'80 Spitfire Newbie ??
'80 Spitfire Newbie ??
I am a newbie to the forum and to sleds. Just picked up a '80 Spitfire from a guy for $75 bucks, couldn't pass it up. My plan was to pull the motor and put it in a go-kart but I think I may keep it a sled. Anyway looking for some help, specifically about the carb on this thing. There seems to be lots of info on slide type carbs but I cannot seem to find anything on the butterfly Mikuni on this model (AM54886). The sled obviously was neglected and I have stripped it done, drained the fuel tank and it was pretty scary (green milk). So I have pulled the carb cleaned it pretty well and was hoping to find a rebuild kit (maybe don't need one) but cannot find anything. The controls/wiring are pretty much destroyed so I am also looking for some replacements. Winshield is gone and the seat looks like it was in a dog fight and lost! Other than that it seems to be in fairly good condition. Obviously need to see if I can get it running before I get to carried away (seems to have good compression and spark). Oh also the intake box is gone and the exhaust was held on with about 10ft of bailing wire. Any body no what I should expect for top speed on a sled like this, horespower ratings?
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
Looking over the sled a little closer last night I noticed that the drive shaft right side (brake side) bearing is destoyed/missing. Is the brake disk just pressed on the shaft? Everthing is pretty rusty but it appears that way, just don't want to break anything else. How hard is it to find a replacement bearing? Also as I expected the ski dampeners are shot?
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
The bearing can be found at any auto parts store or farm supply place. Control Cables and other sled specific parts, such as a windsheild, can be purchased from Pat's Small Engines Plus or similar sled parts outlet. Brake disc is a slip fit with a key under the collar. I bet someone on the forum can set you up with a nice used wiring harness. 
Same goes for the air box.
The biggest issue with a Spitfire is the track. If yours has a good track than you are home free. Everything else is gravy.
Same goes for the air box.The biggest issue with a Spitfire is the track. If yours has a good track than you are home free. Everything else is gravy.
Todd Schrupp
Milbank SD
Milbank SD
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ICCSF 108
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Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
One of the biggest problems with the Spitfires was front shaft bearings Check the front shaft very closely as usually when a bearing goes it eats up the shaft OD where the bearing mounts, New replacement shaft kits are available from places like Image Enterprises in Wisc. & other places, the kits include a new shaft & bearings.
Wow, most people don't use the term "Baling wire" any more.. I do & people look at me funny. As a matter of fact we (when I was young & still on the farm) used to have a whole bunch of it, along with the old Case baler powered by Wisc. V-4 sail boat fuel / cooled engine, that used the wire, I was too young to remember my Dad using it, but I remember it setting in the old barn made into a machine shed, I spent many hrs playing on that thing when I was old enough to go out side..
For those of you who never saw one ours took 4 people to run, on to drive the tractor, one on each side of the rear of the baler to run the wire through & I think tie, & one on the wagon, of course if you dropped the bales on the ground you could do without one person, LOL
Sorry I got side tracked
Kenny
Wow, most people don't use the term "Baling wire" any more.. I do & people look at me funny. As a matter of fact we (when I was young & still on the farm) used to have a whole bunch of it, along with the old Case baler powered by Wisc. V-4 sail boat fuel / cooled engine, that used the wire, I was too young to remember my Dad using it, but I remember it setting in the old barn made into a machine shed, I spent many hrs playing on that thing when I was old enough to go out side..
For those of you who never saw one ours took 4 people to run, on to drive the tractor, one on each side of the rear of the baler to run the wire through & I think tie, & one on the wagon, of course if you dropped the bales on the ground you could do without one person, LOL
Sorry I got side trackedKenny
AKA: Kenny, Grumpy, Mr. Richard Head
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
Thanks for the suggestions.
With regard to the track, what should I be looking for? It is in one piece and there don't appear to be any chunks missing, there are minor cracks but other than that I guess I would call it "good".
Kenny...Thanks fro making me feel old! I also use the term "jury rigged" occasionally. I see you are from out in Blue Springs, we used to live out in Platte City (up by the airport).
With regard to the track, what should I be looking for? It is in one piece and there don't appear to be any chunks missing, there are minor cracks but other than that I guess I would call it "good".
Kenny...Thanks fro making me feel old! I also use the term "jury rigged" occasionally. I see you are from out in Blue Springs, we used to live out in Platte City (up by the airport).
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guitardude081
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Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
You've got yourself one of the most popular sleds ever built. I've got a complete wiring harness that's in good shape. I'd sell it for $20 shipped. A few things to look at would be your drive bearings (which you did), dry rotting of the track, track cleat condition, suspension condition, ski condition. The suspension is very basic. You should be able to match up a shock and bearings. Hifax (slides) are still available. I would just go ahead and rebuild the engine. The crank seals are no doubt shot, and new gaskets and crankshaft o-rings couldn't hurt. I've got a spare seat and hood for an '80 Spitty as well. Those would be spendy to ship, but if you're interested, we could find a way to get them to you. The other thing I would keep an eye out for is spare cylinders. My experience with Spitty cylinders is that you need to stockpile a few pairs just in case. I'd take your secondary apart, clean it and replace the buttons. I'd take the primary apart and clean it as well. A new belt wouldn't hurt. As for your carb, as long as you can blow through the jets and passages, your needle and seat holds 5lbs of vacuum and your bowl o-ring isn't rotted you're fine. The top speed of the Spitfire is 62mph on the "dream gauge" and it's got roughly 40hp. It only weighs 275lbs soakin' wet so you can really throw it around. I grew up on an '82 Spitfire and after multiple failures due to my abuse it's still my favorite sled. I've got quite a few Spitty parts stockpiled for mine, but if you need something shoot me an e-mail. I've pretty much got an extra complete sled minus the chassis and track.
~Jack
~Jack
Owner, Durand Motorsports
1980 Trailfire 340 (Grandpa bought new)
1983 Trailfire LX
1982 Spitfire (Grandpa bought new)
(3)1974 295/S
1975 340/S
(2) 1978 Liquifire
2003 Ski Doo Renegade 600HO
1993 Polaris XLT Special with AAEN pipes
2020 Polaris Indy 600 XC 129 40th Anniversary Edition
1980 Liquifire (currently in pieces)
1980 Trailfire 340 (Grandpa bought new)
1983 Trailfire LX
1982 Spitfire (Grandpa bought new)
(3)1974 295/S
1975 340/S
(2) 1978 Liquifire
2003 Ski Doo Renegade 600HO
1993 Polaris XLT Special with AAEN pipes
2020 Polaris Indy 600 XC 129 40th Anniversary Edition
1980 Liquifire (currently in pieces)
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
you can get these bearings from a jd dealer. right side is ( brake side ) original part number subs to jd8665. left side is jd8562. thats for ser. # up to 190000, i dont know what the difference is after that. i just replaced mine and got them at my local dealer, they still use these on other equip. good bearings too. fafnir. price wasnt bad either. good luck with your project. augie
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
Again thanks fro the info. keep it coming!
So I finally got the brake disk off and the JD secondary...but the track drive cogs will not budge on the shaft
As I said the brake side bearing is gone so I need to get this shaft out. Any suggestions??
So I finally got the brake disk off and the JD secondary...but the track drive cogs will not budge on the shaft
As I said the brake side bearing is gone so I need to get this shaft out. Any suggestions??-
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Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
"So I finally got the brake disk off and the JD secondary...but the track drive cogs will not budge on the shaft"
I guess you lost me here drdon, have you got the shaft out of the sled? If NOT you need to remove the suspension first the get everything out of the way then remove the bearing flanges from the tunnel then remove the shaft after that the drivers should come off ( I don't know if your drivers are press fit or pinned??)
If you don't have one, it's a good Idea to purchase a John Deere Service Manual for your sled it will explain how to do everything you will ever have to repair on your spitfire..
Also I don't know which Drivers you have the 7 tooth or optional 8 tooth, I would try to find the optional 8 tooth ones if you can
Part number M67787.. as you will not need the Power as much as you will want the speed gained.
Kenny
I guess you lost me here drdon, have you got the shaft out of the sled? If NOT you need to remove the suspension first the get everything out of the way then remove the bearing flanges from the tunnel then remove the shaft after that the drivers should come off ( I don't know if your drivers are press fit or pinned??)
If you don't have one, it's a good Idea to purchase a John Deere Service Manual for your sled it will explain how to do everything you will ever have to repair on your spitfire..
Also I don't know which Drivers you have the 7 tooth or optional 8 tooth, I would try to find the optional 8 tooth ones if you can
Part number M67787.. as you will not need the Power as much as you will want the speed gained.
Kenny
AKA: Kenny, Grumpy, Mr. Richard Head
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
The suspension is out and the brake disk and secondary are of the shaft. The problem now is the drivers will not budge on the shaft which does not allow me to remove the shaft from the tunnel. I have a service manual (pdf) but it pretty much gives no specifics in this area. The drivers are the 7 tooth type and had a bolt through the shaft. Are the pressed on also? One a seperate note I did get the carb. back on and rigged up a temp tank and she is alive (seems to run pretty good just needs some fine tuning.
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ICCSF 108
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Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
drdon, they are probably just stuck in place, I'm not that familiar with the Spits (been a long time since I worked on one) but once you have the bearings off of both ends of the shaft You should be able to get the shaft out of the chassis without moving the sprockets.. Maybe someone else could shed some light on this??
Kenny
Kenny
AKA: Kenny, Grumpy, Mr. Richard Head
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
got the shaft out...those suckers might as well been welded in place. Any way a couple of pipe wrenches and a couple extra hands and she is out. So now what! They are still pretty well seized in place (although shifted) and the right side bearing race is still in tack on the shaft and pretty much corroded in place. I was reading through the service manual again and it talks about sliding the shaft into the bearing? Not gonna happen, these bearing are locked in place. Maybe I need a shaft kit.-
ICCSF 108
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- Real Name: Kenny Heins, AKA Grumpy
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Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
drdon, You can try pressing the bearings off or if you have one of those high speed hand grinder / cutters you can cut the bearing in half to get it off (just be careful not to cut into the shaft) you also can cut them off with a torch but make sure your quick at it so not to over heat the shaft & get it too hot.. then you can inspect the shaft to see if the OD where the bearing mounts is OK or if you will need a new shaft.
Kenny
Kenny
AKA: Kenny, Grumpy, Mr. Richard Head
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
"I Hunt For it, Purchase it, Haul it, Sometimes Repair it, Sometimes Break it, Then Fix it Again, Label it, Warehouse it, Talk About it, So NOW, HOW Can I Take Any Less $$ For It?"
"God I love the smell of KLOTZ in the morning, That smell, you know that Gasoline/Oil Smell, MAKES the whole place SMELL like.. LIKE VICTORY. You know someday the 2 strokers are gonna end..."
Do Anti-War Protesters have reunions? If so what do they TALK about?
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
put a pair of safety glasses on, set the part of the shaft with the race on the anvil end of a vice ( set the race flat on it)and hit the top of race with a hammer and it will crack the race. also, if you take some fine emery cloth and clean any rust off of the shaft it should help to get the drivers off. augie.
Re: '80 Spitfire Newbie ??
I was able to use a small hydraulic press I found at work...that did the trick, everthing is now off the shaft. So now I just need to clean up the OD of the shaft. The local JD dealer did not have the right side bearing (JD8562) but did have the left (the one that was destroyed) anyway the right side appears to be in good shape. Now that the sled is stripped apart I am thinking a coat of paint would be nice. I have read through some of the paint threads and am thinking about just rattle canning and then a coat of clear. The seat is my next challenge, any thoughts on a cheap replacement. I was thinking a plywood base with maybe some old foam from a coach cushion (or similar) and some vinyl from the local fabric shop.