I hate winter and snow but after watching this video I want to go find a classic sled like this one and go play in the snow and enjoy the 2 stroke aroma!
Nice sled.It's not ugly, it's a very classy sled. Video brings back memories. I had one just like it. Put lots of miles on mine. Took it to the Black Hills in South Dakota for a 3 day weekend.Put 400 hundred miles on it that trip. It was really easy to re jet it for the higher elevation.
We had some yamaha phasers that were mid 80's. Agree, these were peak sleds to some extend. Hard to really get killed too bad and durable as hell. Throw some supplies in the back!
Once you get the hand and you’ve been around some tough machines. You develop a dummy proof logic. I absolutely love working on stuff like this and love the videos! Keep swinging that quality content
I’m proud of you young man! You took your time and methodically checked every option you could to eventually find the issue. Now having said that, you need some experience on soldering. Always, always pre-coat your copper wire. Then when to attach the two solder parts together you will get a clean joint. Be sure the wires are preheated to make a clean connection.
Yes, they just don't teach these kids to solder anymore! But he did follow the sequence of events to lead ;him to the problem like mechanical minded folk tend to do. I had no idea I was mechanically inclined until a guy tricked me into taking the 6 month Itek 560 daylight stat camera repair course in 6 weeks! I had no idea it was 6 months until he told me with this silly grin on his face! Shame they are so rare and not really needed with computers these days, best paying job I had was freelancing but with only 5 in the country (Canada) what do you do?
one problem... he fixed it in 10 minutes, but the video clearly shows it still being fixed 23 minutes later.. lil sketchy....took him more like 45 minutes.. ps always follow ignition backwards and he would have got it in less then ten :-) anyway not picking, been dong engines 40 years
Nice work man, my dad had that exact sled he bought new in 80, my brother and I rode that till it wouldn't go anymore so hearing that run brought back some memories! It's in amazing condition.
davidgeorge I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
As an electrical engineer, I’ll give you a couple quick tips number one when you soldering on a coil use a heat sink, put it between where your soldering and the cap. This will ensure the internal wiring won’t be melted 2. Follow some of your comments as far as learning how to solder and crimp wires. This will make all of your projects, much more professional. I’m 75 years old and love watching your videos. Keep doing what you’re doing!
After doing elect work for 35 years never saw many elect engineer had any idea what was going on unless it in the book that show they do not know his butt from hole in ground
@@clayayers9527 So.. he has no right to give him a good advice? I think that was a friendly ,Constructive Comment with a Nice Thumbs up at the end.... So , why so harsh? You aint know the man..
I recommend you run premix even with oil injection. If that pump fails, engine is toast and you won't know until its too late. Extra oil in the gas will not hurt a thing. I've been doing that for 25 years on old 2 strokes and never had a melt down yet. When it fired up that was just awesome! What a win! I'm going tonight to get a preseason deal on two old cats for $200 total. Hopefully mine are easy fixes like yours! Hard to believe these sleds sold for thousands in their day, most had little use, and we can scoop them up today for a days work / chump change!
You WOULD be adding oil to the gas on 2-strokes, which require that. I’m not too sure it’s wise to put oil in the gas for a 4-stroke motor… It might foul the plugs, or cause other issues. You might be right about everything, but it is news to me!
Extra oil in the gas leans out the fuel and air mixture. As long as one realizes this, and jets accordingly, no harm done. Sounds counter intuitive to some people, but of the concentration of oil in the fuel is higher, there is less gasoline per unit of volume then, right? Common sense, what isn't there, isn't there. So, for anyone "adding extra to protect the engine" could actually cause it to run too lean, detonate and overheat. It will still be lubricated, but have less actual fuel to burn. The oil doesn't burn, that's why it smokes. If it "burned" there would ne none left to lubricate the engine. I have played with performance two-strokes for quite a long time, and have never lost one to a lubrication failure even with oil injection.
@@hugejohnson5011 Yep. My buddies tell me the same thing for the last 25 years. One in particular thinks I'm going to give him lung cancer from too much supertech fumes. 🤣 I've never had an engine issue so I'm going to keep doing it. My newest sled is a 97 Cat and it still runs like new.
@@anthonyg6221 Yes. Not a huge deal unless you jet to the edge of leanness for performance. But of so, and were jetted fairly lean at say 32° F, and then had a Sunday race on the lake, and it was suddenly a 0° day, that could make you lean enough to have a really bad day! Of you're just talking about a trail machine that is run pretty fat to begin with, not such a concern. I'm not being a picky know it all, nor trying to lecture anyone, just sharing what some of us had to learn the hard way. Peace, and enjoy the rest of the winter.
In my experience the simple Suzuki 440 41horse engines pretty much an anvil when restored to new condition. If an owner thinks the oil injection pump is questionable, it can be removed. You install a block off plate on the crankcase and run 50-1 synthetic premix using proper synthetic sled oils and premium fuel. Cat sold a competition kit to convert the 1980s Cougar to premix only for snow cross racing. This kit would retrofit any of the 500/440/340 fanner oil injection two strokes. All it was was a block off plate and a case stuffer to take the place of the injection pump in the case. A fellow could make a replica fairly easily. There’s a factory procedure in the manuals on how to check the oil pump for optimum operation. So if I had one of these I’d check it and if it shows signs of failure, remove it and go premix only. Been there, done that, no problems. Modern oils burn just about smoke free after warm up. It’s been 45 years. Things have improved.
Grew up in TRF and a lot of my classmates work at Artic Cat and have retired from their, I remember when Artic released that new style of Panther, we called it the tank and wasn't to friendly in powdered snow but was a great trail sled for its time, sleds really started to change in 79-80-81, fun times, you got a nice sled for only 150.
Well done. Longest 10 minutes of my life. Re: Soldering (as we call it in the UK), I was taught to silver the wires to be attached with solder, before trying to solder them to the point required.
Had a 1980 Arctic Cat Jag 3000 with a 340cc in it when I was a kid and this brought back so many memories. Loved that sled even though it was underpowered compared to everyone else. Those old Arctic Cat engines are almost bulletproof, never had any problems and mine always started by the second pull no matter how cold it was or how long it sat before starting. If I could offer some advice as an armchair quarterback, I definitely recommend redoing your solder repair. It'll work short term, but that's going to break off again or just fall off because it's a cold joint. Strip it shorter, no more than the thickness of the center conductor between the solder pile and the insulation, and before you solder gently scrape the center conductor with an Exacto or razor blade to remove any coating that may be on it or dirt/varnish from being 40+ years old, then put the tip of the iron on the bare wire and touch the solder to the wire not the iron. The solder should be absorbed into the wire and flow up it, then attach it to the coil.
Back in that era the blank plate on the dash was for a dual cylinder head temp gauge. My 73 340z (factory racer with a freeair Kawasaki with twin 40mm Mikunis) had them installed along with a tether kill switch. Most of the fan cooled motors didn't have the head temp populated unless someone installed the Arctic Cat upgrade kit. That's a really nice sled, enjoy it!
scottmarshall I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Oh the junk Kawasaki powered cats that the center seal in crank case always leaked n ran like shit! Arctic cat was smart dumping Kawasaki n going to Suzuki "spirit"!
Best $150 you EVER spent! As others have said- when soldering, use flux, tin the wire (makes the joint solder quicker and the tinned wire is stronger) and replace that pull rope! Great Video!
freckles I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Yes. My daughter manages a grocery store and works today. Fortunately, they’re closed tomorrow. Her boyfriend works as a cook at an airport restaurant and works all day. All the nurses, police, firefighters, etc. And these are high stress long hour jobs. Thank all of you!
When ever you get an old sled, it’s a good idea to make sure the bogies roll free, before you take off. Especially on old Arctic Cats. The drivers are usually fragile and are easy to break. What I do, is take a hypodermic needle full of 90 weight. And with the sled lifted. I inject 90wt. Passed the rubber seal and into the bogies bearings. And try to grease everything, Jack shaft, skis, etc. I will run it off the track, to see if everything spins nicely…and if it doesn’t. Fix it so it does. That way, you don’t snap off the drive cogs for seized bogies and such. Also. On that engine, I would take it out. And put a new PTO and mag side seal. The old ones suck air and lean/ seize the engine. Just my opinion. Nice sled.
@@greaniebeaniez3070 well…actually it’s just normal maintenance. Those machines are run in the winter….and variably, encounter salt….with the ice and snow and slush. All that crap of course enters every orifice, and seizes things up when they sit for any length of time.
@@wff58 so ….it doesn’t have two bogies at the back? And by some miracle they don’t have bearings? “Why no….those two bogies ride on magnetic spaceships that don’t need lubrication.” So….the Jack shaft doesn’t ride on bearings….and doesn’t have a brake rotor….with a possibly seized brake ? And…. Yes, I didn’t mention check the Hi-fax so your not sawing the tunnel in half, and carbides up front so you don’t ruin your skis. Tell me, …..exactly what do you want? Because I’m confused.
Gotta Love a vintage Arctic Cat Pantera.. I always referred to them as the Cadillac of snowmobiles, back in the day. I'd love to find one like this one, for my wife to ride. Fantasic job of getting it running. It still appears to be in mint condition. Great video! Thanks!
Little tip with those old machines if your planning to keep it disconnect the oil injection and mix your own gas. Lost a few motors when the oil injection stopped working without me knowing
I hear this all the time and I have had many old sled and never an issue other than my yamaha SRV pump started leaking oil all over so that one I disconnected, one polaris 340 I purchased a guy said the oil pump quit but it was actually a bad crank seal
@@renoallstate4573 most of the time it's a lack of maintenance that ruins motors not the oil pump. It's a oilied pump that pumps oil. Not likely to wear out and fail
@@mattman9232 maybe 2 or 3 minutes if that if I had to guess. Just depends on how hot the machine is already and how hard you're running it when you no longer have oil coming into the gas... It won't take long at all!
Cool project. I love seeing vintage stuff get a new chance to shine. And, its not ugly. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's vintage gorgeous! Great vid!
Nice score. Gotta love those easy fixes. Reminds me of my first sled. A 1971 panther 399. Bought it from a customer I was doing work for back in the late 90s. I worked on it more than I rode it. Seemed to always break something every ride but was still fun. Some tips for you. Flux with your solder everytime, get some carbides for your front skis. It will turn on a dime even on ice. Don't tie up your pull cord before you run it through all the brackets. Lol great video, brought back alot of memories. I really miss riding my last sled I ever bought which was a 03 900 mountain cat. Thing was a rocket. Anyways have fun and carry tools with you if you go very far from home. Great little trail riding / ice fishing machine u got there. Sure is in nice shape.
Great video! I love the content, you got very great troubleshooting skills very respectable! My late cousin 01-04-23, and I found an abandoned crashed 94 Jag 440 with 2,000 plus miles, took the engine, driven clutch, and chain case, harness. We rebuilt the engine, the found a nice 91 JagLT body and got it put together this past summer 22. He lowered the gearing and changed the clutching, and also the driven. It's top speed is about 40 plus but... hauling logs with it is a blast😁
My neighbor had this exact schedule when I was young I believe it was a Pantera 5000 I could be wrong but it looked exactly like that and it was beautiful at the time nice to see it again brings back memories.
As suggested maybe try and flux and “tin” the wire tips before attaching next time, they kinda like that😉 Awesome score and great troubleshooting! Thats the idea, like capt James Kirk would say,”boldly go where no mans gone before.” It’s usually the little things like that most give up on. I grabbed a free “no start” mower last summer that the owner tried everything including a new plug. When checking it I found cellophane wrapped around it! Cant beat free or fix stupid but I drove back over to him and gave it back. He was so pleased and thankful because he was just leaving to go drop $300 on a new one from HD that he gave me his old JD riding mower for my efforts saying he doesn’t use it anymore anyway since putting in a huge raised garden complex. THAT only needed a good carb clean and it’s my workhorse now complete with a trailer… (JD L100 & a Wheelhorse trailer!) Keep attit brother, you’ve made a sub outta me! 👍🏼👍🏼from this guy!
Nice job of troubleshooting, but if I may suggest, the solder joint that you made with the solder flowing back along the wire (which can not be helped) makes for a very stiff joint that will be very prone to breaking. It would be worth bending the wire back and perhaps securing it with a tie wrap around the body of the coil to ensure that there is no vibration induced breakage of the wire. In other words, preventing exactly the same issue that stopped the motor in the first instance. Congrats on a logical approach to troubleshooting.
Could he have used solder and then a dab of hot glue to reinforce the connection? Or maybe a cold solder and hot glue if he was worried about heat ruining the coil?
This brings back memories from the late 1970's early 80's...when I was just a kid. Dad had the 1972 Chaparral Firebird SS with the twin 650cc Hurth engine and bogey track suspension. For Christmas, just before I turned 11, my parents bought me a 1974 Artic Cat Lynx with the single 292cc Kawasaki engine. That little Lynx was a terrific trail sled...easy to turn with its big skis...high wind shield...and very comfortable upright seating position. It was quick and light. Not so great in powder, given the short track...but it did have the slide rails! I miss those days...going out for a few hours with Dad to ride the trails or travel to the nearest lake for high speed frozen lake runs following by a pizza! Best of times!!!!
I was thinking inspect ignition parts and verify spark. Then I was getting anxious as to the result of step one. When you arrived at that open caused by vibration, I had to think attaching a connector tab and a push on connector for the wire and reroute and tie off would reduce the effect of vibration. Others are telling good ideas about paste flux, etc. If you did that, it would probably last and last. Nice job how it worked out for now, but when you're up somewhere in the freezing cold, you don't want that coming loose again. I wish I had your kind of luck and circumstances, sometimes. You did well and that sled is a "good get" at $150. That was a couple hours invested, and minimal expense. Hooray for you.
Great job man! Honestly great job. Shows everyone that just because it's old, does not mean it's broken. And word of advice from someone who's burned a 2 stroke down by trusting that pump to much. Don't trust those pumps. Always premix. It's a fail safe way to ensure it lives longer and better.
What about running premix AND adding gas to oil reservoir? That way, as long as the oil injection system is still running, the mixture won't be too rich. Once you confirm the oiler is finally dead, then adjust your fuel accordingly.
Love your videos as they bring back great memories! I think when you look back at the beginning of this video, you might have seen a sparking going on below the coil? I apologize if someone else might have brought this up already. Nice job overall!
Being a plumber for 30 years and also working on electrical circuits…ALWAYS make sure you have a clean tip wire..ALWAYS make sure the stud or connection is clean also …You can use a solder sucker or braided coil wire to draw old solder from each component …Tin studs first…Tin wires next…When solder pin or gun touch’s studs that are to be soldered , hold wire close to join together….shorter wire always works better and not twisted (basically a flat end on wire )…touch up to cover whole component area…When I solder a wire to a stud with a small hole in it, I strip a longer end of wire to wrap around stud and then solder it…Follow up with glue gun melt to cover area as a strain relief….Good Luck!!
One piece of advise: look up soldering videos, that's a cold joint. Pre-tin the wire, use solder with flux (most solders nowadays), ideally remove the old solder. The trick is that both parts are up to temperature before the joint starts cooling down. The solder will not stick on a cold part. Also, there is some arcing visible in the shot in front of the garage. It probably was audible as well, often your ears help finding ignition problems
Yeah his soldering "skills" is no go. And probably whatever "glue" was around it was mixing in with it. Gotta get stuff up to temp and let the solder flow. Not just jump in and throw solder at the gun.
This is such an awesome sled. I love the old vintage look. It’s probably smoking a lot because it probably a 10:1 mix you’re retuning with both premix and the oil pump. 😂
You gave me the motivation to get and rebuild my fist dirt bike thanks to you I got just got that baby running love the videos I’ve see them all keep up the great work man
skaterdude I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Just so you know; 99% of small engines (from weed eaters to multiple cylinder 2 strokes), had a GROUND ignition cut. They all GROUND the coil's primary or secondary to kill the ignition. On an old motocross bike for example, the kill switch simply grounds the ignition. The simplest troubleshooting on those is to DISconnect all ignition switches, main, tether and killswitch.
If you're trying to solder a broken wire to a stub - and you brought up a good point - trying not to concentrate too much heat on internal components, tin your wire first. Get a good build up of solder on the wire, place the wire on the stub and then apply heat from the wire side. When the solder on the wire side turns molten it joins quickly with the stub without zorching the internals. You followed the diagnosis ABC's to a tee, nice work.
Follow this mans advice. He is spot on when it comes to soldering. Get some flux and keep it handy. There will be lots of situations where the flux in the solder core will not be enough. Also, always make sure that no bare wires are exposed after soldering like on the bottom of this coil. Great job!
I cringed when he twisted the wire with the dirty gloves - grease will prevent the solder from sticking to the wire. Go back, unsolder the wire, clean it with alcohol, use flux, tin the wire, and resolder. Otherwise he will get what the other guy had - a broken/disconnected trigger wire on the coil!
That cable for the oil pump determines how much oil to inject. More throttle equals more oil. It’s a metering valve. Even disconnected it would still inject some oil. That was a great buy. That sled is in great shape and runs great
I appreciate your insight. BTW bigmsn I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Just a tip when your soldering you want to see the solder flow into the wire by heating it up longer than you did. that will give you a really good joint.
It would be cool to see you keep trading this sled for newer and newer sleds! Maybe a mid 90s one next that could use some love, and then keep going up in the years! It would make for a good series!
I should have filmed my escapades the last couple years cause that's pretty much what I've been doing to the point where I have a paid off 04 renegade for my wife.
I just bought a 1997 arctic cat prowler with no spark, I spent a few hundred dollars on a stator and now I'm rebuilding the carbs. Can't wait to go rip it in the snow.
Love it brother! I'm down in Brodhead Wisconsin and I seen that on Market Place and thought dang I'd love to have it . Great buy! Piece of advice take the coil back off and build some silicone up around the wire connection to the coil to absorb the vibration. Also gob a little on the grommet that you turned over for the pull rope to hold it where you turned it. Sweet little machine! Love your content buddy I have watched every episode since I found your channel
Dang, the condition of that sled is amazing. I can't believe it, one of the nicer old sleds I've seen. Even mine back when I bought used sleds, were not in that great shape, what a steal of a price. The pull cord will break again. Replace with new cord.
ryanjohnson I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
@@mmaaddict78 He also wants to keep the excess bare wire to a minimum, hell, create a loop at the end for better securement in a high vibration area. Use Amtech 559 flux etc.
I was thinking 200. You did well. Also...I saw that 1st spark and threw a celebration! Good job on finding that problem. Not too shabby! *I said out loud it's probably the coil when you were on your way to pick it up. New subscriber!
Nice old sled! I would keep an eye on the spark plugs for a while and ensure that they are the correct heat range for that engine. Too hot will burn a hole in the top of the piston. If spark plugs are a chocolate brown color then your air / fuel / oil mixture is good. You mentioned the gasket between the carburetor and intake manifold possibly leaking. If there is a leak, it will suck air and cause a lean fuel condition that will melt pistons at wide open throttle. If spark plugs are white, there is a lean fuel condition and there will be problems. Reading the spark plugs on the old 2 strokes will tell you the health of the engine. Have fun with your new toy!
Enjoyed your video. I grew up on those 70’s sleds. Still love them. That pantera was the Cadillac back in the day. I still have the 74 panther my dad bought new.
wobbiewall I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
@@kanadianbacon7733 Yep!! that is exactly what I am doing with my new sled. I printed out the testing procedure for the oil pump, but until I verify I pre-mixed the gas and oil.
Maybe I am stupid, but after seeing the bullshit oil injection was booted, I would have checked the gas to see if was premixed. I personally would also off the injection anyway and premix at 32:1
Great video! Brought back some good memories of my first snow mobile experience in 1970 in Alberta, Canada....a 2-stroke SkiDoo....bright yellow one. Love it!
@@flat-earther , Thanks. We have good friends who have 2 kids. One is currently an astronaut residing on the International Space Station, and the other is a flat-earth theorist! Hilarious, huh?!!
Cool ride! I got this exact issue on my motorcycle a couple months ago, but that's a 4 cylinder, so I could limp it home on just 2. Had it diagnosed and fixed in no time. Small note on the soldering; I learnt that you shouldn't twist the wire (or only very slightly) as it prevents the solder from flowing in between the strands properly. You get a stronger connection untwisted. A little flux would help the tin flow too ofcourse. I finished mine with a dollop of hot glue just for good measure, though you probably did that off camera.
vyantquijt I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Great deal. You might want to avoid towing from the ski tips though. You could snap a ski leg.or bend a tie rod. As you pull foreward there is an equal pressure trying to pull your ski tips inward.Much better to pass your rope around the ski legs themselves. That way there is no leverage trying to pull the ski tips together.
Great buy here....grew up in the 70s with my dad doing motorcycles in warm months & snowmobiles winters. I'd have give $150 for that sled and done the same as you! First sled I had was an old Rupp, if I recall correctly. I was about 7, we had to wrap a rope around the recoil manually, had no seat, my brother and I had them old Hot seats strapped down to it for our seats. Upgraded to single cylinder Polaris a few years down the road, then to Ski-doo twin, then like the man you got this from said about his son, I basically did the same, got a car (68 chevelle, 327 w/4 speed)! If I had all that to do over again, I'd have kept on racing BMX, kept the sled and motorcycle, instead of chasing girls, etc.....video brought back 40 year old memories! If I still lived up north, I'd be on the lookout for a cheap sled like this myself. Subscribed and look forward to more of your adventures! cheers...
I bought my buddies 95 grand touring in the summer, told me he cleaned the carbs and it didn't run right after, he gave up. Bought it for 500 bucks, like you found the problem in 10 minutes- he flipped one of the floats upside down. Not gas getting to one cylinder. Don't you just love it!
cpgixxer I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Just a little tip from an old electrician, your soldering techniques need a little improvement. You should tin the wire first by heating it up and applying solder to it then melt the solder on the coil and put them together. Not so much bare wire and support it so it doesn't break off again, keep up the good work. Cheers
I had that exact year Panther when I was a kid. They’re bullet proof sleds. We were the second owner, and the third owner still uses it to this day. Great job getting the old girl up and running again!
You're very mellow, enjoyable to watch you work. Probably not safe to trust the oil injection, just mix it. Good way to wreck those older machines. It'll score those cylinders quickly.
One more thing you might want to check out is the intake between the carb and the engine. The one cylinder looked to be running lean I don't know if the intake air and fuel split for the cylinders or if it is a matter of the path of least resistance sort of thing going on but reestablishing a power balance between the cylinders will help it last longer.
Fan cooled twin cylinders can use two different heat range plugs. The cylinder on the left further from the fan typicaly runs a little hotter so it can handle 1 range cooler plug. Makes tuning and reading plugs more accurate.
dondiego I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
I got my 377 safari for 350 buck right before the classic snowmobile boom now nobody can find one for under a 1000 bucks glade I got it when I did back in 2013 have now had her for over 10 years and I'm proud to say she is still running hope that panther runs for as long and as well as mine it's December 24 at time of this comment so merry Christmas and happy new year
Well this brings back fond memories. I had an old Chaparral then a John Deere trailfire then finally a yahama ovation. My stepson would ride along with me many times on his sled. My fondest memories is letting my son joyride in a huge field and hearing him giggle all the way. Also there's nothing like sitting in a huge field at night, shutting the machine off and listening to the countryside with the stars above.
davidbarrera I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
That brings back memories. Didn't own one but was a teenager when it came out and my neighbor had a couple. Loved the El Tigre. Hell, you already got $150 worth of fun out of it. I hate the cold, but that looks like fun. Only need 4/5 more inches, that's what she said, of snow.
Also I will run a 50:1 premix and put oil in the resivior. Draw a line at oil level and make sure it goes down in level before not pre mixing fuel. It’d suck to blow it up because the mechanical pump didn’t have any prime
jamiebouchard I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther wtf are you talking about??😂😂😂. Sky’s blue, grass is primarily green and earth is round. I’m not positive about anything else so take that mumbo jumbo elsewhere. My grandfather has a 40yr career in aerospace, subcontracted by nasa and lead a team which was responsible for putting the Apollo missions into orbit. Have a wonderful day😂😂
stevenmatsoukas I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
Super great score for a vintage machine that clean I moved to florida 8 years ago. So no more snow. But grew up in Pennsylvania and definitely road a lot of sleds
I just picked up a Yamaha Enticer for $150 that wasn’t running and all it took was cleaning the carb and a new choke cable to get it running! Now I have to figure out if I’m keeping it a sled or pulling the motor for something else. I live in Pennsylvania and we don’t get much snow anymore…lol.
Great video, love those old vintage machines. I had a 79 Kawasaki invader, and really had a ball. 2 things I suggest.... Your compression test may have been inaccurate as you have put oil down the cylinders. Also protect your soldering connection with liquid electrical tape is recommended.
johnkettles I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
That sled sure brings back memories. Had that exact year and model and an 81 Kawasaki drifter. I bought both from a guy in 91 for 500 bucks and that was a lot of money then. I was 16 years old. Good job getting it going.
grumpymunchkin I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
riccochet I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
as someone that did a lot of snowmobiling when younger, if i had a issue like that the first thing i checked was to see that the coil was getting power properly and checking by pulling the plugs out like you did, if no spark then i would check other connections to see that they were also functioning properly, i did the same on all my vehicles, check the coil and firing systems and trace back if need be, ive had wires on my outboard screw up and i would fix it there while on the water so the power to the plags is number 1 priority for me
madhampster I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe. I got it in my about tab.
dude that was freakin awesome cant believe these guys are giving you a hard time about soldering.but im just recovering from the seizure your garage floor gave me ,still that was fun
I'm no expert on small engines but it seemed like a very good diagnostic approach. I agree with the recommendations about improving the solder joint. Was the old gas removed from the tank and line? My expert mechanic buddy does that right away, because it's often the main culprit or at least a significant contributor to non/poor-running small engines. Some high-octane gas may contain ethanol which will attract water even if stored in a garage. A dose of Seafoam might be in order. Glad to see it turned out to be a good find ! Also see good tips at www.youtube.com/@StevesSmallEngineSaloon
I have that same model, but that one is in way better shape! Good find. My rope just snapped as well 😑. I cant keep it running, it will fire up after choking, but then slowly dies out, sometimes you can even drive it a little ways away & it will rip for a second ,then die again
Got a be a thrill for $150! Great job! Not too confident in the solder job, looks like a possible cold solder joint that will fail later on, just saying.
$150 is a steal for that sled> a little cleaning and some sanding, polishing and clear coat on the gauges and it will look rand new. i know there are some old heads out there that look for the older sleds and would pay good money for this one
Love that machine for the price. Looks like it runs pretty good. Can believe it cranked on old gas, seen a 24 sticker but maybe not bad yet. Great find.
Great deal on a good sled. I had one I bought for $100 in parts, put it together, spent about $200 bucks on paint and decals and recovered the seat. Ran it for 4 yrs before getting $1000 on trade in.
Oh man the nostalgia. We had sleds in our family when I was very young. Elan 300, and my brother gave me his old Nordic when I was like 10. A couple of Olympics.
You have yourself a nice little putt putt to play around on. Had one similar to that when I was young. Here in Northern Ontario, you could flip that easily and get 2000 for it with a bit of work. The price of old machines up here is crazy. Everyone wants them because they are easy and cheap to fix and they can take a beating. Hope you have fun on your new toy before selling it.
I hate winter and snow but after watching this video I want to go find a classic sled like this one and go play in the snow and enjoy the 2 stroke aroma!
*"Me too
Nice sled.It's not ugly, it's a very classy sled. Video brings back memories. I had one just like it. Put lots of miles on mine. Took it to the Black Hills in South Dakota for a 3 day weekend.Put 400 hundred miles on it that trip. It was really easy to re jet it for the higher elevation.
We had some yamaha phasers that were mid 80's. Agree, these were peak sleds to some extend. Hard to really get killed too bad and durable as hell. Throw some supplies in the back!
Once you get the hand and you’ve been around some tough machines. You develop a dummy proof logic. I absolutely love working on stuff like this and love the videos! Keep swinging that quality content
I’m proud of you young man! You took your time and methodically checked every option you could to eventually find the issue.
Now having said that, you need some experience on soldering. Always, always pre-coat your copper wire. Then when to attach the two solder parts together you will get a clean joint. Be sure the wires are preheated to make a clean connection.
Yes, they just don't teach these kids to solder anymore! But he did follow the sequence of events to lead ;him to the problem like mechanical minded folk tend to do. I had no idea I was mechanically inclined until a guy tricked me into taking the 6 month Itek 560 daylight stat camera repair course in 6 weeks! I had no idea it was 6 months until he told me with this silly grin on his face! Shame they are so rare and not really needed with computers these days, best paying job I had was freelancing but with only 5 in the country (Canada) what do you do?
and dont twist the wires with oily gloves
@@drampadreg1386hhhxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And you use Flux
one problem... he fixed it in 10 minutes, but the video clearly shows it still being fixed 23 minutes later.. lil sketchy....took him more like 45 minutes.. ps always follow ignition backwards and he would have got it in less then ten :-) anyway not picking, been dong engines 40 years
This sled was a great deal, runs awesome now that you fixed it. Many memories you could create with a vintage snowmobile. Thanks for the content!
Just saying I work with them over 35 years nothing better than on hard work then you know what you doing everything not in books
Yep.. like pulling a vertebrae out of whack lifting it's ass end of steel....😅 jk
It only took 30 minutes to find the problem in 10 minutes! Amazing.
You should see the ones the dealer gave up on and he fixes in 10 minutes
Nice work man, my dad had that exact sled he bought new in 80, my brother and I rode that till it wouldn't go anymore so hearing that run brought back some memories! It's in amazing condition.
davidgeorge I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Those old Arctic Cats would run like the wind
As an electrical engineer, I’ll give you a couple quick tips number one when you soldering on a coil use a heat sink, put it between where your soldering and the cap. This will ensure the internal wiring won’t be melted 2. Follow some of your comments as far as learning how to solder and crimp wires.
This will make all of your projects, much more professional.
I’m 75 years old and love watching your videos. Keep doing what you’re doing!
After doing elect work for 35 years never saw many elect engineer had any idea what was going on unless it in the book that show they do not know his butt from hole in ground
@@clayayers9527 So.. he has no right to give him a good advice?
I think that was a friendly ,Constructive Comment with a Nice Thumbs up at the end....
So , why so harsh? You aint know the man..
@@clayayers9527 Well at 75 years of age he probably has a fair share of hands on electrical work I would be willing to bet.
@beakittelscherz5 it's one of his cult followers419
I too am an electrical engineer at 80 years old and I definitely have to agree with you on this project
I recommend you run premix even with oil injection. If that pump fails, engine is toast and you won't know until its too late. Extra oil in the gas will not hurt a thing. I've been doing that for 25 years on old 2 strokes and never had a melt down yet. When it fired up that was just awesome! What a win! I'm going tonight to get a preseason deal on two old cats for $200 total. Hopefully mine are easy fixes like yours! Hard to believe these sleds sold for thousands in their day, most had little use, and we can scoop them up today for a days work / chump change!
You WOULD be adding oil to the gas on 2-strokes, which require that. I’m not too sure it’s wise to put oil in the gas for a 4-stroke motor… It might foul the plugs, or cause other issues. You might be right about everything, but it is news to me!
Extra oil in the gas leans out the fuel and air mixture. As long as one realizes this, and jets accordingly, no harm done. Sounds counter intuitive to some people, but of the concentration of oil in the fuel is higher, there is less gasoline per unit of volume then, right? Common sense, what isn't there, isn't there. So, for anyone "adding extra to protect the engine" could actually cause it to run too lean, detonate and overheat. It will still be lubricated, but have less actual fuel to burn. The oil doesn't burn, that's why it smokes. If it "burned" there would ne none left to lubricate the engine. I have played with performance two-strokes for quite a long time, and have never lost one to a lubrication failure even with oil injection.
@@hugejohnson5011 Yep. My buddies tell me the same thing for the last 25 years. One in particular thinks I'm going to give him lung cancer from too much supertech fumes. 🤣 I've never had an engine issue so I'm going to keep doing it. My newest sled is a 97 Cat and it still runs like new.
@@anthonyg6221 Yes. Not a huge deal unless you jet to the edge of leanness for performance. But of so, and were jetted fairly lean at say 32° F, and then had a Sunday race on the lake, and it was suddenly a 0° day, that could make you lean enough to have a really bad day! Of you're just talking about a trail machine that is run pretty fat to begin with, not such a concern. I'm not being a picky know it all, nor trying to lecture anyone, just sharing what some of us had to learn the hard way. Peace, and enjoy the rest of the winter.
In my experience the simple Suzuki 440 41horse engines pretty much an anvil when restored to new condition. If an owner thinks the oil injection pump is questionable, it can be removed. You install a block off plate on the crankcase and run 50-1 synthetic premix using proper synthetic sled oils and premium fuel. Cat sold a competition kit to convert the 1980s Cougar to premix only for snow cross racing. This kit would retrofit any of the 500/440/340 fanner oil injection two strokes. All it was was a block off plate and a case stuffer to take the place of the injection pump in the case. A fellow could make a replica fairly easily. There’s a factory procedure in the manuals on how to check the oil pump for optimum operation. So if I had one of these I’d check it and if it shows signs of failure, remove it and go premix only. Been there, done that, no problems. Modern oils burn just about smoke free after warm up. It’s been 45 years. Things have improved.
Grew up in TRF and a lot of my classmates work at Artic Cat and have retired from their, I remember when Artic released that new style of Panther, we called it the tank and wasn't to friendly in powdered snow but was a great trail sled for its time, sleds really started to change in 79-80-81, fun times, you got a nice sled for only 150.
Well done. Longest 10 minutes of my life. Re: Soldering (as we call it in the UK), I was taught to silver the wires to be attached with solder, before trying to solder them to the point required.
hey handsome ,how are you doing today ?
Had a 1980 Arctic Cat Jag 3000 with a 340cc in it when I was a kid and this brought back so many memories. Loved that sled even though it was underpowered compared to everyone else. Those old Arctic Cat engines are almost bulletproof, never had any problems and mine always started by the second pull no matter how cold it was or how long it sat before starting.
If I could offer some advice as an armchair quarterback, I definitely recommend redoing your solder repair. It'll work short term, but that's going to break off again or just fall off because it's a cold joint. Strip it shorter, no more than the thickness of the center conductor between the solder pile and the insulation, and before you solder gently scrape the center conductor with an Exacto or razor blade to remove any coating that may be on it or dirt/varnish from being 40+ years old, then put the tip of the iron on the bare wire and touch the solder to the wire not the iron. The solder should be absorbed into the wire and flow up it, then attach it to the coil.
duane I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Back in that era the blank plate on the dash was for a dual cylinder head temp gauge. My 73 340z (factory racer with a freeair Kawasaki with twin 40mm Mikunis) had them installed along with a tether kill switch. Most of the fan cooled motors didn't have the head temp populated unless someone installed the Arctic Cat upgrade kit.
That's a really nice sled, enjoy it!
scottmarshall I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Oh the junk Kawasaki powered cats that the center seal in crank case always leaked n ran like shit! Arctic cat was smart dumping Kawasaki n going to Suzuki "spirit"!
The same thing was on my ‘80 Lynx.
Best $150 you EVER spent!
As others have said- when soldering, use flux, tin the wire (makes the joint solder quicker and the tinned wire is stronger) and replace that pull rope!
Great Video!
Nice to see a change and putting sled content in hope you do more like this I enjoy seeing the old sled's back in operation.
freckles I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Yes. My daughter manages a grocery store and works today. Fortunately, they’re closed tomorrow. Her boyfriend works as a cook at an airport restaurant and works all day. All the nurses, police, firefighters, etc. And these are high stress long hour jobs. Thank all of you!
When ever you get an old sled, it’s a good idea to make sure the bogies roll free, before you take off. Especially on old Arctic Cats. The drivers are usually fragile and are easy to break.
What I do, is take a hypodermic needle full of 90 weight. And with the sled lifted.
I inject 90wt. Passed the rubber seal and into the bogies bearings.
And try to grease everything, Jack shaft, skis, etc.
I will run it off the track, to see if everything spins nicely…and if it doesn’t. Fix it so it does.
That way, you don’t snap off the drive cogs for seized bogies and such.
Also.
On that engine, I would take it out.
And put a new PTO and mag side seal. The old ones suck air and lean/ seize the engine.
Just my opinion.
Nice sled.
This is when you stop using artic cat machines Jesus that's alot just to make it not explode itself
@@greaniebeaniez3070 well…actually it’s just normal maintenance.
Those machines are run in the winter….and variably, encounter salt….with the ice and snow and slush.
All that crap of course enters every orifice, and seizes things up when they sit for any length of time.
This sled has slide rail suspension. Way better than Bogie Wheels.
@@wff58 so ….it doesn’t have two bogies at the back? And by some miracle they don’t have bearings?
“Why no….those two bogies ride on magnetic spaceships that don’t need lubrication.”
So….the Jack shaft doesn’t ride on bearings….and doesn’t have a brake rotor….with a possibly seized brake ?
And….
Yes, I didn’t mention check the Hi-fax so your not sawing the tunnel in half, and carbides up front so you don’t ruin your skis.
Tell me, …..exactly what do you want?
Because I’m confused.
@@greaniebeaniez3070 Cats were always a headache to keep running. Still are.
Gotta Love a vintage Arctic Cat Pantera.. I always referred to them as the Cadillac of snowmobiles, back in the day. I'd love to find one like this one, for my wife to ride. Fantasic job of getting it running. It still appears to be in mint condition. Great video! Thanks!
Little tip with those old machines if your planning to keep it disconnect the oil injection and mix your own gas. Lost a few motors when the oil injection stopped working without me knowing
Agreed!
I hear this all the time and I have had many old sled and never an issue other than my yamaha SRV pump started leaking oil all over so that one I disconnected, one polaris 340 I purchased a guy said the oil pump quit but it was actually a bad crank seal
@@renoallstate4573 most of the time it's a lack of maintenance that ruins motors not the oil pump. It's a oilied pump that pumps oil. Not likely to wear out and fail
@@mattman9232 maybe 2 or 3 minutes if that if I had to guess. Just depends on how hot the machine is already and how hard you're running it when you no longer have oil coming into the gas... It won't take long at all!
Totally agree, learned that from my Dad over 50 years ago on a Bridgestone 100.
Cool project. I love seeing vintage stuff get a new chance to shine. And, its not ugly. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's vintage gorgeous! Great vid!
retro I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Nice score. Gotta love those easy fixes. Reminds me of my first sled. A 1971 panther 399. Bought it from a customer I was doing work for back in the late 90s. I worked on it more than I rode it. Seemed to always break something every ride but was still fun. Some tips for you. Flux with your solder everytime, get some carbides for your front skis. It will turn on a dime even on ice. Don't tie up your pull cord before you run it through all the brackets. Lol great video, brought back alot of memories. I really miss riding my last sled I ever bought which was a 03 900 mountain cat. Thing was a rocket. Anyways have fun and carry tools with you if you go very far from home. Great little trail riding / ice fishing machine u got there. Sure is in nice shape.
Great video! I love the content, you got very great troubleshooting skills very respectable!
My late cousin 01-04-23, and I found an abandoned crashed 94 Jag 440 with 2,000 plus miles, took the engine, driven clutch, and chain case, harness. We rebuilt the engine, the found a nice 91 JagLT body and got it put together this past summer 22. He lowered the gearing and changed the clutching, and also the driven. It's top speed is about 40 plus but... hauling logs with it is a blast😁
My neighbor had this exact schedule when I was young I believe it was a Pantera 5000 I could be wrong but it looked exactly like that and it was beautiful at the time nice to see it again brings back memories.
As suggested maybe try and flux and “tin” the wire tips before attaching next time, they kinda like that😉 Awesome score and great troubleshooting! Thats the idea, like capt James Kirk would say,”boldly go where no mans gone before.” It’s usually the little things like that most give up on.
I grabbed a free “no start” mower last summer that the owner tried everything including a new plug. When checking it I found cellophane wrapped around it! Cant beat free or fix stupid but I drove back over to him and gave it back. He was so pleased and thankful because he was just leaving to go drop $300 on a new one from HD that he gave me his old JD riding mower for my efforts saying he doesn’t use it anymore anyway since putting in a huge raised garden complex. THAT only needed a good carb clean and it’s my workhorse now complete with a trailer…
(JD L100 & a Wheelhorse trailer!)
Keep attit brother, you’ve made a sub outta me! 👍🏼👍🏼from this guy!
Nice job of troubleshooting, but if I may suggest, the solder joint that you made with the solder flowing back along the wire (which can not be helped) makes for a very stiff joint that will be very prone to breaking. It would be worth bending the wire back and perhaps securing it with a tie wrap around the body of the coil to ensure that there is no vibration induced breakage of the wire. In other words, preventing exactly the same issue that stopped the motor in the first instance. Congrats on a logical approach to troubleshooting.
Could he have used solder and then a dab of hot glue to reinforce the connection? Or maybe a cold solder and hot glue if he was worried about heat ruining the coil?
This brings back memories from the late 1970's early 80's...when I was just a kid. Dad had the 1972 Chaparral Firebird SS with the twin 650cc Hurth engine and bogey track suspension. For Christmas, just before I turned 11, my parents bought me a 1974 Artic Cat Lynx with the single 292cc Kawasaki engine. That little Lynx was a terrific trail sled...easy to turn with its big skis...high wind shield...and very comfortable upright seating position. It was quick and light. Not so great in powder, given the short track...but it did have the slide rails! I miss those days...going out for a few hours with Dad to ride the trails or travel to the nearest lake for high speed frozen lake runs following by a pizza! Best of times!!!!
I was thinking inspect ignition parts and verify spark.
Then I was getting anxious as to the result of step one.
When you arrived at that open caused by vibration, I had to think attaching a connector tab and a push on connector for the wire and reroute and tie off would reduce the effect of vibration. Others are telling good ideas about paste flux, etc.
If you did that, it would probably last and last.
Nice job how it worked out for now, but when you're up somewhere in the freezing cold, you don't want that coming loose again.
I wish I had your kind of luck and circumstances, sometimes.
You did well and that sled is a "good get" at $150.
That was a couple hours invested, and minimal expense.
Hooray for you.
I learned something new every time I watch your programs. I’m sure that’s why you put them on. I’m big fan. Keep up the good work, buddy.
Great job man! Honestly great job. Shows everyone that just because it's old, does not mean it's broken. And word of advice from someone who's burned a 2 stroke down by trusting that pump to much. Don't trust those pumps. Always premix. It's a fail safe way to ensure it lives longer and better.
Eh… oil pumps last a lifetime. Don’t worry.
What about running premix AND adding gas to oil reservoir? That way, as long as the oil injection system is still running, the mixture won't be too rich. Once you confirm the oiler is finally dead, then adjust your fuel accordingly.
Love your videos as they bring back great memories! I think when you look back at the beginning of this video, you might have seen a sparking going on below the coil? I apologize if someone else might have brought this up already. Nice job overall!
I seen it sparking too and I was like ok how do u let him kno...Lol
@@kevinbuls1650 Yeah it's all good. Fun to watch some of this as I used to do quite a bit of repairs back in the day! Hey - Happy New Years to you!
I personally would give it back to the dude and say Merry Christmas...you are beyond getting deals like this.
he didn't want to store it anymore and needed the space in his garage to store the outdoor furniture.
Being a plumber for 30 years and also working on electrical circuits…ALWAYS make sure you have a clean tip wire..ALWAYS make sure the stud or connection is clean also …You can use a solder sucker or braided coil wire to draw old solder from each component …Tin studs first…Tin wires next…When solder pin or gun touch’s studs that are to be soldered , hold wire close to join together….shorter wire always works better and not twisted (basically a flat end on wire )…touch up to cover whole component area…When I solder a wire to a stud with a small hole in it, I strip a longer end of wire to wrap around stud and then solder it…Follow up with glue gun melt to cover area as a strain relief….Good Luck!!
One piece of advise: look up soldering videos, that's a cold joint. Pre-tin the wire, use solder with flux (most solders nowadays), ideally remove the old solder. The trick is that both parts are up to temperature before the joint starts cooling down. The solder will not stick on a cold part.
Also, there is some arcing visible in the shot in front of the garage. It probably was audible as well, often your ears help finding ignition problems
Thank you; was about to say the same but no longer have to.
If the "arcing" you see is at 7 minutes I think it's the variator belt messing with your eyes.
Yeah his soldering "skills" is no go. And probably whatever "glue" was around it was mixing in with it. Gotta get stuff up to temp and let the solder flow. Not just jump in and throw solder at the gun.
Here we go here comes experts. Couch experts
@@funtyes1970 Don`t have to be a expert to se that this is a cold joint
This is such an awesome sled. I love the old vintage look. It’s probably smoking a lot because it probably a 10:1 mix you’re retuning with both premix and the oil pump. 😂
You gave me the motivation to get and rebuild my fist dirt bike thanks to you I got just got that baby running love the videos I’ve see them all keep up the great work man
skaterdude I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
We don't have these in England but I'm really getting to love the look of these old models, I would say a keeper for sure , loving the content.
Just so you know; 99% of small engines (from weed eaters to multiple cylinder 2 strokes), had a GROUND ignition cut. They all GROUND the coil's primary or secondary to kill the ignition. On an old motocross bike for example, the kill switch simply grounds the ignition. The simplest troubleshooting on those is to DISconnect all ignition switches, main, tether and killswitch.
If you're trying to solder a broken wire to a stub - and you brought up a good point - trying not to concentrate too much heat on internal components, tin your wire first. Get a good build up of solder on the wire, place the wire on the stub and then apply heat from the wire side. When the solder on the wire side turns molten it joins quickly with the stub without zorching the internals. You followed the diagnosis ABC's to a tee, nice work.
Follow this mans advice. He is spot on when it comes to soldering. Get some flux and keep it handy. There will be lots of situations where the flux in the solder core will not be enough. Also, always make sure that no bare wires are exposed after soldering like on the bottom of this coil. Great job!
@@superdog1964 I always use flux pretty much, world of difference
I cringed when he twisted the wire with the dirty gloves - grease will prevent the solder from sticking to the wire. Go back, unsolder the wire, clean it with alcohol, use flux, tin the wire, and resolder. Otherwise he will get what the other guy had - a broken/disconnected trigger wire on the coil!
That cable for the oil pump determines how much oil to inject. More throttle equals more oil. It’s a metering valve. Even disconnected it would still inject some oil. That was a great buy. That sled is in great shape and runs great
I appreciate your insight.
BTW bigmsn I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Just a tip when your soldering you want to see the solder flow into the wire by heating it up longer than you did. that will give you a really good joint.
It would be cool to see you keep trading this sled for newer and newer sleds! Maybe a mid 90s one next that could use some love, and then keep going up in the years! It would make for a good series!
I should have filmed my escapades the last couple years cause that's pretty much what I've been doing to the point where I have a paid off 04 renegade for my wife.
Jqwsxd I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
I just bought a 1997 arctic cat prowler with no spark, I spent a few hundred dollars on a stator and now I'm rebuilding the carbs. Can't wait to go rip it in the snow.
Love it brother! I'm down in Brodhead Wisconsin and I seen that on Market Place and thought dang I'd love to have it . Great buy! Piece of advice take the coil back off and build some silicone up around the wire connection to the coil to absorb the vibration. Also gob a little on the grommet that you turned over for the pull rope to hold it where you turned it. Sweet little machine! Love your content buddy I have watched every episode since I found your channel
Dang, the condition of that sled is amazing. I can't believe it, one of the nicer old sleds I've seen. Even mine back when I bought used sleds, were not in that great shape, what a steal of a price. The pull cord will break again. Replace with new cord.
ryanjohnson I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther Who the hell ARE you? And what are you talking about??
Had a good time watching you fix something that's older than you they was a decent sled when it was new have fun with it 😀
You should pre tin your bare wire also use a little Flux for a better solder joint.
Also, when you solder, you don’t melt the solder with the iron, you have to heat the wire so it draws the solder into it.
@@mmaaddict78 He also wants to keep the excess bare wire to a minimum, hell, create a loop at the end for better securement in a high vibration area. Use Amtech 559 flux etc.
Use flux also.
Learned that in 7 th grade shop class a lot of people don’t know that.
Yeah, i was screaming at my phone when he was trying to solder it. Also he was asking heat directly to the solder instead of the wire.
I was thinking 200. You did well. Also...I saw that 1st spark and threw a celebration! Good job on finding that problem. Not too shabby! *I said out loud it's probably the coil when you were on your way to pick it up. New subscriber!
Nice old sled! I would keep an eye on the spark plugs for a while and ensure that they are the correct heat range for that engine. Too hot will burn a hole in the top of the piston. If spark plugs are a chocolate brown color then your air / fuel / oil mixture is good. You mentioned the gasket between the carburetor and intake manifold possibly leaking. If there is a leak, it will suck air and cause a lean fuel condition that will melt pistons at wide open throttle. If spark plugs are white, there is a lean fuel condition and there will be problems. Reading the spark plugs on the old 2 strokes will tell you the health of the engine. Have fun with your new toy!
Excellent info, thanks!
@@tinytim9453 Your welcome, I learned this the hard way as a kid drag racing in the 70s.
Good to see you found the problem. But it's the first thing I would have thought of. have fun on it good luck buddy.
Those old machines always smoked like that just the era of the machine. Good purchase.
Enjoyed your video. I grew up on those 70’s sleds. Still love them. That pantera was the Cadillac back in the day. I still have the 74 panther my dad bought new.
You might want to premix your gas and oil - even at 100 : 1 for a bit until you can see if the oil pump is working.
*"Yes,,,great advice!¡"*
wobbiewall I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther Sorry. I'm not a sucker for you clickbait crap.
@@kanadianbacon7733 Yep!! that is exactly what I am doing with my new sled. I printed out the testing procedure for the oil pump, but until I verify I pre-mixed the gas and oil.
Maybe I am stupid, but after seeing the bullshit oil injection was booted, I would have checked the gas to see if was premixed. I personally would also off the injection anyway and premix at 32:1
Great video! Brought back some good memories of my first snow mobile experience in 1970 in Alberta, Canada....a 2-stroke SkiDoo....bright yellow one. Love it!
ihymns I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther , Thanks. We have good friends who have 2 kids. One is currently an astronaut residing on the International Space Station, and the other is a flat-earth theorist! Hilarious, huh?!!
@@ihymns Sure.
I suggest watching the series to learn stuff you may have not heard before.
Cool ride!
I got this exact issue on my motorcycle a couple months ago, but that's a 4 cylinder, so I could limp it home on just 2. Had it diagnosed and fixed in no time.
Small note on the soldering; I learnt that you shouldn't twist the wire (or only very slightly) as it prevents the solder from flowing in between the strands properly. You get a stronger connection untwisted. A little flux would help the tin flow too ofcourse.
I finished mine with a dollop of hot glue just for good measure, though you probably did that off camera.
vyantquijt I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Love the channel - a guilty pleasure. My friends' dad had an Alouette snowmobile from the 70s. Brought back many happy memories
Great deal. You might want to avoid towing from the ski tips though. You could snap a ski leg.or bend a tie rod. As you pull foreward there is an equal pressure trying to pull your ski tips inward.Much better to pass your rope around the ski legs themselves. That way there is no leverage trying to pull the ski tips together.
where do they usually get towed out from
Great buy here....grew up in the 70s with my dad doing motorcycles in warm months & snowmobiles winters. I'd have give $150 for that sled and done the same as you! First sled I had was an old Rupp, if I recall correctly. I was about 7, we had to wrap a rope around the recoil manually, had no seat, my brother and I had them old Hot seats strapped down to it for our seats. Upgraded to single cylinder Polaris a few years down the road, then to Ski-doo twin, then like the man you got this from said about his son, I basically did the same, got a car (68 chevelle, 327 w/4 speed)! If I had all that to do over again, I'd have kept on racing BMX, kept the sled and motorcycle, instead of chasing girls, etc.....video brought back 40 year old memories! If I still lived up north, I'd be on the lookout for a cheap sled like this myself. Subscribed and look forward to more of your adventures! cheers...
I bought my buddies 95 grand touring in the summer, told me he cleaned the carbs and it didn't run right after, he gave up. Bought it for 500 bucks, like you found the problem in 10 minutes- he flipped one of the floats upside down. Not gas getting to one cylinder. Don't you just love it!
cpgixxer I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Just a little tip from an old electrician, your soldering techniques need a little improvement. You should tin the wire first by heating it up and applying solder to it then melt the solder on the coil and put them together. Not so much bare wire and support it so it doesn't break off again, keep up the good work. Cheers
I had that exact year Panther when I was a kid. They’re bullet proof sleds. We were the second owner, and the third owner still uses it to this day. Great job getting the old girl up and running again!
What year? We had an 87, all red 500.
1980 Arctic Cat, Panther 440
Great Find
You're very mellow, enjoyable to watch you work.
Probably not safe to trust the oil injection, just mix it. Good way to wreck those older machines. It'll score those cylinders quickly.
Keep up the interactions when you buy something to me that’s the reason I like watching these types of videos
WOW did this thumbnail take me back! This was my exact sled when I was little. I rode this thing for 5 years. 1984 Artic Cat Panther 440.
One more thing you might want to check out is the intake between the carb and the engine. The one cylinder looked to be running lean I don't know if the intake air and fuel split for the cylinders or if it is a matter of the path of least resistance sort of thing going on but reestablishing a power balance between the cylinders will help it last longer.
Fan cooled twin cylinders can use two different heat range plugs. The cylinder on the left further from the fan typicaly runs a little hotter so it can handle 1 range cooler plug. Makes tuning and reading plugs more accurate.
dondiego I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
One cylinder will always run much hotter than the other obviously by how the fan is placed.
I got my 377 safari for 350 buck right before the classic snowmobile boom now nobody can find one for under a 1000 bucks glade I got it when I did back in 2013 have now had her for over 10 years and I'm proud to say she is still running hope that panther runs for as long and as well as mine it's December 24 at time of this comment so merry Christmas and happy new year
Wow $150 bucks those old Snow mobiles here are in the thousands some don't run and are old beat up excellent buy!!
Well this brings back fond memories. I had an old Chaparral then a John Deere trailfire then finally a yahama ovation. My stepson would ride along with me many times on his sled. My fondest memories is letting my son joyride in a huge field and hearing him giggle all the way. Also there's nothing like sitting in a huge field at night, shutting the machine off and listening to the countryside with the stars above.
davidbarrera I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Bro you always get the best deals 😂😂I’m actually jealous now 🥺
That brings back memories. Didn't own one but was a teenager when it came out and my neighbor had a couple. Loved the El Tigre. Hell, you already got $150 worth of fun out of it. I hate the cold, but that looks like fun. Only need 4/5 more inches, that's what she said, of snow.
Also I will run a 50:1 premix and put oil in the resivior. Draw a line at oil level and make sure it goes down in level before not pre mixing fuel. It’d suck to blow it up because the mechanical pump didn’t have any prime
jamiebouchard I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
@@flat-earther wtf are you talking about??😂😂😂. Sky’s blue, grass is primarily green and earth is round. I’m not positive about anything else so take that mumbo jumbo elsewhere. My grandfather has a 40yr career in aerospace, subcontracted by nasa and lead a team which was responsible for putting the Apollo missions into orbit. Have a wonderful day😂😂
@@jamiebouchard9862 I suggested it to learn stuff tou may have not heard before.
Thanks & you have a wonderful day too.
Awsome....Glad it was such a easy fix. .. Did you contact the previous owner and advise as to what you found........
It’s in amazingly good shape for it’s age.
Yeah, agreed! Most of them that old died in the field or barn 30 yrs ago!
stevenmatsoukas I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
I purchased 2 of the 1980 Panthers new, you got a good deal, just was offered $2400 for both my sleds, like new 500 miles on them.
Great video - really enjoyed it. The L seems to be missing from your solder though.
I subscribed a long time ago. And have never unsubscribed and somehow I wasn't subscribed. So I resubscribed. Lol. Awesome video. Great work.
Just a helpful tip. I’m pretty sure that motor is a Suzuki. I had a 91 jag that was a spirit. And it was a Suzuki motor
That's cool!
Super great score for a vintage machine that clean I moved to florida 8 years ago. So no more snow. But grew up in Pennsylvania and definitely road a lot of sleds
I just picked up a Yamaha Enticer for $150 that wasn’t running and all it took was cleaning the carb and a new choke cable to get it running! Now I have to figure out if I’m keeping it a sled or pulling the motor for something else. I live in Pennsylvania and we don’t get much snow anymore…lol.
It wasn’t sticking good when you were soldering because you need to use some flux. Great little sled tho, I love those older sleds from the early 80’s
danm I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Great video, love those old vintage machines. I had a 79 Kawasaki invader, and really had a ball.
2 things I suggest....
Your compression test may have been inaccurate as you have put oil down the cylinders. Also protect your soldering connection with liquid electrical tape is recommended.
johnkettles I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
I would love to see more sled content! There’s some cool powerful machines you could be working on, I’d watch that guaranteed.
danm I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
That sled sure brings back memories. Had that exact year and model and an 81 Kawasaki drifter. I bought both from a guy in 91 for 500 bucks and that was a lot of money then. I was 16 years old.
Good job getting it going.
grumpymunchkin I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
something about those old smoker sleds that are just plain cool.
riccochet I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
as someone that did a lot of snowmobiling when younger, if i had a issue like that the first thing i checked was to see that the coil was getting power properly and checking by pulling the plugs out like you did, if no spark then i would check other connections to see that they were also functioning properly, i did the same on all my vehicles, check the coil and firing systems and trace back if need be, ive had wires on my outboard screw up and i would fix it there while on the water so the power to the plags is number 1 priority for me
Premixed the gas for a while and watch the oiler to see if it is working. Dont want to kill the engine.
madhampster I suggest watch a 13 part series called _What on earth happened_ by Ewaranon to learn that the earth is not a globe.
I got it in my about tab.
Run mix and plug the oil injector with vacuum caps on the intakes. It was working anyway with all that smoke
That sounds like my childhood
@@flat-earther.j
That’s awesome to find and fix that now you have a new machine
dude that was freakin awesome cant believe these guys are giving you a hard time about soldering.but im just recovering from the seizure your garage floor gave me ,still that was fun
I'm no expert on small engines but it seemed like a very good diagnostic approach. I agree with the recommendations about improving the solder joint. Was the old gas removed from the tank and line? My expert mechanic buddy does that right away, because it's often the main culprit or at least a significant contributor to non/poor-running small engines. Some high-octane gas may contain ethanol which will attract water even if stored in a garage. A dose of Seafoam might be in order. Glad to see it turned out to be a good find !
Also see good tips at www.youtube.com/@StevesSmallEngineSaloon
I have that same model, but that one is in way better shape! Good find.
My rope just snapped as well 😑.
I cant keep it running, it will fire up after choking, but then slowly dies out, sometimes you can even drive it a little ways away & it will rip for a second ,then die again
That recoil rope is most likely the original, too bad there's no electric start.😔 What a nice machine! I don't think it's ugly at all!
Good for you. I ride sleds but have moved over to Timber sleds. Keep up the good work and great Diag skills Bro.
Got a be a thrill for $150! Great job! Not too confident in the solder job, looks like a possible cold solder joint that will fail later on, just saying.
$150 is a steal for that sled> a little cleaning and some sanding, polishing and clear coat on the gauges and it will look rand new. i know there are some old heads out there that look for the older sleds and would pay good money for this one
Hope you keep this one. It’s a doozy. Always follow your adventures.
Love that machine for the price. Looks like it runs pretty good. Can believe it cranked on old gas, seen a 24 sticker but maybe not bad yet. Great find.
Great deal on a good sled. I had one I bought for $100 in parts, put it together, spent about $200 bucks on paint and decals and recovered the seat. Ran it for 4 yrs before getting $1000 on trade in.
150 is a very low price.
Oh man the nostalgia. We had sleds in our family when I was very young. Elan 300, and my brother gave me his old Nordic when I was like 10. A couple of Olympics.
I am 22 minutes further, but there is still no spark. So 10 minutes?
You have yourself a nice little putt putt to play around on. Had one similar to that when I was young. Here in Northern Ontario, you could flip that easily and get 2000 for it with a bit of work. The price of old machines up here is crazy. Everyone wants them because they are easy and cheap to fix and they can take a beating. Hope you have fun on your new toy before selling it.