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Snowtrac st4 variator and wheel bearing ?

Aklynxhunter

Aklynxhunter

New member
I'm just getting around to working on my rig and have a few question. I'm ordering bearings for the whole rig. Alot of things have changed in the past 61 years. Would sealed bearings work better for all the wheels or should I stay with the original open face bearings. Same with the bearings on the upper towers of the variator.
Thanks.
 
As to the variator No opinion. I replaced like with like. As to the wheel bearings I don't think sealed are a good idea. the snow/ice mix imposes huge pressures on the bearing driving the water into it. I don't think the sealed will keep the water out. They need to be greaseable to force the water out after each use.
 
Thank you very much. I ended up driving to anchorage and ordered all open bearings and seals for the whole machine. Hopefully I can get variator all back together before I go back to work.
 
I have put some sealed bearings in a hand ful of wheels and pulled the inner seals out with a pick. I grease per-usual and my thinking is an extra seal is good and greasing continues to push out the water and what not.

the 60 yrs of survival is evidence it might have been a great design.
 
Thanks for all the input. I've been watching for the last year. In middle of cabin build so I'm going to be at a snails pace. Week out on bearings and tires and 2 weeks out on powder coat for frame. Still plenty of things to keep me busy. Watched jphoenix set a blistering pace on his. Might have to get a second job. 😆
 
Aklynxhunter said:
Thanks for all the input. I've been watching for the last year. In middle of cabin build so I'm going to be at a snails pace. Week out on bearings and tires and 2 weeks out on powder coat for frame. Still plenty of things to keep me busy. Watched jphoenix set a blistering pace on his. Might have to get a second job. 😆
Click to expand...
Yeah that guy makes things happen!
 
what type of grease has everyone been using in the variator. I will see 20 below. Also I remember reading lyndon saying to drill a hole in variator towers. How high up. Just like a 1/8 hole. My transmission has plugs in it already.
 
Depending on the year, your towers may already have vent holes. they just need to be high enough so fluid doesn't run out of them on steep inclines. I run a polyurea (https://shop.deere.com/us/product/T...a-Grease,-397-gram-(14-Oz)-Cartridge/p/TY6341) grease on the variators, mostly because that's what I use on the rest of the equipment. Once they get in use the low temp isn't the issue. I've considered changing to "water resistant" poly grease, ( https://shop.deere.com/us/product/T...-Grease,-397-gram--14-Oz--Cartridge/p/TY24425 ) but so far have not.
 
Having some issues with my transaxle/variator. While everything was apart I put all new gaskets on transaxle and new bearings in variator. After I put the towers on i noticed that the drivers side axle was locked up and wouldn't turn. I took that tower off and everything seemed fine. Put it back on with nuts hand tight and it was locked up again. Tore it apart and looks inside the trans and everything looks good there. Everything in tower spins nice. Could I of over torqued the big nut on axle possible pulling it out too much? Any thoughts before I go back together with it again.
 
The drivers side if pulled out would decouple from the variator, So I doubt that is it. I don't remember where I found the drawings of the setup templates. I think they are on the computer in the shop. I will look tomorrow if someone else doesn't find them first. The mesh on the gears is set by the thickness of the gaskets where it attaches to the transmission. I assume the transmission spins freely and that the two fulcrum plates are seated correctly. The other thing you could try is some prussian blue on the gears and reassemble and see how much mesh they have.
 
Seems like everything was working fine until I put drivers side tower on. I'm gonna have to get another gasket so it'll be 3 or 4 days. I'm ready for some assembly.
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I kept them separated but anything is possible. Threading new axle shafts now then have to get all my tires made up because they only foam fill on Fridays. I'm gonna go back and look at some pics to see if that might have happened.
 
I've looked and looked, and can't find the template anywhere. this is from a FB post in the AKTIV Snow-Trac group. which is private so it won't let me just share.
 

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Think I might have found my problem. It almost looks like someone made a axle for this. 1 side doesn't look like the other and is hitting the ring thats held in by the clip. So I need to find a axle or I guess I could grind away. Any suggestions.
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Weird that it worked before and doesnt now?

Parts are around.

I takes me years to find parts, but when i do, i usually wind up with another snow trac.
 
I don't know if it did work before. The engine and variator was out when I got it.. Back story is a guy was leaving state and gave me a good deal on 3 machines. This machine was stuck in a swamp and broke several teeth of the big sprocket and ripped the track off. If was in goodshape so I didn't want to use it for a parts machine. There were enough spare parts to put this one together so here I am. Going to blue the gears today and see where its at. Just noticed last night that some of the manuals show a gasket and some don't on the bottom of variator tower. This one just had silicone there.
 
Its back together and working. After bluing the gears it took 4 of the thin empi shims and a 20 thousandths gasket on the tower. Re-blued and everything's meshing good now. Just waiting on my belt to show up
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If you feel the need for more speed. I make new 15 tooth metric sprockets. Will never get easier to install.

Im slow so i could get them to you over night. But i have 4 started.
 
I think for right now I better concentrate on finishing stuff before I go for speed. 😆. Go back to work Thursday for 2 weeks and next time home I have to get back on my cabin building project so I'll only have a few days here and there to work on machine.
 
Hey all, I just bought my first 69' Snow Trac and am happy to see a relatively new thread. Im diving head first into it, but will have lots of questions.
 
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