how to change the chaincase oil on arctic cat zl550 - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

jordanw · 01-29-2006, 01:44 PM

the other day i was out riding and i noticed that my chaincase oil was low so i put in some 10w 30 thinking that the wrong oil would e better than no oil. now i have the proper oil but i cant find the drain plug, is this going to be one of thows jobs that i think is easy but im going to have to end up taking everything apart?? Any help would be appreciated

BLinindoll · 01-29-2006, 01:53 PM

sould be a drain plug under the sled, near the front of the track.

rgoers · 01-29-2006, 06:01 PM

Look underneath the sled, inside the tunnel, by the track (not under the hood). You should see a drain plug there.

BC_Dan · 01-29-2006, 07:21 PM

or.. take a suction tube and suck it out via the drain fill, then take the chaincase cover off so you can get all the junk out of the chaincase, (there will be some stuff that does NOT drain). That will also let you take a look at the condition of the gears and chain...

undersc0re · 05-07-2006, 08:09 AM

I took off the cover and removed the gears and chain and they seem all good, I just have a couple questions, I lost the place that the sprockets were sitting on the chain and on the shafts, does this matter and also what would I look for in wear? Would one side of the tooth be worn compared to the other? How tight do you push the tensioner against that chain, and also do I just throw gear oil in there after, if so would I use the lightest gear oil possible because its a winter machine or would I use regular gear oil? One more question lol, Do you need loctite on any of the bolts inside there or the ones that fasten the cover to the motor? I am kinda new at this and I cannot get a manual for a couple months. Thanks!

BC_Dan · 05-07-2006, 11:18 AM

There is no specific position for the chain.

You should inspect the gears for any chipping or cracking, inspect the chain for worn spots, especially if it has been rubbing against the chaincase. You should also inspect the bearings for wear, if you can rotate them by hand, feel for any roughness; if the bearings dont' turn as smooth as glass, replace 'em.

If you have removed the gears from the shafts, use red loctite when you replace them. You do not want them coming loose! I use blue loctite on the case bolts. Torque on the nuts for my 94 and 95 ZR's is about 75 foot using Loctite 242. When you get your manual, the directions are pretty good, and there are sequences to follow to put things back together, especially if you replace the bearings.

I'm assuming you don't have mechanical reverse; to adjust the chain tensioner, loosen the nut on the adjuster bolt that sticks out of the chain case. Tighten the adjusting bolt finger tight, then back off 1/4 of a turn. Tighten the nut.

I use synthetic gear lube 80 wt. in my chain cases and have had NO problems. It's cheaper than the Artco product. There are lots of things you can use; some people use transmission fluid, others use motor oil. I think the big thing is having adaquate lubrication, and having something that is not so thick that it won't lubricate the chain.

**RJ Gleason** · 05-08-2006, 07:57 AM

The book says to use SAE 30 in the chain case.