2013 nytro xtx 1.25 Ice build up in tunnel

Koke1

Koke1

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North Central WI
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2013 Nytro XTX
I picked up a new 2013 xtx this fall and absolutely love the sled. I only have 250 miles on the machine but noticed some massive ice build up going on in my tunnel. Enough where it felt heavy as hell when I lifted it up. I was riding in deep powdery conditions on river along with some slush. Is this normal for this machine? Will it only occur when im running in deep powder or slush conditions and not normal packed trail? and what are some fixes? Ive heard about removing the tunnel protectors but I plan on putting a few picks in so im not going to do that. Any input would help! Thank you
 
The tunnel icing is normal for these machines, some have put in tunnel exchangers or remove protectors. If your studding keep them in like you said. It does depend on conditions that I've noticed, groomed trails will be less then powder and slush. Also I've seen guys carry a rubber mallet to pound on the tunnel to drop the build up.
 
This works very well at reducing icing in the tunnel (.05" thick aluminum sheet bought from McMaster Carr)

 
I have serious ice build up. I do a lot of lake riding and slush is the culprit. The next morning I am chiseling off mega pounds of ice. Not totally sure if the sheet metal would stop it because slush sticks to everything. My rear extension has ice up to 6 inches thick. I am thinking along the lines of the Mountaintech heat exchanger along with some sort or rear heat exchanger at the back and eliminate the rad. My RXM has a rear heat exchanger and no ice buildup.
 
In my opinion there's is snow getting inside where your flex pipes are then steam comes pouring out of the 3holes around your exhaust. I plugged mine off with insulation, but that was a mistake. Instead of snow getting in there, it was water socking in through the insulation, then the steam couldn't get out the back, so it came out the front. Huge steamy mess out around the engine. I think if you could run a plate right up to the front under your exhaust so snow would have a hard time getting in there, you would have very little steam freezing and turning to ice under there. I am not sure if these pipes need to be cooled by snow.
 
Im not sure its from where pipes come through up front. Even with my two stroke sleds build up is always greater near the back of the tunnel but most melts of due to heat exchanger. (Which may be another one of my problems ive been riding in extremely cold conditions along with the powder and slush). I was just amazed by the build up... like stated in an earlier post I bet there was a good six inches of build up in my tunnel extension. I will look into putting a plate up there, but no way in hell am I adding a heat exchanger to a brand new sled..thats just wrong lol. The main thing that bothered me was the track actually makes a tunnel through the build up and it may beat the crap out of the edge of my track...oh and the extra weight kinda sucks too.
 
Grizz and Canoehead I see one of you fitted the the sheet under your tunnel protectors and the other looks like it covers the portectors and is screwed into them with self tapping screws. Did you have to remove the protectors to get it fitted up on top of them? If so the way canoehead did it looks pretty easy. How does the plate help? Is it the fact that it keeps snow from hitting the exhaust or just the smoother surface? Also is the exhaust supposed to be coold by snow for any reason and does the plate cause cooling issues? Thank you for the info!
 
Snow melt from the exhaust system causes ice to form around the tunnel protectors so by removing or partially covering them ice can't form on the protectors. Tunnel heat exchangers will help but is much more expensive than a sheet of metal. I installed the block off plate several years ago and have ran in all conditions with no significant icing. You don't need to remove the protectors to add the block off plate. If you're not studded a flat plate riveted to the bottom of the protectors will work. I run a prestudded track and was concerned that studs might hit the plate so I bent 90 degree flanges and installed the plate up between the protectors. The plate is riveted to the inside edges of the protectors and just under the muffler so studded shouldn't hit.
 
I'm not running any studs so clearance was not an issue. My plate covers the bottom of the protectors and is bent at a 45 degree upwards towards the tunnel (less corners to build up on)and riveted on. I can run all day without any significant build up and have never had a heat issue once. Installation required I drop the rear of the skid/track for clearance to drill and rivet, which was the most time. I had plans so it was a matter of get the metal, cut and bent, then drill and rivet. Grizz's looks like you might get away with that because you can go in from the sides. Either way you do it, will save you a lot of cussing and no frozen turkeys attached to your sled.
 
The plate runs as far as the collector on the header. The plans are on the site here some where I'll see if I can dig them up.
 
Doesn't putting that plate in limit the overall cooling of sled? I didn't see why myself but a guy who's knowledgeable mentioned it. I truely don't see the header getting cooled as significant to overall engine temps but it could be possible
 
So I was just out in the shed and discovered that a 2013 xtx does not have tunnel protectors like the earlier models.
 
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