QuestionHEllo again, what do you think about Amsoil for this sled? at 50:1 would be ok? I assume you were talking about the iginiton external coils? Also I NEED the wiring diagram for this sled. I have looked allover and can't seem to find one. It has the T7A32 engine. Thanks again for your help!!!-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Hello,
Let me start by Thanking you for all you great info!! I just bought a 1973 Arctic Cat El Tigre 400 FA snowmobile, its my first! I got it for 100.00 Put new NGK 9es plugs in it and took apart both carbs(Mikuni) and cleaned them out and put them back together. I also emptied the gas tank and added fresh 20:1 mix. Also rebuilt the fuel pump. It will start and run, but will not idle. Also, if I take it around the yard once and come back to the garage, the plugs will be fouled out! I will have a "wet" area in front of the carbs(no air box) and there will be some black oil/gas? around the exhaust where the manifold meets the muffler. I believe it is getting too much gas. I set the main needle as far up on the notch as the clip would go. Do you know the correct jets for this sled? Also any other issues I didn't look into? Thanks again for your great help!
Answer -
Hello GP,
Congrats on buying a vintage Cat! For a early 70's sled, you have an ideal one, as it has a Mikuni VM carburetor and CDI ignition. I recently had a '73 Ski-Doo Olympique 440 that had the same problem, running so rich that it had gas and oil coming out of the carb and the muffler. In this sleds case, I installed spark plugs of a higher heat range, rebuilt the carb, and installed new coils. This got the sled to where I was changing the plugs every week, which wasn't too bad for an old sled. Originally, the sled uses a #360 for the main jet and a #35 for the pilot jet. I would recommend new jets, as they wear out and become enlarged. Using a #350 main and #30 pilot should help quite a bit. If you decide to do this, placing the needle 1 notch down would be ideal. After this, try 32:1 fuel oil ratio, and NGK BR8ES spark plugs. You can get nearly any part for this sled here; http://www.brownsleisureworld.com/Parts/SNOWMOBILE/1973/1973ElTigre/ . If you need carburetor parts, the sleds carb model is VM 34-24. Another thing to look at is that the air screw, ( the small brass screw that goes into the carb at an angle) is adjusted properly. It should be in the 1 turn out area, and never more than 2 turns. Also, make sure the sled is getting a good spark. If it isn't, then that would eliminate the need for re-jetting and changing the fuel oil ratio, and the sled would need a new coil. If you need parts that are aftermarket, www.denniskirk.com is much better price wise. I hope I have helped you! Let me know if you have any other questions! Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman
AnswerHello GP,
Amsoil is definitely fine, especially in older Cats. As far as 50:1, I know Amsoil raves about it, but I wouldn't go over 40:1, unless you own judgment tells you the sled isn't having a problem with it. Yes, I was referring to the external coils, they are much more likely to fail than the internals, although they are something to check as a last resort. As for a wiring diagram, Old Cats: http://oldcats.tripod.com/electical.htm has some decent ones. You may want to save one from there, and open it in Image Preview or something to that idea to make the diagrams easier to read. Hope this helps you. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman
