John Deere snowfire

[Digsandfarms]

Howdy guys, I am new to this forum. I recently bought a few old sleds to introduce my nephews to snowmobiling. One of them seemed to catch the eye of my retired neighbor who was a John Deere salesman for 40 years. I have what appears to be John Deere snowfire 340cc. He said this sled may be a bit too rare to let young kids ditch bang around the farm with. I cannot seem to find much info on them. This one had been sitting in a barn for years. It started right up with a shot of gas in the carb. Runs about 45mph and idles well. Hood has a few cracks but nothing awful. Any info would be appreciated, otherwise just wanted to share my new find with some John Deere fans. I have farmed all my life with John Deere tractors but this is the first jd snowmobile I have owned. I don’t see many around central Illinois. Thanks and take care!

[nick80lf]

Your neighbor is correct. There were roughly 1000 made between the 82 to 84 model years. They made the most for the 83 model year, about 600 (Mfg date on tunnel will be 82).

They are a very unique machine, direct drive, free air, with quite a lot of suspension travel for when try were built. The tracks on them don't tend to age well. They don't seem to fetch as much as you would think, considering the low production numbers most likely due to the fact they were an entry level machine.

If you're going to run it much, it's advisable to replace the crank seals. The seals on Snowfire my son and I restored were in pretty bad shape and surly would have caused engine damage if not addressed.

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[nick80lf]

I forgot to say, welcome to the community. The Snowfire is a neat little machine and yours looks to be in pretty good shape.

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[WinnipegStPaul9]

Yes welcome to the forum. The Snowfire is a neat little machine, I've just finished restoring one for a customer. Like Nick said, save yourself some super grief and replace the crankshaft seals NOW before you burn the engine down. A lot of parts are still available at Newbreedparts.com or Buscobullet.com. Welcome to our world and feel free to contact us at Busco Bullet, Inc if we can help you. We're located in NE Indiana. DA

[Matt]

If it was an 82 or 84 I would agree to not let the kids run it, but '83s are fairly common, so I would say let them enjoy it.

[AirborneX4Special]

Welcome! Must pile on about the crank seals. Too many of us have learned that lesson the hard way.....

[Digsandfarms]

Thanks for the warm welcome fellows. I took a few more pictures for identification sakes. Looks to be the more common 1983 model. That is an excellent tip on the crank seals. Thanks for the warning, I would hate to see the motor go out. It looks like this unit has a dealership sticker from Mooresville, Indiana. Sold by a "Haltom Equipment Company". The sticker looks old but may not be original.
Very neat old sled and very lightweight.
Now I need to decide if I feel like installing new seals and doing a light overhaul!

[AirborneX4Special]

Looks pretty straight. How's the track?

[WinnipegStPaul9]

If you want to lay it up for a little while we'd always be interested in going through the engine for you and of course re-sealing it. We're located in NE Indiana near Fort Wayne.

DA

[Digsandfarms]

The track looks to be in pretty decent shape. I'm not sure what it originally came with. I'm guessing the smooth track with metal bars? This one has a solid rubber track with cleats around 1 inch, looks to be in pretty sound shape. Thank you to everyone for the advice and offers of mechanical assistance. After discussing it briefly with my nephews, we have decided to find the Snowfire a better home with somebody who may be interested in restoring or enjoying it. I don't want them riding it without new crank seals, and I doubt I will have time to mess with it until spring. I already have a couple sleds and old tractors I am trying to find time to fix up.

Last week I was able to buy them a nicely cared for 1994 Jag 440 Deluxe. It has very low miles and electric start. It is very pokey and has enough weight to offer a stable ride for younger riders.

Thanks Again!

[jep_800]

If you list it here in the Classifieds, it should go pretty quick. There are guys who look for those neat sleds by Deere that are low build and different.

JP