Does anyone have any experience or suggestions for setting up the clutching in my 1993 350L for plowing snow and pulling a 1000# trailer when I go elk hunting? I think EPI has a clutch kit for this type of usage, does anyone have any experience with this kit? I do still like to blast down the trails from time to time, would this be hindered by the utility clutch kit? (all power at lower to midrange RPM ). Would the addition of a broadrange type pipe adversely affect my low end? Is there anyway possible to utilize both the pipe and the utility clutch kit effectively at the same time? I was told from the local polaris dealer to go with lighter weights and a heavier primary spring, does this sound correct for utility usage.I guess maybe I am asking for the impossible with the best of both worlds ( speed and pulling power ). Sorry I asked so many questions but I just don't know!! I ride at 6000 - 9000 ft usually!!

Thank You

Doug Redinger

 

I left the weights alone, but went to the next heavier primary spring in the front clutch. It helped a lot considering the price was under $20, and I could do the work myself in under a half hour.
What the heavier spring does, is allows the engine to rev a little higher before the clutch grabs, and also revs a little higher before it 'upshifts'.
I had the blue/green spring from the factory on my machine, and I went to the white. Top speed was unaffected, pulling power was increased, as well as acceleration. The reason for this is that the spring is stiffer initially, and through about the lower 2/3 of the shift range, but the full-upshifted spring rate is about the same as stock. The stiffer the spring, the higher the engine will rev at a given speed/load.

The trade-off is that the engine is revved a little higher than it used to be while just cruising around or trail riding, and I think I may have lost just a bit on fuel effeciency, probably due to the engine running faster.

 

Thanks for the great advice Farmr123, I think I will try your suggestion and try the white Polaris primary spring. $20 sounds a lot better than $160 !!!

Thanks Again

Doug

 

If you try the white spring, and think it helps, but not quite enough, you could also try the green primary spring. Most dealers have the springs on hand, or if not, will be able to get them for you. That way you could try both and return the one you don't like.
The green spring has the same effect as the white, only more so. It will be more aggressive at the start. On my Xplorer, it was so much so, that I would wheelie at just over half throttle in low, if the rear wheels had enough traction, without having to pull up on the bars. The green spring may make you lose 1 or 2 MPH top speed, though.
I tried both the white and the green. If I had oversized tires, or pulled heavy loads a LOT, I would likely have been better off with the green, but for my uses (about 75% of the time with no trailer hitched at all, and only a heavy (over 600# or so) trailer 1 mile out of 100) I felt the white spring better suited.

 

Farmr123, I tried putting in the green spring this morning, and WOW!! what a difference. When the clutch finally grabs, it really grabs. My acceleration in high range is better than before, and in low range it just launches me. Engagement RPM is only a little bit more than it was with the blue-green spring, which is great because I do use my 350L for quite a bit of snow plowing.
Thanks again for the great tip (saved me money and still got the result I wanted).