1971 artic cat prowler?

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Smidog

New Member
#1
#1
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Picked this up on Craigslist in my home town the other day. I had never seen one and liked it as soon as I saw the pictures. I had a rupp when I was a kid but haven't really owned a mini bike since. A couple years ago I bought a Honda ruckus because I thought it would remind me of the rupp except I wouldn't get in trouble for having it on the road. I am not super mechanical but luckily I have a friend with a rupp collection who can walk me through it a little. We got it running but I do need to find some parts. Need the throttle cable and brake cables. Besides those it is missing the Sachs engine bing carburetor air cleaner box and retainer. Also is there a bushing in between engine block and exhaust? The exhaust is loose. I would like t get it rideable. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Charles S

Charles S

#2
#2
I know very little about that particular bike, but with full suspension and a 2-stroke, I would have jumped on that! Very cool! I'm sure there are forum members who are very familiar with Arctic Cats and happy to help you.
 
ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#3
#3
If you paid $350, you got one heck of a deal! It's a 1971 Prowler. The recoil alone is worth what you paid for the whole bike. Be very careful with it because they are fragile.

The sissy bar needs to go but the majority of the bike is there. The previous owner painted everything wrong, but its just paint. Bars, clamps, fenders, fork lowers and all springs should be chrome.

New chrome fenders are available but require bending to match the original radius. Correct rear fender brackets are extinct but you can find longer ones and trim an inch off. Newly made-to-order cables can be sourced from Jeff Mihalko. The engine should be painted with argent silver paint, not the bright silver he used on it. Looks like he painted the wheels (and tires) silver too - should be unfinished cast aluminum. The seat looks in great shape and you even have the coveted vented fuel gauge cap (hopefully fully functional). Decal sets and reflectors are also available but don't buy them on eBay. The seller operates under 3 account names and grossly overcharges.

Air box shouldn't be too tough to find but you might need to buy a complete carb to get it. NOS are around and there are modern ones available too from moped parts suppliers.

Regarding the exhaust, are you talking about the gasket between the header pipe and cylinder? Its a round aluminum crush ring.


Very nice score!
 
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ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#5
#5
Transmission requires old school auto transmission fluid. Closest modern thing I use is Valvoline DEX/MERC. Stay away from full synthetic.

There's an overflow/level check plug in the 8 o'clock position of the transmission cover. The vented fill plug is up above. Drain plug is under the engine center cavity. Drain it, remove the level check and fill plugs. Fill with fluid from up top until it starts to come out the hole at the 8 o'clock position with the bike on level ground. A small funnel with a chunk of vinyl tubing will make your life much easier since the fill hole is small and exhaust in the way.

Don't overfill. It only requires about 8 ounces. If you don't know the history of the transmission service, I'd change the fluid again after a few hours of use. Draining requires tipping and tilting the bike to get as much out as possible as there are multiple cavities inside for fluid to hide.

Fuel mix is 25:1 with good quality conventional 2-cycle oil.
 
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ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#6
#6
If properly adjusted, it should start on the first couple of pulls but requires priming when it hasn't been warmed up. Hold the black button on the carb down for 3-4 seconds before attempting to start it. As I mentioned earlier about the solid gold recoil, be very gentle. Fixing it is expensive. I usually give it a short little light tug to get the pads inside to engage, then pause and do a quick 12-16" pull.

It sounds rediculous for me to tell you how to pull a rope, but seriously, it's important, and expensive if you do it wrong. This is no lawnmower that you jerk or put your whole back into and yank til it bottoms out. This is an "adults only - no kids alowed" process. :)

Do not give it throttle when starting or it will bog and flood. If it hesitates or sputters, hit the primer button again another second or two.
 
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ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#7
#7
Here's the correct wrench for the exhaust nut. JH Williams 3/4" to 2" adjustable spanner with a hook (not a round pin). $10-$20 on eBay for a good vintage used one. It's the only way to get it tight without destroying the nut. Don't use a screwdriver.
 
smudvapor

smudvapor

#11
#11
ArcticMinibike said:
Here's the correct wrench for the exhaust nut. JH Williams 3/4" to 2" adjustable spanner with a hook (not a round pin). $10-$20 on eBay for a good vintage used one. It's the only way to get it tight without destroying the nut. Don't use a screwdriver.
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That is good to know. I currently have 6 Coleman Sport bikes and those exhaust nuts are a pain. I just ordered a wrench off of ebay this morning for $9.95.
 
Ding Ding

Ding Ding

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
This is a great find.

Looking at all of the pictures, the previous owner obviously tried to make the bike their own and did some painting and appearance "upgrades" (downgrades:thumbsup:). No less, this bike is extremely sanitary and very complete. Those things make this a score. The grips, foot pegs, seat, brake levers, lights, shocks, tank, and even the tires are all there and appear to be in great shape. The only thing missing are the reflectors and front fender. Heck I think this even has the original metal housed kill switch which is often times long gone. This bike has a great foundation and isn't far from being back to it's original appearance if you choose to take it that direction.
 
S

Smidog

New Member
#13
#13
Wow. Thank you for all of the information. I have some ordering to do. I did end up paying $400. They raised it a little because of the amount of calls I think. Unfortunately the coveted gas cap is not in good shape at all. Does Jeff Have a website?
 
S

Smidog

New Member
#14
#14
Wow. Thank you for all the information. I did end up paying $400. I think they raised it because of so many calls so quickly. Unfortunately the gas cap is not in good shape at all. I have a lot of ordering to do. I have found some of the things already though. Does Jeff have a website?
 
ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#15
#15
I'll pm you Jeff's number. He's a busy guy this time of year. He's the man for cables and decals. There are other reputable and reasonably priced sources, and a few you want to stay away from. I can help you with a few items like OEM reflectors, replacement pegs, bearings, correct fuel lines, and shock bushings. I have tons of other parts but as the years go by, it's harder and harder to let them go.

$400 is still great. Fully functional and complete, a used Prowler can go for 2-3 times that.

Just having the top half of the fuel cap is a step in the right direction and maintains the original look. As Ding Ding said, the chrome doghouse kill switch is a great find as well.

Your best news is still the recoil. There are a couple of recoil components on auction right now, the outer case and rope casting. Watch those climb over the next couple of days. Whoever buys them still has to add $200 in parts to make it complete.


Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 
ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#17
#17
smudvapor said:
That is good to know. I currently have 6 Coleman Sport bikes and those exhaust nuts are a pain. I just ordered a wrench off of ebay this morning for $9.95.
Click to expand...
You'll wonder how you ever did without it. Make sure to check your nuts every so often. (that did not sound right, lol) Vibration loosens them and you'll lose your exhaust ring (that did not sound right either).
 
ArcticMinibike

ArcticMinibike

Member
#19
#19
smudvapor said:
Do you happen to have a source for the exhaust ring?
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Ummmm... I have a few NOS but am hanging onto them for now. My son lost one a couple of weeks ago when the nut vibrated loose and it fell out. I made him go back and look for it but he couldn't find it. He was excited at how "cool" the exhauastless engine sounded. I, on the other hand, was not happy as the unobtanium washer was gone.

I am looking for an alternative source for modern equivalents of a suitable size. I'm optimistic and will get back to you.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 
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