First drg for me and the 4.

[opsled]

Local 500fter coming up this Sunday. Might be a mud bath (we'll see). I go every year but am always working in the pits helping out others and BSing.

I've never dragged my 4 so this is new ground for me.

Stock 92 with Bender Twins an stinger.

Talked with Tony on what I have for go faster stuff and think I'm good to go. Will get it all installed and rip up the yard to see where I'm at. Should be close.

Here's what I have.

8BW stator, 8BU cdi, 133.8 mains, notched 89A-10's steel inner aluminum outer, silver/blue spring (two red and one white marks)??, the secondary that was run with it (need to open it up and see where it's at) and 20-39 gears. Also have a set of 89A-10's with aluminum in both holes and no notch. Need to play with this.

The question I have and did not talk to God on is this.

Class.

If I leave the stock track in (192 trail studs, Decent condition) and leave the ride height stock I can run trail stock class. Would be running against 700's, 800's and 4 strokes.

I also have a Camoplast speed track with 240 Roetin angle chisels and a set of lowering tubes I could slip in there but would then have to run what this club calls "stock". Same sleds to run against but pipes, air box mods or delete, lowering, etc are allowed. Internals are to remain stock but I'm sure there are those that won't be.

Wondering which way to go. Stock height, track and trail studs or lowered and speed/chisel track?

Also when lowering for drags what do you guys recommend in the skid?

Pull it down with the limiters and play soft vs hard in the rear for track condition or keep the rear hard and adjust the front limiter to tame the track? or?????

This is a new game for me. I understand all the principals but only have a week to get ready and have a ton of other stuff to do besides sleds.

I'd really like to try the speed track but would be limited to two classes. 800 stock and open stock. With the trail track I could do 4.

What ya's tink???

opsled

 

[cat eater]

The less bend you have on the track the better, so slam that susp down to only two inch of travel. you want it to pull the skis up about two inch of the ground so your just skipping across just enough two keep her straight but less drag, our drags here usally dont check track unless you are killing everyone, most of the time they are glad to have people show up to support the sport, Ive been thrown in with just about every class below and above me just depends on what is there to race, no one likes going down the track alone.and run as little fuel and oil as you can to save some weight, track as loose as you can with out any damadge check your skis for burrs and smoothness any drag you can eliminate will help and practice reaction time if you can get the reaction down you will hold your own. just my thoughts good luck

 

[Kahunas]

Will this be in a field, or on ice?

 

[opsled]

Grass (mud???). No ice.

Usually a fun show. (New Berlin Wi Snowsnoopers).

4 wide drags. Lots of vintage stuff usually there. Small ovals after the drag. Weather doesn't look promising. By the looks of it any snow we have will be gone. We never did get much for frost. Might be cold enough for frozen ground on Sunday but,,,, could be a mess.

opsled

 

[Skinner]

Phil, give me a call when you have a minute, I can help you with that set-up

 

[opsled]

Ok, Think I'm good to go (close anywho). Thanks for all the help guys!!

Ripped up the yard a bit and I think I'm impressed. Only have about 200ft before I have to get out of it because of terrain but I think it was long enough for a good feel.

Started with a carb clean and mains. Carbs were good. Pilots had a little blockage. Knew this goin in. Mains were 143.8 and stock 50 pilots. I had 55 pilots, 140 and 133.8 mains to try. Tony recommended the 133's and leavin the pilots alone. It is about 30ish here today and shouldn't change much by race day. The old girl barks out of the gate big time. Plugs look fine. Medium brown, just a tad lighter at the tip. I'll bring 140's with.

8BW stator and 8BU CDI installed. It seems to respond quicker off idle and up as opposed to the stock 89A stuff. I'm likin that.

Installed a tether. Been wantin to do it for years. Done.

Primary was stock. 89A-10 weights with steel in each hole. Had a silver/blue spring that came with the OMUO sled that was stiffer. It had 89A-10's steel inner aluminum outer. Was going to use that combination but when I pulled the weights out of that clutch I could see that the tips had been welded on. Boogers. OP don't like boogers. So I just installed the spring. Engagement came up to a tad over 4000 but both Tony and Skinner said I needed at least 5000. I had a set of 89A-10's with aluminum in both holes but figured that wouldn't get me there. Got my son's 880 primary off the rack for a look-see. It has a (Hawk?) orange, 89A-10's aluminum in both holes. Put it on. Engagement is right at 5100. The 880's secondary was also wound a little tighter so I put it on too. Shimmed the secondary for belt width and tension so it is just shy of wanting to creep the track. At'll do pig, at'll do. Pulled up instantly on the stand.

Now for hook. Dropped the skid, pulled the track and installed the Camo speed track with the 240 Roetin chisels. It had 20-33 gears in it,Tony said to go with the 20-39 combo I had for starters. They are in. Skinner said to soften up the front as much as possible and pull the limiters down as tight as I could get them. Done did dat!! Also said to stiffen the rear all the way and put in the 4" lowering tubes from the 880. Done did dat too. Made some straps to hold the struts up against the tubes just in case it had enough grunt to pick em (lol). Spun, aligned and tightened the track then put it on the floor. Looked BAD ASSED!! But,,,,, the front of the track was almost 2" off the floor. Notta Gooda.... With a floor jack, piece of plywwod, a ratchet strap and one of my sled lifts I got the rear pulled up and limiter reworked to keep it there. Looks even better and now has full track contact and very little ski pressure. Time for a rip!!

Hooked hard, no spin, launched like a cannon, slight track ratchet, chisels were scratching a bit, more so after I let up on it. A little tightening and readjustment for alignment and all was good. Another rip and it seemed great until about 75ft out. Never lost RPM but it seemed to quit pulling as hard. Seemed to just quit shifting. Then I lost the tach. Back in the shop. Tach turned out to be the ground pin in the harness at the stator. It pushed out just enough to loose contact. Fixed it. Grabbed my manual and was going over the secondary stuff in there and looked at my old post-it notes from when I built the sled. They made me remember that I had a yellow spring in it set a b-3 with a 30* twist. It came with a 92 mountain sled I bought for parts when building mine. It had a softer turn (by hand) than the 880's secondary. Give it a try. Marked new lines on the clutches and out again. Much better. Launch is very hard, no slip, no ratchet, engine goes instantly to 8300 and stays put. Ski's come up off the ground a couple of inches and stay there. Steady and solid. No jumpin around. Very stable. R's never drop and it seems to pull hard right to when I have to get out of it. In about 180 to 200ft I wiped all but the last inch of mark off the primary. Hopefully I won't run out of gear in 500ft. Wish I had a longer test track but what is, is. I will get a chance to rip it on Sunday at the track before the races start. I have a 22 top and 35 bottom I'll bring with. I don't like wrenchin in the dirt but will do what needs to be done.

Was fun... Need to clean it up a bit so she shines a little better. I don't give a rat's ass if I win anything. I do want to run respectable and the sled needs to run perfect and look NICE............. Mean!! iffin ya know what I mean.

Thanks again guys. If ya's have any other suggestions I'm all ears. Hope to get some vid at the track.

I have some pics I'll post later when I get in the house but this puter I have in the shop sucks with loading them.

Phil (opsled)

 

[yammiegirl87]

Good luck Phil. Show em how we do it with a Vmax4!

 

[turch]

BRAAAAAAA BRAAAAAA OFF TO THE RACES :rockon:

GOOD LUCK OP"S

 

[opsled]

Thanks gals and guys.

A few pics. Before, during, after. The goofy lookin one was the track donor.

opsled

 

[opsled]

My strut down limiters didn't cut the mustard.

Made some new ones. these should do.

opsled

 

[opsled]

I had a ball. The club did a GREAT!!!! job IMO. Not a ton of sleds in my classes but most should have been able to beat my 92. Made both finals. Ran 800 stock and 800 improved. Took home a 3rd in stock and 4th in Improved.

Bested a couple of quad piped Vmax-4 800s and a Polie in improved for 4th and got beat by some very stout late model Cat's. They had been to a rodeo before.

Was in against a 700 SRX, some Big Cat's and Doo's and maybe another Polie (went to fast for things to sink in) in stock. Grabbed up a 3rd behind another Cat and a Doo. Sent the SRX to the trailer.

Head to head in heats or finals I beat a 800 Vmax-4, 700 SRX, Polie's Doo's and maybe one Cat (things get foggy).

I'm not used to piloting in the fast pace drag scene and was trying to focus on my job. That and my complete lack of knowledge of any other brands besides Yamaha in late model stuff had me blurry as to what I was up against.

A couple of those Cat's and one of the Doo's had me out classed. I didn't stand a chance against them. Most of the others should have been able to beat my 4. HP wise I should have been close to the bottom and weight wise close to or at the top.

I was happy. Only brought a track stand and my helmet to the pits. Only opened the hood once for a guy that wanted to see what was under it. Went up there with 1/2 tank of gas and burned most of it keeping the old girl warm enough to run. She likes to be warm. Never missed a beat and gave what she had to give.

Twas a good day. Might try it again.

opsled

PS, My son got some vid but it was through two layers of snow fence and at a distance so they're not the greatest. Will try to get them up.

 

[turch]

:clap: WHOAAAAA! Glad to hear you had a great time thats what it"s all about
:3devil-sm

 

[rustman]

Awesome! Sounds like you had a good time. Good to hear the ol girl did well.

 

[Carllaponte]

Nice Job Phil-----It would be cool to see the footage!

 

[Kahunas]

Your feet are now wet...

 

[keith]

Yep no going back now....best just ease the seat back and let the addiction take hold.

 

[Lakeshadow]

I love the fabrication on the front limiters Opsled. Somehow reading all of this made me remember something I completely forgot about, running my new '97 across Houghton Lake at Tip-Up-Town. Night darkness, discussion on the parking ice at the Limberlost. There was a place called Recreational Leisure down here, well anyway.... I bought a case of "Nitro" stuff in a can. Two cans of that stuff in a full tank of gas and the stocker would just fly.

Recreational Leisure is long gone...

 

[Brakes]

Nice work Phil, I'd like to say I did as well but as you know Not enough heat in the motor on the first shot however had a hell of a showing going on in the mod-8 class with better heat build in the motor and did advance to semi's and then finals, took it all the way down to 3/4 track and "BOOM" there went the secondary! 4 th place

 

[opsled]

Nice work Phil, I'd like to say I did as well but as you know Not enough heat in the motor on the first shot however had a hell of a showing going on in the mod-8 class with better heat build in the motor and did advance to semi's and then finals, took it all the way down to 3/4 track and "BOOM" there went the secondary! 4 th place

Yup I saw your first run. It didn't come out like it should have. Mine needs to be good and warm or it does the same thing. If I would have been in your heat I don't know if I would have made the finals especially if yours got out like it should have. Probably woulda been one and done for da opster in improved.

We'll have ta bring em the buisness next year and put another 4 on top.

I had a ball Chris, Thanks to you and your club. Always a good time.

opsled

 

[BUBS SRX]

I think Rec Leisure still has a place in Livonia not a hundred percent sure but it was there a year ago