The worse time to break down!

[thorn]

They made a mistake when they built my machine, I ordered the standard high speed tranny and they put in the optional low gear tranny,,,,,, I don't like it at all, it seems to over reve and will only go 25-26km. With escargo tracks on it still goes 25-26kmph, I don't see why I'd need the low gear tranny. I want them to put a standard high speed tranny in, I didn't order a low gear tranny and when you buy a custom ordered machine and pay full new price you should get what you ordered. If I was pulling trailers allot or had someone else driving it I'd maybe want a lower speed but for us regular guys I want that 20% more speed. It's your choice and we all have our own ideas of what we want our machine to do and if need be theirs a low range there. I never use low range other than parking or doing a U turn on a narrow trail, I think I used low 2 or 3 times. That's my thoughts on low gear, high torque trannys.

I agree you should get what you ordered when you are paying a premium price for a premium machine. You have a nice rig there. I will tell you and you probably know that a 20 hp conquest with a non admiral tranny can be a dog if it does not have the low geared tranny especially running tracks.

That being said I bought my 2004 Conquest (GU/low tranny) a couple of years ago in like new condition with every option imaginal including a hardtop and it is twice the machine that my previous machine was and that was a 26 HP Avenger (with high geared tranny).

The big difference is I made the mistake of thinking that with 26 hp under me that would offset the weight of running tracks, in deep snow, at high (sometimes 10,000+) altitudes. WRONG! Even in the summer on tires the thing was vapor locking due to the engine having to work too hard at altitude during steep climbs. I sold it and bought a Polaris Ranger 6x6 with tracks. The tracks were too hard on it so I sold the tracks, kept the Ranger as our summer/fall ride (I call it my mountain cadillac because it is so smooth on rocky trails) and lucked (great deal) into my Conquest as our mini snowcat.

Short story long that is why I am encouraging Twisted to put the GU tranny in because (according Argo and I agree) the ratio that is "optimized" for track use in that machine and the machine does not have to work as hard to get from A-B. Even in your 31 HP EFI Avenger I would say that if you do change the tranny out I would not go higher than the MU or medium geared tranny especially if you are running the Escargos in deep snow. Your Avenger will thank you and I think the machine will perform better for you. Just my two cents. I am on my 5th Argo and I should have know better when buying that last Avenger. Live and learn.

[Twizted1]

The trans I have now is the MU. I thought it would be a good in between, not to high, not to low. But I think with the tracks and especially with the winter kit added, I am going to need that granny gearing.

[Buzz]

You guys are right, it's all about the right gear ratio for what you are doing. 2014SE's admiral tranny gearing is much different that Twizted1's conquest gearing. 2 different track types as well.

[Twizted1]

Don't know much about the admeril trans. Is that a better trans then mine? Is hat an upgrade I should look into?

[Buzz]

too much modification needed to make the admiral work, I think. Unfortunately it would be a lot of work to get one to fit into an earlier non-HDI avenger too. I like your idea of the GU gear set for your conquest and particular track set up.

[Twizted1]

So sounds like My best bet is to swap the MU for GU?

[Buzz]

with your particular track set up, probably. That and you could do some simple clutching mods. Track styles provide some more gearing options, but I'm sure you can get your set up to work like you want. Keep us posted!

[Twizted1]

Ouch! Just got a price on a new GU trans $1700 plus shipping. Going to pull it out this week and split it open and see what's going broke. Talk to a place that I could ship it to him and he would do a rebuild and change the gearing in my trans to the gu. Just wouldn't have the stamp on the case. Sounds like either way it can add up.

[thorn]

Ouch! Just got a price on a new GU trans $1700 plus shipping. Going to pull it out this week and split it open and see what's going broke. Talk to a place that I could ship it to him and he would do a rebuild and change the gearing in my trans to the gu. Just wouldn't have the stamp on the case. Sounds like either way it can add up.

Just a thought, but what if you cracked it open and see if it is something you can fix. I know you can buy the GU gears and take care of that too. I don't know how mechanically inclined you are, but with all of the information on the internet some of the jobs that I thought were over my head turned out to be pretty simple. If it is something you can't figure out than you can send it off in pieces. With my clutch mods and the GU tranny I max out at 16-17 mph with tires or tracks on a flat road, which is plenty fast for my applications.

[Twizted1]

Just a thought, but what if you cracked it open and see if it is something you can fix. I know you can buy the GU gears and take care of that too. I don't know how mechanically inclined you are, but with all of the information on the internet some of the jobs that I thought were over my head turned out to be pretty simple. If it is something you can't figure out than you can send it off in pieces. With my clutch mods and the GU tranny I max out at 16-17 mph with tires or tracks on a flat road, which is plenty fast for my applications.

I am going to do that first. I'll pull it and have a look see. He wasn't sure why all the gears would go at once either. So it may be an easy fix. But at the same time I only want to tear it apart once. But will see what happens once I split it open. What clutch mods have you done? I would happy if I could get 14-16 mph out of it on flat terrain.

One thing that don't make since to me though is, why don't the clutches spin up and tighten the belt? In my mind when I give it throttle those clutches should still spin up, tighten that belt and spin the input shaft. That's not happening at all. Am I wrong in thinking this?

[ARGOJIM]

Now were in a whole different place, Your clutches are not working? i had assumed you had proper working clutches.
Is there tension on the Driven? you can test by, with belt off, counter rotate faces and they should snap back when released. Do the ramps look chewed up? are the plastic bumpers still in clutch face? May be key sheared in the hub.

[plott hound]

my conquest did that deer hunting 2 years ago.i pulled the secondary clutch off the trany,and found that the snap ring had came out and the 2 halves thus separated..machine would back up but not go ahead.made up a new snap ring out of wire and drove it 15 miles back to the truck.

[thorn]

I am going to do that first. I'll pull it and have a look see. He wasn't sure why all the gears would go at once either. So it may be an easy fix. But at the same time I only want to tear it apart once. But will see what happens once I split it open. What clutch mods have you done? I would happy if I could get 14-16 mph out of it on flat terrain.

One thing that don't make since to me though is, why don't the clutches spin up and tighten the belt? In my mind when I give it throttle those clutches should still spin up, tighten that belt and spin the input shaft. That's not happening at all. Am I wrong in thinking this?

Maybe "mods" is the wrong word. In the clutch that is on the tranny (primary?) there are two or three positions that you can set it on which gives you more lower end grunt when it engages. The #1 position is the lowest "geared" setting. The clutch on the motor (secondary?) has weights that have been drilled out. This mod is only for operating at high altitude. Sorry, my knowledge base on this is limited and my machine came with the clutches modified.

Rock Doctor did a video how to on clutch mods for the Conquest that you could find with a search. I think he shimmed something as well.

I don't know what to tell you about the cluthes not engaging or spinning up, but I think you said your tranny lube was full of metal shavings, so I would think if that is the case it is time to split the case regardless.

[Twizted1]

Just now starting to work on the machine. In the process of pulling the trans now. I appreciate all the help and suggestions. I am wondering if I need to pull the rotors off to get the trans out? I'm having a hard time getting one side off.

[Twizted1]

Ok. got the trans out. Had to cut one of the big bolts on the bottom to get it out. Can't get the left side rotor off. So ill have to work on that. I drained the oil in it. It is bright silver. looking down the dipstick hole with a light I can see a couple gears broke. Not sure when I'll get to tear into the thing. Things have just been crazy busy this year.