Snowmobile Repair: tune up, cycle oil, wise idea

Question
we have 2 kawasaki snow mobiles , one is a 1977 the other is "78 or "79 . the "77 is a intriguer 440. the other just has 440 on the side. we got them from my brother in law with no instructions on tune up or maintenance. ijust need to get it ready to ride. what do i do?

Answer
Hello Patty,
  Thank you for your question. giving the sleds a good tune-up is a wise idea especially if they have set-up for a long time. I would start with using the propperly mixed fuel, which is 20:1 for both sleds (basically 1 quart of two-cycle oil mixed with 5 gallons of gas). Next, if the spark plugs look worn at all, replace them with Autolite 4063 plugs on the intriguer and whatever is already installed in the 440. If the sleds have a hard time taking off you may need to replace the drive belt, which is part number:59011-3503 for the intriguer. I can't really give you any specific specs on the 440 since Kawasaki made 3 different 440's over the years, including the Intruder, Invader, and Intriguer, all with different specs. If you can find out the model of the 440 I would be happy to give you tune-up info ect. Also, check the track tension by pulling down firmly on the track with the machine raised, there should be about 1 1/2 inches of slack. Check the chaincase ( mounted under the hood and attached to the belt driven secondary clutch) to see if the fluid inside is filled up, if it's low add chaincase oil availible at most dealers. If the sleds idle erraticaly, the carbs will probably need to be dissasembled, cleaned, and rebuilt. You can get parts for the sleds at: www.denniskirk.com, which is a very reliable parts dealer. check the wear-bars under the skis to make sure they haven't worn out, they generally need anual replacement. A really helpfull thing to do is to remove the muffler and manifold and remove any carbon that has built-up in the ports. Let me know if I can help you with any other questions you might have. Good luck with the sleds! Mr.W