Argo Frontier... running SLOW! Ideas?

[Silverbullet75]

Hi All!
Haven't been on in quite a while. I'm finding that the Argo is kind of a seasonal toy for me here in Las Vegas. It's just TOO HOT in the summer to ride! So, we took it out to the mountain today for the first time in months. I was very disappointed to find that it had absolutely no speed/power. We drove it around for about 1/2 an hour then quit out of frustration. I'm trying to figure out what it is before I go buying parts.

Symptoms:

- Belt squealing when engine is cold, and putting a strain on drive train (like turning)
- Full throttle, no speed... like 5 mph max.
- Engine runs strong...
- When warm, squealing goes away, but still struggles to turn.

My Thoughts:

- Belt stretched too much... needs replaced.
- Clutch spring(s) need replaced?

I'm leaning toward the belt more than the clutch springs...

Anybody else have ideas?
Thanks!!
---JIM---

[Roger S]

Pull your firewall out and watch the clutches and belt, while in nuetral as you give it a little rpm. They might be to be cleaned/lubed.

[racerone3]

i had a vaery similar problem with mine, and was shocked to find it was the spark plugs. wngine would rev right up in neutral, but under load it was gutless. as for the squaling, a little belt dressing should fix that.
good luck

[xrover]

Fuel filter or drive chain

Have you replaced the fuel filter lately? We had ours replaced and was restricting flow of gas. It ended up being a non-genuine Kholer fuel filter that did it to our machine. I always ensure we replace with only a kholer fuel filter. It's a cheap first fix. Other than that I would check the chain tension and tensioners. That will sap the power as well and early avengers had a problem with that. Check your rear chains. If one or more is so tight there is no slack, then head to your dealer. They'll be looking to replace the chains, bearings and tensioners for free.

[ArgoGirb67]

check the clutches,the driven may have siezed up from sitting,may just need cleaning and lube.i had an old ski-doo did same thing,had broken spring on driven clutch.would rev right out but only go walking speed!

[yellowargo]

Is yours the model with the parking brake? I have one on my 2008 Frontier. Check to see if it is stuck on... I have had this happen and it did all of the above you mention. As well as a hot brake smell after a short time. This in combination with lubrication and chain tension are both fixes that where successful.

Good Luck

[Rock Doctor]

There are some good ideas so far, here is another one that you probably don't want to hear:
You mentioned that the machine was sitting for Months, in the Vegas heat.
This can be VERY bad for the fuel, and Argos HATE "Old Fuel"

I would suggest that it's possible that you have a sticky Intake/Exhaust valve.
This could either cause a pushrod to bend or kick out from under a rocker arm.
VERY easy to check, just pop off the valve covers and look. The end of the pushrod will NOT be under the rocker arm, like it's supposed to be.

If this is the case, all is not lost. The sticky valve can be loosened up with a good cleaner and the valve then needs a little lube. If the pushrod is bent, it can be straightened .

I have had to deal with this on about a half dozen machines, some worse than others. MOST of the time the pushrod just needs to be straightened and reset under the rocker arm, then a little oil worked into the valve stem.

I have had to perform this type of surgery on enough machines now, that I actually carry a spare pushrod. (there are alot of people that only use there Argo's a few times a year, ex Hunting Season)
Sometimes you HAVE to use old fuel, if you find yourself in this position, adding a half liter of ATF to your gastank can make all the differance.

If this happens to your machine, the engine will seem to run fine, with no load on it. As load is applied, the engine will tend to bog and feel powerless. You will be able to move the machine around a little in low gear, but it will be all it can do to drag itself up onto a trailer. The belt will squeal, becouse the engine will not spin it fast enough to hold the belt tightly.

I would not think your belt is stretched, there should not be any tension on the belt when the machine is at rest.
Weak clutch springs are possible, but springs tend to weaken over time with heat and use, not while the machine is sitting.
Dirty clutches are also possible, but again this should happen over time, with use, not while sitting.

Other ideas:
Dirty carb
Dirty fuel filter
Bad Sparkplugs, or SP wires
Water in the gas

Good Luck
RD

[Roger S]

I like the stuck handbrake scenario.. it fits the symtoms. Will it roll in nuetral?

[Silverbullet75]

Wow... now I remember why I love this forum!

To answer a couple questions...
Parking brake: No, mine's a 2007, right before they gave that feature.
... and I checked the brakes. None are dragging.

Also, I forgot to mention one thing. A while ago I posted a thread about possible wd40 contamination on the belt/clutch surfaces. I was told by the dealer and a few of you to try belt dressing. I did this and now have about 3 hours on a dressed belt. This caused the clutch to grab the belt at idle.

Also also... I use the Argo on sand dunes semi-frequently. I'm thinking this could stretch the belt faster than normal... especially since I'm at full throttle while going up hills.
I'm still leaning toward the belt right now. The motor is running fine otherwise. It's not the motor thats running slow, it's the driving of the machine.

I used to have an old '87 MTD riding lawn mower that had a very similar belt drive system. I'd replace that belt every couple months just to keep the speed at it's max potential.

I just ordered a belt from Points West Argo... should be here in a few days.

If this doesn't fix it... I'll be looking into all your suggestions.

Thank you all for your quick responses!!!!


Keep the ideas coming if you have any more!

[eddieb1965]

I really dont think the belt would stretch that much,but it would wear on the edges making it seem to be stretched.Are you sure the clutches are opening and closing all the way or at least moving in and out?Every now and then I take my belt off and reverse it to get better wear. Eddie

[evil8x8]

The only time I ever experienced the belt on my Argo slipping was in the dunes at the Ledges. So your theory of the dunes stretching your belt makes sense. Hope you get it figured out.

[Silverbullet75]

Just want to make sure you all don't think I'm ignoring your ideas... I just want to try the belt as my first attempt. If it doesn't work... I'll have a spare belt on hand! LOL.
Many thanks!

[Silverbullet75]

I really dont think the belt would stretch that much,but it would wear on the edges making it seem to be stretched.Are you sure the clutches are opening and closing all the way or at least moving in and out?Every now and then I take my belt off and reverse it to get better wear. Eddie

I checked the pulley movement. Looks good.

[Beardefence]

This happened to my machine when i bought it, It had been sitting for some time.It had a sticking exhaust/intake valve and I took it to the Argo Dealer in Edmonton (Argyll Motor Sports) and they knew what to do right away. It had the same symptoms as "Silver Bullet's" Frontier. I now know what to do myself to fix the sticking exhaust/intake valve. The dealer led me to believe that this was a common problem with the Kawasaki engine. The guy I bought the machine from paid half the cost to fix the problem. I see Rock Doctor sure knows his stuff when it comes to Argos.

[Silverbullet75]

When you had the symptoms, did the engine run fine under load?