Specifically, the ACE 600 and 900. Considering one for next year and was curious. A sunk two stroke can be back running in pretty short order, what about the four strokes? Sunk a four stroke outboard once, changed the oil, ran it for a bit, changed it again and ran it lots to dry out the starter, etc and back at it.

Anyone have any info on a four stroke sled? Is it a write off like a car?

I run two strokes, one of the main reasons I haven't switched over to four strokes is because I see what happens to them when they get swamped in saltwater; they're history when that happens. You used to get by with swamping a older carbureted four stroke. However, these new computer operated ones, particularly the fuel injected ones are pretty much fried after swamping.

Maybe freshwater wouldn't be as bad, but I have my doubts. Friends who have sunk their newer model four strokes end up needing to ship them to an outboard repair shop in Anchorage or Seattle; that's a year long process and the repair bill is usually nearly as much as a new outboard. No Thanks, I'll keep my older two strokes.

Not yet.

Might have to highway trap until X-Mas this year hey Ryan.
Hopefully we get some cold and drysoon.

I have never sunk one, and neither has my father in 50 years of riding (although he doesn't trap). But not too naive to think it couldn't happen. I have a voyageur 155 and love it. There isn't a thing I wouldn't change about how it rides, handles deep snow, picks through the bush, hauls...but I am wanting a sled that will have a better range in terms of fuel economy. I get about 8-9 mpg, and an expedition sport 900 will get upwards of 16. If I wanna take off for a few days and explore/ trail ride in northern Ontario, 8mpg ain't cutting it. I also like the fact that there are 900 and 600 ace sleds for sale here with 24000 km and higher on them. Makes sense to get one for me because I don't strictly want to trap with it. Sucks because I love my voyageuer. Lol

Oh I get it; we're talking snowmachines. The activities I'm associated with usually involve water, so when I hear two stroke versus four stroke I naturally think outboards.

That being said, I wonder if snowmachine computer systems are as vulnerable as the computers on outboards?

Not to worry.... you still have plenty of time!

We had a 40 Mercury four stroke underwater overnight. Pulled it out, two oil changes and never had a problem. Maybe the newer ones have fragile electronics? I have a Yamaha 50 outboard and don't think I want to sink it thanks!

Hope I never do

They have enough electrical problems when their dry, cant imagine what would happen if they went underwater.

Ya, I am always leery of four strokes for that very reason. I have towed in a few 600 ace tundras for that very reason. Some electrical gremlin...I have ridden and owned two stoke Polaris sleds literally since I was six. Never walked home due to mechanical failure of any kind. Tough to argue with that reliability, and yet I feel a need for a four stroke for cruising longer distances...

Why can't I have the best of both worlds!!!

Well, there was one time I broke a drive axle after building a sled out of bits and pieces. Had the track/suspension geometry wrong in the tunnel..fixed geometry and problem solved. I don't blame the manufacturer for that!

Well, I haven't sunk one of the newer 4 strokes,
but I've sunk a couple of the older 2 strokes.

Is that close enough?

Darn, never worked (post pic)



Sorry that I couldn't snap a shot when submerged...
I was otherwise occupied.

6.5swede, what could you have possibly been occupied with??

Most of the sleds sunk here are not easily photographed while sunk. Water is too deep. It certainly counts, but drying out a two stroke is easily done. I was wondering about the electrical components in a new four stroke. I know if my 570 goes down, maybe the electronic reverse will give me trouble, maybe the choke and throttle cables will need replacing or at least oil bagging as they will freeze up, the seat taken off and dried out by a stove for a while, the crank drained, carb drained, gas tank and maybe oil tank drained, fuel lines blown out, and it will likely run.

The starter will be iffy, might dry it out, but thats not a huge deal as it has pull start.

I wonder about the starter, and electrical components on these new sleds. Are they sealed enough to bounce back from a sinking? I know we had two of the 2012 era 600 ace sleds here in town and without sinking I have towed both of them back because of electrical issues. I imagine a sinking would likely haunt the sled for the rest of its days.

Renegade 900 ace i've done what swede has shown in his picture. I haven't had any electrical problems with it yet and that was two years ago when it happened.

I sunk my 2012 Scandic WT 600

Ace but was lucky enough to not get in to deep. Got the belt wet and stopped all forward motion. Had to rope-a-long it out. Took a little bit to get her dried out and kept on going. Cool thing about the sleds with neutral in the transmissions is you can easily dry out your belt and clutch. Learned a lot that day on what that big sled will do. It'll water skip, just not from a dead stop.

Gotta love those conditions! I hate late season thaws. Good thing it wasnt too deep.

Pretty bad when you gotta ride with waders on the sled. Had a good thaw once and parts of the line I had to walk. I have never before worn hip waders and snowshoes at the same time. lol

When we used to do construction by sled, we had a guy stop and look behind him. Well, he sunk the sled in twenty feet of water.

Well, when the guys went back to hook it and bring it up, they brought up a different sled! Someone before us had stopped on exactly the same spot and sunk their sled the day before. Imagine the look on teh guys faces when they pulled up the wrong sled!

The bisquit mix was wet...just needed cooking.

Sorry for the junk post, guys
but I had to try the new pic uploader.

It works!

Thanks to the powers that be