New member!

b00stinGTP · Post by **b00stinGTP** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:18 pm

Hello, recently I have become interested in snowmobiling. I am a 19 year old college student and I have always been into cars, drag racing, pretty much anything to do with motors and power. Sitting in my garage for my entire life has been a 1978 John Deere Cyclone 340. It's my dad's sled, and it basically has been sitting around since the 80s he told me. I guess this particular sled was used by dealers as a demo sled, which later my dad's friend bought, and then my dad bought it from him around 1982.

The sled overall is in pretty good condition cosmetically. It has a small tear in the seat, and a small crack in the windshield, but other than that the sled looks great. It has 1200 original miles on it. (Mean green color)

Last year, I decided it would be a fun project to get out the old thing to see if it even ran. My dad and I cleaned it all up, got got new gas, re hosed the gas lines, new spark plugs/wire, basically just the basic stuff; and sure enough, after about 20 minutes of trying, she fired right up and ran like a champ. My dad said that he had gotten it started about eight years before last year, just to see if it still ran, so pretty much in the last 25 years its only been ridden a few times, and not started very recently.

I was VERY happy too see it run/drive, but sure enough because it is so old, small stuff started going wrong. For one, I broke off and lost the choke assembely, so my dad milled a new piece out of steel that holds the nub at the end of the choke wire in place for the switch.. which was a pain to get the choke readjusted.

I ran the sled last winter off and on, and put around 50 miles on it. It was a BLAST to drive. Ive ridden newer sleds before, and for being an old sled, it was still alot of fun to ride. I do have a couple of questions though, it seemed to top out around 45-50mph, and my dad said back in the day it could go 60mph pretty easily, so I am wondering if that is carb related.. although the sled ran and idled great.

Another issue, is the tac doesnt work anymore. The tac lights up, but the needle stays buried at 0, but seems to move back and fowarth barely, maybe a loose connection or something.

What put an end to my sledding season last year was quite unfortunate. I was ridding around in a field when apparently one of the wheels the track rides on fell off, which caused the plastic cog gear thing to strip off a large portion of the track.. so I needed a new track, new wheel, and a new cog thing. I found all the parts and have them ordered, so I cannot wait to get them on for this winter.

I just thought id introduce myself, and ask a few questions. I'm overall not very familiar with snowmobiling as it is a new hobby to myself. Overall for being an antique sled, it was very fun to ride, and I cannot wait to ride it again this winter. My dad's friend has an old 78 liquifire 340 that he said we could come get for $50 dollars, and it runs and drives, so im excited about adding a new JD sled to the collection.

-Anthony

BTW- I am from Northern Illinois around Rockford, maybe some of you guys are from around here.

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:22 pm

Hi welcome. I dont have a Cyclone but on the issue of top speed it might be a dirty clutch or maybe a broken/warn spring or a combination of the two. For the choke Dennis kirk sell random parts for them like the switch. How did you find a new track. BOB

b00stinGTP · Post by **b00stinGTP** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:30 pm

I emailed a ton of different salvage yards, and one from MN called me back and said they had a track. Btw, year is a video of me doing a quick lap around the back yard after getting it running.. don't mind my mom video taping :rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyQvsDNzP44

harleysportster · Post by **harleysportster** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:03 pm

Anthony,
Welcome aboard. Good used tracks show up on ebay now & then. One thing you should buy is a service manual. It will explain how to replace the track and track drivers. The liqiufire would be a nice addition. The 78 will have a lighter suspension than the 76. The driveline is basicly the same as the cyclone.

Post by **Matt** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:12 pm

Anthony,
I am wondering if there was something wrong in your track/suspension before it came apart that was binding and slowing the sled down. Too tight, bad bearings, track alignment off, etc. The clutches could also be the culprit.

JDFanPa · Post by **JDFanPa** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:14 pm

Welcome aboard and great to see your already onto a 2nd deere. Take Harleys advice on the service manual. Given you have little sled knowledge for right now it should make the task of changing the track alot easier.

b00stinGTP · Post by **b00stinGTP** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:41 pm

Well, since my track is ruined Ill have to see what happens once the used track goes on.. as far as how everything is running/working. My dad and I are going to check the clutch, and check the suspension once we start to put everything back together. Does the liquifire offer any performance advantages other than being liquid cooled?

Danzig · Post by **Danzig** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:43 pm

Welcome Anthony--

I am also from Illinois and I am sure whatever parts you need we can find very easily. You are sitting at a great location for sled parts. Send me an e-mail and we can probably get you hooked up.....

b00stinGTP · Post by **b00stinGTP** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:40 am

Wow.. you guys sure know your John Deeres! Im thinking my top speed problems could infact be due to an old dried up belt. My dad keeps a spare under the hood.. but they both are 25 years old... probably a good idea to get a new one I would imagine. Would the local John Deere still have these belts available? They still had some JD stuff I remember when I want in last year.. spark plugs ect.

My friend and I took a ton of pictures last winter of the sled, so I will try and get some pictures on here as soon as you emails them to me. Thanks

Liquifire 4/6 · Post by **Liquifire 4/6** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:00 pm

Hello Anthony and welcome to the site. I really like the 78 Cyclone color scheme and have been hoping to find one myself, but they are slim pickings around my area. As suggested earlier, I think your performance probs lay in the clutching...probably a combination of a worn belt along with worn or rusted internal components in your primary clutch. I'd suggest servicing the primary (engine) clutch ASAP in order to catch it and repair what needs replacing before it self destructs. My buddies 76 Cyclone 340 used to pull close to 67 mph on a good day.

Pete

jrbsnow · Post by **jrbsnow** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:32 pm

I don't know about anybody else, but I'd like to see more snowmobiling videos on this site!
Jay

b00stinGTP · Post by **b00stinGTP** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:35 pm

haha.. yeah.. that was just a lame video of me in my backyard. I have a TON of other video of me and my friend ridding the cyclone from last winter, along with a TON of pictures, but I have to get them from my friend.. they are on his computer.

There are a few funny videos of him riding on the back video taping with me driving/narrating haha. Ill have to get all the videos from him and get them on youtube for you guys to watch.

Danzig · Post by **Danzig** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:27 am

I am curious about how to get video's on youtube. Can you explain this?

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:02 am

Well, first you have to register an account with youtube.

b00stinGTP · Post by **b00stinGTP** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:23 am

Yeah its really easy to get videos on youtube. You go to youtube.com, register an acount (free, and they dont spam your email) and then all you do is go to upload, then you can browse your computer for the video you want to upload, click upload, wait a couple minutes, and then presto.. your video is uploaded. Its really easy. You should check out the videos in my youtube profile of my last car that I was working on

B)