1980 SportFire with 5.6 original km's on it !!!

[chibravo]

Yes...Always a story....In 1980, an elderly gentleman bought the John Deere sled and a 1980 BMW motorcycle at the same time. Never rode either of them. Gentleman died and his family donated both items to the Oregon Humane Society in the spring of 2011. They in turn sent them to Auction, where the motorcycle sold for several thousand and the John Deere sold for $330.00. ( Folks in Portland, Oregon view snowmobiles as something very foreign !!! )

I, in turn, purchased the snowmobile from the gentleman that bought it at the Auction. ( He really did not know what he was buying, but he knew that a 30 year old machine with 5 miles on must be worth something. )

I was not looking for a John Deere snowmobile, but saw it listed on Craigslist... The ad read "1979 jonh deer snowmobil, like new, sporlfire, 5.7 original miles"....Too funny...Not only could the individual not spell, he also must not have been able to read the speedo, as it had 5.6 miles on it !!

Anyway...Good find...

[JDT]

That is so funny!! Congrats.

[WinnipegStPaul9]

There's a NOS handlebar heater kit on Ebay right now.

DA

[chibravo]

Yes...Always a story...Gentleman bought it in 1980 and simply never drove it....He died in the spring of 2011 and his children donated the sled to the Portland Oregon Humane Society. They in turn sent it to Auction and it fetched a whopping $330.00 at the Auction. ( Snowmobiles are simply ignored in Portland, Oregon ) I saw it advertised on Craigslist and bought it immediately after seeing it....

Question is???....I was told by a gentleman that the metal cleats on the track are meant to break in the middle when you first run these sleds....There is a "notch" in the center of each one and mine are all completely in perfect shape ( Not broken ) ...Is this a true statement ? I have no reason to doubt, but just need to be educated is all....Thanks for the feedback !

[mwking]

To quote the service manual: "Broken Grouser Bar - Grouser bar breakage is normal and expected in the center belt area of the track. Grouser bars are notched to determine the fatigue area for breakage. If the grouser bar breaks but remains secure to the track, it is not necessary to replace the grouser bar."

The gentleman is absolutely right. They are designed to break in the center in a controlled way to avoid bending or breaking in a way that would cause damage to the track.

Murray

[chibravo]

Thanks for the clarification Murray ! Iv'e never had a sled with this set-up.

[Liquifire 4/6]

That's an incredible find, chibravo. And the fact that none of your cleats are broken yet suggests to me that almost all of it's 5.6 miles were either on a track stand or during some extremely gentle riding because those cleats broke in the middle very quickly. I recall being shocked to see all the cleats broken on my 79 Trailfire after less than 2 miles. At the time, I didn't realize they were supposed to break in the middle and had phoned my dealer to ask what's happening with my track. I guess I should have clued in that they were designed to break with that notch cut into the middle of the cleat.

[chibravo]

Yes...Sled was never, ever run on snow. When I pulled up to the sellers house to take a look at the snowmobile, the gentleman was running the snowmobile accross the yard to bring the sled outside...That is the extent of the snowmobile actaully ever being driven. I am glad that not a single cleat broke when he ran it !

[chibravo]

Where is the best source to purchase crank seals for this sled ? I called Pat's Small Engine in Mn and it was like I was speaking a foreign language to those folks....They had NO knowledge of John Deere snowmobiles !!!

Any Suggestions ? Thanks guys !

[kwc]

I personally like Dennis Kirk, you will need part # 14-205 mag side and 14-87 PTO side according to their 2012 catalog.

link: https://www.denniskirk.com/frontpage.jsp

[Matt]

I heard that the guy who runs JDsleds.com also runs Newbreedparts.com:

http://www.newbreedparts.com/index.php? ... uct_id=115

[JDT]

[chibravo]

I have convinced myself that this sled is simply too unique to ride....As soon as I am done "Cleaning" up this SportFire I will be selling the snowmobile....In a perfect world, I would store it for my son to have 20 years from now, but I really do not have the space...

I would rather sell it to a true John Deere fan than E-Bay it...If anyone is interested in purchasing this snowmobile, please call me @ 541-760-301nine. Thanks !

On another note....I did just purchase a 1978 Spitfire in mint condition !!!...Pretty excited about this sled that came equipped with the speedo, tachometer and original cover....best thing is that I get to run it and not feel bad about it !!!!

[TASKY]

Any pictures???

[Mean Green]

Pics please!!! Checking into shipping from Oregon, but awaiting pics to make offer or get serious into buying this. I lost my LF's in a one sided court battle with an ex girlfriend and looking at getting back into JD sleds. Thanks!

Tracy