QuestionThe email is my moms. She said I can use it to ask you my question.)
My Mom just let me buy a 1978 arctic cat 300 Jag snowmobile . As soon as I got it home, it wouldnt start and I cant afford to take it any where to get it fixed now. I am only 12 and spent all my savings on this stupid thing.The people I got it from wont help me either.
When I try to pull the starter rope, gas leaks out the tail pipe thats under the hood and it wont start. I've tried to start it for two weeks now and it still wont start. Mom said I flooded it but I took out the spark plugs and let them dry and dryed the spark plug holes with a hair dryer but still no luck. It was supposed to have been tuned up before I bought it. Any ideas?
Mr.T
If I get it started, is gas mixture 40 to 1? (about 4 ounces oil to 2 litres of gas)
AnswerHello Tanner,
Don't give up on the old Cat! I was about the same age as you when I bought a 1973 Ski Doo Olympique and the exact same thing happened the first night I took it out. What is most probably happening, is the inlet needle in the carburetor is sticking and flooding the sled as soon as you try to start it. What you will need to do to get this fixed, is remove the carb partially. Luckily you have a Cat, with a Mikuni VM carburetor. They are much easier to work on, and more reliable. There is a band on the rubber mount that holds the carb in place. Loosen this up first. Then, angle the carb so that it is sideways. Loosen the four screws on the bottom of the carb. Alot of gas will flow our at first, but it will stop. From this point on, I think you will find the link very handy, as it demonstrates cleaning the carb, especially the inlet needle that is holding the sled up http://www.snowmobilefanatics.com/articles/default.asp?cid=2&aid=13 . The fuel oil mix is 20:1, or 1 quart of oil to 5 gallons of gas. If the sled fouls plugs ( you will know it fouled plugs because it will suddenly loose power and smoke heavily), then you may want to go with 40:1. Another thing you may want to do is put a fresh set of plugs in. Before installing the plugs, hook them up to the wires, but do not screw them in. Ground the plugs on the metal of the engine. Have a helper pull the engine over. The plugs should spark. It might just have a shot plug, also. You may also want to install this carb kit, which would be ideal: http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/07-435.html?id=UNk52gJR I hope this helps you. As you have found out, snowmobiles never stop having troubles, new or old. Let me know if you have any other questions, and I will be glad to help. Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman
