1978 Ski Doo Olympique
( Olympic Oly snowmobile Skidoo )
2001-2002 Seasons
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9/25/02
I
am posting this page as I have noticed that there is little to no information
available online for this model. I hope that my experience may be helpful
to those attempting to restore/rebuild these snowmobiles.
The Beginning
In November 2001, I bought two Ski Doo Olympique 340 snowmobiles, one
electric and one manual start. I had never ridden a sled, much less owned
one, so this was truly the beginning. The sleds condition could best be
described as poor, but the price reflected as much. The sleds had sat for
over ten years. Surface rust covered 70-80% and there were small rust
holes in the floor pans and undersides of both. The windshields were hazy
and cracked and the seat covers were beyond repair. Under the hood,
things faired little better, the carbs were completely filled with a varnish
like gunk, which had hardened in the bowls, the jets, and the needle valves.
The jet needles were completely stuck. The fuel pumps, primers, and fuel
tanks were filled with the same. The fuel lines had rotted inside and
outside the fuel tank. The drive belts were rotten and the spares on the
floor pan were oil soaked. The secondary clutches were frozen, as were
the brake calipers. The headlight reflectors had tarnished and the bulbs
were blown. The skis were just starting to wear through behind the wear
bars (skegs). Both front and rear shocks were frozen as well.
Getting Running
Now for the good stuff. The sleds felt solid. The tracks were
in good condition, as were the idlers and slides. The motors turned
free. This was a good start. The sleds were sold to me under the
premise that perhaps the sleds could be combined to make one good sled.
Knowing this, I set out to figure out which sled would run. First, I
cleaned out all the accumulation of dust and debris. I cleaned the
carbs, fuel pumps, primers, and replaced the fuel lines (1/4") and filters
(Fram G2). Next, I tried to clean the fuel tanks. Initially, I
tried to flush it with gasoline, but this had little effect. Next, I
tried everything from choke cleaner to mineral spirits to kerosene to remove
the varnish, but nothing seemed to take it out. I was told that it would
remove itself as gas was run through the tank. This was partly
true. (All the first season, I was plagued with clogged fuel filters,
clogged jets, and clogged fuel inlets. At the end of the season, it
seemed that there was as much there as was before.) After
everything was cleaned and spark plugs (B8HS) were replaced, both Rotax's
roared to life.
I then set about beginning to make them trail
worthy. A friend welded patches on the bottoms of both sleds and I set
about removing ten years of rust. The sleds were painted Plasticote Truck
and Van Bright Silver. The original color was more of a beige, but the
silver covers the rust pits and the previous owners indiscretions better.
(Apparently they were operated by two teenagers who attempted to mate them
often.) The seat boards were replaced and the seats were
recovered. The brake lights were also rewired at this time. While
the tracks were lowered for painting, I took the opportunity to free and
lubricate all moving parts underneath the sleds. (Note, a small rag
will help identify the difference between a grease fitting and a 1/4-20
bolt. I wasted 10 minutes of my life trying to force synthetic marine
grease into a bolt shank.) The clutches and calipers were freed and
the headlight bulbs replaced. I was ready to
ride.
First Ride
My first ride was in December. Having never ridden before, this was
a day of firsts. The oil soaked belt refused to transmit power until the
engine was at full throttle. The tarnished headlight reflector let little
light escape to light the way. I also found that these sleds like to roll
in the hands of the inexperienced. Low tree limbs convinced me that I
needed a helmet.
I called Dennis Kirk to have a new headlight housing
delivered and Ebay provided belts and a helmet. On my very next ride, I
revelled in the smooth power delivery, the bright headlight, and the safety of
my new helmet as once again the sled passed over my body. Tricky little
devils, these are...
Subsequent trail rides were uneventful. The Olys had little trouble
keeping up with the pace. With a little counterbalancing, they even
handled somewhat well.
Getting Ready
I removed the sleds from storage in September of this year, 2002, to try to
get a little jump-start on the items that still need attention. I cleaned
the engine and engine bays with a high quality degreaser. I have cleaned
the carbs, replaced the fuel filters, fan belts, and spark plugs. I have
cleaned the clutch sheaves of built up rubber and regreased the
suspension. I am looking into the viability of forming my own
windshield. Fifty-four dollars a piece and I need two, I feel that this
is worth looking in to. The fuel tank issue has also been addressed.
I found that if used properly, lacquer thinner will remove the deposits from
the gas tank. It takes about a quart for one tank. Empty the tank,
pour one pint of lacquer thinner in and begin swirling the tank. I have
heard that it helps to put a small section of metal chain in the tank to help
remove the buildup. Dump this when you see no more varnish being
removed. Repeat, then visually inspect to ensure all varnish is
gone. Rinse the tank with gasoline to remove all traces of the
thinner.
I was looking into replacing the brake pads, but broke
the pivot off the caliper when trying to remove them. I am looking into a
fix for this. It will probably consist of two small washers (#10) welded
together. Then I will drill a hole into the caliper to the rear where the
material is thick enough to support this and bolt the repair bracket to the
side of the caliper. More to follow as work
progresses.
Season #2
10/01/02
Bad News, I have learned that the "slow to rev
after warm" problem I have experienced is likely due to a crankcase
leak. This can also cause a lean condition that tends to scuff cylinders
and burn pistons. I have removed the engine from the electric sled and am
in the process of replacing the seals. Removing the clutch from this
model requires a puller; it is essentially a long bolt with the initial 4
inches of threads removed. (Enterprising individuals may be able to do
this themselves and save a little money.) Removing the magneto
requires a standard 3-bolt puller. I have taken the opportunity to clean
and paint the belly pan while the engine has been removed. I suspect if
this goes well, the other sled will get a similar treatment. I have
recently bought a set of skis off ebay that will be finding a home on the
electric sled. I am also looking into a set of shocks. The
windshield project is still in the work. I have made the form, but have
not yet tried to lay the Plexiglas. I hope to have pictures soon.
More to follow...
10/16/02
Seals have been replaced and the engine reinstalled in
the electric sled. However, I have found that the seals necessary for my
Olys are different from the ones listed by Dennis Kirk. They list
different seals for the PTO and Mag end (14-71 PTO, 14-97 Mag), but my sleds
require the seal they list for the PTO for the Mag end as well. They have been very helpful in this matter
and have agreed to send the proper seals to replace them. I also replaced the headlight reflector on
the manual sled. I have repaired the
broken caliper with a used unit and the outside of the fuel tanks got a
cleaning to match their insides. Choke
cleaner and WD-40 had them looking like new.
Waxing the faded plastic hoods has returned some luster to the
finish. I am hoping that subsequent
applications will do better still.
I have noticed when cleaning the carbs that there seems to be a lot of material impacting the air inlet horn. This led me to believe that my incoming air could stand to be cleaner. I am in the process of adapting a car air cleaner to fit. Current plan is to hack up the current intake mufflers to make filter mounts and mount a Fram 3902 air filter where it used to be. Purists may wince while I put the hacksaw to vintage material, but in the end, I think it’s for the best.
12/19/02
Okay, it has been a while since I last updated so here I go. I took the electric sled out the first time. It ran horrible. It loaded up badly and had no power when it did run. Then it quit altogether. Inspection revealed that the main jet had come loose and was riding around in the fuel bowl. This got it back to its previous piss poor state, but it did run. I then found that if I raised the hood the sled ran fine. Hmmm…. It appears that under hood air sucks. By removing the stock intake silencer, I limited the amount of fresh air the engine received. So after an entire evening of riding with the hood held up, I decided to abandon the air filter idea. I wasted two sets of plugs on this ride. Oh well. Anyone need a brand new Fram 3902?
12/24/02
Second ride went much smoother for the electric sled. I was very impressed with the power. However, it was the manual sleds first time out with the new crank seals. It did not do so well. It seems that the previous owner had rejetted the carb to keep up with the air admitted by those pesky crank seals. The main jet in this sled is much larger than the one in the electric sled. This led to an entire night of loading up and wet plugs. I am currently looking into the task of replacing the main jet with a smaller one. The stock jet looks to be a 250? If I cannot find the proper jet, I may try to adjust my mixture by lowering my jet needle and lowering my float bowl level. These tricks can lean out a mixture fairly effectively, but may cause problems elsewhere. I have yet to attempt the windshield yet. Due to my work schedule and a procrastinating friend who insists that he has a heat gun but has never produced it, it sets on the shelf awaiting the form. I purchased a digital camera with the intent of placing my own pics on my website, but that has yet to happen as well.
Please continue reading (Section 2): My Progress 03-04
