Want reliable more horse power

[JoeRainville]

Stew,

I would budget $300 to $400 to get your jugs nicasiled, but jdsleds.com has a discount with Milenium Technology's as a club or such. I will dig up the Wisco piston part number, but I believe it was the "Kawi sled" spec Pro-lites with chrome rings that the Watersboy and I run in our sleds. Funny, but that domed piston matches the stock Deere Liquifire head much better than the smaller chamber Kawi Invader spec head. The taller dome pinches off the squish band in the Invader head, leaving the wedge shape cross section pointing toward the cylinder wall, instead of toward the spark plug in the center. The dome nearly matches the open chamber of the Deere head though.

They should give your slightly higher compression over stock, but you can still run pump gas with them.

I will post more later,
-Joe

[SIIaCanuck]

Thanks Joe.

I'm concentrating on clutch and gearing to fettle the performance of my machine. I'm also fitting Indy 400 ignition but that'll just get me HSR ignition on my '80 engine.

I look forward to the part numbers you've got.

[Grumpy]

Send the crank out to get the bearings cked &/or replaed. on reassembling the motor
make sure you follow the specs in the service manual precissly ( sorry don't have spell check over here )especialy when installing the PTO side cover, just becase you took out a certain amount of shimes doesn't mean that the spacing is OK just becase you put the same amount back........ Also when torqueing the heads If you retorque 5 or 6 times ( over a 2-3 hour period ) cold you shouldn't have to do a hot retorque, saving the hassel of removing the top colant pipe after you've installed the anti freeze
You could bump the timing up to Invader specs, we did do this to one of our 84's back in the day. but what really helped performance is changing out the driven clutch, back in 85 we used a Polaris driven but I'd ask one of the guys that are now racing them to use the right driven with todays technology.. You might also consider using an 108 EXP drive..
I believe invader specs on timing was 20 or 22 Deg BTDC & I think Deeres was 16 Deg BTDC
Also the nicasil is a very good idea..
Spend a lot of time on your drive train, start with new bearings on the jackshaft & front drive, Make very sure everything is in line like it is suppose to be, also if your running on Hard pack or very marginal snow conditions you might need to add another set of wheels in the suspension, also a newer style gas shock, again the current CC racers can help you there..
good luck

Remember it takes a lot of Hay to feed a bunch of Horses

Grumpy

[JoeRainville]

Hi Stew,

We run the Wisco 2084M6800 piston. Make sure you don't get the standard iron rings that are for the chrome bores, but rings that are compatible with nicasil. Another tip on the Kawi 440 is not to lap the jug to head sealing surface until it comes back from being coated. Then make sure your lap both the jug and head until the mating surfaces are flat from the outer diameter to the cylinder bore.

Grumpy also brings up many good points to take into account.

I hope this helps,
-Joe

[smitfire]

Hi Stew,

We run the Wisco 2084M6800 piston. Make sure you don't get the standard iron rings that are for the chrome bores, but rings that are compatible with nicasil. Another tip on the Kawi 440 is not to lap the jug to head sealing surface until it comes back from being coated. Then make sure your lap both the jug and head until the mating surfaces are flat from the outer diameter to the cylinder bore.

Grumpy also brings up many good points to take into account.

I hope this helps,
-Joe

Joe what kind of rings do you use and what is the difference between chrome and nicasil?

[vader]

What are all the gear ratio to speed factor anybody know?. And why is the Kawaski invader 440 so much faster then the liquid fires. Considering they had the same engine?

[That Girl Racing]

Invaders are not faster than Liquifires.

[Matt]

Invaders are not faster than Liquifires.

That's what I was thinking. They Invader version of the motor is tuned up more as compared to the Deere version because Deere wanted better fuel mileage and reliability, but the Liquifire is also lighter.

[That Girl Racing]

The Invaders wide squish band and slightly higher compression ratio, helped out its bottom end . But........... its much heavier chassis nullified that advantage. The JD's head design is better suited to top power end than the Invader's. The big advantage the Deere's had was the primary clutch. The 102 was far more efficient than the Kawi's and the TR800 was way more efficient than the 102.

[jdrob]

HEY guys. I have to STOP everyone on this post. Wouldn't it be so much easier to just go buy a Thundercat or Mach Z, paint it up like an 82' Liquifire and be done with it ?? I just see a pile of money being spent on a OLD sled that could be put towards a newer 1 that no MODS are needed. Just saying. As you were gentlemen.

[That Girl Racing]

I agree 100% and have said the same thing on here a hundred times. Do all the work you want to an 80 Lquifire and a 500 Rev will still drag it down the lake!

[ihengineer76]

Or put a Thundercat motor in the Liquifire...

[SIIaCanuck]

Gents, you're missing the point.

When I was 8 years old, I sat on a Liquifire and wanted one. When I was 38 years old, I had a '72 292SS Elan and a '73 Evinrude QF but no Liquifire and I still wanted one so got one.

However, mine is a 1980, doesn't have HSR, doesn't have the TR800 and I love to play with cars, bikes, sleds etc. Therefore, it's getting a new 108EXP clutch, 1.86 final drive gears and Polaris Indy 400 ignition (same curve as HSR).

Eventually it'll get a 121" track and some I500 style suspension mods but that's just because I can, not because I need to.

If I get a newer sled, I'll get a late Tundra II with RER for exploring and fishing.

If I bought a new sled, I'd get a Tundra Xtreme.

And I'd still ride and modify the Liquifire . . . because it's what I wanted when I was 8. Don't try to 'logic' me, it won't work because this passion is illogical.

[JDT]

Go for it Stew!!!

[acesillini06]

Joe

what kind of rings do you use and what is the difference between chrome and nicasil?