I really like your videos. I am from San Jose Ca and only about 14,000 registered snowmobiles here out of 30 million people. AND MOST PEOP;E ARE NOT INTERESTED IN VINTAGE SLEDS LIKE ME HERE. I recently picked up in Michigan 4 vintage sleds. 1973 Lynx, 1974 Cheetah CDI ,1974 Cheetah 340 points, and 1973 Puma without engine. ALL HAVE ISSUES. LOTS OF PITTER PATTER!! You videos are helpful and fun to watch. Thank You Stanley
Stanley, thats BAD ASS. I didn't know there were sleds in CA either. I have never seen a posting of one. Your acquisitions are pretty neat. The 73 Lynx is a bit weird as its a ONE YEAR ONLY 2/3 cleat track and involute drivers. Cleats are hard to find so hopefully you are good there. The 74 Cheetah 340 must have a 73 motor in it (T1B340). No biggie, just a bit more messing around setting points and making sure you have good coils. The 73 Puma should also have that same track with the 2/3 cleats and involute drivers. Thanks for the kind words on the video. Much appreciated. They are a fair amount of work but will keep doing them for now. Good luck on the CAT projects!
Say what you will about breaker point ignitions, at least you are ever only 45 minutes and max 40$ aways from fixing even the most severe ignition problem!!! Glad you got it going! Great vid!!!
Thanks ED. I’ve saved 4 sleds personally. Trying to STOP buying carcasses and just enjoy the ones I have. That’s not working very well at present. Thanks for the comment.
Jesse, Appreciate it! Its kind of the bonus part of vintage. It sure is a wack of fun for sure. Some super fun people and very talented. I am just a hack compared to some of them. I am not patient enough or willing to spend the insane money for some of the restorations these guys do. Either way, there's something for everyone. Thanks for watching.
I love old cats 💕I run them myself. 71 to 75 using kaw. Nearly bankrupt cat. 76 was full line up using suz. ( thank god. ) kaw. At the time kaw. had flaking in the cylinders causing small pieces to get in bottom end… causing seal damage causing no pulse for fuel pump. Unless your having the cylinders redone… to nickle seal procedure done…. I will not put time or money into a kaw. Just remember those jag 3k or 4K engines bolt in nice… much better power plant. I remove oil injection… go premix… they are CDI. No points Haha maybe by now … you hear me think and say kaw. JUNK … love the build btw…. I, ll keep running my 69 panthers with suz. Power. Good day sir.
Robert there is much truth to what you are saying. This CDI T1C340 is probably the best vintage motor I have dealt with. It runs and starts and works perfectly. My FAN motors with WALBRO carbs are a bit crabby at times but rarely let me down. Fully understood on the chrome peeling. I just melted down that T1B340 and junked a perfect set of cylinders...... AND I MEAN PERFECT. Nicest chrome I have ever seen. Luckily the 340 is what everyone takes out. It is just fast enough to make these small chassis sleds fun. If you need more speed, just add in a beer or two, they become super fast. HA! I might make the switch on this one as it is a rider and I need reliability not original. Only my 73 panther will remain 100% stock. The rest are MOD machines all the way. Suzuki power, hell yes.
Pretty sweet mill going in that sled. I had a cdi give me just enough spark to make a little pop corn once in a while. I ended up going through the motor 3 times to try to find the problem. borrowed a cdi from another sled bingo ran like a top. you think no way but yep that's it. great video.
Here we go..... looking for responses on this one. Pulled and pulled and pulled. Had good spark. Pulled motor, tested everything possible with the ACTUAL Cat tester, then all the resistance checks in the book. Nothing........ then replaced the CDI. Same thing. Last ditch effort, swapped plug wires side to side..... ran perfectly. Switched them back...... runs perfectly. WTF. Can anyone explain that one?
Sometimes the Kawy Cats got a bad rep but over the years I’ve found that the 400 and under Kawy were better than the 440s. Also any 45 year old engine will usually need some TLC . Doesn’t matter what brand it is. As far as chrome peeling well yes the 1971/72 engines had some warranty issues and Kawasaki stepped up and fixed the problem. However old school two stroke oil wasn’t where it needed to be. I got a brother who still drags a modified to the gills 440 Kawy fan Puma and under what I’d consider to be extremely severe service the chrome holds up pretty good. But he’s running modern fuels and full synthetic oil. Usually he has to watch the crankshaft verses the chrome. But again it’s modified and twisting 7000 rpm plus . I believe it’s quite possible to build a Kawasaki and enjoy it without fear. I’ve got a 1972 399 im going to go through next summer.
Thanks for the great videos! Do you mind sharing what your running for the throttle block? I’m in the process of doing a dual mikuni swap on my 340 puma.
Ryan, that is a great question. On that puma I am using the stock 71 grip. They are the same for the LH or RH side, just flipped the other way. I like the 71 as they do not have any switches to deal with. (nice and clean)... Anyway the next thing you need is a thumb paddle from lets say a 73 or 74 eltigre as it is longer. I just got a spare one for my next conversion at a swap for 5 bucks but they are on E bay and Amazon. I do not have the PN handy but you will figure that out. Next I fabricate up a couple of thin steel plates to relocate the pivot ahead of where it is now so the cable attachment is in the proper location just on the front side of the grip. If you go to the "ABOUT" tab you can get my E mail address. I dont think it works on your phone, you need to be on a PC from what I have experienced. I can send you some better data and photos if that helps. I adapted that entire thing from what another guy did where he epoxied stuff together. Figured that was destined to fail so invented this. I had a guy at work duplicate the installation on his mikuni swap on his cat. Work's perfect. Lemme know you can get to my contact info. Thanks for the comment!
I think I've watched all your videos. Good job on them hope you carry on doing some more sleds. I'm currently sprucing up an old 69 panther with some history and corresponding damage haha. Cheap fun for a tinkerer really (compared to boats and classic vehicles haha)
I have replaced center seal O rings on 3 KAWI motors and they stretch over just fine. Just let em rest a bit once they are done so they shrink back up. Never had one break. I make sure not to tempt fate around sharp edges of crank, rods, etc..... And make sure not to let it get pinched between rods and balance weights and the like. This engine had the pinned one piece center seal so was in good shape there. Hope that helps.
Eh..... thats on purpose. I am not much for HOW TO videos any more. Just get blasted too many times over the smallest of details. So.... its entertainment for sled crack heads now.
@@Letsfixsomething26 It's a major disappointment that people have to criticize. You're an aircraft mechanic working on a sled. I have watched all your videos and more than once. Pausing taking screen shots, and taking notes. I hope you continue to put out great content! Thanks for what you have done so far.
Brian, thanks for the kind words. I got a few videos in the hopper for some additional HOW TO type stuff. Stay tuned!! Hope it helps you out a little...
John, thanks for asking. For the Panther and this Puma, they came from Ernie Attwood. He has a lot of them on the shelf and ships immediately. On the RATT LYNX project I wanted to use a large Cat tank and skip all that trunk plastic (meaning it was a custom seat). Ernie hand made that one to my foam. I would change some things if I was to do it again however it turned out great. I did pay a lot in freight costs but oh well, they make more money. In hindsight I would of did the Lynx the exact same way as this Puma, and used a stock 70 Puma/71 Lynx seat foam with an off the shelf seat cover and a small tank. As it is, I am very lucky to have new seats on all 3 (soon to be 4) Cats I own. It takes any snowmobile and makes it look awesome. Having a nice sled and a ratty seat just don't cut it. atwood-parts.com/
Church and all things related to religion are pretty low on my list of things to worry about while making a video about a 1971 Arctic Cat Puma. Nobody got hurt, nobody was insulted (not even vintage Ski Doo's) and all of this is in good fun. Plus, my name is not Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart or Mac Hammond. You need to subscribe to another channel and worry about more important things going on in the world.
I really like your videos. I am from San Jose Ca and only about 14,000 registered snowmobiles here out of 30 million people. AND MOST PEOP;E ARE NOT INTERESTED IN VINTAGE SLEDS LIKE ME HERE. I recently picked up in Michigan 4 vintage sleds. 1973 Lynx, 1974 Cheetah CDI ,1974 Cheetah 340 points, and 1973 Puma without engine. ALL HAVE ISSUES. LOTS OF PITTER PATTER!! You videos are helpful and fun to watch. Thank You Stanley
Stanley, thats BAD ASS. I didn't know there were sleds in CA either. I have never seen a posting of one. Your acquisitions are pretty neat.
The 73 Lynx is a bit weird as its a ONE YEAR ONLY 2/3 cleat track and involute drivers. Cleats are hard to find so hopefully you are good there. The 74 Cheetah 340 must have a 73 motor in it (T1B340). No biggie, just a bit more messing around setting points and making sure you have good coils. The 73 Puma should also have that same track with the 2/3 cleats and involute drivers. Thanks for the kind words on the video. Much appreciated. They are a fair amount of work but will keep doing them for now. Good luck on the CAT projects!
Say what you will about breaker point ignitions, at least you are ever only 45 minutes and max 40$ aways from fixing even the most severe ignition problem!!! Glad you got it going! Great vid!!!
Thanks Matt. I’ve had decent luck on all of em but the learning curve on a given platform is brutal.
Love these videos! Long live the vintage iron!!!
Thanks ED. I’ve saved 4 sleds personally. Trying to STOP buying carcasses and just enjoy the ones I have. That’s not working very well at present. Thanks for the comment.
So slick! Love your videos
Jesse, Appreciate it! Its kind of the bonus part of vintage. It sure is a wack of fun for sure. Some super fun people and very talented. I am just a hack compared to some of them. I am not patient enough or willing to spend the insane money for some of the restorations these guys do. Either way, there's something for everyone. Thanks for watching.
I love old cats 💕I run them myself. 71 to 75 using kaw. Nearly bankrupt cat. 76 was full line up using suz. ( thank god. ) kaw. At the time kaw. had flaking in the cylinders causing small pieces to get in bottom end… causing seal damage causing no pulse for fuel pump. Unless your having the cylinders redone… to nickle seal procedure done…. I will not put time or money into a kaw. Just remember those jag 3k or 4K engines bolt in nice… much better power plant. I remove oil injection… go premix… they are CDI. No points Haha maybe by now … you hear me think and say kaw. JUNK … love the build btw…. I, ll keep running my 69 panthers with suz. Power. Good day sir.
Robert there is much truth to what you are saying. This CDI T1C340 is probably the best vintage motor I have dealt with. It runs and starts and works perfectly. My FAN motors with WALBRO carbs are a bit crabby at times but rarely let me down. Fully understood on the chrome peeling. I just melted down that T1B340 and junked a perfect set of cylinders...... AND I MEAN PERFECT. Nicest chrome I have ever seen. Luckily the 340 is what everyone takes out. It is just fast enough to make these small chassis sleds fun. If you need more speed, just add in a beer or two, they become super fast. HA! I might make the switch on this one as it is a rider and I need reliability not original. Only my 73 panther will remain 100% stock. The rest are MOD machines all the way. Suzuki power, hell yes.
looks and sounds awesome! Jerry is definetley the go to guy!
Ye he has a lot of stuff. Apparently he owned this chassis at some point so even cooler. Thanks for the THUMBS up.
Pretty sweet mill going in that sled. I had a cdi give me just enough spark to make a little pop corn once in a while. I ended up going through the motor 3 times to try to find the problem. borrowed a cdi from another sled bingo ran like a top. you think no way but yep that's it. great video.
Here we go..... looking for responses on this one. Pulled and pulled and pulled. Had good spark. Pulled motor, tested everything possible with the ACTUAL Cat tester, then all the resistance checks in the book. Nothing........ then replaced the CDI. Same thing. Last ditch effort, swapped plug wires side to side..... ran perfectly. Switched them back...... runs perfectly. WTF. Can anyone explain that one?
Thanks for the kind words on the video.
Sometimes the Kawy Cats got a bad rep but over the years I’ve found that the 400 and under Kawy were better than the 440s. Also any 45 year old engine will usually need some TLC . Doesn’t matter what brand it is. As far as chrome peeling well yes the 1971/72 engines had some warranty issues and Kawasaki stepped up and fixed the problem. However old school two stroke oil wasn’t where it needed to be. I got a brother who still drags a modified to the gills 440 Kawy fan Puma and under what I’d consider to be extremely severe service the chrome holds up pretty good. But he’s running modern fuels and full synthetic oil. Usually he has to watch the crankshaft verses the chrome. But again it’s modified and twisting 7000 rpm plus . I believe it’s quite possible to build a Kawasaki and enjoy it without fear. I’ve got a 1972 399 im going to go through next summer.
Ps I hope you enjoy yours.
Agreed on all fronts! I’m not much for trashing my sleds or motors so hopefully all is good for along time. And…. Keeping that mixture pretty rich!!
Thanks for the great videos! Do you mind sharing what your running for the throttle block? I’m in the process of doing a dual mikuni swap on my 340 puma.
Ryan, that is a great question. On that puma I am using the stock 71 grip. They are the same for the LH or RH side, just flipped the other way. I like the 71 as they do not have any switches to deal with. (nice and clean)... Anyway the next thing you need is a thumb paddle from lets say a 73 or 74 eltigre as it is longer. I just got a spare one for my next conversion at a swap for 5 bucks but they are on E bay and Amazon. I do not have the PN handy but you will figure that out. Next I fabricate up a couple of thin steel plates to relocate the pivot ahead of where it is now so the cable attachment is in the proper location just on the front side of the grip. If you go to the "ABOUT" tab you can get my E mail address. I dont think it works on your phone, you need to be on a PC from what I have experienced. I can send you some better data and photos if that helps. I adapted that entire thing from what another guy did where he epoxied stuff together. Figured that was destined to fail so invented this. I had a guy at work duplicate the installation on his mikuni swap on his cat. Work's perfect. Lemme know you can get to my contact info. Thanks for the comment!
I think I've watched all your videos. Good job on them hope you carry on doing some more sleds. I'm currently sprucing up an old 69 panther with some history and corresponding damage haha. Cheap fun for a tinkerer really (compared to boats and classic vehicles haha)
My next build, and probably my last one is a 69 P12. Question is how far to take it. Uggh. I will be documenting it and posting for you fellas.
Gary Wright drivers ? I can't seem to find any for my 74 lynx...help
Find Gary Bright on FB. Also Ricks Rupps makes them, as well as Arctic Restoration. I got mine from Gary for my 74 Lynx.
Did you pull the orings over the rods or did you cut and glue them?
I have replaced center seal O rings on 3 KAWI motors and they stretch over just fine. Just let em rest a bit once they are done so they shrink back up. Never had one break. I make sure not to tempt fate around sharp edges of crank, rods, etc..... And make sure not to let it get pinched between rods and balance weights and the like. This engine had the pinned one piece center seal so was in good shape there. Hope that helps.
@@Letsfixsomething26 I do the same. Just didn't see what you did in the video. Nice build.
Eh..... thats on purpose. I am not much for HOW TO videos any more. Just get blasted too many times over the smallest of details. So.... its entertainment for sled crack heads now.
@@Letsfixsomething26 It's a major disappointment that people have to criticize. You're an aircraft mechanic working on a sled. I have watched all your videos and more than once. Pausing taking screen shots, and taking notes. I hope you continue to put out great content! Thanks for what you have done so far.
Brian, thanks for the kind words. I got a few videos in the hopper for some additional HOW TO type stuff. Stay tuned!! Hope it helps you out a little...
Where did u get that seat?
John, thanks for asking. For the Panther and this Puma, they came from Ernie Attwood. He has a lot of them on the shelf and ships immediately. On the RATT LYNX project I wanted to use a large Cat tank and skip all that trunk plastic (meaning it was a custom seat). Ernie hand made that one to my foam. I would change some things if I was to do it again however it turned out great. I did pay a lot in freight costs but oh well, they make more money. In hindsight I would of did the Lynx the exact same way as this Puma, and used a stock 70 Puma/71 Lynx seat foam with an off the shelf seat cover and a small tank. As it is, I am very lucky to have new seats on all 3 (soon to be 4) Cats I own. It takes any snowmobile and makes it look awesome. Having a nice sled and a ratty seat just don't cut it. atwood-parts.com/
@@Letsfixsomething26 thank you I appreciate it they look great!
Good video but really, really did you really need to take God's name in vain bud clean it up
Church and all things related to religion are pretty low on my list of things to worry about while making a video about a 1971 Arctic Cat Puma. Nobody got hurt, nobody was insulted (not even vintage Ski Doo's) and all of this is in good fun. Plus, my name is not Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart or Mac Hammond. You need to subscribe to another channel and worry about more important things going on in the world.