miles two up, more gently, at around 40 mph most of the time. Hoping to get her over 10m.p.g. this time.
I don't know who to thank, because I can't find the thread again, but I also shimmed the back side of the ski saddle bumpers. What a difference in the darting. Even my girlfriend commented a couple times how much more stable it was on the back of the sled. Thanks again to whoever did the write up. I used the cut off extras from the new slides to shim, and drilled a small hole for one screw in each.
Just filled 'er up last night after putting 54 miles on it, mostly solo Wednesday night, on excellant trails. Was running 60mph most of the time, with a couple blasts to 80mph. Came in at 9.3 m.p.g., but like I said, I was on it pretty hard most of the time.
I'll be filling it up in a few hours after running 50 miles two up, more gently, at around 40 mph most of the time. Hoping to get her over 10m.p.g. this time.
I don't know who to thank, because I can't find the thread again,
but I also shimmed the back side of the ski saddle bumpers. What a difference in the darting. Even my girlfriend commented a couple times how much more stable it was on the back of the sled. Thanks again to whoever did the write up. I used the cut off extras from the new slides to shim, and drilled a small hole for one screw in each.Scooter Bob
New member
Maim said:
If I'm seeing everything right, I see a 1,2,and 3 on the clutch disk, near each plastic shoe. I also see a 0,3,6,and 9, on the helix.
Right now, the spring is in hole 3 in the disk, and hole 6 in the helix. So if I do your math, I must be at 90 degrees??
Since it's sooo easy to change, I think I'll move it to holes 1 and 6 to get your 70 degrees and try it for the day.
By the way, it has a black spring in it with a pink dot on it.
Thanks for the info, Scooter Bob
Scooter Bob
New member
Scooter Bob said:
Dang it, 54 miles, and 6.2 gallons = 8.7 mpg. I just can't win the fuel game.
And I'm not happy with the 70 degree clutch settting. I found a couple smooth trails early on today that I could run at 50 mph two up. Trying to hold steady speed, I could feel some upshift, followed by a little bog down on the motor, then a little down shift, and back and forth.
I think I'll try out the 2-6, 80 degree next and see how that is.
But, we've decided to skip the neighboring clubs breakfast in order to give the regular groomer drivers a break tomorrow morning. And, we've got a warm up coming next week, so I'm not sure when I'll get to test out the next clutch setting.
Later, Scooter Bob