# Life after rebuild



## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

I am looking to pick up a ice fishing sled. There seems to be quite a few that are rebuilt around 5000 miles. Should a new rebuild be a deterrent in a used snowmobile.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

How many miles do you think you’re actually going to drive it?

It’s pretty clear reading on this website which parts wear out from regular ice fishing trips 

I didn’t hesitate rebuilding my Polaris when it scorched a piston. And that’s better than 10 years ago.


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

ezcaller said:


> I am looking to pick up a ice fishing sled. There seems to be quite a few that are rebuilt around 5000 miles. Should a new rebuild be a deterrent in a used snowmobile.


It all depends on who rebuilt it and if they replaced every part that should have been replaced. I build my own engines and skeptical of work done by some people. Some will replace 1 piston and rings rather than do the both of them at the same time to save money. I put them back together so I don't have worry about it for a long time. I just sold a 2005 Polaris 550 Touring that had 8.5K mi on the rebuild, which was more than the factory build got.


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## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

Unless the root cause was addressed you will most likely be doing a rebuild again soon. Dirty carbs or bad crank seals are the typical culprit on old 2 strokes and are often overlooked in the rebuild.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

It's been a while but as I recall, 5k is a well worn engine in a trail sled. 

They are easy to rebuild yourself and not overly costly if you source the parts right. But a lot of guys skimp and go ultra-cheap. I was around a lot of triples when I was into burning gas & going fast. Several rebuilds I saw done by buddies involved a case of Bud, 3 sets of rings and 1 piston, and sometimes that 1 piston was oversized. The big issue with that is balance. You're dealing with an engine that spins up to 9 or 10k RPM, so an extra gram or 2 on the end of 1 connecting rod can rattle around enough to shake the fizz out of your beer...

I wouldn't be afraid of a rebuild if done right. Pull the plugs and do a compression test. Add a squirt of oil to each can and retest. If the compression went up over about 20psi, walk away.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

It is always a gamble buying high mileage and rebuilt. Easy to rebuild though. Even I can do it. I hate three bangers though.


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