old cat question - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

skipgosled77 · 01-10-2008, 05:47 PM

Picked up an 80 Trail Cat, w/ no motor, Wanted to swap an 85 0o 86 440 sprit Jag motor.
First of can it be done"
a. which motor should I use
1 The 85 and 86 have diverent looking clutches,
b. I don't have TrailCat motor bracket, but I'm a pretty skilled welder
c. I Know I need a new exhaust and oil tank. But thats only if I can get a motor in it.
The sled had a 340 originaly. I looked for info every where on the web, All I found was old brochures.
Am I dreaming or is this possible.

**smallengineguy** · 01-10-2008, 06:11 PM

They were not far off. The mount on the bottom of the motor should bolt into the other chassis.

skipgosled77 · 01-10-2008, 07:43 PM

It should. We have an old motor mount from a 70s Jag The four bolt pattern is different from our 85 jag. We don't have the motor mount for the Trail Cat.
Is the a differance in the bolt pattern from old motors?

kccats · 01-10-2008, 08:01 PM

First off you have to ask yourself is the trail cat worth the effort? Even when they were fairly new they weren't much! It has been said that sled was the reason that Cat went out of buisness in 82! How is the front suspension? How about the track? As for motors anything can be made to work. What do you have for exhaust? Which engine has a comet style clutch on it and is the other an old Hex shaft?