Argo Frontier Overheating

[radar]

Has anyone had any problems with there Frontier overheating during the summer months or starting during the winter ?

[BW3]

I have a Frontier I bought second hand ,,, I know just enough to get in to trouble and out of it sometimes .. I have had the same problems you are asking about at some point or another . what fixed my issues for my machine along with the very good input of the members here when asked about things I did not know are were having a problem with .... my heat issue turned out to be my primary clutch not working correctly at all times but I chased what I thought was a carburetor and idling issue/settings first before finding out that the cause was my clutch. as to starting good gas , carb. cleaner are a help as is checking all the wire connections for tightness... I installed two bilge fans as my machine did not have them from the factory ... if you have searched this forum you will see heat has been an issue and there are many solutions I also vented my hood .... I hope others will answer with better solutions for you ...

[mudbug3]

I have a 2011 Argo Frontier and my friend has a 2008 Argo Frontier and we both had really bad heat issues running in temps in the 80's. We finally ended up running with out our hoods on, and this solved the heat problems. I didn't like riding with my hood off because pine needles, leaves, twigs would fall down into the engine compartment. The factor muffler is really restrictive, so I payed a friend to fabricate a custom exhaust for me. I also removed the stock air cleaner assembly and fabricated a cool air intake with a K&N air filter on the end. This made my exhaust sound deeper and made my engine run a lot cooler too. Another thing I did that REALLY helped with the heat issues was installing much liighter clutch weights. This makes the clutches engage at a higher rpm, pull more air into the engine, making the hp and torgue come on sooner too. When I twist the throttle now my 23 hp engine feels more like a 27 hp engine.

[mightymaxIV]

Reference your winter starting issue, before you start the engine crank the throttle open all the way one time, pull your choke out all the way, open the throttle half way and the engine should start immediately but it will be fussy for a couple of minutes before it warms up.

Reference heat in the summer, yes, without the modifications Mudbug described I ran with my hood off on summer days and most of the time I didn't have heat issues. Mudbugs clutching idea seems like a good way to draw more air through the engine and give the machine more power in a given situation so that you don't get the heat issues and have to make several modifications.

I found that under most circumstances if I ran my machine with the hood off in summer that most of the heat issues disappeared. I know it's bad but these are just some of the issues of running an air cooled machine that has been set up to meet emissions regulations in hot weather. I wish I had a better answer but there is no simple solution.

[Noel Woods]

This seems more of a Briggs & Stratton issue than with other engines. I think the Argo design needs revision to another engine, the internal fan is too small. Its noticeably smaller than a Kohler, Honda or Generac. Secondly, the jetting is way too lean. Mudbug 3 dramatically changed his engines performance as described. I think part of the problem is taking a base B&S engine and putting it inside a machine that is only moderately vented to let cool air in and hot air out. The factory position of the oil cooler is on the wrong side of the engine (where there is no air flow). The recoil starter is pointed in the wrong direction as well. These are just a few of the flaws I've noticed. Argo could work wonders with a base engine that is water cooled and fuel injected at the Frontier level.