Old timer told me to ditch my belt tension gauge on my 2019 Ski-Doo

I used to always check belt tension with a gauge before every ride. Last winter a guy named Al at the gas station in Ely, Minnesota said I was overthinking it. He showed me his method: set the belt deflection by feel with a thumb push on the middle of the belt. I tried it on my 2019 Ski-Doo and after 400 miles I had way less clutch heat and the belt looked perfect. Now I only use the gauge for a baseline and do the thumb test before every trip. Anyone else run into old tricks that work better than the book says?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretj401d ago

I don't know, seems like just an old guy being old... I've been running the gauge cold for years and never had a belt issue on my 2019.

patp791d ago

The thumb test works great but there is a catch with the 2019 Ski-Doo models specifically. Those clutches had a batch of softer springs from the factory that mask belt deflection changes. So using the gauge cold might show you need to tighten it up but the thumb test catches the real slack once everything warms up. Al from Ely might have saved you from burning up a belt that would have looked fine on paper.