Fairbanks Snow Travelers

The fuel intake line has an air bubble that won't go away. Pointed fairly steeply uphill, the entire line empties and the primer loses it's prime. Throttle does not feed fuel. When started, it will run for a short time with the throttle, then surge, drop back, repeat, and then it dies. I can "walk it" in an emergency [if it's not too steeply uphill] by: 1 prime, hit the throttle [12-18inches forward], starts to die, 1 prime, hit the throttle . . . . Anybody familiar with this old machine have any ideas where to start looking for the problem[s]???? I really need a maintenance and repair manual!!
I could really use some help in sorting out and fixing this, as this machine is my means to haul stove wood, and my sole transportation to and from my home in the wintertime!

I would have to take a look to be sure but it sounds like you have a hole in the line possibly in the tank or the fuel pump is going out.

Once I have also seen the primer its self be the cause of the problem but when that happened it would not work at all.

I uploaded a 1985 manual that includes the Safari, hope this helps.

It's listed under the Manual Section @ http://www.snowtravelers.org/manuals.php

I would start by bypassing the primer, most likely wont start without it, but you can rope it and watch the fuel in the line and look for air, or see if the air goes away with the primer knob pulled out, that most likely is the problem if it is origonal, if that isnt the problem, I would start checking fuel lines, they have a tendancy to get hard and loose the seal after 20 years or so. I doubt its the fuel pump as it sounds like it wants to move fuel when there is fuel present in the lines.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

My thanks for all suggestions! Special thanks for the '85 Shop Manual - that should really be a help!!! I'm working on it now. Experimenting with the primer pump does not seem to change the level of the air/fuel in the main line, though the primer line does have some bubbles usually. Will post again if I have more questions or find the problem. Many thanks!

Where are you located? If you are close to me I might be able to come out and take a look.

That's very kind of you to offer, usafracer! However I'm way out of Fairbanks in a different direction, and quite a ways off the road as well - all uphill with the trail badly drifted in. I'm pretty inaccessible untill I can get my machine running and re-break the trail coming down.
The colder temperatures have made the oil in my fuel mix condense enough that I have located a small leak that was previously not visable. I'll know tomorrow if this was what has been causing my problems.
Thanks, though!!!!

I'd say "way" out of town :<).

Yeah, decidely.
Like the Patrick Henry quote, BTW. And many thanks for posting that Shop Manual!

Got any pics of all that snow you folks are getting.

Progress Report:
The air in the fuel line has increased, and now extends more than 1/2 way down from the intake to the fuel pump. The primer will start the engine, with the normal 3 pumps, but the engine will not idle anymore, even when warm, without pumping the primer 1X every 20-30sec.
I found a small leak in the fuel-line, at the T connect where the primer line comes off the main fuel line. I repaired it. It did not change the level of air/fuel in the main line [though the primer line now has less bubbling when I pump it].
The engine does not appear to be getting ANY fuel now, except by pumping it in with the primer. It no longer appears to feed automatically even through the primer line. Hitting the throttle does not change the level of fuel in the main line at all. Even a very slight pressure on the throttle causes the engine to race, very briefly, until the last primer-full is burned, and then it dies, unless I pump the primer immediately.
What am I missing? Is my fuel pump shot? [And how does this relate to it no longer idling either?]
Someone [unfamiliar with snowmachines, but who has worked on bikes] had rebuilt the engine [new rings] last year. He dinked with the air *beep* and the idle *beep*, and initially confused the two, and ran it for sometime with an incorrect carborator setting. But after he got that straightened out, it ran fine for the rest of the season. Is there a possibility that this has any relationship to it's present problems?
It has had this air-bubble/non-feeding problem 2Xs in the last 2 years, once before the rebuild, and once afterwards. Both times the problem disappeared after facing the machine downhill and repeated pumping and pulling, and did not reocur for many months. This time, initially, the machine would run when facing downhill, at least for a while, though the engine would race, and then falter, race and falter. But the air did not go away, and the problem persisted. Was this the slow failure of the fuel pump, or is there something else I should be looking at as well?

Anybody have a spare fuel pump for an '87 Cheyenne Safari for sale?? And it could probably use a new primer pump while I'm at it. The seal on the original is getting pretty old and frayed looking.

Sorry, no pics of the snow pack here, John.

Sorry about the air*beep* and the idle *beep*!!!!! Hope readers can fill in the *beep*s. It didn't occur to me that the site would bleep out an adjustment "item"/thingamagiggy/mechanism

A fuel pump for that sled should be fairly generic, Can pick one up at just about any toy store. Just need one inlet, one outlet, and one pulse line from the crankcase. Also another great outlet for you would be from Dennis Kirk ( www.denniskirk.com ) . Sounds like you live a little off the grid though, But finding parts for that Safari shouldnt be an issue, BTW, My first Skidoo was an 87 Safari 377, beat the crud out of that thing, couldnt kill it. Rode like forklift though.

Summit800 - Thanks! I contacted Compeaus and they have what I need in stock. You're right about the 377 Safari - "couldn't kill it . . . rides like a forklift". It's a 'Beast of Burden' - I have mine geared down, and haul 100#propane tanks, gas drums, firewood logs, . . . . up into the hills with it. Not for pleasure cruising, but it's a real workhorse.
I'm wondering, since it starts fine, but will no longer keep idling, does this indicate some other problem [besides, or other than] the fuel pump? Isn't the primer line a simple syphon, separate and apart from the fuel pump, that should keep feeding regardless of fuel pump function?

It depends on the routing of the fuel lines, If I remember correctly, the fuel is delivered to the primer from the carburetor side of the fuel pump, if that is the way yours is, then yes the fuel may still pick up air through the pump while activating the primer. You might also look for a fuel filter in the ststem, Although it may not be entirely plugged, it may have enough restriction that might cause the pump to pick up air somewhere downstream from the filter. If havent done so, I would also think about replacing the fuel lines with new. That old stuff has a habit of getting rather hard and then is difficult to maintain a seal, Especially when it is cold.


Good Luck............