Modifications to a 1998 Indy Trail to Compete in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2000

This paper describes the design strategy followed to modify a 1998 Polaris Indy Trail [1] as a part of the University of Waterloo's Team Eco-Snow's participation in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2000. The team's objectives are to engineer a clean, quiet snowmobile that provides recreational users with a more environmentally friendly vehicle while maintaining a snowmobile that performs on par with current production snowmobiles. The design strategy followed includes the selection of a liquid-cooled engine and subsequent modifications completed to improve the combustion process, the implementation of catalytic converters in the exhaust, and the incorporation of an improved silencer. Less innovative but somewhat overlooked strategies, such as proper carburetor tuning, are also discussed. The completed modifications are reliable and fairly inexpensive, considering the benefits provided.