Nytro Track Ratcheting Issue, brand new sled

[452harris]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the Nytro platform, been on Revs and other various machines for the past 10 years so this is really all new to me.

Anyways, bought the sled brand new ( .2 of a mile ), and I rode it 9 miles as is. Seemed to go good, shocks were a little out of adjustment as expected so I started there. I did not notice any ratcheting, but I was not hammering it off the line everywhere I went.

After setting up the suspension how I wanted, I went and rode it another 80 miles or so. I could hear a ratcheting noise anytime the track hooked up good under heavy throttle at slow speeds ( under 15mph ). First thing I checked was track tension. It seemed to be loose, so I tightened it to 1" gap under the rail with no pressure. Goes to about 2" with 20lbs of pressure.

I also checked the chaincase tension. It was definitly a little slack but not awful, so I tightened to the spec I found online ( thread hand tight, and back off 1/4 turn ). Now I still feel like I have freeplay in my chaincase ( hand on brake, can rotate back 1/8 of a turn, and back again without the track trying to move ), but I figured it had something to do with the reverse mechanism.

I have a trip planned for the upcoming weekend so any help ASAP would be great.

 

[nitris223]

I think the owners manual will have the track tension specs. My 162 track free hangs about 1.5 to 2" and I don't get any ratcheting. What track do you have. You should have extrovert drivers on the sled if it is a 153 , is it a SE or standard. Fox floats all around will be the SE model. Can you see any abnormal wear on the drivers.

 

[452harris]

Finally figured it out for those reading. Right from the dealer the lower belt guard was bent up quite a bit and whenever the engine rpm was low the belt sags enough to wear on the belt guard.

 

[nitris223]

First time you blow a belt that piece will be destroyed or badly bent up. There is a company Schmidt Brothers that make a belt guard that is much better and protects the bottom plastic . Little pricey but cheaper then body panels. Glad you found the problem and it was a minor problem at that. Now bring on the snow.

 

[452harris]

This is what im talking about

 

[nitris223]

Ya that thing will me mangled the first time you blow a belt. I make my own similar to the Schmidt Brothers belt guard. I fits lower in the belly and wraps around to the front of the clutch protecting everything in the path of a blown belt. I also don't think your belt should be sitting that low. The guard that is in there looks to be in the shape they come in from the factory. I will have a look at the wife's sled and compare and take a picture.

 

[452harris]

I just had the belt off in that pic so the clutch is open

 

[nitris223]

Ah that sounds better. Here is what the clutch guard looks like.

 

[ViperTurboPete]

Hey Nitris, I think you should rebuild/manufacture your own sled the way it should be. You are capable of it!!

 

[nitris223]

I am to busy fixing other sleds. I claimed the whole reason I bought a 4 stroke was because I wouldn't have to be under the hood as much as with a 2 stroke. Now I am under the hood seeing what I can make better or making stuff for other people. Then I tried a turbo and that was next on the tinker list. Usually are sleds are the test mules for what I build but It never goes into mass production, just one off pieces. Sometimes I will do a run of 5 or 6 things but it all boils down to time spent and money in return. Lots of guys want it but they don't want to pay for custom work. They think I should make it cheaper then they can buy it. Some stuff I can make cheaper but not everything. Even then I buy it because it would cost me more in time then what it is worth to build.
Some day when things slow down I will dust off my blue prints for a mini single seat 4x4 sandrail with a nytro motor for the power plant or Apex. One of the two. Not pissing around with a 2 stroke as the plans are built around and small motors, 130 + hp or it's not going to be any fun.

 

[R00STER]

That clutch guard would be an easy sell! If you produced them you would not be able to keep up with the demand. Nice set of skills Sir!

 

[nitris223]

I make them and sell them locally . I have shipped a few, one as far as Nova Scotia but the shipping is a killer. I think it cost $25
3 or 4 years ago on top of $60 for the guard. I use to make them out of thicker aluminum , .093 and they would sometimes break at the motor mount bend. This year I made them out of .062 and they are easier for me to form and seem like the would flex a little easier at the bends which I hope will curb the breaking. I have only proof that 2 have broke out of the 25 that I have made and one of them was on the wife's sled. I have one guy that bought 4 this year for different friends sleds but with no snow there has been no riding done to see if they stand up any longer.

 

[452harris]

For anyone searching this I believe the cause was the track was slowly stretching until it wore all the way in. After about 400 miles of tightening the track I have not heard any ratcheting even under WOT over big bumps and whoops.