Question:
Dear Motorhead,
I just got my 2007 IQ 600 HO back from having a tune-up at the dealer. When I let it idle with the back end jacked up, the track moves and it registers at 2mph on the speedo.
The work that was completed by the dealer is the following: chaincase update, carbs cleaned, greased, replaced plugs, antifreeze topup and clutches inspected. Is this something to be concerned about?
Thanks alot and keep up the great work with the mag.
Jeff
Response:
Thanks for your email!
There a couple things which could have caused the track to spin at idle.
First – nothing may be wrong – period. If when the sled is parked with the track on the snow the engine’s idle speed is within spec, don’t worry about what happens when the back end is up.
The belt is likley dragging on the center post of the primary and if it is 1) a new belt this is normal or 2) the dealer adjusted the belt height in your secondary as part of the tune-up, This is normal to have a bit of belt drag as long as the engines idle is not dragged down below minimum spec.
The dealer would likely adjust your belt height and tension the belt as part of a tune up to bring back 1) low speed engagement response and 2) over-all backshift performance. A tight belt makes a good running sled.
Okay, if when you put the sled down the engine does not idle properly and the belt looks like its hot (rubber sticking to the primary sheave faces) return to your dealer and report on this.
The fix is simple. Keep in mind, everytime you install a new belt you should go through a belt tensioning ritual to get max performance.
Many snowmobilers think its just a matter of throwing a new rubber band under the hood and away you go. Not so! The belt height and tension are critical elements to good performance.
By the way – all of this info goes out the window if the idle is set so high (near 4000 RPM) that the clutch is actually engaging – I am assuming you would know this is the problem.
Hope this helps!
Motorhead Mark
