Eliminating ice build up in tunnel

Yummy

Yummy

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I now passed 11k miles on my Apex GT. The worst problem for me is the huge amount of ice build up in the tunnel. This cause two major problems:
1) Increase the total weight of the sled. Suspension, wheels, hifax are suffering from all that extra weight.
2) All the noise that coming from the skid is sometime very scarry, you never sure if something is coming apart or if it's only the ice hitting the track, wheels, tunnel protector.

Solutions:

I've tried stuff to apply in tunnel to reduce ice build up, such as Pam or Wax or Ice reduce...Not working!

On a trip, when available I ALWAYS put the sled in a heated garage to melt all that ice. Let me tell you the next morning I'm so happy to ride it!

On the trail when my suspension is gone! I have to stop and manually cleanup the ice using screwdriver so I can finish my trip.

Is there anyone who have work a permanent solution for that nasty problem?

I'm considering putting a FULL aluminium plate between the muffler/pipes and the tunnel protectors. I'm not sure what that will do, but I'm assuming the muffler & pipe will heat equally the aluminium plate and will prevent ice to stick. Does that make any sense?

Other solution i'm considering is to replace the stock tunnel protector with tunnel protector radiator. I remember someone mentioning this last year but I can't find the TY article. Did anyone try those radiator protector?

Thank you for all the help you can provide me and others than have the same problem.

:rocks:

Yummy
 
If your not running studs, take the tunnel protectors out. I did on mine and I have no buildup anymore at all.

It's wonderful.

-1CS
 
did u put in the rear cooler ?
that seems to stop the ice buildup and keeps ya runnin cool :)
 
bigbigrichie said:
did u put in the rear cooler ?
that seems to stop the ice buildup and keeps ya runnin cool :)
Click to expand...

I have the rear cooler, I'd have to disagree! My sled stays either in my shed or trailer when not being ridden, and if put away after riding (hot), it leave lots of melted ice on the ground!!!

Seems the skid arms get like 4 times larger in diameter with ice build-up!!
 
bigbigrichie said:
did u put in the rear cooler ?
that seems to stop the ice buildup and keeps ya runnin cool :)
Click to expand...


Yep! got that too!

Less ice under the snow flap but still lots of ice in the tunnel.
 
I did a lot of net research about coatings that keep snow and ice from sticking and items like this are available.

The coatings were mainly developed for radio and electrical towers so ice didnt build up and then fall off and kill people.

Havent had time to test these, but imagine, if you could beat the ice build-up problem it would be quite an advancement!
 
I wouldn't close off the tunnel area with a alum. plate, you probably set fire or burn top of tunnel with all the heat build up from the exhaust pipe...

the best results seem to remove the protectors if your not running STUDS.
 
I gave up trying to keep the ice under control.

Instead to compensate for the 50+ lbs of ice I made changes to the suspension (5" more effective preload in the torsion springs and revalved the shocks).

I always park so I back up first. This lets the ice that drops onto the track get removed harmlessly instead of jamming at the front of the track into the cooler.

With this setup the sled sits too high when it is free of ice, but after a couple of hours of riding it is dialed in and ready for another 10+ hours.

I still prefer to park in heated garage every couple of days when on long saddle bag trips. I find it is more likely that huge chunks of ice will fall onto the track and grind away at the front after a few cold days of riding without any melting. If you melt it all out every couple of days the ice that builds up tends to stay put.
 
Tork said:
I did a lot of net research about coatings that keep snow and ice from sticking and items like this are available.

The coatings were mainly developed for radio and electrical towers so ice didnt build up and then fall off and kill people.

Havent had time to test these, but imagine, if you could beat the ice build-up problem it would be quite an advancement!
Click to expand...

Last season my wife got me some teflon coating specifically to stop the build up of snow and ice on metal.

To be honest it really didn't work very well. Some of the ice was more likely to drop off after a while, but not until after it was to much to make it past the front cooler - CRUNCH & GRIND!

This season I'm back to just letting the ice build up... It didn't take long for the coating to vanish either.
 
I have the rear cooler and it almost completely eliminates the ice build-up under the exhaust. I highly recommend it for two reasons.
1. It eliminates the ice build-up
2. It adds extra cooling for those warm days or poor snow conditions.
 
real teflon coating would work (like pots and pans)
I think I have tried that spray on stuff that is little more than silicone spray.
 
There is only one solution to the ice.... getting rid of the tunnel protectors. Asides from being dangerous, blocking off the exhaust pipes will NOT affect ice buildup because the heat is still there.

Remove all track studs, remove tunnel protectors, enjoy the reduced weight and no ice buildup. Track studs kill handling anyways.
 
What about your snow flap ?? Maybe shorten it up or just take it off to see if that helps throw the snow and ice out , if it does then maybe you can either shorten it up or change the angle of the flap
 
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