Some time has passed, quite some time as a matter of fact, a whole season to be exact, since the first installment of this article was written.I completed what I'm now calling "Phase 2" of the Indy project and had the sled on the snow for it's initial shakedown cruise.Other than a couple of minor glitches, it outperformed my expectations.Now that there's no snow on the ground, not that ever was much this season, I've got some time to finish the article.It's not my intention that everyone will rush out and duplicate my project (in fact, I fervently hope that no one duplicates it!) but that each item I have changed can serve as a cookbook to anyone considering that particular modification.In fact, I'll try to approach the article that way, giving complete instructions and illustrations for each item.

As far as is possible, I will give my evaluation of each modification and it's effect on ride, handling and performance.Unfortunately, I didn'thave an opportunity to test after each mod, so my evaluation for some items is going to be something along the lines of "It's really cool, but I don't know how much it really helps."

With all that said, here is the roadmap to the project article.

1. Base sled description
2. Phase 2 Performance Appraisal
3. XTRA-10 Rear Suspension
4. '96 Polaris Lightning track
5. Rolling the Chaincase
6. Liquid-cooled brake kit
7. Sno-Cross IFS Kit
8. SLP Skis
9. Magura Master Cylinder
10. Lightweight Brake Hub and Rotor
11. Fox Shocks
12. Lightweight Hood
13. New Seat Cover
14. XCR Gas Tank
15. '98 XC Handlebars
16. Tether Switch
17. Relocated Hand/Thumb Warmer Switch
18. Cobra Windshield
19. Ekholm Skidplate
20. Low Oil Warning Sensor/Light
21. Twin EGTs
22. Grips
23. Aluminum Steering Arms
24. Phase 3 Outline

Base Sled

The sled I began with is one that everyone who's been in the sport more than 10 minutes has seen, a 1990 Indy 500.Mine was an SKS, which the last I heard was the #1 all-time best selling sled.Not sure that's still true, but there were a whole bunch of Indy 500 SKSs on the trails and in the mountains.There were a lot of them built and sold for a reason - they were great snowmobiles.Never the fastest on the snow, but always one of the best handling, with good looks and plenty of quickness for trail riding.

I purchased the sled wrecked, owner #2, a personal friend of owner #1 ran it into a tree at about 45 MPH on his very first ride.Most of the damage was caused by the rider's helmet smashing against the instrument pod, which must have scrambled his brain even worse than it did the pod because I hear he stopped at the dealer on his way home and ordered a Storm.Guess he figured he didn't hit the tree hard enough.

I fixed the sled on a shoestring budget, repaired the hood using the Three Bond kit and painted it myself.The only parts I had to purchase were the instrument pod and a new front bumper.

I rode it essentially stock (no, not "Doug Miller stock") for several seasons, but it was always my backup sled.It handled great, especially after the installation of the Polaris Sno-Cross IFS kit (detailed below) but the ride quality on rough trails left a lot to be desired.My '92 EXT SP performed much better in rough conditions, although it did not corner nearly as well and despite a more powerful engine, didn't seem to be as quick off the line.

So in '96, I decided to put an XTRA-10 rear suspension in the sled.That was the extent of my plan, just put that suspension in it and ride.Didn't quite turn out that way.

Phase 2 Performance Appraisal

Before I get into the details of each modification, I thought I'd talk in general a little about how the sled performs now.The unofficial weight of the sled is about 430 lbs and the motor is essentially stock, the drive train has been modified substantially and the gearing changed, all of which translated into very quick accelleration on the trails.How quick, you ask? Sorry, the season was just too short this year to spend days timing lake runs.But we aren't talking "beating 700cc sleds across the lake" quick, we are talking "fun to ride through the twisties" quick.The sled is a blast to ride in it's current configuration, it corners well, feels stable, handles the bumps like a new Polaris, is light and nimble and easy to ride hard.

In fact, I like it so much that I decided not to buy a new '99 sled.I was 90% sure I was going to order a new one, but now I think I'd rather finish tweaking the Indy and ride it a couple of seasons.

XTRA-10 Rear Suspension

By itself, installing an XTRA-10 in an older Indy is really easy.Essentially you drop the old suspension out, measure carefully for the new mouting holes, relocate the suspension mount plates, drill the new holes and bolt in the XTRA-10.Ride height is just slightly higher than the stock '90 Dial-A-Just suspension, but after 10 minutes on the sled, that becomes a non-issue, especially after you hit that first big bump on the trail.

Drilling the mount holes is the only critical part and it is absolutely essential that you get the measurements right! Too far back or forward and you can't get the track tension right.Too far down in the tunnel and you *will* increase ride height and adversely affect cornering.Too high in the tunnel and you won't have clearance for studs and/or the track will hit the tunnel on every big bump.But the most critical measurement is center-to-center distance between the front and rear arm mount points.Do not just measure the distance between the arms as the suspension sits on the floor out of the sled! The suspension has to be compressed slightly to install it in the sled and the arms move closer together when that happens.

[measurements] [pictures] You can buy take-out short-track XTRA-10 suspensions at some western dealers, from people who have installed M-10s and not traded in their old suspensions, at sled salvage yards, etc.I was lucky enough to find one from an Ultra SP that had Fox shocks already installed.I paid a premium price, but dollar for dollar, you won't do anything to an older Indy that will result in such a dramatic improvement.You can argue that the thousand dollars you spend on the XTRA-10 would make a nice down payment on a new sled and I cannot refute that.As I've said before, this kind of project is not about having the best sled you can have for the least amount of money - it's about the pride of owning something unique and of having done the job yourself.The side benefit of learning about every nut, bolt and rivet in your snowmobile is nothing to dismiss lightly either.

The only downside to installing an XTRA-10 is that it weighs more than the older Polaris suspensions.The '90 SKS suspension I removed weighs [68 ithink] pounds, while the short-track XTRA-10 is [72 i think] pounds.But unless one of your stated goals is weight reduction, it's not worth a second thought.And even if you do want to reduce weight, the ride improvement is worth twice that much weight.The good part is that, as we'll see in a minute, there's a companion mod that will offset the suspension weight.

[add weight comparison here] There are those who say the XTRA-10 is not as good as the new Cat suspension in the big bumps.That is entirely possible, but I can say this for sure - the '96 XTRA-10 is an order of magnitude better than the '96 Fas-Track suspension that I had in my '96 ZRT 6.I have no doubt that the new coupled rear suspension from Cat are better than the '96 and the '97 and newer Cats are outstanding sleds, there's a chance I may still end up with a new Cat this year, depending on what prices do this fall.Be that as it may, the Indy is a fun sled to ride and it handles the bumps really well.

'96 Lightning Track

I was fortunate enough to find a track and suspension for sale together as a package deal.I had to have a new track, since I was converting an SKS to a short-track and my old track would not work.Otherwise I might have stuck with the stock track, which, in restrospect, would have been a huge mistake.

Not only is the new track lighter (??lbs to ??lbs) which offsets the increased weight of the new suspension, but it hooks up better without studs than the old one did with studs!

Switching tracks is an easy job after you've done it a few times.If you are a "buy it and ride" kinda person, it might seem daunting.Don't let it scare you, it's easy and doesn't require any special tools or special, insider knowledge.

Move your sled to a convenient work spot, assemble your tools and pop the hood.Even an inexperienced mechanic can tackle this in an afternoon.Even though I will give you explicit instructions, my very first recommendation is that you go to you Polaris dealer and purchase a copy of the shop manual.It's not as complete as some I've seen, but it is really, really nice to have.It's not cheap, but that's because it covers so many models.Your dealer will help you (he'd better!) get the correct manual for your sled.

But back to the track install.First step is to remove the old track.Loosen the track tension by backing off the locking nuts on the rear axle tensioning bolts, then back out the bolts.Then remove the four bolts in the tunnel holding the suspension in place.It's always been easier for me to remove the suspension when the sled is on it's side, which is going to happen in the next step, so you might just want to leave the suspenion where it is for now and get started freeing the driveshaft.

To do that, first, disconnect the speedometer cable from the clutch-side end of the driveshaft.Then remove the three bolts that secure the bearing retainer on clutch-side end of the driveshaft to the tunnel.Then flip the sled up on it's right (chaincase) side (now's a good time to pull out the suspension - it's a little tricky, just keep yanking on it, it'll come out) and remove the three bolts that hold the driveshaft bearing retainer to the tunnel.It's easier to work here with the secondary clutch removed, which requires removing the belt and the bolt that holds the clutch on the jackshaft.

Once that is done, the clutch-side end of the driveshaft is free to move out of the tunnel.Be careful not to lose the speedometer drive key.

Next, flip the sled over to it's left side (clutch) and remove the chaincase cover.You can do all the rest of the work with the sled on it's side, so you don't absolutely have to remove the chaincase lubrication.Although it's a good opportunity to do that, I read somewhere recently that Polaris recommends changing that lube every 500 miles!

Now you need to take the tension off the chain by backing off the lock nut on the tensioner and backing out the tensioner bolt.Once it is out far enough to free the chain, then unbolt the bottom gear from the driveshaft and pull it off.Then you can pull the driveshaft out of the bearing in the chaincase and pull the old track out.To reinstall the new track, just reverse the steps.

If you are working on an older Indy that has not had the driveshaft bearings changed recently, my advice is to do it now.Either that or you'll have to repeat all this work again, more likely sooner than later.You'll have to loosen the Fafnir bearing collar on the clutch end of the driveshaft, but other than that, most of the work of replacing the bearings is done at this point.The only other item is to remove the bearing from the chaincase by removing it's retaining ring with a snap- ring plier and tapping the bearing out from inside the tunnel.

To remove the Fafnir bearing, loosen the hex screw that holds the Fafnir bearing lock collar to the driveshaft.Then turn the lock collar counter-clockwise to unlock it and free the bearing so it can slide off the driveshaft.You might have to lightly file the burrs or rust off the shaft to get the bearing off - use a light touch.Once it's off, slip the new lock collar and bearing on the driveshaft and put the clutch-side end back in the tunnel, put the new track in place and then slip the chaincase-end of the driveshaft back in the chaincase bearing.

Then reinstall the lower chaincase gear - be sure to put any spacers you find back in the same place! It is critical for chain life and efficient operation that the two sprockets be exactly the same height so the chain can run straight.If you aren't sure things are correct, you can check by bolting the bottom gear back on without the chain and using a straightedge to check the two gears.They should be at exactly the same level - if you hold the straight- edge flat on the lower gear and it doesn't touch the upper gear, then the lower gear is too high (too many spacers) or the upper gear is too low.Now is the time to adjust that.

When you are ready to put the gears back on for good, the gears and chain might have go on as a single unit, depending on your gearing.It's a bit tricky that way, but hang with 'em until you get it on.

If you want to experiment with gearing, this is a good time to do that.There are a couple of things to keep in mind regarding chaincase efficiency if you change gearing.First, the less excess chain you have, the more efficient the drivetrain will be.So, as a rule of thumb, use the shortest chain you can.Also, the chain goes around in big circles more efficiently, so use the biggest gears you can.Rather than dropping the size of the top gear, try raising the size of the bottom gear instead.

Once the gears and chain are on, reinstall the tensioner and tighten the tensioner bolt [look up exact instructions tonight].When the tension is correct, hold the tenstioner bolt with one wrench while tightening the lock nut with another.

If you've removed the chaincase lube, replenish it now with [??] ounces of your lube of choice.Some people use ATF or even regular engine oil.Personally I like to stick with the manufacturer's recommendations so I use a good-quality 90-weight gear oil.Put the chaincase cover back on and tighten it down.

Lay the sled back over on the clutch side and bolt the bearing retainer back in place.Be sure to get the speedo key installed correctly.

If you've loosened the Fafnir bearing on the other end of the driveshaft to install new bearings, now is the time to retighten the lock collar.If you didn't replace the bearings, you're ready to reinstall the suspension and go riding on your new track.

To tighten the lock collar, make sure the new bearing is where it should be on the driveshaft - it probably is, if you've reinstalled the bearing retainer properly, but double-check just to be sure.Then push the lock collar up against the bearing and turn it clockwise to lock it against the bearing.Then tighten the hex screw to hold the collar in place on the driveshaft.

A new track will make a huge difference in your sled, especially if you have an '89 or '90.The new tracks are lighter, so they take less HP to spin, they're thinner so they bend around the drivers and rear wheels easier and they hook up so much better you won't believe it.All this will result in a quicker sled that accellerates and stops better.Well worth the money, time and effort.

I still recommend studding, unless you live in the Peoples Republic of Minnesota, of course, but with the new tracks, it's not as much of a necessity as it used to be.For safety on ice, nothing beats studs, if you are concerned about that (as I am) then by all means, stud your track!

Rolling the Chaincase

This was the single biggest sub-project that I have ever done on a snowmobile.I decided to roll the case to give myself more clearance in the front of the tunnel in order to use a single, large tunnel cooler to reduce weight.As it turns out, for trail riding that single cooler is not adequate, so I had to scrap that plan.By the time I realized that, I had the sled apart, so I decided to go ahead with the roll in order to get the other, admittedly smaller benefits.Which are a lower center of gravity and a more efficient drive train.I did not measure the CG of the sled before the roll but I can probably get my hands on a stock Indy 500 pretty easily.I suspect that the difference will be only barely measurable.Still, it's worth a couple of mental horsepower.The tangible benefit is the improved rolling efficiency.With the roll completed and the sled reassembled, I can now roll the track with one hand when the rear of the sled is suspended off the ground.Those are the reason that the '98 XCs came stock with rolled chaincases.So, if it's good enough to the latest generation of trail-pounders, it's good enough for my sled.

You have to pretty much dismantle your snowmobile to do this job.The rear suspension, track, driveshaft, jackshaft, driven clutch and chaincase all have to be removed.It's much easier to work on the sled if the hood is off also and on the Indy wedgie chassis, you have to remove the nosecone to get the hood off - well, I've seen guys get the hood off without removing the nosecone, but you have to bend it out of the way and my nosecone has had several patches applied to it that make it somewhat less flexible.

After the hood is off, if you chose to remove it (highly recommended), take out the rear suspension and the driveshaft following the instructions I gave in the section on replacing the track.From there start by removing the drive belt and pulling off the driven clutch.If you haven't serviced your driven for a while, this would be a good time to do so.Remove the jackshaft next by removing the 3 bolts from the clutch-side bearing retainer, then remove the top sprocket from the chaincase.You'll have to remove the airbox and the oil bottle to get the jackshaft out of the sled (I *told* you you have to dismantle the sled, didn't I? :), but first you have to get the chaincase-end of the jackshaft out of the chaincase bearing.It's a very tight fit and the way I got it out (I had to remove it twice ...don't ask, it's a long story) was to put a "sacrifice" bolt in the jackshaft and pound on that to push the shaft out of the bearing.That bolt will get really beat up, so don't use the one that was holding the sprocket in place unless you plan on replacing it anyway.

Once the jackshaft it out, remove the 3 bolts holding the chaincase in place and pull it out.You'll have to drain the engine coolant and remove at least the hoses to the chaincase-side running board cooler.I say "at least", because you might try leaving the others on and working around them.I don't know if you can or not, since mine were out anyway, since I was hoping to take them off permanently to save weight.

The reason you have to pull the hoses off the chaincase- side cooler is that you are going to have to move it back about 2 inches.It is a very tight fit and you'll have to cut some of the footwell away to get the hoses reconnected.A side note: I'm planning on upgrading to the '99 tunnel coolers and will be removing the side coolers once again this summer.IMO, it is a much more "sano" solution that is probably a little lighter overall because it requires less cooling hose.More on that the next installment of this article.But you might want to take a long look at doing that while you have the sled dismantled.It'll make the roll easier.I recommend waiting until the chaincase is ready to install before relocating the cooler, it will be much easier to determine the exact location at that time.For now, just remove the hoses, drill out the rivets and remove the cooler.

You're through dismantling at this point, now you need to mount the templates.To do that, you'll have to remove a number of rivets - it's easy to figure out which ones to remove.I used a drill to drill them out until I got smart (pretty far along in the process, unfortunately) and began using a dremmel to grind off the heads.

Once you have those out, you can mount the clutch-side template.Let's talk for a moment about the "templates."

SLP quit selling them, I'm not sure why, it's a great little mod IMO, but there are other companies out west who still sell them.[research this and add company names, phone #s] When I first heard about the templates in the kit, I thought they were just that - templates that you used to locate the new drive/jackshaft holes that then got tossed aside.But in this case, they might be better termed "tunnel strengtheners and shaft locators" since they stay on the sled.Templates is shorter, so let's stick with that for now.

Anyway, rivet the clutch-side template in place using steel rivets.A hand-pulled rivet tool is going to have a tough time with steel rivets of this size, if you have or can rent or borrow an air-powered riveter, you'll be much happier.I used a good quality hand-riveter and was able to do the job.It's a good grip strengthener.

To mount the chaincase side template, you'll have to cut a hole in the bellypan.Maybe this is a good spot to discuss the philosophy of this mod for a second.There's no instructions with the templates, at least none with the ones I "bought" - I got mine from a friend who had rolled his chaincase and made me a copy of his templates.When he offered to do that for me, thinking that they were just plastic or paper templates, I thanked him and forgot about it.Now that I have done the mod, I realize the work that it took to fabricate those "templates", so I am not about to grouse about a lack of printed instructions! But again, now that I've done the mod, I don't think I would have wanted explicit, written instructions.I figured out where to cut the bellypan on my own and did a good job and I reaped a tremendous amount of satisfaction from a job well-done.It works, it looks good and I did it myself.

Enough editorializing, back to the mod.You'll need the rolled chaincase protector that SLP sells, it's $40 or so and is absolutely essential.Not only does it protect the bottom of the case, which will now protrude through the bottom of the bellypan, it gives the mod a professional look and it makes it easier to determine the size of the hole to cut in the pan.You'll also have to cut some aluminum, but that's OK because it gives you a more solid mounting point for the case protector.

Once you have determined the location for the pan cutout and made the cut, remove the necessary rivets from the chaincase-side of the tunnel and rivet in the template.You're almost to the home stretch at this point, take a deep breath, steady yourself and get your drill ready - we're ready for the most critical part of the project, drilling the new shaft holes.

A couple of things before you do this.First, DON'T SCREW UP! Let me repeat that: DON'T SCREW UP! If you do, you've got big problems.Be careful, be accurate, take your time.Second tip is that a right-angle drill will allow you to drill the holes without removing the bellypan.I rented a very good drill and it made this part so much easier, it was worth twice what I paid to rent the drill for a morning.And use sharp hole cutters, you'll be glad you did.I had a good drill and new hole cutters and it went very smooth and quick.

You'll have to drill 4 shaft holes and a number of smaller holes for mounting the chaincase and bearing retainers.The bottom chaincase mounting hole will be in the chaincase protector you mounted above.You'll want to square all these holes so that you can use the stock carriage bolts, although you might have to buy slightly longer bolts to hold the chain- case on depending on how thick your templates are.When squaring the holes, pay special attention to the holes in the bearing retainers - they must match!

The size of the shaft holes on the clutch side is easy to determine - they should be the same size as the stock holes, since the bearing retainers must fit the same way.The chaincase side is a bit more difficult to determine, since the fit of the chaincase changes.The top hole should be as small as possible, since it will not be sealed and will permit snow to enter the engine compartment from the tunnel, which will soak the brake rotor, a very bad thing.So, keep the hole as small as you can.The bottom hole must be large enough for the chaincase "tail" to fit all the way through but not too large as to allow snow in.If you want, you can drill pilot holes for the shaft holes and drill the large holes from inside the tunnel.I had to do that on one hole because of clearance problems with the drill I had rented.

After the holes are drilled, it will take about an hour to square off the smaller holes.Once that is done, you can fit the chaincase in place temporarily to relocate the chaincase-side running board cooler.You will have to move it back about 2 inches, it's a very tight fit and there's not a lot of options here.I used the existing stock hole as a pattern for the new one, again, there aren't many optional sizes or shapes other than what Polaris used.Drill the holes for the new rivets and remount the cooler.As I said above, you will have to cut away a portion of the footwell to get the hoses back down to the cooler.I also added a liquid-cooled brake kit, so I had to cut the inside edge of the footwell away.[insert picture]

Once the cooler is back in place, you can start to reassemble the sled.Start with the jackshaft.You're not done improvising though - the templates in effect widened the bulkhead and as a result, the way the shafts mount have changed.You may need to install a spacer behind the shoulder of the jackshaft where it seats into the chaincase bearing.I did not need to shim here, since I was installing a new brake rotor and hub, I was able to compensate for the new jackshaft location by grinding a bit off the in-board side of the new hub.Keep in mind that the upper sprocket will now not seat fully on the splines of the jackshaft.That's just the way it goes, there's not much you can do, but it has not caused a problem for me or for anyone else that I've talked to who has done this mod.

Once you have the jackshaft installed in the chaincase, you will need to install the clutch-side bearing.But hold off on that for a minute until you get the driveshaft back in, you'll need to adjust the chaincase to align both shafts in the tunnel correctly.When you are ready to reinstall the bearings, the procedure is to slide the clutch-side bearing and bearing retainer back on and bolt it in place.Then adjust and tighten the fafnir collar.When you reinstall the driven clutch (not yet though), you'll need some extra spacers and perhaps a longer clutch bolt, since the length of the jackshaft available to mount the clutch on has decreased.My templates were made from 1/16 inch aluminum, so the offset was pretty large.

Now you can reinstall the driveshaft, it will need a spacer behind it's sholder also on the chaincase side.It's important to get the spacer the right thickness so that the drivers sit in the proper location in the tunnel, otherwise your track will run offset in the tunnel.When you put the bottom sprocket on the first time, you can leave the chain off, since you'll more than likely have to remove both sprockets again anyway to get the spacing behind them right anyway.

Once you have both shafts reinstalled into the chaincase and have the chaincase bolted securely in place, observe the clutch-side ends and their location in the bearing holes - they should be perfectly centered.If they are not, you'll have to shim the chaincase in one or more locations to make that happen.If you have drilled the holes correctly as marked on the templates, both shafts will either be perfectly aligned or off by the same distance in the same direction.If they are not, you have screwed the pooch and it's time to call the local sled salvage yard to see what they'll give you for 400 pounds of scrap.Well, OK, it's not that bad, but it sure would have all worked better if you had listened to my advice about how to drill the holes.It's too late to do anything about it now except put in a new bulkhead or to adjust the chaincase as well as possible, bolt the shafts in and live with it.

If they are off-center by approximately the same distance in the same directions, loosen the chaincase mounting bolts and determine where to put a spacer and how much of a spacer to use.Put it in, bolt the chaincase back down and check the alignment again.It make take a couple of iterations, but if everything is right, you should be able to get the shafts perfectly aligned.If you do, you'll be rewarded with a freer running drivetrain and snappier performance as a result.

Now you can bolt in the bearings, bearing retainers and fafnir lock collars.Oh, don't forget the track before putting the driveshaft in.Not that I know anyone who has ever done that.

Next, you'll more than likely have to remove both chain sprockets to adjust their relative heights with spacers.Use a straight-edge to determine which gear is too high or low and add or remove spacers to get them to the same level.Once you have them spaced properly, put the sprockets and chain back on as a single unit.A little tricky if your chain is close to tight - I tried 18/39 gears with a 64-pitch chain and it was maddeningly close to fitting, but I couldn't make it go on, so I dropped back to 18/37 and there was enough slack that getting the gears on was easy, but not so much that I could put the gears on first and slip the chain in place afterwards.

I adjusted the chain tension while I had the cover off, it was much easier to do and feel confident about.When I can't see the chain, I always worry that I've gotten it too tight.[insert manual's directions here]

Now you can put the chaincase cover back on and put the gear oil in.You're almost finished!

Next you'll need to fabricate a small sheild to cover the hoses on the clutch side from the driven.The hoses will be really close to the driven, so I made a small sheild out of some of the scraps of aluminum I had left over from the cutouts I made and riveted it in place.Before reinstalling the driven clutch, you'll need to hammer back the footwell slightly to give yourself room to remove the belt.Doesn't take much, so go easy or you'll move it too far and make it too small for your boot to fit in.

Reinstall the driven clutch and the drive belt, reinstall the suspension and adjust the track tension and you're ready to ride!

Liquid-cooled brake kit

This dandy little kit is available from Polaris, part number [insert # here].It consists of a small, hollow aluminum channel that fits in the caliper behind the inboard brake pad through which engine coolant flows and all necessary hoses and clamps.To install it, you must remove the caliper - gotta remove the jackshaft to do this, so try to consolidate all these mods into one project.The liquid-cooled brake kit is cheap and easy to put on, so if you are going to have the jackshaft off for some other reason, it's a nice little add-on to throw in at the same time.

Once the caliper is out, dismantle it by removing the two bolts that hold it together.Separate all the pieces and reassemble using the new, wider bracket and insert the coolant channel between the caliper and the inboard pad.Bolt the caliper back together and reinstall the brake and jackshaft.The final step is to re-route the coolant hoses from the engine to the chaincase-side running board cooler.

I have heard varying opinions about the liquid-cooled brakes on Polaris sleds.No other manufacturer has this feature and I heard an Arctic Cat engineer comment that they don't feel the brake gets hot enough under any conditions, including racing, to warrant the extra plumbing.But there's a reason Polaris puts it on their high performance sleds, it may only be for mental horsepower reasons, but I no longer worry about overheating my brake even on the twistiest technical section of trail.

It's an easy (if you're already removing the jackshaft for some other reason), inexpensive mod that I highly recommend for all older Polarii.

Sno-Cross IFS Kit

Another Polaris part number, [insert part # here] that I highly recommend.This kit will allow you to extend you ski stance to a little over 40 inches and includes "beefier" components, including a stiffer swaybar.When installed on older, narrower- stance Indys, it will yeild a vast handling improvement.It's not a terribly easy kit to install, mainly because of the location of the inner radius rod bolts, but it's not a killer by any stretch of the imagination.

Start by removing the skis and trailing arms.You can leave the spindles in the trailing arms, no reason to separate them.Take the tie rod, radius rods, lower shock mount and trailing arm mount bolt off each side and lay the trailing arm/ski assembly aside.A good handling tip that is apropos here is to move the shocks from the the stock inner mount location to the outter location [check this! might be backwards!], this gives slightly more damping in rough situations at the expense of a slightly stiffer ride in other situations - a plus if you are an aggresive rider.

You can remove the steering tie rods from inside the engine compartment now, but you'll have to remove the pipe first.If you have a skidplate, might as well remove it now too, you'll have to in order to get at the inner radius rod bolts.

Next, drill out the rivets holding the swaybar sushings to the tunnel and remove them.Then pound out the old swaybar.The stock swaybar is pretty light on older 500s and 400s and will come out really easily.

Then, saving the hardest part of the disassembly for last, take out those hard-to-reach inner radius rod bolts and remove the radius rods.

Next, you'll have to drill out the swaybar bushings, both the ones in the bulkhead and the ones in the trailing arms to 5/8 of an inch.Be careful, the plastic is brittle and will break easily.You might want to just forget about drilling and get new bushings from your dealer.If you decide to try and drill, try drilling with progressively larger bits until you get to 5/8.If you're careful, you shouldn't have to remove the inner busings from the bulkhead.

Now you can pound the new swaybar into place.As easy as the old one came out, that's how hard the new one will be to get in.It's the price you'll pay for flatter cornering.If you pound too hard, you'll mangle the end of the swaybar and end up having to file it to get it back into the trailing arm bushing, so use care.Not that I know anyone who has done that.Then put the bushings back in place and rivet them down.

Next step it to put the rod ends on the new radius rods and steering tie rods.Or, a better alternative if you have never changed those rod ends, is to replace them with shiny, new teflon-coated rod ends.Kinda spendy, but worth it in the long-run.If you decide to use the old ends, use a little care and a lot of penetrant to get them off.

After you have inserted the new rod ends in the rods (but not tightened them, they need adjustment after installation) you can begin bolting everything back together.It gets to be a lot like a chinese puzzle, as in: which piece goes where first?, but it does all fit back together.You'll find a lot of tension in the trailing arm mount bolt if you put the radius rods back on first, but you'll have a difficult time getting the radius rods lined up if you mount the trailing arm first.Check the bushings and all the bolts, now is a good time to replace them.I put the SnowTech bushing kit in and highly recommend it, the suspension moves much more freely with the dehlrin bushings.Another "kinda spendy" item that's well worth the money.

Once everything is back together, it's time to adjust the camber of the spindles and the steering.The Polaris manual contains complete, detailed instructions on this, so I won't repeat them here.I will editorialize again for a moment: take the time to do it right! You will reap the rewards of a well-done alignment job on the trail, when your sled is tracking perfectly straight down the trail and carving corners like a razor.Most sleds I've riden straight from the deal are not aligned well.But after all, no one will care for your sled the way you will.If your IFS was never aligned perfectly to begin with, adding the snowcross kit and carefully aligning it will give you a sled that handles better than you ever dreamed possible.You *will* be happy with this mod, especially if you have been running the stock 36 inch stance.

SLP Skis

Here's another mod for handling that also looks better than the stock item.SLP skis are fairly expensive, so they need to work well to be worth the money.And in my opinion, there is no question they are worth the price.You get four benefits over the stock steel skis: better handling, lighter weight, better durability and better looks.

They are laughably easy to install, a true bolt-on mod, remove the old skis, bolt the new ones on and go.They use the same carbides as the stock Polaris skis, so if your old carbides are good, just switch 'em over and you're set to ride.

The SLP skis are each 3 pounds lighter than the stock steel skis, so your total weight savings is 6 pounds (I didn't major in math for nothing :) so right there is a pretty darned good reason for spending the money, even if the handling was a wash (which it isn't).The weight of the skis is unsprung weight, which means that it is arguabley more critical than 6 pounds on the chassis.That's because unsprung weight causes the suspension to react more sluggishly to the terrain.6 pounds of unsprung weight saved makes a noticable difference in handling over the bumps ...or maybe that's just more mental horsepower, whatever, it works for me.

What isn't mental horsepower is the way the SLPs grip the the snow in the corners.Big improvement in "bite", which allows you to run less ski pressure, resulting in lighter steering and better hook-up for the track.

If you hit a rock with the stock steel skis, either you straighten out the dent or you remember that rock for as long as you own the sled.With the SLPs, the skis will bounce off most rocks without damage.There is the steel skeleton there and if you hit a really big rock really hard, you will bend that and they'll be finished.The new Polaris plastic ski is more durable than the SLPs, but more about them in a moment.

The colored bottoms look really great, when they're new.If I had it to do over again, I'd buy black bottoms.And the bottoms will wear out or they can get cut, but when they do, they're replacable.When I replace mine, I'll get black.Why? Because the colored ones fade in sunlight.I have a full-body cover that keeps them out of the sun, but eventually they'll fade and won't look so good.If you look close at the pictures of my sled, you can see that the ski bottoms have faded some already.I'll put black bottoms on and paint the skeletons "Arctic Purple" (I'll tell you why in the section about the lightweight hood) and I'm pretty confident it will look as good or better.I've seen MXZs with SLPs with black bottoms and yellow skeletons and they looked mighty sharp, but better yet, they won't look lousy after one season.

If you are serious about improving the handling of your older Indy, this is one mod that's worth the money ...unless you maybe want to opt for the new Polaris plastic ski.Not as flashy maybe, unless you go with the colored skis, which will suffer from the same fading problem, but they're much cheaper than SLPs and more durable - they can be bent back nearly double and snap back into shape with no damage.I cannot tell a handling difference between the SLPs and the Polaris skis.It's up to you to decide, when I put on my SLPs, the Polaris skis were not yet available.Had they been, it would have been a tough decision to choose.

Magura Master Cylinder

Polaris has been knocked around in the snowmobile press for their "antiquated brake" for the past few years.To be honest, I never thought of the Polaris brake as "antiquated" or inadequate in any way.I never liked the handle, except when I compared it to the stock brake handle on my '92 Cat, but I never hated it either.You have to pull harder on the lever to stop a Polaris, but when you do, it stops.I owned a Wilwood-braked Cat for 2 seasons and I loved the brake, it is awesome, but that doesn't mean I hate the Polaris brake.I wownder if all the snowmobile journalists suffer from "weak brake-hand syndrome" or something.*grin*

That said, I upgraded to a Magura master cylinder this winter.I changed so many parts of the braking system that it's honestly difficult to say what helped the most - lightweight hub and rotor or the liquid cooling or the Magura.Whatever it was, braking the Indy now requires a much lighter pull.It's not like the Wilwood, which as others have said is almost like a binary switch - it's either on or it's off, but the pull is much lighter.

I used the stock rubber brake line, because the aftermarket braided stainless steel line did not have the correct fittings on it.As a result, the brake was a little "spongy", something I intend to solve this summer.

I like the look of the Magura unit much better than the stock master cylinder and the handle is a vast improvement.I'd recommend the swap for the handle alone (see the product review of the Snow Stuff Indy brake handle for another option (sort of)).It's an easy swap and not too expensive.Several aftermarket operators sell the Magura master cylinder or I believe you can get it through Polaris.

Which brings to mind yet another editorial comment, if you'll allow me, one more time: One of the reasons I chose an older Polaris for this project is the price and abundance of aftermarket parts.I plan to total up the money I've spent so far and although I'm sure it will be a lot, some of the pieces and parts I have gotten for a song from Polaris, their parts are incredibly inexpensive, a very good thing and smart marketing move, IMO.

Lightweight Brake Hub and Rotor

Elsewhere on the Off-Road Snowmobile site, you'll find an outstanding article written by Rob Schley that explains the physics behind rotating mass.Rob understands it and explains it better than I ever could, but in a nutshell, the farther away from the center of rotation mass is, the more power it takes to move.For instance, a titanimum shaft will save as much weight (maybe more) than a lightweight brake hub and rotor, but since the shaft is smaller in diameter, the power required to spin it is less and even though the overall weight savings is comparable, the effect on accelleration is not as pronounced.

However, if all you are looking for is improved accelleration, you probably will not want to go to the work and expense of installing a lightweight brake hub and rotor.It's a lot of work and it's not a cheap mod.But there are other benefits like better braking and cooler operation due to the improved material of the new rotor.The overall weight saving was just about one pound.I can't say that it translated into noticably quicker accelleration, although I can look at Rob's chart and state unequivocably that it now takes less power to spin the brake hub and rotor on my sled, so more horsepower is getting to the snow.I can also say that I can tell a noticable difference in brake lever effort, as stated above and that I have very little worry that my brake will overheat even when riding hard.

IMO, this is a mod for someone who is really serious about only using the very latest and greatest components in their sled, it will not provide a dramatic improvement in any aspect of your sled's performance.

Fox Shocks

The XTRA-10 rear suspension I bought had Fox shocks in it and I have always heard that it is not a good idea to mix gas shocks and standard hydraulic shocks in the same sled.So, I ordered a set of Fox shocks from Polaris.I had considered trying to significantly upgrade the IFS on my sled, but finally decided that it was not worth the effort and expense and in the case of at least one of the options I was considering, the risk.I'm glad I chose the option of putting Fox shocks up front and otherwise leaving the IFS with the Snow Cross kit alone.

The shocks came from Polaris with the bushings installed so that the shocks would mount with the body down.This adds to the unsprung weight of the suspension, so I popped the bushings out and switched the shocks around to mount body-up.Gas shocks can be mounted upside down because of the way the gas and the oil are separated by the piston, so why not mount them in the "best" manner?

The downside is that this position leaves the shafts more exposed to potential damage.The shafts of Fox shocks are critical parts, since the seals seem to be so delicate - even the slightest nick or pit on the shafts will quickly destroy the seals and result in a loss of oil.Once that happens, the shock is shot until repaired.Rebuilding a Fox shock at the end of the season is fairly inexpensive (considering the cost of replacing standard shocks when they fail and in light of the handing improvements gas shocks give you) but replacing the shafts is not.I have not tried shock socks, but I would like to see if they help.So far, the shocks on my Indy have faired well, but I have not riden that many miles on it yet (thanks a lot there, El Nino ol' buddy!) and I now have the afore-mentioned full-body cover for trailering - I had to replace shafts and seals many times on my EXT SP, which I towed on an open trailer with a standard cover.I suspect that trailering is the number one cause of Fox shocks shaft damage, although I have no proof of that.

The swap was as easy as changing a set of shocks, of course - four bolts out, old shocks out, new shocks in, new bolts in - yes, I recommend changing the bolts, it's cheap insurance and it looks better too.The IFS gets a lot of abuse.

The handling difference is dramatic.I bought shocks valved for and springs with rates designed specifically for the 500, but I might try a set of multi-rate springs next season and I will more than likely have a good race shop revalve all my shocks to match the new weight of the sled.But even given that potential change, in stock trim they worked really well.Not a hint of fade, handled the big bumps with ease and didn't hammer me on the smaller bumps at slower speeds.The handling felt better than it ever has.

They are not inexpensive, even through Polaris, but they won't break the bank either.There are alternatives, I have heard good things about the Comet Ride-On shocks and Ryde FX or Ryde AFX (A for adjustable) are good values for the money, although not rebuildable.The Ride-Ons are rebuildable, although I don't know how many shops can work on them.Almost any dealer can work on Fox shocks now.

The biggest trade-off is the increased maintenance.I highly recommend you rebuild once a season, but I know folks who don't rebuild them at all.They swear they still work fine, but I just can't believe that there isn't a lot of degradation in performance.If you can handle the higher maintenance and the cost isn't prohibitive and you ride hard enough that you fade your hydraulic shocks, I recommend them.If cared for according to the recommended maintenance schedule, their lifetime is practically unlimited, unlike non-rebuildables, so be sure to factor that into your cost deliberations.

Lightweight Hood

I installed a Body By Northstar lightweight hood after seeing their products at a display in Grantsburg Wisconsin last summer at the watercross there.I was really impressed by their quality and light weight but what sold me was the high-quality finish and the color options.When I saw that I could get an Indy hood in Arctic Cat Purple, I knew right then I had to have one.

No, I'm not contrary or anything.*grin*

Anyway, this is one pricey option, but the weight savings is substantial - my scales told me that I saved 6 pounds, which at the list price of approximately four hundred (American) dollars, that is about $67 per pound.Pretty expensive.

When I first got the hood, it did not seem as substantial as the samples I had seen at Grantsburg and I worried that it would not hold up to trail riding.Before I installed it, I reinforced the hood hinge locations and the instrument pod mounts with a little fiberglass - I just felt better about it after it was thicker.It comes with kevlar donuts epoxied on for hood screens, but that's about it - if you want to mount it on the hinges or mount an instrument pod, you have to drill the holes yourself.No big deal, but just be forewarned.

I also installed an XCR gas tank, so I had to trim the edges of the hood to fit around that.Not a big deal either.

Anyway, I installed it and when I went riding, I kept stopping every few miles or after every big bump to take a look around it for damage, but none ever occured, I am impressed that they were able to build a hood this much lighter than stock and yet make it strong enough to run instruments on the trail.

The finish is just outstanding.There are a few minor blemishes, but with the decals on it and a coat (or two or three) of wax, it looks great.I put a set of '97 XC 440 graphics on it and red hood screens and I think it's a dynamite looking snowmobile.

But you gotta think long and hard about this mod, it's a lot of money.For me, the determination of whether it was worth the money or not can't be made yet.If it still looks this good in 3 or 4 years, it'll be a resounding "Yes!"

New Seat Cover

The old Indy seat cover was in amazingly good condition for a 10 year old sled, but the older Indys have a pretty skimpy gas tank, 7.2 gallons so I wanted to put a new tank on the sled.I knew if I did that, I'd have to either get a new seat or modify the existing seat.Personally, I don't like the Polaris one-piece seat/tank, it's too big for my liking and it makes it harder to move around while riding.I saw an ad in a magazine for Klymax seat covers and thought they looked pretty cool, so I called Klymax.They don't normally sell directly to the public, but since there wasn't a Klymax dealer nearby, they were nice enough to send me one.It was somewhere around $150, but that was a year or so ago.

At the time, they only made them for a few selected models, one of which was the XCR with the "racer" seat, which helped me decide which tank I was going to switch to.I'll talk more about swapping the tank in the next section.

I explored a couple of options, including buying a whole new seat from Polaris and then putting on the new cover, but that was awfully expensive.Finding a used seat wasn't easy or cheap either, especially when you look at the stock seat and see how easy it would be to modify it to work.Which I did.

Basically you have to shorten the front of the '90 seat about 4 inches.The exact measurement depends on the rear of the XCR gas tank and where the bracket is moved to.

So, pull the seat off the sled by removing the nuts from the two bolts in the storage compartment, then pull the seat rearward slightly, just enough to get at the taillight connector.Disconnect that and pull the seat off.

Next, you have two options: put the seat in the trunk of your car and take it to the nearest upholstery shop or do it yourself.I didn't even consider option number one, now I wonder if it might have been a better idea.Whatever, if you chose to farm it out, you're almost done.

Otherwise, turn the seat over and remove the staples holding the cover to the base.Remove the taillight lense and remove the staples (if any are left) that hold the seat cover to the taillight fixture.

Now carefully measure the distance from the relocated gas tank/seat bracket on the front of the tunnel to the rear of the tunnel, then cut the base board of the seat to that length.

If the plastic bag around your seat foam is still intact, take it off carefully and use a bread knife to carve the seat foam.Take a look at the contour of the back side of the gas tank and try to make the foam conform to that.I screwed this up, I cut it off straight and now I have a small gap between the front edge of my seat and the gas tank.No big deal, but go to school on my mistake and do it right.

If your seat has never been apart, your probably going to find it is pretty ratty.I replaced the seat board with a thinner piece of treated hardwood plywood.Saved about a pound and and it should last a lot longer than the original, which lasted 9 seasons.My taillight was in bad shape, but I just glued everything that was broken and put it back in.I may have to replace it (maniacal grin).

Carefully wrap the foam back in the plastic, if it's not full of holes.If it is, replace it.I used duct tape to seal it up, which hopefully will help keep it dry.

Next, put the foam on the backer board and spread the cover out over it.There's a strap on the inside of the cover at the back that goes into the foam where the "seat back" comes up, stick that through the opening in the foam and pull the little "fob" on the end all the way through.Located the cover in the proper location and carefully flip it over.

Here is where being an upholsterer would come in handy.I started with the staples at the rear of the seat around the light.Once I got that fastened, I worked my way down the sides a few staples at a time, being sure that everything was tight and securely stapled.Once the sides are on, there really is not much option to where the front gets stapled and once it is fastened down, you're done, except for putting the seat back on.

The Klymax cover I bought has the side pads, so I bought a bag of snap fasteners and pop riveted them on the tunnel in the correct spots.It looks good, works great and wasn't that expensive.The top part of the seat cover is made of a rubbery material that is heavily textured.It works great to help keep you on the seat without being too "grabby" when you want to move around.I find the original foam from the '90 to be about right too, not too hard, not too soft, just right.

All in all, I like the seat, I think it looks good and it adds a nice color accent to the sled with the purple.Of course, if it was any color other than purple, it would clash with my sled, your mileage may vary on this issue.

XCR Gas Tank

The original tank on the '90 Indy just wasn't big enough for me at 7.2 gallons.Even with the 500 getting close to 15 MPG, I wanted more fuel capacity and I knew it would be an easy upgrade.The options are to put the later model one-piece seat/tank combo or to buy an aftermarket "tanker" tank or to use the XCR 9.5 gallon tank.I don't like the one-piece seats, so that was out, even though for someone else it might be a good option - you can find those used fairly cheap.The aftermarket "tanker" tanks are kind of ugly and bulky and they aren't cheap.

The deal was done for me when a friend of mine told me he was replacing the stock black tank on his XCR with a clear race tank.He let me have the stock tank for a very good price.I knew then I'd have to modify the stock seat or replace it.When Klymax told me they make seat covers for XCRs, it all fell into place.

First step in replacing the stock tank is, obviously, to remove it.The seat comes off first (see above), then remove the nuts holding the tank/seat bracket in place and lift the bracket off.The carriage bolts are held in place by metal clips.You'll need to remove the airbox too, to get at the front of the tank.

Next, disconnect the fuel line and the vent line, then carefully pull off the spring on the front of the tank that holds that end in place.It's tight and it will bite you if you aren't careful.

Then you can unsnap the tank cover and lift the old tank off.

Next, remove the clips holding the bracket bolts in place and remove the bolts themselves.Then set the new tank in place.If you have a tool box in the footwell, it'll have to come out - the XCR tank is wider and the sides protrude into that area and don't leave room for those tool boxes.If you absolutely must have storage there, they make leather pouches that fit there that can be used with the XCR tank.

My tank did not come with a fuel pickup or a vent plug, so I had to use the ones from my old tank.The fuel pickup works perfectly, it screws out of the old tank and fits perfectly on the XCR tank.Make sure you get it tight!

The vent was a different matter.You'll need to order a new one from your dealer, nothing I tried to juryrig would work, although you might have better luck.Whatever you do, you'll have to connect the vent line before you put the tank in place because it's a very close fit.

Now put the tank in place against the steering hoop and hold the bracket in place against the tank, taking care to make sure everything is as far forward as it can go.Then mark the locations for the new holes.Be sure to use the proper size drill bit so that you can use a small triangular file to square the holes up for the carriage bolts.Once the holes are drilled and filed to the right size, put the bolts and clips back on and set the tank into place, then bolt the rear bracket down.

Lastly, put the spring hold-down back in place on the front, reconnect the fuel line, put the airbox back on and you're done ...except of course for the seat, which is covered in the section above.

I'm very happy with this change, the extra 2.3 gallons of gas has come in handy more than once and I like the sculpted tank, it gives you plenty of room to move around and to top it off, I think it looks good.

'98 XC Handlebars

Many aggressive riders complain about the bend of the stock Indy handlebars, especially after riding another brand with straighter bars.Changing handlebars is not a particularly easy job, mainly because of the handwarmers.But if you have some other reason to take the grips or warmers off and you don't like the stock bars, you ought to consider changing them at that time.It's a cheap mod and like I said, if the grips/warmers are off for some other reason, it's easy to change them.

I put on a set of '98 XC bars which are a bit straighter and therefore slightly wider.I didn't notice much of a difference and if I had it to do over again now, I'd look at a set of ZR bars or maybe a set of MX bike handlebars.Too late now - I'm not about to sacrifice a set of grips and warmers, but if they're ever off again for some other reason ....just keep in mind that with straight bars, opening and closing the hood might be an adventure, not to mention clearance between the bars and the windshield when turning.

To replace the bars you need to remove the brake master cylinder, the throttle, the dimmer switch and the handlebar pad first.Then take the old bars off by removing the four bolts that hold the bars in the block and attach the block to the end of the steering shaft.Putting the new bars in is an exercise in parts juggling.The trick for me was to get a couple of bolts in and get the nuts on a couple of turns while letting the bars "flop" loose.Once you have the bolts on part way, then you can move the bars up to their final position and tighten the bolts.

Put the dimmer switch, master cylinder and throttle back on next, but leave the pad off until you have adjusted the bars to your liking.Then tighten them down, put the pad back on and then install the warmers and grips and you're set to go.

Tether Switch

Every sled I've owned since my 1980 Ski Doo Blizzard 9500 has had a tether switch ...except my 1990 Indy 500.I don't know why Polaris does not put them on all their sleds, it's cheap and easy.Maybe they've decided that most people don't use them anyway, which I'd have to agree with.

Be that as it may, I do use mine.I've heard too many horror stories of runaway sleds with frozen throttles.You can get everything you need to put a tether on an older Indy from Polaris for about $45, which includes the switch, tether and mounting bracket along with detailed instructions on how to connect the switch.The instructions are very good and for that reason alone I recommend buying the switch from Polaris rather than an aftermarket unit.It covers older Indys as well and I found the instructions to be correct, which is a welcomed change from many aftermarket products I've purchased.

The tether switch bracket mounts to the steering hoop and steering post where the two cross.It is a small steel plate with two mounting holes, one for a tether switch and one for???? The second hole is the perfect place for the warmer switch.Putting a tether bracket on an older Indy is as easy as removing two bolts, putting the bracket on and bolting it in place.

The tether switch bolts onto the bracket quickly, although it's easier to work there if you remove the handlebar pad first.Once the switch is on the bracket, run the wires down the steering hoop, fitting them in the wiring channel if you can.Then the connector on the end connects to the ignition switch, per the instructions and you're all set.It's as simple as that.

If you are one of those people who hooks the tether back to itself while riding, you're probably scratching your head wondering why I'd spend the time and money on this mod, but if you're like me and you don't want your sled running away from you if the throttle freezes wide open and running into someone's garage or a tree or heaven forbid, another sled, this is a quick and easy mod for an older Indy that is IMO, well worth the money.

Relocated Hand/Thumb Warmer Switch

Everyone who has ever riden an older Indy has experienced the frustration of needing to turn their handwarmers on or off while riding with a group of people.The location of the switch on the wedge chassis is pretty silly, when you think about it.How are you supposed to use the switch while you are riding? Stopping is the only way besides reaching across with your left hand, which I don't recommend.

Moving the switch seems like a logical project and it turns out there is an easy and clean way to do it using the XC tether switch bracket, which I describe installing in the section on installing a tether switch.It's so simple to move the switch from the stock location on the left side of the cockpit to the bracket that you'll wonder why Polaris didn't do this years ago.You'll need to fabricate some wires to run from the stock connectors to the new location, but all you need is about 10 feet of 12 guage wire and 3 sets of spade connectors.I was able to squeeze the new wires in the stock wiring channel, although I am thinking about getting a length of the next bigger size channel and putting it on in place of the stock piece.

The only difficulty is that the handlebar pad is a bit too long and tends to drag against the new switch.The tether switch, which I also installed, has right-angle connections at the switch so that it doesn't interfere with the pad.I used needlenose pliers to bend the spade connectors on the warmer switch, but I'm sure if you look hard enough, you can find a three-position switch similar to the tether switch.Or, you could shorten the handlebar pad slightly.I learned about this the hard way when the pad caught in the wires of the switch and pulled the switch apart.

Whatever solution you use for that problem, the new location works so much better than stock, it's easy to reach with your left hand while hammering down the trail.

Cobra Windshield

This is an absolute "must have" mod for every older wedge Indy, the difference in looks alone is worth the price, but the protection from the wind is the real reason for installing a Cobra windshield.I put on a mid-height smoked windshield with purple checkerboards and it matches my purple hood pretty well.It's not an exact match, but it's close enough for government work and besides, how many people are riding Polarii with "Arctic Cat Purple" hoods? *grin* For the standard Polaris colors, you can find a Cobra that will match exactly.

While you're putting this on, take the time to go to your dealer and get the new windshield hold-down o-rings.Your old ones are probably cracking by now anyway and the new ones have little tabs on them that make installing and removing them much easier.Also, get a couple of the removable plastic rivets while you're at it.With the new orings and the removable rivets, popping the windshield off and back on is a snap.

The wedgie is no more (long live the wedgie!) but you still have to ask yourself why it took Polaris until the 1998 models to put a real windshield that looked good and worked well on that sled.No matter though, the Cobra is a great addition to any wedgie Indy.

Ekholm Skidplate

I always thought skidplates were more of a cosmetic item than anything until I put one on my Indy.After the first ride I was amazed to see the number of scrapes and scratches on it, there's obviously a whole lot more hard stuff in the snow than you would think.

The plastic ones can add a bit of color to your sled, but aluminum is a lot more protection.And you can fabricate an aluminum skidplate pretty easily and for not a lot of money.It won't look as good, but if you hit a rock or a tree stump, it'll provide much more protection.

Be that as it may, I put a purple (surprised? :) Ekholm skidplate on my Indy.It came with the necessary rivets, although screwing it in place may be a better idea - it'll come off easier when it's time to work on the IFS.Installation is a piece of cake too, just flip the sled up on it's side, drill the necessary holes, pop the rivets in place and you're ready to ride.

If your sled doesn't have one, it's yet another cheap insurance policy that also dresses the snowmobile up a little.

Low Oil Warning Sensor/Light

I did this mod for a silly reason - the previous owner of my sled had installed an electric face shield and installed the control box on the instrument panel between the guages.He ran the wire through one of the warning light cutouts and when I removed the control box, I was left with a hole in my dashboard.Rather than just put one of those black plastic plugs in there, I decided to use it for something.

The old oil bottles have a spot molded in for the oil sensor, all you have to do is cut the top off that and push the oil sensor in place, it took me 5 minutes, although I already had the oil bottle off and empty - a prerequisite I highly recommend! You don't want to burn down your motor because you got plastic scraps in your oil.

If you aren't as lucky as I was and don't already have a convenient hole in your dashboard for the light, you'll have to remove one of the plugs from the pre-cut holes, which is pretty simple.Before you put the light in the hole, you'll want to run the wires thru the instrument pod and out the hole and attach them to the light.One wire will run down to the switch and one will run to a convenient ground location, which you'll have to wire yourself unless you are putting the sensor on a newer Indy that is already wired for it.In 1990, the wiring harness did not include oil sensor wires, so I had to improvise, which was really simple.12 volts to one switch lead, the other lead connects to one lead on the light and the other light lead connects to ground.When the oil falls to a certain level, the float on the sensor trips the switch, completing the circuit, power flows to the light and you know it's time to add oil.If you have a newer Indy that did not come from the factory with a low-oil warning light, thw wires you needs should already be in the wiring harness and it's just a matter of looking them up in the Polaris shop manual and hooking them up.You do have the Polaris shop manual, don't you?

Doesn't add much weight but adds a lot of utility.

Twin EGTs

EGTs on a stock Indy 500? Hmmmm, I can hear a few of you, OK, a lot of you asking "why?" Because they were there?

Yeah, pretty much.Actually, I was pretty sure I was going to do something to the motor and I knew I'd want EGTs sooner or later.So when I had a chance to get a set of them cheap, I jumped on them.

I could have let them sit in the box until I needed them, but I decided to put them on so I could get used to reading them.I do keep my jetting pretty lean, so it would be a good opportunity to learn about how EGTs report on temps.

I got the type of mounting pod that bolts onto the side of the instrument pod.They are a little tricky to put on, it's hard to know just where to drill the holes - you need three holes for mounting screws and one for the probe cables to go through.It's easier to install if you remove the instruments from the pod.I made a carboard template to mark the holes on the pod.

Once the guage is mounted, you need to route the probe cables down the hood and to the engine compartment.They're pretty bulky and might not fit in the stock wire guides.I used a few wire ties to secure mine.

Mounting the probes is the most critical piece of the installation.Where they are mounted depends on what engine and what pipes you are running.For a single pipe, you can mount the twin probes in the y-pipe about 2 inches from the cylinder.Temperatures will register about 100 degrees cooler here, so you'll have to remember to compensate for that, but the advantage is that you can monitor both cylinders separately.You get more accurate readings on a single pipe with a single probe located 6 to 8 inches away from the cylinder mounted on either side of the ball joint where the y-pipe and exhaust meet, but you cannot tell which cylinder is lean that way.

Once you've decided where to mount the probes, installing them is as easy as drilling two small holes, inserting the probes and tightening down the hose clamps to hold them in place.Be careful to drill the holes in a spot where you can get to the hose clamps to tighten them.

Grips

When I sold the 500 Fuji twin out of my Indy this spring, someone asked the buyer "is it purple?" I'm afraid I have gone a bit overboard with the purple on this sled, sorry.

But dammit, it looks good! :) So, when I replaced the handlebars and the warmers, I figured, why not add a little more color? I chose a set of Arctic Cat purple grips.I like them a lot better than the stock grips, they're a little smaller in diameter and have a good composition.The kicker is they're purple.

Putting grips on is a piece of cake.The bars I put them on did not have grips, since they were new, but if you are replacing grips, just cut them off with a box knife.If you have warmers underneath, forget about trying to save them, unless you know something I don't.As far as I can tell, there's no way to save the warmers, at least not the kind that adhere to the outside of the bars under the grips.

Anyway, after you have the old grips and warmers (if any) off, clean the surface of the bars to remove any loose paint or old adhesive.If you are planning on using the adhesive type warmers, now is the obvious time to put them on.Watch the wire routing, make sure you can run the wires out of the way of the throttle and the brake lever.If you had warmers on before (you probably did), just wire the new ones up the same way the old ones were wired.Avoid splicing the wires if you can help it, splices and cold, wet conditions don't mix well.If you didn't have warmers before, get them from Polaris - as with most parts from Polaris, they are priced low, contain all the parts you need to install, are the highest quality available and best of all, include very good instructions.Follow their instructions to wire the new warmers.

Once the warmers are in place, it's time to install the grips.I've heard all sorts of suggestions about how to get them on, but the one I like best and that has worked for me is to spray the handlebars with clear spraypaint, I used Krylon.The paint gives you the lubrication you need and when it dries, it glues the grips in place.Careful not to get it all over your sled, you only need a light coat.

Even with the paint, it's still some work to slide the grips on and get them all the way up the bar.Try not to twist it too much although some twisting is inevitable.Once you have the grip all the way on, if it's twisted at all, get it straightened out now, before the paint dries.

Wipe up any paint that has dripped or squeezed out from under the grips and you are done.It's not a huge deal and it doesn't cost much, but you can make a significant improvement over stock and make your sled a little more comfortable to ride.

Aluminum Steering Arms

A nice cosmetic touch and a very minor weight savings, relatively cheap.I honestly expected no problems with this and wasn't even going to report on it, except maybe under "Odds and Ends" later on.But it turns out that the splines on the spindles of older Indys are cut slightly differently, causing these steering arms to line up differently, so I decided to add s short section to alert folks of that issue.

It's not a problem as long as you adjust your steering to compensate, but if you have an older Indy, don't assume that you can just slap these aftermarket steering arms on and go, it's not that easy.

While I think these arms look good and I believe they will continue to look good for longer than the stock painted steel arms, unless you are fanatical about weight, these should probably be pretty far down your priority list for modifications.The one thing that they might have going for them that I have not heard anyone mention is they are slightly shorter than the stock arms, which means that the skis turn farther now with less movement of the handlebars.Steering effort will be increased, but the sled will react quicker to rider input.In general, that is the feature of these arms that I like the most.The sled is light and with SLP skis I can run with reduced ski pressure, so the steering effort is very light to begin with.Adding a little with these arms is not a problem for me, especially when it means the sled will react quicker.Unfortunately I can't quantify these changes, again mostly because of all the changes I made at the same time.Don't expect massive changes in the way your sled rides/handles when installing these arms, the change may not even be noticable, but geometrically speaking, it's real.

One other thing to keep in mind regarding the spindle splines on older Indys is that unless you have taken the skis off each year and removed the ski bolt bushings from the spindle to clean and regrease them, they probably are rusted solid.If that's the case, don't even bother trying to get the old bushing out to replace it, just order new spindles.And when you do, make sure you get the newer style.They are much heavier and as a result more durable, plus they have a grease zerk fitting for the ski bolt bushing.These new spindles have splines that will match correctly with the aluminum steering arms, so consider replacing the spindles on older Indys at the same time you put on the steering arms.That will save you the hassle of having to realign your steering ...assuming it is correct to begin with, of course.

Phase 3 Outline

Well, Phase 3 is well underway at this time and as will come as a surprise to absolutely no one I'm sure, the scope has expanded already.I basically ended up with the sled completely dismantled once again - just one more time and I'll be able to do it in my sleep I'll bet.

In a nutshell, I'm adding a '96 Rotax 583 with a Storm clutch, '98 tunnel coolers to replace the stock side coolers, a '98 RMK front tunnel cooler, a lightweight steering hoop, new steering post, '98 XC chaincase and liquid-cooled brake caliper and assorted other odds and ends.I'll detail all these changes in the another article which I promise won't take me a year to put up here.