Speedwerx Y-Pipe, Clutch Kit And Dynojet Research Power Commander Review

Speedwerx y pipe
A Speedwerx Y-pipe is an easy way to bolt on a few extra horsepower.

Nobody likes to modify their sleds, puff their chests and go fast more feverishly than Arctic Cat riders. We had a fun, hot-running 2010 F8 Sno Pro in our fleet last winter, but we wanted our grins to grow even wider while maintaining the sled’s reliability, so we turned to Speedwerx.

Speedwerx General Manager Jeremy Houle prescribed a Y-pipe, Dynojet Research Power Commander V and Stage 2 Hypershift clutch kit (primary spring, adjustable weights, helix, drive belt) that made our Cat even more fun to run down the trails and blaze across frozen lakes.

The H.O. 800 engine in our F8 pulled hard and ran clean throughout the powerband before the modifications. But after the kit was installed, our black-and-green machine took on an extreme personality with a harder hit and more powerful feeling. Notes about the modified machine include, “pulls like hell and it runs well,” and, “It never seems to quit pulling and it was amazingly smooth to boot.” One person said it had “relentless” power.

The sled was fast, but it wasn’t for the faint of heart. It was abrupt at clutch engagement and it kept stretching the driver’s arms all the way up to top speed. For the record, it registered 104 mph in 1000 feet at a radar run not far from our shop in Minnesota.

Speedwerx clutch kit
Clutch kits are a safe way to change a snowmobile’s power curve.

Power Commander V (PCV) fuel injection control modules work with an engine’s electronic control unit to adjust fuel delivery – it’s the modern-day jetting tool. The unit is adjustable through proprietary software so tuners can build a fuel map based on an engine’s needs. Speedwerx developed the map to match the increased flow its painted Y-pipe ($189.95) provides, and we assume the company added and removed fuel elsewhere in the H.O. 800’s fuel curve to sharpen the overall running quality. This was a plug-and-play setup, but Dynojet PCVs include software so owners can adjust and create fuel maps.

Clutch kits and Y-pipes are a safe way to bump up a sled’s performance a few notches, and so are controllers like the PCV ($369.95) – as long as people who understand an engine’s requirements for fuel program them. Packages like this one from Speedwerx are a smart way to boost a sled’s punch because, for less than $1,000, buyers will gain a lot of performance. And since most sledders can install the Y-pipe and control module in less than two hours while leaving the Hypershift Stage 2 clutch kit ($370) to a shop that has the proper equipment (you know the phrase: right tool for the job), it’s one heck of a value.

With this performance setup, our Cat was a big and powerful sled that demanded respect and sharp attention from the driver. But if you bleed green and you like to be reminded how fast your sled is with every push of the throttle lever, an F8 with these Speedwerx parts should be on your trailer and pointed toward snow.

Speedwerx
Forest Lake, Minnesota
651/982-6020
speedwerx.com

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