Where is the snow?

Okay, enough cold weather without snow. I am ready to ride my sled. Actually the cold with no snow has made it possible to extend my 4-wheeler riding. This has been good but this time of year is supposed to be for snowmachining. I was up the Parks highway a couple of weeks ago and was amazed at the lack of snow all the way to Cantwell. I guess now days we can expect about anything with the weather. Hopefully the snow will be along soon. Check out my previous post for synthetic oil recommendations for your sled.

The cold weather has made gear boxes on trucks and cars quite stiff. Especially when you take off first thing in the morning after being parked all night. It sometimes feels like you forgot to release the parking brake. Synthetic gear lube in the rear end (and front end on four wheel drive vehicles) makes a big difference in getting that cold iron moving. AMSOIL makes several grades of synthetic gear oil. You can find these by going to my AMSOIL website (a link is provided in the right hand column). I use the Severe Gear 75W-90 in the front and rear ends of my Duramax 3500 Chevy truck. No mater how cold it gets, there is no sluggishness in getting things moving. This gear lube is a Synthetic Extreme Pressure (EP) premium grade lubricant. It is specifically engineered for maximum performance in severe duty applications. Check out my website for more details on this and other gear lube's available.

Grease is an important ingredient in the smooth operation of moving parts. AMSOIL makes the highest quality grease available. I use the Synthetic Water Resistant Lithium Complex Grease in my snowmachine. Especially in the suspension and track components. It won't wash out in wet snow or get stiff in cold weather. For my truck I use the Synthetic GH Series Heavy-Duty EP Grease (good for high stress pivot joints like steering knuckles, spring shackles and other high load, low-speed applications). I also use the Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease in my zert fittings, wheel bearings and general purpose joints and bearings. Several grades are available in each grease type depending on application and temperature. Check out my website for complete descriptions or drop me an email or phone call for help in determining which one is right for you and your needs.

Last Ride?

Well, this past weekend's plan didn't go quite as expected. The weather provided a pretty good snow blanket on everything. We had planned on a 4-wheelin trek on the King's River trail but due to the snow and slick roads we ended up on Buffalo Mine Road.

One of our party was pulling a four place enclosed trailer and he was concerned about the slick road. Things got a bit squirrelly with the trailer a couple of times so that is when we stopped at Buffalo Mine Road.

This photograph was taken by my daughter Marie. Thanks Marie.

It ended up being a very fun trip. We drove in and off-loaded our bikes near the end of the road. There is a trail that winds up into the hills about a mile from the end of the road. The first hill we encountered looked a little daunting but we made it up no problem. Even with the new snow, we got quite high before we stopped to build a camp fire, roast meat, and eat snacks.

Some of the mud holes looked like they were frozen but we found out that looks can be deceiving. It is a very beautiful view of the Matanuska Valley from way up there. That's just one of the reasons we enjoy these trips so much.

The snow doesn't dissappoint us. It kind of curtails our 4-wheelin activity, but opens the door to snowmachining. Come on snow! (I hope this latest dump doesn't just melt away.) It should provide a good base if we continue to get more snow.

My sled is a 2000 Polaris 800 RMK. I bought it used and it has some after market mods which make it a great sled for me. I will post some pictures of my sled once we get out and do some riding. Hopefully, that will be in the next week or two.

This is the HP Injector Synthetic 2-cycle oil. You can get it in quart size, gallons, 30 and 55 gallon drums. I use this Amsoil product in my sled.


HP Injector Synthetic 2-Cycle Oil (HPI)
Excellent for all outboard motors with a performance emphasis on modern direct fuel injected (DFI) technology. Also recommended for personal watercraft, jet boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles and ATVs. Injector use or 50:1 premix.
NMMA TC-W3, API TC






For those of you with the power exhaust valves, the Interceptor 2-cycle oil is perfect for your application. This is the Interceptor High Performance Synthetic 2-Cycle Oil. You can get it in quart size, gallons, 30 and 55 gallon drums also.

INTERCEPTOR™ High Performance Synthetic 2-Cycle Oil (AIT)
A high-performance two-cycle oil with a performance emphasis on exhaust power vales. Excellent for all types of snowmobiles, motorcycles, personal watercraft, ATVs and jet boats. Contains high levels of detergent additives to prevent valve sticking. High quality replacement for manufacturer branded oils. Injector use or 50:1 premix.
JASO FC, API TC




For the racing crowd, there is the Dominator Synthetic 2-Cycle Racing Oil.

DOMINATOR™ Synthetic 2-Cycle Racing Oil (TDR)
This racing two-cycle oil has a performance emphasis toward high horsepower and modified racing or trail motors. Examples include snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft, go-carts and outboard motors*. Contains higher viscosity oils for best overall protection. Contains additives for higher operating temperatures. Injector use or 50:1 premix.
JASO FC, API TC


Click on the oil bottles to view more products or to order on line.

Sportsman X-2

I purchased this Polaris (Sportsman X-2) from Big Lake Power Sports & Marine and so far I have enjoyed this bike. Frank is a great guy to work with. If you have a need for a new ATV, snowmachine, or watercraft, check them out. Be sure and tell him I sent you.

AMSOIL has a lot of products designed to keep ATV's, snowmachines, and watercraft in top condition. The first thing I did on my bike is to change the engine oil.

AMSOIL recommends the 0W-40 Formula 4-Stroke PowerSports Synthetic Motor Oil (AFF) for this bike. It is specially formulated for four-stroke recreational motors, ATV's and snowmachines. It reduces wear, is wet clutch compatible, contains no friction modifiers, and has a broad viscosity range which makes it excellent for use in both hot and cold weather conditions.

I also replaced the stock oil filter with the AMSOIL Ea Oil Filter (EaOM103). AMSOIL revolutionized the filtration industry with its introduction of AMSOIL Ea Air and Ea Oil Filters. Exclusive nanofiber technology – the same technology used in the Abrams M1 tank and other heavy duty applications – was made available for automotive applications and now, AMSOIL has made this outstanding new technology available for ATV's, snowmachines, and motorcycles. Air filters are also available. My Polaris uses the AMSOIL PowerSports Air Filter PSFA39. Oil and air filters are available for most ATV's, motorcycles, and snowmachines. Click here to find which ones fit your machine.

Our trip into hunting camp was a lot more enjoyable for my wife this year. One of the reasons I selected this particular model is because of the second seat feature. This particular model provides for a second person to comfortably ride in their own seat. The seat folds out of the convertable dump box on the back of the bike. When your riding alone, you can fold the seat down and have extra carrying capacity.

Part of our trip took us through a pretty big bog. I was towing a trailer full of our gear so was attempting to navigate the humps and weeds for traction. The bike was slowing as we ground our way along from hump to hump sometimes almost coming to a stop. As we were working our way along, I headed for another lump only to find a stump covered in the moss. My wheel slipped off the lump and the stump got wedged between the drive axle and the lower control arm. In the process of trying to back off of the stump, I managed to tear the rubber boot that goes around the lower CV joint. We eventually were able to get out of the swamp by unhooking the trailer and running a rope to it once we got the bike on higher ground. It was a nice day so the experience wasn't so bad and quite expected if you do much 4-wheeling in the back country of Alaska. It did leave me with a repair project the next day though.

I ran into a couple of challenges getting the CV joint off the axle so I could replace the boot. The information in the factory repair manual was incorrect. Some changes have been made on the 2006 models and the manual contained information for servicing the 2005 models. Frank from Big Lake Power Sports called Polaris and discovered the mistake in the service manual and the proper procedure. (Contact me if you run into the same problem and I'll explain how to dissassemble it.) Eventually, I got it changed and it is once again back in operation.

I used AMSOIL synthetic water resistant grease when I reassembled the joint and boot. This is a great product and very reasonably priced. It is used by a lot of snowmachiners as well. Be sure and get some for your sled before the winter riding season begins.

Check out my website and give me a call.

Amsoil Products

I sell amsoil products and wanted a place to share my thoughts about how this oil compares to other oils I have used.

I have been involved in racing stock cars in the past and most recently I am involved with my granddaughter Alexis' and my sons, Klint and Kris' motocross racing. It has been fun but what I have liked is having an avenue to share information about Amsoil and their products.

This blog will be about Amsoil products and all that is related to using this oil.

I will post pictures of motocross racing and give more information about the bikes my family rides in future posts.

I can find out information about products that you have questions about. I look forward to your comments and questions.

Check out my Amsoil Dealer's website, Doug's Synthetic Lubricant's for any products you might like to purchase.