Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska I'm on a roll!

Sunday my wife insisted we go snowmachining. (It's her fault!!!). It was about 37*, 12 inches of sloppy snow over a couple inches of glare ice from the freezing rain awhile back. Coming back up the embankment off the bog out back, I mis-throttled - or maybe the '93 AC Cougar (2400 miles) did- it hasn't been run in 10 years. It seemed to hesitate, and was then sluggish on beginning to accelerate when I punched it, or maybe I was just a half second late, and I'm more used to the acceleration of the 1100 Turbo (HANG ON!!! That sucker will leave you! Touchy!)

I didn't make the break over point, spun the track (short lugs - f'ker gets stuck a lot!), and that's all she wrote, sliding backwards down the incline for about 40 feet. I bailed before the machine left the trail and it neatly centered a tree hard, backwards, still picking up speed. That caved in the rear bumper and tail light assemble. I had to walk the quarter mile up to the house and fetch back chain and come-along to get the beast out of the hole. I found used replacement parts locally today for about half new OEM. $65 for everything. As long as I was at it, I prospected on into town for needed ACll00 Turbo parts, below. Just on the off-chance. It is a 2012, so I wasn't really expecting much luck.

Yesterday I went to do a good deed, and you know how that goes. My neighbor had been getting stuck getting out of his driveway, so while he was at work, I took the snowblower over, having put just-arrived mail-order chains on (had to try them out!) and "found" his car plug-in electrical cord buried under the snow with it. He now has two ( I put new ends on.) On order is $30 in shear pins and other assorted plastic spacers and bearings for the auger, but some of those are spares for the next time..... Hope they get here within 4 days, snow is a coming!

I went to grease up the two AC's today for an upcoming 5-day trip north, and found the rear idler (track tensioners) bearings on the 1100 Turbo completely eaten up and in pieces - and have been for some time - dunno how I missed them last year in Kotz. Well, yes, I do. I'm ignorant.... and unobservant. They look like they were already in that condition when I last greased the thing in April. In one way surprising, as it has less than 2K miles on it. Probably several years sitting idle before I bought it in August 2017 did it.

These were wheel molded in bearings, so the entire idler wheels have to be replaced. Not that big a deal - at least they came out easily enough. (My heated-floor garage beats hell out of that Kotzebue snowbank, I'm telling you!) The AC dealer looked them up in the book (as I had earlier on-line) both with the stock # I gave him, and on his own computer, but didn't have those in stock. But he thought he had some (different part number - not listed as replacement) that looked mighty close, tho his book said mine were 8 in in diameter, while listing the ones in stock at 7.12. Dunno how they measured those of the new stock number, because they are identical to mine, except they came with replacable bearings installed. $90 for two, about $5 more than Barritts lists them for. ( Plus shipping.) I took them.

Tomorrow, the parts go on. I'd better do a thorough inspection of the Cougar, and the '93 Yamaha Bravo (which has more miles than both AC's together, and with a $1,000 seat and carriage rebuild three years ago), just to see if things have crept up on me in my ignorance and negligence. The 1100 should befine with the new idlers in place, and the track tensioned more than it was.

I'm trying to make up my mind if I'm on a good roll, or a bad roll.. Probably best to call it a break-even.... Hell, it's only money.... and I'm doing good on getting parts!

Hope today is a better day!

Las,

Boxing day this year, we decided, as a family, to head to our Ice Shack.

Doug put his AC1100 turbo on the trailer (single wide) behind our Jeep & the other 3 of us were going in the truck.

At the last minute, I decided to put my 09 Tundra in the box of the truck, so Caroline could go riding with Doug, while Deb & I kept warm by the wood stove.

Secured the ramp to truck hitch & went to load.

Skis on ramp & track started to slip on the driveway. Backed back down & decided I needed more momentum.

Next run, got halfway up & track started to slip again, gave it a shake & bumped the throttle.

Well she gained traction & I thought I was going over the cab !

Grabbed the brake & bought her down.

Right through the rear window of the truck.

After an F bomb, I very soon realized, this was the best possible outcome.

Drove the truck to my shop, spent an hour vacuuming out glass & taping heavy plastic over the "open" window.

Back home, grabbed Deb & Caroline & went to the lake.

Caroline never did want to ride my sled, that day !

She just doubled with Doug.

Oh, & he blew the belt off the AC, @ 120mph, the next day. Thankfully, right next to the secondary ice road, as he didn't have a spare ! Could back the trailer almost up to it & comealong it on.

Phuggin heavy sombitch !

Geeze Las, comes in waves aye? I laid the freight sled down heavily loaded with 800 lbs of fish. Glare ice. Broke 5 stanchions. Little 8ft gear sled only had 250lbs. Cut the team off freight sled, abandoned it, ran home with just the 8footer. Nobody stole anything when I came back! All my food was still where I left it. Getting tired of old mortise n tennon joints and old wood. Big loss to have my only freight sled down with 2 months left in winter. Will be some time before repaired. Time to go raised-toboggan uhmw.

Ouch! Your poor sled!

Yeah, it never seems to be just one thing. I probably just don't remember those, unless real bad.

Paul- that's some speed! Probably why the 1100 Turbo has or had a rep for eating belts. People who buy those things generally want to do those things. I'm too chicken to do more than 60 once in awhile. I (or my wife- I bought it for her) have horses to spare! She's a fast woman!

It hasn't eaten a belt yet, but I put in an aftermarket floating clutch, which is supposed to help. Those things are s bitch to change, unlike the little Bravo and the Cougar.mmWell, I dunno about the Cougar- can't remember ever changing one. The Bravo is on it's 3rd or 4th, but none have ever broken on me.

the Turbo is way more machine than we need or want, but it was a steal but not stolen - 6 years old with just over 500 miles on it ( I gave it it's first scheduled oil change, which is a story in itself), for just over half it's bluebook value and going rate at the time. The handwarmers were out of it, so I had to put new ones on, a higher windscreen, ice scrapers (also rep for overheating- never used 'em) heavy duty tow bar/bumper. And ship it to and from Kotzebue, within a year. I'm still money ahead- probably should have sold it in Kotz for over 1K profit, and bought something smaller and more compatible, but I couldn't refuse the whining...... . It does ride nice, but damn! that throttle is tetchy!

The new idlers are in, still have to balance the tensioners. The cougar has a new ass, too, not quite all bolted up yet. Four rivets (if I can find either of my two pop-rivet tools) and a half dozen bolts will finish it. Got interupted a lot today - the fireplace installers were here. Them and the gas guy should finish up tomorrow, so then it's Durorock time. I'm letting the wife do the stone and tile work, nice guy that I am....

What kind of gas mileage you get with the 1100? Just curious.

A lot of variables will affect answer....boosted & how much ? off trail or on etc etc etc...but regardless of tune...if you are on a groomed trail you will easily get 100 miles to an 10.25usg tank.

I'm betting Doug gets half that due to the boost he runs & not much trail riding. Mrs Las should get that or better !

Yeah, when Doug bought his sled (used 2012), it had the secondary floated. I didn't like it, so I reset it back to spec & suggested he may like to detune the boondocker programer a little !!!

Thanks for the info. About 10 miles to gallon on good trail but really fast.

.

I haven't kept track, but that sounds about right. (If you have to ask...... ) Might also depend on Octain used. I mixed 100 proof av gas ( $8/ gal) with 87 (about $6) to get above the recommended min of 90, Most everybody in Kotz area with these 90 proof machines just use straight 87.