Snowmobile and features thereof allowing for different tunnel widths

1. A snowmobile comprising:

a frame, the frame including:

an engine compartment having a first side and a second side;

a tunnel rearward of the engine compartment;

a first spacer disposed between the tunnel and the first side of the engine compartment, the first spacer connecting the tunnel to the first side of the engine compartment; and

a second spacer disposed between the tunnel and the second side of the engine compartment, the second spacer connecting the tunnel to the second side of the engine compartment;

an engine disposed in the engine compartment;

a countershaft traversing the engine compartment;

a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connecting the engine with the countershaft, the CVT being disposed on a first side of the engine;

an endless drive track disposed below the tunnel for propelling the snowmobile, the endless drive track being operatively connected to the countershaft;

a front suspension connected to the frame; and

a pair of skis connected to the front suspension.

2. The snowmobile of claim 1 , further comprising a reduction gearing operatively connected to the countershaft on a second side of the engine opposite the first side; and

wherein the endless drive track is operatively connected to the reduction gearing.

3. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the tunnel includes:

a central tunnel portion having a first side and a second side;

a first tunnel side portion fastened to the first side of the central tunnel portion; and

a second tunnel side portion fastened to the second side of the central tunnel portion.

4. The snowmobile of claim 3 , wherein the central tunnel portion comprises a heat exchanger.

5. The snowmobile of claim 3 , wherein the first spacer is disposed between the first tunnel side portion and the first side of the engine compartment; and

wherein the second spacer is disposed between the second tunnel side portion and the second side of the engine compartment.

6. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the CVT has a driven pulley;

wherein a lowermost portion of the driven pulley is disposed vertically higher than the tunnel.

7. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the front suspension includes two pairs of A-arms.

8. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the tunnel is wider than the engine compartment.

9. The snowmobile of claim 8 , further comprising a front drive axle disposed in the tunnel, the front drive axle being operatively connected to the countershaft, and the front drive axle being operatively connected to the endless drive track for driving the endless drive track;

wherein the tunnel has a first tunnel side portion and a second tunnel side portion; and

wherein a width of the tunnel is measured perpendicularly to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile from an inside of the first tunnel side portion to an inside of the second tunnel side portion directly above the front drive axle.

10. The snowmobile of claim 8 , wherein the tunnel has a first tunnel side portion and a second tunnel side portion;

wherein a width of the first spacer corresponds to a distance between the first tunnel side portion and the first side of the engine compartment; and

wherein a width of the second spacer corresponds to a distance between the second tunnel side portion and the second side of the engine compartment.

11. The snowmobile of claim 1 , wherein the tunnel has a first tunnel side portion and a second tunnel side portion;

wherein the first spacer has an inner flange connecting the first spacer to the first side of the engine compartment and an outer flange connecting the first spacer to the first tunnel side portion; and

wherein the second spacer has an inner flange connecting the second spacer to the second side of the engine compartment and an outer flange connecting the second spacer to the second tunnel side portion.

12. The snowmobile of claim 11 , wherein the first spacer has a bracket at a bottom thereof connecting the first spacer to the engine compartment and an upper flange at a top thereof connecting the first spacer to a horizontal portion of the tunnel; and

wherein the second spacer has a bracket at a bottom thereof connecting the second spacer to the engine compartment and an upper flange at a top thereof connecting the second spacer to a horizontal portion of the tunnel.

13. A method of manufacturing a snowmobile frame comprising:

providing an engine compartment having a first side and a second side;

disposing a tunnel rearwardly of the engine compartment;

inserting a first spacer between the tunnel and the first side of the engine compartment; and

inserting a second spacer between the tunnel and the second side of the engine compartment.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tunnel comprises a central tunnel portion having a first side and a second side, a first tunnel side portion, and a second tunnel side portion; and

further comprising:

fastening the first tunnel side portion to the first side of the central tunnel portion; and

fastening the second tunnel side portion to the second side of the central tunnel portion.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first spacer is inserted between the first tunnel side portion and the first side of the engine compartment; and

wherein the second spacer is inserted between the second tunnel side portion and the second side of the engine compartment.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tunnel has a tunnel width and the engine compartment has an engine compartment width; and

wherein the tunnel width is greater than the engine compartment width.

17. A method of manufacturing a snowmobile frame and power pack, the power pack including an engine, a CVT on a first side of the engine, the CVT having a driven pulley, a reduction gearing on a second side of the engine opposite the first side, and a countershaft operatively connecting the driven pulley with the reduction gearing, the method comprising:

providing an engine compartment having a engine compartment configuration adapted to receive the power pack;

selecting one of a first tunnel and a second tunnel, the first tunnel having a first tunnel width, the second tunnel having a second tunnel width, the second tunnel width being different from the first tunnel width;

disposing the selected one of the first tunnel and the second tunnel rearwardly of the engine compartment; and

disposing the power pack in the engine compartment,

wherein a lowermost portion of the driven pulley is disposed vertically above the selected one of the first tunnel and the second tunnel.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein disposing the power pack in the engine compartment includes locating the driven pulley at a first distance from a longitudinal centerline of the frame when the first tunnel is selected, and locating the driven pulley at a second distance from the longitudinal centerline of the frame when the second tunnel is selected; and

wherein the first distance is the same as the second distance.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

inserting a first spacer between the selected one of the first tunnel and the second tunnel and a first side of the engine compartment; and

inserting a second spacer between the selected one of the first tunnel and the second tunnel and a second side of the engine compartment.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first spacer is a set comprising a first spacer having a first width and a first spacer having a second width, the second width being different from the first width;

wherein the second spacer is a set comprising a second spacer having a first width and a second spacer having a second width, the second width being different from the first width;

the method further comprising:

selecting the first spacer having the first width when the first tunnel is selected;

selecting the first spacer having the second width when the second tunnel is selected;

selecting the second spacer having the first width when the first tunnel is selected; and

selecting the second spacer having the second width when the second tunnel is selected.