Sooner or later you will need one. It’s the nature of the beast. All the big names use the popular CVT style of transmission which includes a drive belt. The earliest roots I can trace to this kind of design goes back to Honda’s scooters and the Honda Odysee and the snowmobiles. If anyone knows different, please use the contact page to correct me.
A fellow Kazuma Mammoth 800 Owner asked for assistance with transmission diagnosis. He explained that his Mammoth would jerk and jump while driving across a bumpy field.
Anyway, the Mammoth transmission and CVT drive system has proven to be just as reliable as all the other big names in the sideXside world. I had a complete Mammoth transmission on the shelf for over a year before finally selling it a few weeks ago. Found out that the tranny was destined to be dropped into some kind of test experimental machine and not a Mammoth. I do not think I will restock a tranny because of the obvious bullet proof design. The name of the machine that needed a tranny redesign was learned and I was not surprised. Apparently their transmissions are not holding up.
Eventually you will find yourself crossways over a log, drop a wheel in a hole or some other kind of off-road predicament and you will “smoke the belt”. The Mammoth engine is known for its tremendous low end torque at the crank shaft. You feed her some gas and that crankshaft is going to spin that clutch up front one way or another. Heat is the destroyer of CVT belts. Low quality belts will shred and turn to fuzz with lots of little fuzzy strings everywhere. Higher quality belts will get a burnt spot and you will notice a performance decrease especially under load. The higher quality belts, even with burnt spots will usually get you out of the boondocks and back near civilization where a belt change can be performed.
Familiarize yourself with the belt change procedure and how to remove the belt cover and inspect and clean your front clutch. Sticky front clutches can be prevented by a simple cleaning and inspection. A belt change can be performed in the field with minor hand tools and a rubber mallet. Keep a spare belt on hand at all times. If you do not have the mechanical know how to perform the belt change or inspection, then pay a shop to do it. Normal price for belt change in our area is 75 bucks and that includes a new high quality Parts-Unlimited belt.
After chasing elk, whitetails, coon dogs, rabbit dogs, ducks, wid hogs, javelinas and other off-road escapades for over 40 years, I can vividly remember rescuing my buddies from stuck jeeps, broken down ATVs, out of gas vehicles or other backwoods mishaps. Your Mammoth is too big a machine to have it 5 miles off the beaten path needing a belt change because you did not service it or replace the original belt with a high quality one.
My duck hunting buddy that needed diagnosis of his Mammoth transmission - , He was running a heavy duty clutch kit with a high quality belt. We found a burnt spot in the belt and of course the belt is thinner and charcoaled in that spot and would drop down in the rear clutch as it went round and round. I called him and told him. He responded ” Oh yeah, I started the Mammoth one day with the choke and fast idle on while it was in gear with the emergency brake on.” And I thought yes, that will definitely charcoal a big hunk of your belt in one spot. We replaced his high quality burn spot belt with this one for $28.95 and he is planning to leave soon for his goose hunting spot in Arkansas. He uses his Mammoth to haul loads of goose decoys across muddy fields and is running ITP Mud-Lites at 27″. He has made a custom top for his Mammoth which consists of a big wooden box u-clamped to top of roll bar and carries decoys in the top box and the back bed.
Again, when you arrow that huge Mulie deep in the mesquite, sand, rocks and washes, you will remember this Mammoth Tips and Tricks Article and be wishing you would have done a little belt maintenance before you hauled your Mammoth hours down the road to go on that hunting trip and needing it to drag home ole mossyracks and the meat.
I told you so! Carry a spare belt. The Polaris Dealers I know, include a spare belt as part of the onboard tool kit when purchasing a new Ranger or Razr.
