New guy from Ontario

[jayvee43]

It wouldn't concern me so much, exept for the poor "bubble gum" weld all over these parts. I don't have enough room to grind clean and try to "mig properly" As anyone ever tryed to simply "fabricate replacement idleer arms" I am thinking this may be my only choice. as I would need to replace at least 7 of them.

[myoldhus-ski]

Hi Jessie:
I have several questions and a few comments for you: I sense that not only do you want it to work, but that it should look like it just came from the factory. That will be hard to do if you do not fabricate a lot of new pieces. Is there a good welding shop in your area that can fabricate pieces for you? How soon do you hope to get this finished? If you hope to use it this year, It would probably be best to contact Bruce and see if he has something already to go that you can enjoy. Then the reconstruction can be done at your leisure.
I completely rebuilt a hus-ski 600. It involves a whole new tunnel, motor work, sliders tracks, paint, etc, etc, etc. I am really happy that I did it, but it took 2 years or more and close to $3000.00. It didn't have any boggies. Good luck with your choice. Once you get a Diablo or Hus-ski on the snow you will be hooked. It is fun. Jim

[jayvee43]

Yeah. I am getting the idea Jim. Thanks for the heads up.

Yes I'll admit, I was hoping that i could have this thing fired up and running after a short amount of time in the shop. My Previous project (the snowbug) took me a little over 20 hours to get ready. So naturally i taught i was gonna be lucky again, but it turns out the more i look into this, the more I discover i will need a LOT more than 20 hours.

I agree with you, I shouldn't be so eager. Its just that I remember riding one "yellow" in the 70's we had on the farm, and again a few years ago (about 12 years) I was invited to ride with a few guys with old sleds, and i took a spin and remember liking it a lot.

I'm planing on attending a few local swap meets and hopefully get lucky.

Anyways, I have a lot of parts that won't work right now. So either I fabricate them (I'm not bad with a grinder and a welder) or I order online. Either way, I will get it going. I'm sure of that.
Thanks.

Jesse

[Go Go Diablo]

Hi Jesse,

I've been waiting a bit to give input as you have been posting some great pictures and descriptions of your progress. Thank you for sharing.

Most know that I am a proponent of saving every Diablo possible within reason. That is why I rescue Diablos all over the country destined for the salvage yard or getting parted out on ebay. But with your distance from the Diablo heartland (which is Wisconsin), I'll be honest in telling you that you might have one of those Diablos that even with the best intentions might cost you more to fix than if you were to just go out and buy another. I've seen guys try to refabricate chassis, bogies and other parts with little success getting these pieces back to original. Some of your challenges include:

- Your Diablo is an early model 500 so from the get go, you should be reinforcing the chassis and making a number of updates to the bogie stations, adding a heat shield and motor drop plate, welding gussets on the handlebars and so on just to make the Diablo reliable.
- Your Diablo already has some modifications to the chassis that may be able to come back off cleanly, but to look original, will need to come off.
- You need things like a seat and skis and the expense that goes with them.
- I think it was Roy that mentioned your sprockets need replacement. Those are also expensive items.
- You need a ski seater if you are going to try and put it back original.
- Not sure if you have the right motor or not, just can't tell from the pictures provided. I did notice the recoil handle coming out of the top of the motor instead of pointing toward the dash, so that makes wonder what else is different.
- The gas tank are has been modified, so I presume the gas tank is not original.
- Adding to all that is that when you are done, you still have a model 500 which has some limitations compared to the later model 502s and 503s.

I could go on if I had more pictures and people had the patients to listen to my ramblings. But here is food for thought - this is a fully restored Diablo 500 I have. Been driving it for a year now and really enjoy it. It's got all the updates and is all original. This Diablo is worth about $3,500 as it sits. You might find out after you get all the parts and figure the labor you need to put into it, it may not be worth what you have put into it.

Hope that helps.

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[jayvee43]

Hi Bruce.

(Not sure what I just read) Are you saying I should just give up on the Diablo, or I should expect to spend a lot more than your 500 cost you to restore?

In any event. Yes, I am still at it. I have started to save what I can of the bogies. Drilled and lubed them from the insides, I am cleaning and welding (flux core wire) the bogie stations. I am adding the tabs to keep them from flipping upside down. I am sanding, wire wheel and hand wire brush the underside of the tins in order to prepare for a generous layer of tremclad paint applied by a good ol brush. I have aquired a carburator for my 300. I have made 2 connections with junk yards and Posted adds on Kijiji and Have got some e-mails of people with buried tressures in the backyard. I am going to go to the swap meets, and hope to continue moving ahead with this project.

Your 500 Looks amazing. Mine will not look this good. But if there are a few more Miles that can be had (squeezed) from putting a little elbow grease and heart into this little 500, I plan on enjoying every one of them.

I am not a man that like to spend too much on these machines, but if i spend a little here, a little there and a little over there also, I can easily spend a lot. (so) anything goes at this time.

I have accepted the fact that I may not enjoy this little girl this winter, but by golly; I am gonna bring it back to life.

You gotta understand. I am a Marine/Snowmobile Technician at a local "Bombardier" dealership. and outdoor power product is all i know. Combine all that with the fact that I have been accused of being a stubborn/frenchman a few times in my life, I won't give up too easily. (Just because I discovered this project will be more difficult than I had previously estimated (at time of purchase) does not mean I will not put in a order or two in the future with you.

Let me toy with it a little more, and When I'll have more exciting news, I will share it for sure.

Mean while, here is a pic of my motor. I think the recoil assembly is 180 degrees out.

Jesse

[jayvee43]

Here's a couple more pics, some of the Idler wheel axles getting lube (synthetic) and, a few of the body work.



This is the worst of the body. very difficult to straighten. I had to use special shape angles.

[Go Go Diablo]

Jesse,

I'm impressed with your persistence. The summary of my response was to make sure you realized the challenge in front of you and it sounds like you surely do. Along with that, it's sounding like you have the skills and resources to battle through obstacles that would turn many back. So onward with your quest my friend. For others watching this post, I invite you to share your Diablo restoration experiences with Jesse and let's help him along as much as we can.

Here are a few pointers about some of the things you have going on.

Bogie Stations - Install a lubrication zerk as shown so it can be lubricated while in the machine. I use oil instead of grease. Add extra weld between the tube and U bracket.

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This is a 502 chassis. Note the rolled angle supports in the front of the chassis where the gearbox slides within the opening. This is where your bumper brackets mount. Roll an angle about 20" long and weld it in the corners to add support. Also note on the outer side edges the sheet metal is bent around to add strength. On the early 500, it won't have this, but you can bend some metal and add it. This is the reinforcement kit offered on the parts page, but one can make these pieces too.

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Add the angled bumper brackets to the two straight brackets you already have. Otherwise the front bumper will be so loose, it won't serve the purpose it is meant to be there for.

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Your motor is missing an adaptor plate between the recoil and motor housing. This is why the recoil is 90 degrees off.

Hope those suggestions help, but if something is unclear, let us know.

Bruce

[jayvee43]

Thanks for the hints Bruce.

Here is a little (bad quality) video of where I am right now. I finally finished one side. I was rolling it and found a loose cleats. Course, I don't have any spare parts, so I managed a temp fix. Check out the video and a couple pics of the track repair.

Jesse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTUi5qY ... e=youtu.be

All I had with the exact diameter and hight as the original was an old pipe. I used 3/16 aluminum rivets and voila.

[Roy Teske]

I thought I'd share this with you Jessie. I found the 500 in a farmer's field in 2001. I rode Hus-skis in the sixties, but only saw a picture of a diablo. This was the first one I had ever seen. He gave it to me. It sat in my yard for a year and a half and I bought the second one In 2003 for way too much money, but it ran, I rode it and I was hooked. I bought a couple more along the way and got one together and moving on the last snow of March 2006. The first full year of running was 2007. I just skipped over a lot of work and elbow grease that was a lot of fun. The third picture was the final result and a full season of running in 2007. After all my work I found this guy in Wisconsin in Feb. 2008 who started a website and making parts for Diablos.Thanks Bruce. You've really helped a lot of us out. However you get it back on the snow Jessie, it's worth the effort. Look forward to riding with you some time.

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The 500 that Bruce posted is one of the sweetest ones I have ever seen and heard. The sound of the 500 is distinct and probably the nicest of all models. Check out the Val Des Bois 2014 Run video on you tube to see and hear it. ( I'm assuming that's the one you had up here last year Bruce???) I'd buy in a second , but the divorce would be to expensive. My garage is already full, but my better-halfs car isn't in there. Keep your tracks down guys. Roy.

[jayvee43]

Thanks Roy.

I watched the video you talk about. Is it your 502 idling away while you video that we hear?

I wish I had a garage to divorce from. It gets cold in a tent. Anyways.
Today is my window to paint as the temperature is above freezing +7*C today.

So I will take it all appart again, one last time and start painting...maybe.

Couple of pics of the before - I'll have a few of the after.... after.