My JD Dator/ oval clone

[liquidatorkid89]

it should be a lot of fun building the sleds, going trough everything ordering parts painting ect... mocking up spending late nights in the garage and helping friends work on their sleds as well as mine, I'm doing more research on the dators and looking @ as many pics as i can to get details of how to build this cyclone into a liquidator clone/ oval racer it will be one of a kind and it will be a blast to ride a sled that i build and keeping everyone updated with pics and in, and having help along the way from my good friends, theres something about jd's that are more appealing to me than a lot of other sleds out there, the styling dependability and how they were made and the history behind them makes them my favorite brand of sleds i guess its probably just like a lot of fellow snowmobilers you end up collection sleds that you grew up riding on as a kid that's how it started with me my uncle had a JD 400 and 500 series and every thanks giving sense i was 7 or 8yrs old i always looked forward to going to my uncles every thanks giving and we would go for rides on them around the Fields and that's where it all began with my john Deere snowmobile addiction, then when i was 14 i bought my 1st snowmobile and it was a 77 JD liquifre 440 with a 340 cyclone hood it was on my neighbor's trailer getting ready to be hauled to the scrap yard and the guy said make me an offer on it and asked him if he would take $25 for it and he said sold so my dad and i dragged it over to the house (2 houses away) and my dad gave me a hand that fall putting it together and getting it running what a blast that was to rip out across the cornfield behind my house ever sense then Ive like the design and looks of the JD sleds... sense then Ive had a JDX 4, 2 other liquifires a cyclone and now i have a 440 cyclone, being 20yrs old and in college i will spend my spare time working on the cyclone and building a sled i Can be proud to ride and show at shows and meet other Deere addicts

[Matt]

Do you have a plan on where you want to race it? Some do not allow cleated tracks so you have to to do a rubber conversion.

[liquidatorkid89]

i was thinking about boonville ny, race track a rubber track seems like it would be a good idea to switch over to, and it wouldbe lighter than the 2/3 cleated track then swapping out the the rear suspension to aluminum to save weight and would be a better way to go it seems, i would replace the rear suspension shock, replace alll hardware and slides. i would have to drill some new holes in the tunnel and tighen up the limit-er strap if i plan on using a set of lower prfile skis than the stock ones that came on the sled from facotry i would like to get the cyclone low to the ground for oval racing and that cool look when i take it to shows

[liquidatorkid89]

oh yeah after thinking some more i came up with a problem that i might have with using a set of those wahl oval bars that have the left hand hook, the 2" rise and the RH turn back, how would i get the stock plastic brake lever/ plastic grip Assembly on with all of those bends? i know there are bars out there that have a hook on the LH side and the RH side are straight similar to drag bars, and there is also make a set of bars that have the LH hook then the RH side of the bars bend back towards the rider, just wanted to see if anyone had any solutions of know of a different break lever Assembly that would work thanks, i mean i could always cut off the loop on the LH side of the bars, take the loop that was cut off and fabricate

here's an idea of what i came up with to modify a set of wahl oval bars


here's an idea for the pipes i wanna have built for the sled or modify a pair of aaens, if i was able to figure out the formula to know how to make the cones diamerters, and the length, and all the bends i would give it a shot and make a set for this build that would be cool to have a hand built set of pipes




and an idea for a modified air box that would allow more fresh cold air right into the stock air box using a scoop that sets right behind where the head light would originaly mount, i would put a screen @ the top to help keep snow from flying in and going down to the carbs, and i would you the stock head light shell to make it look like theres a head light there @ a glance, also it would stay mounted to the air box every time you opened up the hood any suggestions or think it would work ?

[liquidatorkid89]

got bored after class today when i got home and decided to start cleaning up the cyclone a little bit, hard to belive what could be uner all of that gunk and grease build up ( the tunnel was repainted @ one time or another)

[JDT]

Looks like you have a pretty straight machine there.

You sure you want to hack it up?

[liquidatorkid89]

yeah it is a nice straight machine, i have extra parts from a liquifire i parted out so thet only things ill be modifying would be the handle bars that i got an extra pair im gonna either fab a steering post using a 4 handle bar clamp so that the wahl bars would fit right in, then everything else bolts right on , and the motor would be switched to a dual carb set up with the stinger pipes

[kenwaters]

Shannon,

It is nice to see your enthusiasm. If I may impart some wisdom, on your first project, spend the coin on a set of either Endo or Aaen pipes that fit the chassis. Once you have the knowledge of a first build, you know the problem areas and can address them easily, while concentrating on the custom fabrication ideas you have. I would strongly suggest that even for a build using already proven parts and setups that you have EGT guages in the pipes to prevent burndown. I have a customized 80 Liquifire and have not had to pull the motor down for any service since the rebuild,(about 500 miles ago) but that is because of careful planning and execution. I see you have great enthusiasm and have good ideas, but this is good advice from a seasoned veteran. If there is ice at the Great Eastern Whiteout, I will have the Liquifire on the ice. Try to make a trip up north and check it out.

[lwb140]

ken , i softly agree on the points you discussed , mostly about shannons enthusiasm for his project ,i love his exitement and asking GOOD questions shannon ill get you some pics of my endo pipes soon i looked at them today and here are a mile of welds/sceemes on each one it would be tough to make them even ... doesnt mean they cant be made ... wont steal your thunder ...these can be made in sure .My seasoned vetran advise would be that i bought years ago a header weld up kit some pipe and a tubing bender from northern hydrolics for a hot rod , after much frustration i bought the headers and still have the rest of the crap to remind me of my mistake . ill get you th pics wade

[liquidatorkid89]

that is true, thanks guys for the info im in no hurry ill pick up the stuff as i go and when i have the extra $$, or if i sell my truck here soon then ill be able to get the majority of the parts for it, main thing are the pipes, oval bars, throttle block, brake lever and pertch, fab a 4 bolt steering stem, repop dator hood, liquidator seat foam and cover made, dual carb set up, all rubber track off an a/c pantera. an alum. skid, some alumiunum to make a lube tank outta, and some little misc. things as well, heres a couple more pics for you guys

[liquidatorkid89]

took some steel wool and degreaser and cleaned some more parts






and... i even got my girlfriend lauren in on helping me clean up the JD she loves wreching i got the best of both worlds

[liquidatorkid89]

took the pull cord housing to class today and cleaned that up as well

[lwb140]

your getting there !! i still got an extra dul carb manifold wade

[liquidatorkid89]

thanks, im gonna wait for a little bit to get a dual carb set up, my girlfriend has been coming down almost every night and helping me clean up the parts and she said that she actually enjoys getting her hands dirty and learning about old snowmobiles, here are a couple more parts that we cleaned up and i though she did a really good job on de-greasing and polishing the tie rod

[Sprailfire340]

i though she did a really good job on de-greasing and polishing the tie rod

So that's what they call it these days...