Snowmobile Repair: 78 Artic Cat, artic cat, rubber mallet

Question
My snowmobile is a 1978 Artic Cat. It has run good in the past.  I haven't ridden it in about two years however.  When I tried to start it up the pull cord would not come up.  It felt like it was seized up or frozen.  So I took it apart and found out that it wasn't the cord that was seized up, it was the motor.  Do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Hello Jonathan,

  Sounds like the Cat is pretty set up. Here is what I recommend. First, remove the muffler, and make sure there is no sign of mice, or their nests in the manifold. Also, check the carb for the same. If they check fine, the engine has most probably gotten a damp inside, and set up. I have had this happen before, and usually it can be fixed with out new rings, gaskets, ect. Buy a bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil, and a can of WD-40. First, remove the spark plugs. Then, spray WD-40 down the holes for about 6-7 seconds. Let it sit over night. Next, pour about 1.5 ounces of Marvel down the cylinders. After it has sat for an hour or so, you can proceed to he next step. Take a dowel, the is a bit thinner than the plug hole. Place it in the hole, until it contacts the piston. Now, take a rubber mallet and LIGHTLY tap the dowel. While you are doing this, have a friend pull/turn back and forth on the drive clutch. Pulling on the rope will generally break it. If this does not get it loose, you will need to rebuild the engine, or at least pull the heads and take a look. If it does come free, keep the plugs out, and crank the engine over for quite a few pulls to get all the Mystery oil and WD-40 out. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman