JD600 in Texas

[stickandtin]

As I mentioned in the new member post, I picked up the JD600 last friday. Thanks to this site, I was able to determine it was a 1974 model(6000C), has steel gas tank. Overall, the sled is complete with 973 miles, but missing windshield. Track doesn't look too bad other than a small chunk taken out of one of the edges. Also one of the bogie wheels is missing the material around the rim. Still has the backrest, although the tubing is rusted through in places. Motor is free. Key switch is missing from dash. Plastic brake lever is broken off, but cable is still there. Soon as I get the pics downloaded off my camera, I'll post some. Guy also had a '71 Arctic Cat Panther 440. He threw that in as well. So now I am a guy from near Lubbock, TX with two vintage sleds. I asked him how he acquired the sleds. His father-in-law ranched in South Dakota. used the sleds to check cows in winter. Hadn't used them in years and asked him if he wanted them. He hauled them back from South Dakota with the intentions of refurbishing them and using them at his place in Colorado. Never got around to it and they have been sitting in his shed for years.

Now the fun begins. I read the sticky about how to approach resurrecting a vintage JD sled. Looks like a lot of work ahead. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[JoeRainville]

No worries, you are not the only guy with sleds in TX. My JD/Cat collection is about half migrated down from NY to my new place in Fort Worth.

As for your 600, the KEC-440 is a tough motor, but you should pull the crank and send it out for new inner seals at least. As a very minimum, replace the outer seals, go though the entire fuel system, clean that steel tank out, replace all the lines, etc.

To be thorough, go though the chassis and replace the drive axle, chain case and rear axle bearings. You can buy original NOS (new old stock) Deere bogies wheels from DK Trader on Evil Bay for $3.00 each. Windshields should be available new.

Good luck, and I hope this points you in the right direction.

-Joe Rainville
Fort Worth, TX

[stickandtin]

Hi joe-
Thanks for the advice and welcome to Texas. How long have you been down here? What part of NY state are you from. Many moons ago, I lived in the Buffalo then Allegany/Olean area. Still have a sister in Olean. When I was in high school, I had a Scorpion Mark l. That's my only experience with snowmobiles. Those were some good times. Came to Texas in 1977. I lived in Fort Worth for 20 years before marrying a gal from Lubbock and moving to the wide side of Texas.

What's the best way to set up one of these snowmobiles to start working on it? Do I get it up on a platform or work on it on the ground? I have also read you need some kind of special tool to pull the clutch. Where do I find one? I'm assuming from what you are telling me, a tear down of the motor is necessary to replace the crank seals. I noticed there is a reference material section on this site. I need to familiarize myself with how this 600 is put together so I can dismantle it.

Will the small chunk taken out of the edge of the track affect running the sled
Safely? Are tracks for this sled still a available?

My ex and youngest son still live in the Fort Worth area, near Keller. Maybe sometime when I'm down there, we can visit.

Thanks again,
Ron

[ljm]

Just a reminder the 74, 600's have a slightly different motor than the 73's

Matt at Newbreesparts.com can help you with the crank seals

[stickandtin]

ljm- thanks for the tip. The serial number on my sled is 021453M and the tag lists the date of mfg. as Sept. '73. What does the M stand for? I was reading the PDF on the shop manual for the '74 model 600. It says do not use non-leaded gas in this engine. How do you get around that with today's ethanol containing unleaded gas?

Ron

[pwgsx]

LOL I got a 81 Liquifire that I need to start restoring and im in Arlington TX, right between Fort Worth and Dallas. Might get to ride it 1 time a winter illegally on the streets. LOL, that's the plan anyway and maybe be on the news !

[Matt]

You guys should start a Texas snowmobile club!

Ron, you don't need to worry about the leaded gas. Changes in the gas additives over the years negates the need for it. I believe the M in the serial the designation for the factory, which is Horicon.

[stickandtin]

We do get a couple of snows a year here in the panhandle. But we do have a lot more sand in Texas than snow. Wonder if there is any way to adapt these sleds to work in sand. Probably a crazy idea. A Texas snowmobile club sure would be unique.

Ron

[stickandtin]

Haven't checked, but I don't think Texas has any snowmobile laws.

Ron

[400brian]

ljm- thanks for the tip. The serial number on my sled is 021453M and the tag lists the date of mfg. as Sept. '73. What does the M stand for? I was reading the PDF on the shop manual for the '74 model 600. It says do not use non-leaded gas in this engine. How do you get around that with today's ethanol containing unleaded gas?

Ron

I think most of us running the early sleds are running premium gas, without ethanol if we can get it. They are fairly high compression.

The company admonition not to use un-leaded fuel was just inertia. Unleaded fuel was new and untested long term, so they advised against its use. 2 strokes never needed lead, ( except perhaps for the octane boost ) all the lead did was foul the plugs.

The divot on the edge of your track could be an issue, it depends on how deep it goes. There is a small cable imbedded it the edge of the Gates tracks to strengthen the edge. If it is torn past the cable, it could be a problem down the road.

Pistons are VERY hard to come by for the piston ported 440s, so it is in your best interest to take care of the engine.

[stickandtin]

I've got a question about the pistons in these motors. What material are they made of and are they cast or pressed? Is it possible to make them on a CNC machine?

Ron

[400brian]

The pistons are cast aluminum.

Could you make them...? No one has done it yet to my knowledge.

[JD600]

I brought this up in the past. Unless you start with a forged or cast blank, you have no control over the crystal structure of the aluminum. Without some sort of treatment, aluminum expads with heat at a very large rate. With that said, you would either have to mak your piston so undersized that it would have no compression when cold, or it would sieze once it becamse warm. I've been thinking of having Wiseco make a run of 0.020" overs, just haven't had time.

DE

[JDT]

This reminds me of the opening scene in "World's Fastest Indian".

Now would peeing on the casting help crystalize the molecues?

[pwgsx]

Haven't checked, but I don't think Texas has any snowmobile laws.

Ron

This would be interesting driving around town, they wouldn't know how to write the ticket.