It’s inevitable on a 2-cycle sled
that at some time the exhaust valves
will have to be cleaned. Even if you
use synthetic oils designed to
prevent exhaust valve buildup, you
should still be inspecting/cleaning
the valves at least once a season. The
good thing about them is that they
are designed to be cleaned, and the
job is pretty simple.
No matter what type of machine
you own, the first thing to do before
you go tearing into this job is to go to
the dealer and get the proper
gaskets for reassembly. Don’t even
think about using the originals,
they’ll probably tear during
disassembly anyway.
This Ski-Doo has what is called a
RAVE valve. Arctic Cat, Yamaha, and
Polaris all have exhaust valves of
their own, but each does essentially
the same job and are cleaned
basically the same way.
Tip: Clean one valve at a time, as this will prevent mixing up parts and if you forget how to put things back together, you can use the “together” valve as a reference.
For most sleds the first step is to remove the cap to get access to the bellows and valve guillotine. Be careful not to loose any retaining clips or make any unwanted adjustments like turning the big red screw on the RAVE system.
Next you’ll have to get access to the retaining bolts holding the housing that’s bolted the cylinder. This may require peeling back the bellows. Be careful to avoid loosing any pieces, and make sure to note the order that things are coming apart.
With the housing out of the way, the valve itself should slide right out of the cylinder. Poor maintenance could make this job a bit difficult. If so, you might have to give it a good pull. At the bench or parts washer, disassemble any remaining parts, keeping them order in order, and then begin to scrub the bits and pieces with mineral spirits and steel wool. An old tooth brush works great on soft parts like the rubber bellows.
The cylinder will also have to be cleaned, but it’s a very tight spot to get into. Use a little bit of mineral spirits or carb-cleaner to loosen the build-up, and then gently wipe with a cloth-wrapped screwdriver to clean things up as best you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as the exhaust transfer port is free of big debris.
With everything clean, reassembly can begin using the new gasket(s) you picked up earlier. The one thing you have to be careful of is the position of the valve because there is an up-side and a down-side to the valve and its cutaway. Some are marked “Top”, but not all.
With everything tightened up, you’re ready to head out and ride!
This is a pretty generic overview of how to clean exhaust valves and the process changes a bit from sled to sled. The thing to remember is that this is a simple job any backyard mechanic can do. Just take your time, and keep everything in order during disassembly. Once you get the hang of it, the whole job should take you less than half an hour do.
This Ski-Doo has what is called a
RAVE valve. Arctic Cat, Yamaha, and
Polaris all have exhaust valves of
their own, but each does essentially
the same job and are cleaned
basically the same way.
Tip: Clean one valve at a time, as this will prevent mixing up parts and if you forget how to put things back together, you can use the “together” valve as a reference.
For most sleds the first step is to remove the cap to get access to the bellows and valve guillotine. Be careful not to loose any retaining clips or make any unwanted adjustments like turning the big red screw on the RAVE system.
Next you’ll have to get access to the retaining bolts holding the housing that’s bolted the cylinder. This may require peeling back the bellows. Be careful to avoid loosing any pieces, and make sure to note the order that things are coming apart.
With the housing out of the way, the valve itself should slide right out of the cylinder. Poor maintenance could make this job a bit difficult. If so, you might have to give it a good pull. At the bench or parts washer, disassemble any remaining parts, keeping them order in order, and then begin to scrub the bits and pieces with mineral spirits and steel wool. An old tooth brush works great on soft parts like the rubber bellows.
The cylinder will also have to be cleaned, but it’s a very tight spot to get into. Use a little bit of mineral spirits or carb-cleaner to loosen the build-up, and then gently wipe with a cloth-wrapped screwdriver to clean things up as best you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as the exhaust transfer port is free of big debris.
With everything clean, reassembly can begin using the new gasket(s) you picked up earlier. The one thing you have to be careful of is the position of the valve because there is an up-side and a down-side to the valve and its cutaway. Some are marked “Top”, but not all.
With everything tightened up, you’re ready to head out and ride!
This is a pretty generic overview of how to clean exhaust valves and the process changes a bit from sled to sled. The thing to remember is that this is a simple job any backyard mechanic can do. Just take your time, and keep everything in order during disassembly. Once you get the hang of it, the whole job should take you less than half an hour do.
