Stuff to watch for on the 18+ cats.

[snochuk]

Finally picked up the Alpha yesterday after 3 week wait .... said water pump impeller spun on shaft and material from impeller wrapped on thermostat not allowing thermostat to open fully... they checked cylinder walls and said looked as new...should be go to go now

Hope the sled runs well for you.
They perform well power and handling wise.
Really liked mine and Cat warranty coverage when needed was second to none.
Have fun!

 

[bobsledder]

So my friend has an 18 alpha, he likes it but it keeps doing weird things cutting our days short throwing codes or things like the oil light coming on with a full tank of oil. My theory is it is moisture related as he puts in his enclosed with no heat and it never dries out. Last ride it thru codes for exhaust valves position sensors Dealer says servo motor got wet and it couldnt find home.

Any of you cat guys ever run into this? His wife's Polaris lives in the same trailer and never has a problem

 

[skegpro]

So my friend has an 18 alpha, he likes it but it keeps doing weird things cutting our days short throwing codes or things like the oil light coming on with a full tank of oil. My theory is it is moisture related as he puts in his enclosed with no heat and it never dries out. Last ride it thru codes for exhaust valves position sensors Dealer says servo motor got wet and it couldnt find home.

Any of you cat guys ever run into this? His wife's Polaris lives in the same trailer and never has a problem

Yes, buddies cat did the same thing. Pull all the plugs apart.
Blow out and dielectric grease.

 

[E-Zmoke]

So my friend has an 18 alpha, he likes it but it keeps doing weird things cutting our days short throwing codes or things like the oil light coming on with a full tank of oil. My theory is it is moisture related as he puts in his enclosed with no heat and it never dries out. Last ride it thru codes for exhaust valves position sensors Dealer says servo motor got wet and it couldnt find home.

Any of you cat guys ever run into this? His wife's Polaris lives in the same trailer and never has a problem

Hey Bob, the oil light is just a moisture issue in the plug the 18’s were famous for that issue. Disconnect the plug coming from the oil sensor on the chaincase and add a small amount of dielectric grease should solve your light problem.

As far as the exhaust valves go, they need to be periodically adjusted and your friend doesn’t sound like he’s a maintenance kind of guy? 36.5mm +/- 1mm is the measurement your looking for and these should be adjusted/checked every 500 miles as the cables stretch out over time. 1mm out and your sled is not running right. Great system but they need to be set exact or the sled will not run correctly, and they will throw codes when they are too far out from spec.

Also I would buy your buddy a round of propane and tell him to stop being so cheap. Propane costs $20 to fill for a sled trailer, turn it on for the drive home sleds are all dried out, and turn it back on in the morning so his wife can get dressed in the trailer instead of the backseat of the truck.

 

[LMLCHEVY]

........

As far as the exhaust valves go, they need to be periodically adjusted and your friend doesn’t sound like he’s a maintenance kind of guy? 36.5mm +/- 1mm is the measurement your looking for and these should be adjusted/checked every 500 miles as the cables stretch out over time. 1mm out and your sled is not running right. Great system but they need to be set exact or the sled will not run correctly, and they will throw codes when they are too far out from spec.....

Have you got this procedure to test and adjust handy? I should probably do mine.

 

[E-Zmoke]

Have you got this procedure to test and adjust handy? I should probably do mine.

Super easy to do, takes less then 5mins. Speedwerx and cat both sell a pre set adjuster tool, that’s good to have in the tool kit for quick checks, or you can just use a set of calibers. Tape measure works as well but not as accurate.

 

[E-Zmoke]

Have you got this procedure to test and adjust handy? I should probably do mine.

Digit9! With the YouTube video yes love it. Good job. Except his cable is out. I would have liked to see him adjust that back within the 36.5mm spec. and not call it good enough. 1mm makes a big difference in overall performance, throttle response and RPM’s


https://youtu.be/83nwrBBd918

 

[tex78]

Hey Bob, the oil light is just a moisture issue in the plug the 18’s were famous for that issue. Disconnect the plug coming from the oil sensor on the chaincase and add a small amount of dielectric grease should solve your light problem.

As far as the exhaust valves go, they need to be periodically adjusted and your friend doesn’t sound like he’s a maintenance kind of guy? 36.5mm +/- 1mm is the measurement your looking for and these should be adjusted/checked every 500 miles as the cables stretch out over time. 1mm out and your sled is not running right. Great system but they need to be set exact or the sled will not run correctly, and they will throw codes when they are too far out from spec.

Also I would buy your buddy a round of propane and tell him to stop being so cheap. Propane costs $20 to fill for a sled trailer, turn it on for the drive home sleds are all dried out, and turn it back on in the morning so his wife can get dressed in the trailer instead of the backseat of the truck.

Lmfao, mine sits on my deck all winter, not even covered, unless I have something to fix

Never had a issue, mind you it's a doo


I find it's better to keep it climatized, hot cold hot cold makes moisture in things the don't want it lol

 

[E-Zmoke]

Lmfao, mine sits on my deck all winter, not even covered, unless I have something to fix

Never had a issue, mind you it's a doo


I find it's better to keep it climatized, hot cold hot cold makes moisture in things the don't want it lol

Cats don’t like to be left on decks and left in trailers. They build moisture under the hood from all the snow that gets in when you ride them. I always seal every nook and cranny up with silicone and it helps a lot however I still dry my sled out in a warm shop after every trip. From my experience anyone who runs a cat up and down the road with no cover, and or leaves outside without drying out after riding will have electrical issues. It’s funny when they bring them into the dealer with electrical complaints and then they sit in the warm shop for a few days drying out before the dealer gets to them and then by the time they put them on the bench they are dried out and they don’t have any issues. Should it be like this? No it shouldn’t but it’s just the nature of the beast and has been this way on the cats for a long time. Keep them warm and dry after every ride and you won’t have any issues.

 

[tex78]

Cats don’t like to be left on decks and left in trailers. They build moisture under the hood from all the snow that gets in when you ride them. I always seal every nook and cranny up with silicone and it helps a lot however I still dry my sled out in a warm shop after every trip. From my experience anyone who runs a cat up and down the road with no cover, and or leaves outside without drying out after riding will have electrical issues. It’s funny when they bring them into the dealer with electrical complaints and then they sit in the warm shop for a few days drying out before the dealer gets to them and then by the time they put them on the bench they are dried out and they don’t have any issues. Should it be like this? No it shouldn’t but it’s just the nature of the beast and has been this way on the cats for a long time. Keep them warm and dry after every ride and you won’t have any issues.

Do they have chitty sealed plugs or what??

 

[bobsledder]

Thanks for the info. I found moisture in his oil level sensor and told him to get some dielectric grease and dry his sled out weeks ago. Good info on the exhaust valve adjustment I will pass on to him. These issues started on his last sled and leaving In that trailer. I told him two years ago to dry his sled out. He was so pissed off with it he took it back and got the alpha.lol

I will work on getting him to heat the trailer after riding.

 

[bobsledder]

Do they have chitty sealed plugs or what??

They look like They would be sealed but had a lot of water in them. Unplugged and blew them out and it ran! Enough to get over the hill anyway. That was a relief, I didn't want to try and tow that thing from Hunters over to Sicy

 

[LMLCHEVY]

Do they have chitty sealed plugs or what??

They look ok. I don’t think they are deutz or Delphi though.

 

[Bnorth]

Do they have chitty sealed plugs or what??

They look ok. I don’t think they are deutz or Delphi though.

They look ok but heard a few guys say put dielectric in the connections. I always did it to my Doo's too, cheap easy insurance.