Polaris Mutt Mod

[skiroule]

I’m sure everyone has had these kinds of days and it wasn’t for lack of effort but I’d be hard pressed to think of anything that went well with what I tried to get done in the shop today.

But then, I got a package from Kirk600. In it was a very nice Comet clutch that is literally a bolt-on for my motor. Not only did he give me the clutch for free, he threw in an extra, lighter set of weights and gave me some good advice on potential weight options. It was a totally generous thing to do and I’m really happy to have this addition for the mutt mod. Thanks Kirk!

 

[mezz]

That, is very cool! You're one helluva guy Kirk! Nice!

 

[skiroule]

That, is very cool! You're one helluva guy Kirk! Nice!

Exactly! Kirk is the guy I go to every time I have a tough question and he always takes the time to explain things. I’ve learned a ton from him.

Won’t get a lot of shop time until later next week so figured I’d blast out an update.

For a change of pace, I figured I’d start messing with the hood which, next to the motor, is probably the biggest departure from the original sled. The original 73 hood is sharp but I’ve always liked the 72 version. It was the last of the “hole in the hood” Polaris sleds and is just kind of a quirky, cool look.

I wasn’t keen on the idea of shelling out $450 for a new 72 reproduction hood, not to mention cutting a larger opening in that expensive hood to accommodate the physically bigger engine, so when I stumbled across this beauty for $50, I jumped on it. Granted, I’ll probably have 100 hours in this thing by the time it’s done but I figure $4/hr. is a reasonable shop rate for my time.


First step (after a little cleanup) was roughing in the larger hood opening. It may need a little tweaking but it’s pretty close. Lots of repair work left to do but it’s a start.


Also spent some time brazing in some patches on the rear corners of the tunnel, which were pretty busted up. Time will tell if they will hold. Another mod I made on the back end was to add a bumper/grab bar off a 79 TX, which will make it easier to lift the sled or put it on a stand. The 73 models had nothing except those goofy handles on the side of the tunnel. It's one of those little things that I think is a big improvement.

 

[mezz]

Love the transformation period, it's timely, but well worth it in the end. Enjoying it every step of the way, your projects have had a way of keeping ones attention from the very beginning. As always, admire your work.

 

[skiroule]

Messing a lot with aluminum lately, made a few parts – rear tunnel plate, rear suspension mounts, hood vent frames, front gas tank bracket, dash plate and a couple of other things not included in this shot. Slow going but I don’t want to screw up, heavier sheet aluminum is not available anywhere locally up here.


The dash plate is loosely patterned after a 72 ATX dash, which was basically a sheet of aluminum. For such a simple piece, there sure is a lot of scribbling on it. A few more holes to drill but it’s pretty close to done.


I have three options on gauge sets but threw these in to get a sense of how they would look.

 

[dwz]

Nice work Kelly thanks for the update!

 

[kirk600]

That's looking good Kelly! I can't believe how much better it looks with the big finsand the 1972 hood. I wish I had the skills to bend aluminum like that .
I am still waiting for a chance to start working on mine. Got home from Eagle River on Monday, after 5 days of wrenching and pushing sleds through the pits.......

 

[mezz]

Nice! Admiring the metal working skills. How did you shape the aluminum dash?

 

[skiroule]

Well guys, as I mentioned at the start of this project, it would challenge me to try some new things and the metal work is a good example. I’m not fast but I’m learning some things about what will work for me and what won’t.

Nice! Admiring the metal working skills. How did you shape the aluminum dash?

I figured I had to bend it on the frame to get the curve right. After making sure it was square on the frame, I Used a bunch of clamps to hold the top section in place and slowly hand-forced the lower section towards the frame (using a strap to hold it) until I could draw it completely into the frame with C-clamps and 2x2’s. Then I heated the bend up pretty good with a MAPP gas torch. It will need to be pulled in a little when I rivet it in for good but it won’t take much effort.

The 79 motor Y-pipe is basically horizontal and doesn’t work with the 75 tuned pipe or the 73 chassis so I cut the Y-pipe off, salvaged the flange and, after several failures, finally got an angled section of pipe cut right. Then I got it all mocked up together to make sure it would hook up to the tuned pipe and since I don’t have the equipment or know how to weld, I went to the local body shop guy to have him weld it up for me. Deer are keeping him really busy so it took him awhile to get it done but he was nice enough to squeeze it in. It all fits together now but it’s tight.

The major under-hood stuff is now fitted so I can tear it down and get serious about pan/tunnel repair. That will keep me occupied (and quiet) for quite a while

That's looking good Kelly! I can't believe how much better it looks with the big finsand the 1972 hood. I wish I had the skills to bend aluminum like that .
I am still waiting for a chance to start working on mine. Got home from Eagle River on Monday, after 5 days of wrenching and pushing sleds through the pits.......

I did a little further refinement on the hood opening tonight. Since this motor puts the Y-pipe closer to the hood I decided to cut a “V” in the front, similar to the hood on the triples, to help dissipate the heat a little better. Also cleaned up the rest of the cuts. Think I’m calling the cut-out ready for filing and finishing work. Lots of work to do on the rest of the hood though.


P.S. Hoping you’ll post some info on your racing week and maybe some photos?

On an unrelated note, this little mule was literally dumped off in my driveway last weekend: 1970 Polaris TX 300 Playmate – one year model with 213 miles on the odometer. Has spark so it should run. I just couldn’t pass it up. How can you say no to a Playmate?

 

[skidoolouie]

Excellent work!

 

[kirk600]

Well guys, as I mentioned at the start of this project, it would challenge me to try some new things and the metal work is a good example. I’m not fast but I’m learning some things about what will work for me and what won’t.

I figured I had to bend it on the frame to get the curve right. After making sure it was square on the frame, I Used a bunch of clamps to hold the top section in place and slowly hand-forced the lower section towards the frame (using a strap to hold it) until I could draw it completely into the frame with C-clamps and 2x2’s. Then I heated the bend up pretty good with a MAPP gas torch. It will need to be pulled in a little when I rivet it in for good but it won’t take much effort.

The 79 motor Y-pipe is basically horizontal and doesn’t work with the 75 tuned pipe or the 73 chassis so I cut the Y-pipe off, salvaged the flange and, after several failures, finally got an angled section of pipe cut right. Then I got it all mocked up together to make sure it would hook up to the tuned pipe and since I don’t have the equipment or know how to weld, I went to the local body shop guy to have him weld it up for me. Deer are keeping him really busy so it took him awhile to get it done but he was nice enough to squeeze it in. It all fits together now but it’s tight.
View attachment 67797
The major under-hood stuff is now fitted so I can tear it down and get serious about pan/tunnel repair. That will keep me occupied (and quiet) for quite a while

I did a little further refinement on the hood opening tonight. Since this motor puts the Y-pipe closer to the hood I decided to cut a “V” in the front, similar to the hood on the triples, to help dissipate the heat a little better. Also cleaned up the rest of the cuts. Think I’m calling the cut-out ready for filing and finishing work. Lots of work to do on the rest of the hood though.
View attachment 67798

P.S. Hoping you’ll post some info on your racing week and maybe some photos?

On an unrelated note, this little mule was literally dumped off in my driveway last weekend: 1970 Polaris TX 300 Playmate – one year model with 213 miles on the odometer. Has spark so it should run. I just couldn’t pass it up. How can you say no to a Playmate?
View attachment 67799

Yep that's the closest I will ever be to a real "Playmate "

 

[skiroule]

Yep that's the closest I will ever be to a real "Playmate "

So True!

Been doing some riding, which felt good and motivated me to get back on the project. There’s a bunch of text and photos in this post that run the risk of getting too far down in the weeds and I apologize in advance but I think they help detail some of the things involved with this particular project.

First order of business was one of those little “big” things, installing the new rear suspension mounts, which now put the shaft mounting below the running board. I positioned the new plates to match the old plate position but since the new mounts dropped the mounting point a couple of inches, I moved the mounting holes 1/8” forward of center to retain the original shaft spacing.

The suspension was originally mounted through the tunnel, which was fine but years of pounding took their toll. The holes were not only “egged out”, there are stress cracks around the hole. With the new mount scheme, this area is no longer structural so I’ll just fill things in with metal filler.

I’ve always thought the original rear tunnel plate that was mounted outside the tunnel looked kind of clunky. Besides, the original plate didn’t look to be realistically save-able.



I had fashioned a new plate that mounted inside the tunnel and cut the corners to accept a 79 TX bumper (the 73 chassis had no bumper of any kind). I also trimmed the lower tunnel sides and running boards. I think the look is much cleaner and with the addition of the bumper, more functional. I couldn’t duplicate the rolled metal of the original plate but I’m using a much heavier snow flap mounting plate so that should stiffen things up sufficiently.


Just to make sure everything assembled as planned and to get an idea of the end result, I threw a coat of primer on things and test mounted the bumper and snow flap. This mostly takes care of the back end.

 

[mezz]

As usual, nice work & admiring the continued attention to detail. Like the others you have done, steady as she goes....

 

[dwz]

Very nice, thanks for the update!

 

[mspease]

I hadn't checked this thread in a while. Looking great Kelly!

 

[gary_in_neenah]

Skiroule....Old, Rusty, Good For Nothing, Broken Sleds FEAR HIM!​

 

[mezz]

Skiroule....Old, Rusty, Once good for nothing Broken Sleds FEAR HIM!​

It should read this way........

 

[skiroule]

Old, Rusty, Good For Nothing, Skiroule....Broken Sleds FEAR HIM!​

Good ones, but I'll state the obviously correct wording order

 

[kirk600]

The progress pictures Sure look great Kelly! We finally have snow here, but the ground is warm still so we will have to wait before we can make tracks that don't destroy the landscape .
That mutt mod is going to get a lot of attention when you get it done.... all the subtle changes will have them intrigued.

 

[skiroule]

Good to hear you’re getting some snow. Not sure if you are in the track of the latest stretch of cold weather. Looks like it might be cold enough here to maybe take care of some of the slush problem we’re having on the Rainy River.

It is pretty cool to incorporate some interesting changes on the sled. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, it’s really forcing me out of my comfort zone, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The trade-off is time. Figuring things out at my pace is definitely pushing the schedule out.

There are still a couple of fabrications in the pipeline that I need to do, but in the meantime, I’m going to be tied up in body work on the chassis. There must be 100 dents in the pan alone. I’m only allowing about three weeks to get the chassis ready for paint. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll try to post a shot of the pan work once I get it ready for primetime.