Summer sled project

Well now that my 'early spring' project is complete I finally got started on my 'early summer' project - replacing the e-module on by renegade. I ended up with a grand total of about 2 1/2 hours of 'me' time to work on it. At least the tear-down has started!!!

Beginning of the project (I forgot to take a picture before I started taking plastic off and was too lazy to put it back on just for a picture!):




On it's side with the rear suspension out:



As far as I got today:


If anyone wants any close-ups of any part of the interior of an '08 XP 600 let me know - this baby is coming apart!!!

Next off is the drive shaft and track, then the console, upper plastic gas tank and air boxes. After that it goes on the lift and I start at the front and keep taking off parts until I get to the e-module!

I am hoping to use the trick of suspending the engine from above and grinding off rivets from inside the tunnel so I don't have to actually take the engine out. At the same time I need to replace the throttle cable - starting to fray at the oil line and as long as I have it this far apart already...

Wish me luck!
dave

PS - we had our first frost this morning. It is on the way!!!

Have you thought about installing the grip and rip bracing?? It would be the ideal time to do it now!!
I think I am going to on my '12 600 reny.

I keep going back and forth on the bracing. If I knew 100% for sure that the a-arms become the weak point I would do it in a heartbeat. I am scared of making the e-module the weak link on a hit to the front end...

Of course they say the second time you do something it goes a lot faster right? At least next time all of the rivets will be gone!

I suppose I better start ordering parts - at the end of the next 2 hour session I hope to have the s-module off. I picked up a new e-module off of e-bay last spring (cheap!) but I need that new throttle cable, top gear and braces if I decide to do it.

I would love to add an 'up north tech' tunnel rack and rpm skid plate but I don't think the budget will stretch quite that far. For some reason I keep having to buy chassis parts!

On a completely unrelated topic - every time I took off a part I kept having to clear out the sticks and twigs. How did they get there???

I will keep the pictures rolling through the project - if anyone spots anything I am missing let me know!

dave

I spent a couple more hours Sat afternoon taking off parts:

Note the bag of dirt on the lift - when I put the lift far enough back to be able to take the E-Module off there is a little issue with balance! It would stay put without help but it took an uncomfortably small bump to get it tipping over forward. I decided a little weight on the back of the lift (and I have the running boards tied to the lift as well) made me a lot more comfortable to work under it!

I got to put about 5 hours into it on Sunday - I am at least back to the e-module now! I was hoping to be able to do this without draining the coolant from the engine and pulling it out. The closer I get the more my hopes are fading. I still can't get to the oil pump for the throttle cable replacement. I plan to take the throttle bodies and boot off and re-asses one last time before I make the call to pull the engine completely out or not.





Anyone have any suggestions on anything else I should look at now since I hope I never have it this far apart again?

dave

Another weekend and some more progress. I have plumbed the depths and am starting on my way back out again.

Here she is taken as far apart as I am going. I don't know why people say these are hard to work on - the engine is just right there!



Here she is with the new e-module in place:




I also knew the oil cable was frayed (I could feel the spot it hit resistance on the throttle and I had managed to get my hand in far enough last year to actually feel some frayed strands). I didn't know it was this bad - probably less than 50% of the cable left! I don't imagine anything good would have happened if it snapped on me...



Now I just need to get it put back together. Lets see how many 'extra' parts I end up with when done!

dave

Great post Dave! I hope I never have to tear mine down that far!

Well I got another 3 hours to work on it this last weekend.

Was I being overly optimistic to hope that in a accident where I folded an a-arm and broke the e-module, the s-module would escape unscathed?

Turns out yes - that was being too optimistic. Another $332 and hopefully the new s-module will be here before next weekend. The guys at the parts counter know me by name now - not a good sign...

dave

LOL...........no its not!!

Well my s-module didn't get in until yesterday - didn't get to work on that part of it last weekend.

I was able to spend a little time on other things that had to be done. I put the bars on long enough to hook up the throttle cable and adjust the oil cable tension and throttle body slack. Not too big of a deal but one less thing to worry about when putting it back together.

I also pulled the fuel pump out of the tank and took a look at the pickup screen. Still looks like it is brand new. Replaced the fuel filter as well just for the heck of it - really easy to do now!

It looks like I get one more weekend of 'warmer' weather before we start cooling off again. Pretty soon I am going to wish that I had a heater in that garage!

dave

Well I get to spend most of the weekend working on it again. Saturday I got the Grip-n-rip braces put on:

Lower A-Arm:


Upper A-Arm:




And S-Module:


By the end of Sat:


I spent most of the afternoon on Sunday working on it by the end of the day it was starting to look like a snowmobile again!


The end is finally in sight! I have the upper plastic and gauge pod / headlights to put back on and then I have to make a decision. Anyone have an in with the weather gods? If we have a good snow year I want the 2" paddle track on. If it is a bad year I want the 1.25" ripsaw back on. Anyone know what is going to happen?

I didn't think so...

I am not sure I want to go through this again - it is a lot of work! I will just have to get better at missing those darn stumps!!!

Dave

I am finally getting around to updating the final stages of the rebuild...

Here it is with the 2" paddle track installed, drive shaft back in, and rear suspension installed:



I also added scratchers - figured with a big lug track in the midwest I better add the insurance:

Next was a little side-project I had meant to do for a long time but never quite had the time, opportunity and ambition all at the same time (I am sure you guys know what I am talking about there!).

With the '08 XP's they had a little post with a small circular hole and grommet to hold the top of the belt shield from vibrating around. It was almost impossible to get the post through the grommet without the grommet pulling out. In addition the grommet would break pretty easily - I think I bought about 5 new grommets before I gave up and just let the metal of the shield rub against the plastic post. It has cut about 1/2 way through the post.

They changed the design in '09 to have a bigger 'slot' rather than a little hole. I got the updated grommet but hadn't gotten around to installing it. This was the time.

Original hole in the shield:



New grommet installed:



This one works WAY better!!! And now I won't have to replace the brace that has the post on it due to the post getting cut off.

dave

After that it was just a matter of putting the rest back together - primary, belt, plastic, seat, chaincase, battery, etc. Filling fluids went off without a hitch.

Here she is all back together again:



The next weekend I ran it back 'up north' using my father-in-law's 4x8 trailer:





The only remaining issue was when I got it up there, it was deader than a doornail! No life the gauges when I tried to start. After a couple of quick pulls on the cord it would start but gauges were acting funny and it would only idle for about 10sec then die. It would die immediately if I tried to hit the gas.

I suspected the battery so I took it out and hooked it up to my friend's charger/conditioner. The light came on for a 'sulfated' battery but the conditioner is supposed to able to fix that. We left it to do its thing and I had to run for home to beat a storm that was heading our way. That really hurt - running AWAY from my sled when a snowstorm was coming!!!

dave

Fast forward to just after Christmas and I took the family 'up north' to visit my parents.

My middle daughter and I headed out to check out the sled. I put the battery back in and all seems well. Does anyone have and experience with batteries going through a 'un-sulfating' cycle? Any idea how much longer I can expect the battery to last? It is the original battery - now 5 years old...

We put about 75 miles on - there wasn't a lot of snow but we stuck mostly to unplowed logging roads and a few lakes. It was pretty good for a shake-down cruise. The sled ran like a top - perfect!

I really like the hook-up with the 2" paddle track! There wasn't a lot of snow, but what we had was loose - no ice or crust. I can't wait to try this out in some deep stuff!

She is still small enough (barely) that I had her in front of me on the sled. It is getting difficult to steer/see around here but it was a pretty mellow ride so it worked. The only problem is that when we hit a good bump (or I stopped too fast) her head would swing forward and hit the kill switch! If we do a longer ride or next year for sure the 1+1 will be going on and she will be riding behind me!

The few times I was able to pin it the rpm's went right up to 8100 and stayed steady for as long as I could hold it (only about 3-5 sec at most). I will need to wait for a better opportunity to test if it is really 'fixed' but it looks good so far! I can't really point to any one thing I did that could have 'fixed' this issue but I did put in a new belt, new plugs, checked engine alignment, disconnected and reconnected a lot of electrical connections, etc.

dave

One thing Dave I think is a must is, BRP new CVT cooling system. I installed one on mine and boy does it pull air across the clutches!!! My left foot and running board stayed nice and toasty from the air it pulled across the clutches and it dumps it out in the left foot well!

I added vents in the panels in front of and behind the clutches - that seems to help cool them off a little. When I get a chance to really work it hard (assuming we ever get some decent snow!) I will pay attention to the clutch temps. If they start heating up on me I will look into that new cooling system.

Does it just drop in to all of the old XP sleds? How much does it run? Do you happen to have a part number on it?

We didn't have a lot of snow but it was perfect for that 2" paddle - it pulled like a freight train! I may have to play with the transfer blocks a little. The front end wanted to come up every time I pinned it hard. That can be good for off-trail, but not so good for on-trail!

dave

The part number is 860200883 Not sure if it will fit the 08 though. Something to do with the 08 belt deflection adjuster????? If you have the new adjuster style, I would think it would work. I read were somebody put one on an 08 with an aftermarket adjuster with no issues.
The kit is 49.99 and on my 12, the clutches run real cool.

I will have to look into it. I have upgraded to the '09 adjuster and the '09 grommet.

I figured there would be some of these kinds of things when I got the first year of the XP. I had the clearance to get a new sled and didn't want the last year of the rev style and didn't want to wait another year for a sled with the new model bugs worked out!

dave

That's a good write up! Sure hope I never have to Doo this