Arctic Cat air intake box

[Sis818]

Hi All!
Hoping so much that someone can help us. Going to try to post the short version of this long issue.

We purchased a brand new 2017 Arctic Cat Crew Cab HDX in Jan. of 2018 for use at our cabin. It was still snowy so didn't get to use it until May for a couple of weeks. A forest fire and evacuations meant no use again. Finally, mid-summer we were able to use it to go on trails, travel to fishing holes, etc. We didn't do any climbing, mudding, or any other heavy duty use. We drove it maybe 15 times and put 547 miles on it.

Our HDX quit running. We took it back to our dealer for repairs. The mechanic found that the air intake box is too close to the engine. The heat from the engine warps the box thus allowing dust into the engine. Our engine was ruined. Thankfully, we had a few days left of our warranty. Arctic Cat sent a new engine which was installed, however they couldn't get an air intake box because a new prototype was being manufactured. Arctic Cat suggested that we put on the same intake box. You can guess that we are concerned that we would have the same issue with dirt getting into engine again - and be out of warranty.

Last week, we were told a new prototype isn't going to be developed after all. They made some improvements to the air intake box that they hope will take care of the issue. We are so nervous to have it put on only to have the same issue happen.

Has anyone else had the same issue? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BiggJim]

Thats a tough one. I think Id take their box, make the service writer put in writing you are doing as recommended by artic cat and keep a close eye on it. I dont think there is much in the aftermarket world for that machine but I would think ultimately a talented fabricater could build you a plenum and run an ump style filter like what the racers use. they are all but fail proof for the most part.

 

[///Airdam Clutches]

put grease around the seal lip. problem solved. this happens on lawn mowers, weed eaters, chain saws, atvs, utvs, anything thats run in dusty enviornments. i have seen this over and over. where the covers warp and let in dust past the gasket or air filter, put a liberal line of grease on the seal, it will help the gasket and cover "stick" together and remedy the dust from passing into the clean side of the housing. i personally have most of my equipment done like this because the vast majority of them leak dusty air past the air filter or cover.

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

I would do some research (yeah it takes time..yet is your engine worth it?) on this unbelievably and constantly reoccurring issue all the way back to the first Rhino ('03?) and on models such as the first Rzr ('08) along with many others to get more creative ideas. The grease fix might be part of that yet you apparently haven't seen the fix yourself so who knows. If you extend anything to a cleaner source this research has already been done if you ignore those not understanding air flow restrictions involving velocityf/riction losses and extension pipe.

This is why snowmobile and dirt bike/atv engineering didn't exactly translate in to great 'UTV' products when significantly more engineering was required. Less and less employees actually wrenched or spent their youth wrenching as compared to their fast retiring peers who previously learned fast from their own or other people's mistakes (which weren't tolerated much).

A lot of information out there written by folks who were expensively taken down the road for no good reason just as you almost were.

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

...I'll take at least part of that back as I have witnessed more than a few well educated engineers overseeing multimillion dollar projects whose mistakes were tolerated to the tune of several million more...yet they always worked for companies who could afford to waste it.