Riding a snowmobile is always exhilarating! For those who live in the west, a Rocky Mountain sled vacation is the ultimate experience. However, when exposed to high altitude riding, many a flatlander has been disappointed with his sled’s performance. Failure to perform the proper “high altitude” adjustments recommended by the manufacturers can turn the opportunity of a lifetime into a royal pain. The proper snowmobile parts & accessories are a necessity in the mountains.
First recognize that all snowmobiles come tuned by the manufacturer for operation at sea level or “zero elevation”. As you ride up to greater heights one very real thing occurs, your motor must cope with reduced oxygen levels.
The air around us is made up of many gases. It is the oxygen that your body and your sled’s internal combustion motor need to make power. Take away the oxygen, take away the power. Just try jogging in West Yellowstone, Montana, from your hotel to the pancake house and your brain will tell you what your engine is going through (seems a little sluggish, lacks power, out of breath, sort of like my sled) Get the picture?
If you look at the situation simply as: less oxygen + less fuel required = less horsepower generated. Take into account the effect that air temperature has on air density and “bingo.” The jetting chart that you find in your owner’s manual or decaled under your hood should start making more sense.
Luckily, all of the necessary adjustments are within the scope of the average snowmobiler’s wrenching capacity. When the chart says use a 250 main jet at 6,000 foot elevation and 0 degrees to minus 10 degrees, then use the 250 main jet. Some charts have a 10 to 15 percent rich cushion built into their high altitude specs so a little experimentation is sometimes in order. You see, dumping in extra fuel will only increase the consumption of fuel and spark plugs. In fact, quite often it is also necessary to lean out the mid-range fuel mixture. This is accomplished by lowering the jet needle (moving the little E-clip up), or may even require going down a size on the needle jet.
Many a mountain rider carries a special stash of spare E-clips for these mid-range adjustments. Nothing quite makes your day like dropping one of these snowmobile parts into the bowels of your bellypan when you are 50 miles from nowhere. Carry a spare!
Greg Woods is an avid motorcycle and snowmobile rider. He has been involved in the powersports business as a rider and businessman for many years. Visit http://www.xlr8parts.com for unusual, obsolete, discontinued, or sale priced ATV, Motorcycle & Snowmobile Parts & Accessories. Try our Bargain search utility. XLR8 Parts maintains a huge database of dealer entered clearout parts. We can match your search with a motivated seller. Copyright 2010, (Please note source if reprinting this article.)
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