Snowmobile running problem

[Fishfood04]

I have a 1998 arctic cat zrt 800 snowmobile that I can't get to stay on :thumbsdown:. I can get it to fire up by pouring some gas into the cylinders but it dies once that's used up. Also I can't see any gas in the fuel lines. I'm no snowmobile guru but the most likely thing I can think of is the fuel pump is probably not working, I've checked the fuel filter and it's not cloged. Are broken fuel pumps a common problem on snowmobiles? Is there anything else I should check or should I replace the pump and hopefully that'll get it running. Where can I buy a fuel pump for it the Denver area. Thanks for any advice.

[CSP]

To see if it's the fuel pump take a line that goes to the carb (or injectors if EFI) off of the carb and put the end in a coffee can. Pull the starter rope and see if any fuel goes into the can.

I know diddly about Arctic Cats, but local suppliers are probably going to be just the dealer. Online there are lots of sources.

[Skywalker933]

I know these older arctic cats are pretty finnicky...but one simple thing that I've seen that can cause your sled to be running the way that it is the screens in your fuel filters. They might not look clogged to the naked eye, but a summer without proper fuel stabilization can cause those screens to clog up with a clear film that wont allow fuel to pass. Check those screens and make sure they flow...if not, soak in some solvent and try again.

I remember spending many frustrating days in the shop trying to diagnose running problems similar to this, and it was equally frustrating to find out the problem was so simple.

Hope that helps a little bit

Luke

[Fishfood04]

Alright thanks, are there screens in or at the carburator or only the gas tank and inline filter? I'm getting fuel flow out of the gas tank and I can blow air through the inline filter. I didn't stabilize the fuel over the summer or drain the tank, all I did was add 5 gallons of 91 octane gas to the old :poke:.

[noahfecks]

Alright thanks, are there screens in or at the carburator or only the gas tank and inline filter? I'm getting fuel flow out of the gas tank and I can blow air through the inline filter. I didn't stabilize the fuel over the summer or drain the tank, all I did was add 5 gallons of 91 octane gas to the old :poke:.

You have bad gas. Drain out the shitty gas that sat in the tank and turned to varnish all summer. Replace the fuel filter, you can try to clean it like was suggested but its a cheap part. Pull the carbss and clean the float bowls and the jets. When you let the gas sit with no stabalizer in it it goes to crap pretty fast. Automotive fuel blends are really designed to be used within about a month of refinement. Once they start to brake down they create a sticky film like was mentioned earlier and cause the jets (or injectors) to clog and fuel floats to stick. Before you put it away this spring run it almost out of gas, put stabalizer in it and run it a few minuets longer. Once you are pretty sure you have fuel with stabalizer in it all the way from the tank to the carbs, switch the fuel cutoff valve to the off position and let it run out of gas. Aftter the engine is cool pull the spark plugs and spray wd40 into the cylinders then pull the start cord a few times. Replace the spark plugs and put it away. It is also a good idea to block the back up so the rear suspension is unloaded and hanging free.

[FORMULA51]

You have bad gas. Drain out the shitty gas that sat in the tank and turned to varnish all summer. Replace the fuel filter, you can try to clean it like was suggested but its a cheap part. Pull the carbss and clean the float bowls and the jets. When you let the gas sit with no stabalizer in it it goes to crap pretty fast. Automotive fuel blends are really designed to be used within about a month of refinement. Once they start to brake down they create a sticky film like was mentioned earlier and cause the jets (or injectors) to clog and fuel floats to stick. Before you put it away this spring run it almost out of gas, put stabalizer in it and run it a few minuets longer. Once you are pretty sure you have fuel with stabalizer in it all the way from the tank to the carbs, switch the fuel cutoff valve to the off position and let it run out of gas. Aftter the engine is cool pull the spark plugs and spray wd40 into the cylinders then pull the start cord a few times. Replace the spark plugs and put it away. It is also a good idea to block the back up so the rear suspension is unloaded and hanging free.


good write up.


is this an efi or no? My dad just replaced everything on his efi and couldn't keep it running either. He talked to the dealer and said that the fuel rail likes to get air bubbles in there and you have to pull like hell for days.


Wanna know what i did to get it to run (within 5 minutes of being there)? I switched the input and output gaslines on the carbs, and shabang! the sonova byotch worked. (FYI, he's been dickin with this sled since last season) He was pretty irked that i looked at it for 5 minutes and figured it out. HA!