Does anyone know anything about snowmobiles? I was looking into a engine mod swap for our small buggy's and wanted to know if the snowmobile has a CVT?

Yes, they use a CVT.

I'm going to be using a snowmobile motor for my next buggy. Lots of potential for performance plus the benefit of a CVT tranny.

Check Yellowdogracing.com.
He's using a 2-stroke 3 cylinder 1000cc motor rated at about 200hp.

thanks for the info i'll look into it.

I've been doing a lot of research on the subject. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any specific questions.

The only real difference is that on snowmobiles the clutch is part of the drive pulley and on these carts the clutch is on the driven pulley. On snowmobiles the drive pulley (the one on the engine) does not squeeze together enough to grip the belt until the engine hits a certain RPM (adjustable) and continues to squeeze and in turn the drive pulley gets larger in diameter. Also the gearing would be a little different on a two stroke.

The good part is that there are tons of aftermarket parts for snowmobile engines and clutches! There are some snowmobiles with electronic reverse where the engine actually slows down and runs backwards. Cool I know.

http://www.ski-doo.com/en-US/Technology ... es/RER.htm


Being from Northeast PA I am also a sled nut.

thanks for all the info it looks like i might be trying to find a engine to do a mod.

I could imagine that the frame on these buggys would have to be stretched in order to get a SM engine and a tranny that would work in place....I also don't think that the brakes,roll cage, and suspension would hold up to a 40 or 45 hp engine....It might work,but for how long......
I also think that they won't stand up to a crash at a 50 or 60 mph rollover....
By the time you spend the money to modify one where it is dependable and safe, then you have spent enough to just buy one...Unless you just enjoy the challenge, I don't think it's worth it...
You can get a nice 350 oddy for around $2500, and it will probably still blow the wheels off of anything you could build.......
A larger four stroke would probably be more sufficient in the frames....Better for slow trail riding....The two strokers are made for higher revving, and higher speeds...If it aint screaming,it aint happy....And once again, I haven't seen one of the China karts to date that I think would take that kind of abuse on a regular basis.......
They are fun, but they are not designed or built to be a high performance machine.

I think it would be a fun project and like i said before I am not really looking for speed just power

I am not really looking for speed just power

I would lean more towards a four stroker if that is the case...Always thought it would be cool to put in an engine/tranny with a shifter and automatic clutch...That manual clutch seems it would be too busy....