SumpBuster
TY 4 Stroke God
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2003
- Messages
- 2,359
- Reaction score
- 1,272
- Points
- 1,483
- Location
- Carlisle, NY .
- Country
- USA
- Snowmobile
- 18 sidewinder; 06 Apex RTX
Or in my case, one donut left. Three were totally gone, with pieces laying under the pipes. This is a 2006 Apex RTX with 2500 miles.
Last October, at our grass drags I told my son the sled didn't sound right. But it did after last winter. It sounded like a misfire...hard to explain, it ran fine, idled fine, but sounded 'off', not a smooth note like normal. Anyway, for the next 300 miles, I would hear noise under the tunnel, and thought maybe it's breaking in, and getting louder. Anything over 6 grand or so and it sounded normal. Then at idle it sounded like a lifter tick from behind the driven pulley. Then the whole sled sounded louder from the seat, again below 6000 grand or so. All the while, the exhaust out the back still didn't sound right at idle, almost like a three cylinder, yet it was running fine.
Anyway, there where no donuts left on three pipes, but no damage to the headers. Plus the bolts holding the y pipes were rusted solid and I had to drill them out to move the pipes back. I pretty much followed Rocker Dan's method, and it is a pretty easy job, except for the rusted crap. I used the copper gasket sealer, and all my clamps tightened up nicely. It sounds like new now, no 'misfire' sound, no under tunnel crackling, and much quieter. All these are signs of donuts going, as there was absolutely nothing else wrong.
Hope this helps...if you have any 'off' sound at all, strip it down and check them. Loose clamps is the tip off once you get inside. There was nothing left to hold to.
I believe aging must also be a factor, as I said the sled sounded fine last march, but apparently did not like full throttle grass runs, for a wake up call in October.
Last October, at our grass drags I told my son the sled didn't sound right. But it did after last winter. It sounded like a misfire...hard to explain, it ran fine, idled fine, but sounded 'off', not a smooth note like normal. Anyway, for the next 300 miles, I would hear noise under the tunnel, and thought maybe it's breaking in, and getting louder. Anything over 6 grand or so and it sounded normal. Then at idle it sounded like a lifter tick from behind the driven pulley. Then the whole sled sounded louder from the seat, again below 6000 grand or so. All the while, the exhaust out the back still didn't sound right at idle, almost like a three cylinder, yet it was running fine.
Anyway, there where no donuts left on three pipes, but no damage to the headers. Plus the bolts holding the y pipes were rusted solid and I had to drill them out to move the pipes back. I pretty much followed Rocker Dan's method, and it is a pretty easy job, except for the rusted crap. I used the copper gasket sealer, and all my clamps tightened up nicely. It sounds like new now, no 'misfire' sound, no under tunnel crackling, and much quieter. All these are signs of donuts going, as there was absolutely nothing else wrong.
Hope this helps...if you have any 'off' sound at all, strip it down and check them. Loose clamps is the tip off once you get inside. There was nothing left to hold to.
I believe aging must also be a factor, as I said the sled sounded fine last march, but apparently did not like full throttle grass runs, for a wake up call in October.
