Projects
The first fix was very easy. A previous owner had put the carb together wrong, omitting two gaskets, plus the float needle was stuck closed. The carb to engine gaskets were missing and the spacer was on upside down and backward. Once the carb was straightened out the little 299cc fired up and ran strong. Until a slight navigational error had Angie, myself and the sled on our side laughing like fools. Unfortunately this stirred up the crud in the gas tank and that crud made its way up into the carb and engine. It would idle but go no faster.
I flushed the gas tank with copious amounts of water and vinegar to break up 30+ years of varnish and rust buildup. Early experiments showed that flushing with gasoline was dangerous and not very productive. I chose vinegar because its cheap and has mild acidic properties. In retrospect I needed to introduce something like a piece of chain into the tank for better mechanical breaking action. Just using vinegar is a serious PITA! It got it clean though.
Once the tank was relatively clean I used POR-15 gas tank sealer to seal the tank. This is one product I can definately vouch for. Use it per the instructions and it will do what it says. During the winter of 2002/2003 I rode this sled alot and never had a bit of trouble.
Early in the winter I noticed a slipping feeling when riding the sled. This turned out to be "ratcheting" which is the drive cogs losing they're grip on the track and spining. I fixed this by replacing the cogs which is a relatively easy task. The drive cogs were available through my local sledshop.
Late in the winter I replaced the throttle cable. This is one project I wish I'd done before the snow flew. I had always just sort of assumed a sore thumb was a normal by product of riding a snowmobile. Friends it just isn't so! I bought a universal throttle cable from Parts Unlimited and cut off one end to fit my sled's Tillotson carb. The other end slips into the throttle lever. In 15 minutes of work I reduced the throttle pressure needed 300%, the difference is amazing!
The picture on this page is from the New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum winter 2003 show. For the show this was the only sled I owned that actually ran so my wife Angie and I rode it together all day. The best part of the show were the wild looks people gave us while we putted around on the sled. When I was a kid we always rode 2up on sleds because there weren't any extra machines to go around. This year I'll probably have at least 2 sleds to take with me but I'll want to take at least one ride 2up on the old Olympique. Guys, if you've never let your wife drive one of your old sleds get out and try it. I like letting Angie drive because it gives me a chance to take in the scenery and relax. Plus when I had the heavy throttle problem it was her thrumb that got tired. She likes to drive so she'd never admit it!
For the winter of 2003/2004 this sled will be getting a new seat cover from A1 Upholstry in Michigan and I found the coveted snowflake airbox emblem on eBay for a reasonable pri