80 Trailfire 440 underhood "boom-boom"

[luvzvintage]

Put on lots of miles on my 80 TF last season until i blew an upper idler wheel bearing. Replaced all bearings during the summer and so far have over 350 miles in this poor excuse for a winter. What I have noticed is a banging under the hood that sounds like the engine is actually banging around loose. This of course would interfere with drive components so i know its not that, plus the engine seems tite on its mounts.

Today, i snooped around underhood and found a metal (fatigue) break (right hand side while seated on sled) just outside and to the right at the ski mount area of the belly pan steel main plate. The main plate at this area has a branch off that the polymer side panel/bumper attaches to.

hope this explanation makes sense and has anyone experienced this "break" on their deeres? Would this indeed make these big bang noises underhood while i'm riding? Seems to me the integrity of sled is still intact and i'm not hurting anything to still ride it, sans the booms.

Any advice, experience and the like is greatly appreciated! Planning to get this break welded this summer.

thx

lloyd neufeld
Beausejour, mb., Canada

[427cobra]

Can you post a picture?

What about a loose exhaust pipe?

Id also inspect your primary clutch...worn weights, worn parts, etc....

[horntwister]

i think i know what it is got any more arctic cat pictures it might come to me

[luvzvintage]

the boomboom was a broke/cracked sidepanel support