Snowmobile Repair: Season Preparation, float bowls, chain case oil

Question
Hi Articatman,

I have a 2001 Ski-doo GS 700 that I did nothing to in regards to summer storage.  It was stored in a garage all summer that is insulated but I did not drain the fuel or anything else.  Now I would like to get it prepared for the season.  Should I try and start the sled as is or do I need to take it to a shop to make certain the carbs are not clogged or something else needs repair?  

Thanks much for the help.

Jerry

Answer
Hello Jerry,

  For the sled to run reliably, it will need a bit of pre-winter maintenance. It's not a bad job, so if you want to do it your self, here's the basics. Drain all of the fuel out of the gas tank, a siphon comes in handy for this. Remove the carburetors, and clean out the float bowls, and spray plenty of carb cleaner up into the inside of the carbs, paying special attention to the inlet needles. Next, install new spark plugs. Make sure your coolant is topped off, and the correct 50/50 mixture, even better would be to drain the coolant and add fresh. Last of all, remove the dipstick on your chain case and siphon all of the chain case oil out. Replace the fluid. These are the basics, but on my website; http://www.freewebs.com/thesledzone/trailready.htm ,  I've written nearly every thing to get your sled ready for winter. I hope you will find it helpful. If you need any help at all, let me know! Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman