Deep snow snowmobile mods

I have a very less then ideal snowmobile for trapping but for this year it's all that's in the budget , it's a 1995 Yamaha vmax 600 , does anyone have any ideas to improve floatation in powder I've got 3 feet and need to break trails , I can get 10 inch wide ski skins would they help ? Right now it's stock size skins , it seems to plowing snow and then start digging in and then I get stuck

The wider skis should help but with a budget like that I dont think theres much you can do to the machine to help. Bring a shovel and clear a runway when you get stuck. Push from off the machine to get it on top. Putting your weight on one side of the track helps to get going again sometimes. If you get sick of digging out you can roll your machine over 360 so it sits on fresh snow(this will do a number on your windshield but effective). Last thought, bring a pms(pull my skis) buddy. Good luck

Yes I kinda figured that all was standard sop , that was what I did last trip lol , I'm hoping the wider skis will help

I don't know how flat the front of that machine is, but you might could bolt a piece of UHMW or something as a 3rd ski under the front of the machine. This is a poor picture, but the UHMW is bolted under the tub and extends forward past the bumper. It helps keep the machine on top. I also cut some hand holds into it to make it easer to move the front end. The snow on top of the machine is from brush hanging in the trail.




The pictured machine is a 91 Polaris Supertrak. I was also going to do this to my 96 Yamaha Venture (they still had the pogo stick suspension with relatively flat front end) but the way the hood is hinged the front of the cowling goes under the machine. I couldn't figure how to make the big body ski with the UHMW without hindering the hood.

If your front skis float too much! Then your track sinks in more, and you get stuck even quicker . There is a balance that needs to be met. My Tundra 11 has 8inch ski skins and that is as wide as I can go before having more problems in deep snow .
Some times you just have to let the snow settle for a couple days before going out.

The modification that AkNative talks about is a good one. I did that on my old 89 Tundra 1 and it helped keep the machine floating on the snow with out raising the front to high.It also helps when you hit some old stump or rock hidden under the snow

If skis are floating to much tighten limiter strap .it will flatten your sno go out and allow you to float the sno go across the snow .yamahas come with the limiter all the way out

Could someone post a picture of this limiter strap ?

First year for sleds and I can say with great confidence IT BLOWS getting a machine unstuck.

02 mountain cat 600 144" paddle
03 ski-doo 600 136" paddle

Both will defiantly get buried in deep powder. Powder in the bighorns of Wyoming and everywhere has a slope to it.

Tim

If you've got 3' of powder and it's anything like up here where you have to go slow because of turns, trees or exploring, it helps to break out the snowshoes and tamp down a trail first. I know that's not a mod, but I thought it worth mentioning.

youtube is your friend lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YVTnkjkbgs

That's what I've been doing for the last two weeks !!!! Lots of fun huh !!!

Here you go
When it is adjusted right the track should be pulled up in the front a little if not it will walk all over and be hard to control in deep snow

Get a good pair of snowshows like was said and walk your trail first(with your brushaxe in hand of course)When you get tired of walking and brushing-backtrack your snowshoe trail to your machine,and ride it to the end,repeat.This In my opinion is the safest way to work when alone and far in the bush-I don't take risks anymore.You will be able to pick a better trail this way too.If you pick your way a good tack,without too much cutting you can do several miles in a good day.I used to love the old elan for this kind of trailwork.

If you break a limiter strap it will be a wheelie machine,
They work in conjunction with your shocks, shock springs, coil springs....everything should be adjusted for the rider and the conditions. .they prevent or limit the amount of weight transfer/torque from lifting the skis off the snow... Too tight and it will be very darty with a lot of ski pressure...

If you want the straps tighter than you can get them as it sets not he floor, use a chunk of wood, like a 4"x4". Place it up between the limiter strap and the front idler wheel...

The max is a triple cylinder if I recall....right?? If so, they are heavy machines... Something that might be difficult to overcome. The ski skins may help..

Have owned 3 yamaha mm 6 and 7s all had to be adjusted to the rider all had to have limiter strap taken up but when you get it dialed in they will go we're others dream . The triple has a broad power band 7200 to 9000 the only way to ride them in the deep and steep is to hold it to the bar .others will disagree with what I say but It is what work for me .get a attac kit for it because triples are finicky .if you are going to tow reinforce the tunnel

Mine is still the old twin cylinder , but power is not short , it has lots of power just no flotation , boco that's what I ended up doing breaking trail with my shoes first , thanks for the tips I'll play with my limiter strap to see if I can get it set better for me

Decided to do a slight modification to my old sled to help it along , working on putting a 144x1.25x15 under it to replace the old 121 track

Buy a Powderjack. I have 153 inches of track on a very light sled and this has still saved my butt several times. Worth every penny.

http://dev.powderjack.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z59yAl681w

Here is my sled with the mods I did. The sled was not finished when I took these pics, but I did something similar to you and put a 153 inch track from a mountain sled in an Indy sport 440. When I mounted the track, I made a lower mounting hole to drop the suspension down lower. It helps the running boards clear when you drop into the bottomless stuff.

Also the tunnel extension is tipped up a few degrees to help the snow clear also. This year I got a new windshield, finished off the rear box, and am ordering 10 inch wide skins for it. Not a deep snow mod, but the box under the seat is nice.

Might I suggest carrying a "Come-Along" with you? You can loop it around a tree and get a work out. Been stuck in the deep stuff many times. That is a LOT of shoveling. Pace yourself, bring extra gas, a change of clothing, good energy snacks always ....and always a shovel and matches, too. I agree with the other reply, standing on one side of the sled often helps greatly, but not always. Shoveling can be exhuasting and take "forever". Some sort of cell phone is a good idea, too. :-) Ooh, another thing we do is have a different track put on our sleds, a track with larger paddles. that GREATLY helped us in here (we live off the grid and have 8 miles of snowmobile travel to our truck). The larger paddles have made a huge difference. Costly, yes, but worth it for us and how much we use our sleds.

Added ski skins and the UHMW plastic to the front..............

Adding that plastic to the front is a GREAT idea!

Wow what I difference with this new track , this is what Yamaha should have built

Birchcreekkid,
I was considering ski skins on my bravo but a friend recommended I not. As mentioned above, he said it causes the track to sink down and is easier to get stuck. What is your experience with them? How wide are yours?
Also considering the belly plate, how far down does it go? is it bolted underneath?

The question was not aimed at me, but I just put ten inch skandic skins on my sled. Makes it a lot less tippy in deep stuff.

Just sayin.

Been running these for almost 10 years now. 16" - no diving, drive real slow in deep snow in thick trees or brush, stop and start easy in deep snow, no snow coming over cowling all the time. Don't even want to drive a snow machine in the back country anymore without them. Here's more pictures if interested:
https://ty4stroke.com/threads/custom-wide-ski-install-and-pictures.134766/

Those are boats!

What do you think of the VK540? I have the 4 stroke Viking, it's great when it starts. I'm still getting used to driving it, don't get as many hours as I want on it living in the City with a regular job.

Along with all the modifications mentioned above I would also consider changing the gearing to as low as gearing I could get.

Hey Stan when you get the VK I got one in October. Hate it I already wrecked one cylinder head from changing the spark plugs so often. It always runs in one at cold start up and if I leave it idelling in the cold it kills the plugs and is hard to start.

Dang, that's sad to hear.

Also how you put your screen over your cold air return. Is tha Gorilla Tape. Looks way better than how I did mine.

A lot of my problems may come from the terrible dealer we have up hear. They seem to have forgotten to fill my transmission and the running on one problem may be from one of the heaters on the carbarator not working. I have an appointment on Tuesday to get it checked.

muskrat is yours still on warranty ? I thought they only had one heater on the carb so thats good to know. Hope you get it sorted out.

I like that ‘91 sport gt. My grandpa has one like that and it’s still dependable as ever. Used to be a Cadillac for caribou hunting back in the day when I was following first with an elan then a 83 I think enticer 250.

Yeah until 2020!so me and that dealer are going to be big enemies for a long time if they don't figure it out.

I have an ancient VK540 with the leaf springs and low rear end. Reminded be of a huge Bravo. The new 540 suspension is way better but engine and tranny etc. is pretty much the same. I bought it cause it was the machine that was the easiest to work on in the field. Before this one came back into the US market I was going to make the 550 Polaris wide track my next machine but this one is even simpler. Bunch of years back I decided to go 4 stroke for the gas millage and long engine life and eventually bought a new Yamaha Venture MP small engine 4 stroke. Liked it but in the real cold all the plastic panel catches would be a pain to put back on and can't imagine trying to get at the plugs out in the field at 30-50 below. As it got older and things started acting up the ability of diagnosing the fuel problems and electric reverse problem etc. without access to the dealer diagnostic equipment started to get out of hand. Would have figured it all out and lived with it but someone stole the machine and bent the frame bad so traded it in for the VK540. Ain't nothing in the machine that if needed to fix or replace that I can't get to real easy and the hood is one piece and opens easy. Some of that isn't a priority to many but to me it is. Plenty of power and haul full sled loads of wood in high gear.

Most snowmobiles I have owned I immediately change the chain case gears to get more low end power. The 540 has high, low and reverse transmission so gear changes not needed. Low is plenty slow. Most non tranny machines nowadays can't really go slow enough in almost bare tussocks and rough ground for my liking without being constantly on the verge of clutch disengagement.

First I put the vent screen on the inside but that just formed a "cup" for twigs to accumulate in. Went to the screen being flush with the cowling top and that works better. Dealer said a lot of 540's were breaking fan fins from stuff going down into engine and I can see why. Gorilla tape put on with a heat gun is how I put it on and found some plastic screening laying around. Imagine some day Yamaha will have it put on at the factory. Real good cooling system otherwise.

That doesn't sound good and should be under warranty. Mine just went through the 50 below we had and did need to start with a hair dryer but once going was getting used all over town through that cold spell. Hated to run it then but it was that or nothing as the truck would not start. Sorry that happened but that is not normal from my use of my old VK or this new one.

I think I will do that to then. Went through the bush today and I had the screen on the inside and it got full of sticks. -29C today and it started but still ran on one for a while. Really can climb steep banks with deep snow and rip through the overflow. The drifts on my line are all tone one side from the mountains so I have to get off and walk them down so I don't flip over. Need a mountain strap.

Back in High school I had a 72 340 tnt skidoo.It would run on one cylinder when it was cold.Changed out the plugs and put one hot plug on the fan side and a cold plug on the other.Ran good after that.

Follow the instructions on the mud flap!

^ ^ ^ ^ ^TRANSLATE----Mud flap instructions "No Fat Chicks" ! Had to use a magnifying glass to read.

What is snow?

Changed my mind on my VK the guys at the dealership said one variable oilers was set too high. It runs a lot better now. Also started putting it in low to break trail. Huge difference.

I put my screen for the cold air return vent on the inside but like Stan said it just made a pocket for the ice and sticks until it ripped. I will have put it on the outside like Stan said.