I'm in the process of changing the factory gear to a quick change hub and smaller gear. Drove the pin out, removed chain and even removed some body rivets but there just isn't enough room to slide the gear off the shaft. Does anyone have an idea of how to get the factory gear out?

It's the Polaris 120

Got it figured out. yelrotflmao.gif Have to drill out all five rivets which hold the outer side panel to be able to pull the panel out of the way in order to get the gear out.

yup you got it

I'm in the middle of this right now too. Once you get everything back on, do you rivet things back together again or bolt it with lock nuts so changing isn't such a pain every time you want to play with the gears? Seems like a pain in the butt just to swap gears. Or am I missing something? Thanks.

I just used stainless nuts and bolts, works fine. What ratio did you set up with?

Just got everything apart finally with the drill. I think I put a lift kit in my Land Cruiser faster than this whole operation has taken me. It all makes more sense now though. I thought you'd have to take apart ALL of the riveted pieces again everytime you want to swap gears. I didn't pay close enough attention to the quick change hub. It allows the new sprockets to just slide off the shaft rather than have to get the rivets(or bolts) out of the belly pan like the OEM 42T sprocket. So now once I get it all back together, it should be a simple quick swap of the sprockets when I want to go up or down with the gearing. I hope so anyway. We'll see.

I bought 2 sprockets from Rec Motors. 34T and 37T. Trying the 34T first just to see how it works. A lot of differing opinions on what's best for whatever kind of riding the boys will be doing. Now that I think I have this figured out, we can play around with the gearing a lot more easily.

Still haven't figured out the chain tensioning though. Owners manual says 1" deflection and to replace it when it gets within 1/8" of the exhaust mount. Seems to me with a smaller diameter sprocket on the back, that distance will shrink automatically? Maybe I'm missing something, but according to the manual my chain is shot. Probably should have replaced it anyway, but I'm curious to see how each change affects everything else.

I installed the 34T sprocket and it works great, still has enough torque to pull through the hills and a sled on the back to pull the other kiddies around the yard. I also installed the Rec motor Power intake kit with the adjustable main jet and velocity stack and Governor bypass spring, makes a big difference. My daughter ligned up next to me and topped out at 20 mph on a flat surface (driveway) according to my speedo. Just go to a local Tractor Supply store and purchase a box of #40 chain and some extra master links you'll need the extra chain. I just tensioned the chain to a quarter inch of play seems to work fine.

Perfect! That's exactly the same set up I went with. Sounds like you're using the sled the same way we do. Sleds behind with all the neighbor kids.

Just the difference from the governor spring, stack, and main jet was a nice boost. Hoping the gears add even a little more. I like the chain idea. After ice fishing tomorrow, it's next on the list for the weekend.

I don't know what people did before the internet and web Forums. Now I have one for my truck, my car, my wife's care, my motorcycle, and even the kids sled now. This is great. Thanks again for all the info.

Brian

Are you located in North Dakota if so where is Tropical? I lived in Williston for 3 and a half years and in the winter it was nowhere near tropical, had a great time out their though.

I'm in Fargo. In-laws are from Williston. There isn't a tropical place in the whole damn state. Williston is sometimes even worse than Fargo for cold.

I just got back from ice fishing a few minutes ago. 12 above today seems like a heat wave. It was 31 below 2 nights ago. Williston is great if you like to hunt and fish. If not, run away.

Being from here I love it, but to move here from somewhere else would be a culture shock I think. MI would be nice. Where is Alpena?

Alpena is in the northeast corner of the mitten about an hour and a half south of the bridge. I have two sisters and their families living in Williston. Their husbands both work for the Electric CO-OP out their. They earn their paycheck in the winter. I lived out their in the late 80's early 90's. Two winters in a row we got the Arctic frost it was -100 windchill un freaking believable, I decided it was time to move back to michigan after that. At least we have trees to block the wind here. I always wondered what people meant by Montanna blows and Minnesota sucks, didn't take long to figure it out, LOL. My family and I were just out their this past June, my nephew got married in Minot.
On another note have you noticed plugs fowling out more since the upgrades to your 120? I just changed another one today.

Yep. Just changed it for the first time a couple weeks ago. The first one had a lot of stock hours and few hours with the mods. We'll see how long it goes now.

Did anyone have a problem with the chain hitting the exhaust support bracket when you put a smaller driven sprocket on? What do you do about it?

How small a sprocket did you go with? I have'nt run into this with a 34 tooth.

I had the same question. Just finished putting the 34T on a few minutes ago. Owners manual says the chain is shot when it gets closer than 1/8" from the exhaust bracket. That smaller sprocket should only magnify the problem I would think. I ran the track for a minute or so just to make sure nothing came apart. Sitting there it seems like it will hit, but it looked ok to me when it was spinning. I'll take it for a spin tomorrow and see what blows up

I have a 32 tooth sprocket.

Well the kids (8 & 10) just spent a couple hours ripping around and all is well so far. 34T pulls no problem up hills, flat, wherever it seems. I rode the thing up our dike and down the trail. Bogged a little with me, but surprised it could even move with 180 lbs on it and a 34T sprocket.

My neighbor is having trouble with his Z120 and the chain tensioner coming off constantly. Any advice on the Z120? I'll do a search but thought I'd ask while I was in here. The Polaris tensioner looks a lot simpler and less prone to problems to me. Thanks again for all the help.

Not too familiar with Z120, is the chain coming off the tensioner or the tensioner actually spining the nut off? Is it an after market tensioner if so is it for #35 chain or #40 etc. this could cause alignment issues, if it is a stock tensioner with a quick change sprocket setup he might want to try an aftermarket tensioner. Hope this helps.

He has an aftermarket sprocket on but looks like the stock tensioner. Arctic uses a spring to hold tension on it. Kind of a screwy system I thought. He beefed up the spring to a heavier one, but still only runs for an hour or so before the boys jump the chain. I don't know why he couldn't just use a idler gear like one of the posts I saw here somewhere. Drill a hole through the plate just like ours mount to, then mount the 17T idler to it. Done deal. Maybe it's not that simple?

My boys have ridden the daylights out of the 120 the past 2 days since I got it all back together. So far so good with the 34T. I did have a fouled plug today though. Wondering if it wasn't from my fat a.. riding it last night and bogging it down pretty good? We'll see how long the new plug goes with just the monkeys riding it. Back to NGK BR6ES. I had to use a Bosch the last time since it was all I could find on short notice.

recmotor sells a nice tensioner just for that reason .
http://www.recmotor.com/snowmobiles/clutchParts.php
I use the BR6ES also, I guess thats about the hottest you want to go.