Ski-Doo Belt Life Updates for MY2019 Mountain Sleds – Summit, Freeride
At the 2019 Ski-Doo Live Q&A, Director of Ski-Doo Engineering Dominic Tessier addressed what steps BRP will take to further improve Ski-Doo belt life issues found in some mountain sled applications.
Ski-Doo Belt Life Updates for 2019 Mountain Sleds
First of all, the BRP team did acknowledge that although changes were made in MY2018 to address belt life issues and there were improvements from MY2017 to MY2018, they did continue to see some belt failures in specific riding conditions.
So for model year 2019, BRP will focus on three factors to improve belt life in the Summit and Freeride mountain sleds.
Minimize Engine Movement
Although not specifically outlined how this will be achieved, Tessier points out that some steps will be undertaken to minimize engine movement within the chassis. The goal is to reduce tension in the belt between the clutches, thereby reducing heat buildup.
Airflow
Increased airflow should result in cooler working conditions for the clutches and the belt, ultimately improving belt life. A finned fixed drive sheave was introduced on MY2018 Ski-Doo sleds. But it now appears that this update will be taken a step further. There will be a new finned driven pulley as well, which will help to circulate cool air.
Also, a new CVT cover design with an expanded passageway should reduce heat and improve the Ski-Doo belt life. Cool air will be drawn through the hole into the CVT area to reduce belt temperature.
Belt Contact
Under certain riding conditions, the belt may come in contact with certain components in the CVT area. One change to address this will be to the front support of the clutch cover. This update will prevent the belt from making contact with that part.
With these changes, the BRP engineering team hopes to reach the target of expected belt life. Here is the video (which was live, and can now be found on the Ski-Doo Facebook page), in which the BRP team discuss the changes.
For more info on the latest models, check out our full article on the 2019 Ski-Doo Snowmobile Lineup.
– MS