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PB280 Suddenly Pulling Left (?)

S

SnoGhost

New member
Hi Guys. New to the Forum and searching and hoping someone may be able to help our snowmobile club with an issue that we have been having with our mid 90s PistenBully 280 groomer. Starts good, runs good. About a month ago it started to all of a sudden pull left. Stop, put it in reverse and after about a minute of shifting forward and backward it was good to go again...However now it works good for a couple of hours, then again all of a sudden it takes off left and theres no getting the steering back. We've been forced to park it on the trail and return the next day to do some investigating. Seems to go OK again and then this repeats. All pumps and electronics appear to be in order. We're stumped. Any else one have this experience?
 
sounds like a hydro drive problem I would like to rule out restriction in any of the road wheels before I condemn motors or control valves. you really cant trouble shoot the problem with out a set of gauges.
 
Don's right. With out a test guage set it would be hard to tell for sure. Could be loosing charge pump preasure due to a leaking high preasure by pass, but with out being able to see this, guages are about the only way to figure out what is really going on inside. There shoud be test ports in several locations for these to plug into your system. Do you have the manuals that show preasures, and test ports??

Regards, Kirk
 
Thanks Guys for the prompt replies. One of our local guys from a groomer sales and service company has tested all pressures and everything checks out good. He's suspecting at this point something with the "Drive Card"...?
 
Still not cheap, that "drive card" but cheaper than pumps and motors....

Welcome to the world of electic over hydrolic controls. Convienient for the operator for sure, but a whole 'nother world of complexity to diagnose and maintain. Another reason newer cats beccame spendy, back when they were new.. And now expensive to maintain.

Good luck, Kirk
 
So, just an update. Turned out to be the drive card. Only about a $4000 touch... (ouch!) :pat: Gotta sell more trail passes!
 
glad I have a Thiokol with no putters to go on strike. and also no hydrostatic motors too them things as cool as they are they darned expensive
 
I broke out the front windshield plus destroyed both wiper assemblies on my 260D about three weeks ago. $2800 to get it back in service. Life in the fast lane I guess:shitHitFan:
 
ouch you guys are scaring me away from that new cool looking stuff I'm getting to love my crude old cracker box looking equipment.
 
Well mine is 21 years old but I know what you are saying. Lucky for me I generate enough income with mine to justify owning it but that is about all. This is the 8th snowcat I've owned I seriously doubt I'll own anything but another Pisten Bully, if I ever upgrade. But with an addiction like these things are you just never know.
 
Garry was bragging pretty hard on the new prinnoth AMF has but I feel I have no use for all the electronics and expenses associated with the newer cat's I know like cars my time is coming. but for now I will avoid it as long as I can while living in the bush it's just too hard to get the support.
 
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