Good advice!
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Minor things to save $ on repairs
I work at a Polaris dealership in Oklahoma and every week I do tons of repairs on atvs rngrs and rzrs, both carb and fuel infected. It cost 89$ an hour labor so Ill give you guys the low down on what simple things I do almost ever day that cost folks 200 to 300$ a pop for me to fix,and how to keep it out of the shop longer and save your self some cash.
1. The most common problem I get ever week is the simplest to fix. Bad gas. Believe it or not it can ruin every thing. On carb motors the gas tank has to be drained the fuel switch removed cleaned the lines cleaned and the carb removed cleaned and some times rebuilt. all from bad gas. Fuel injection is worse most of the time it clogs the in tank filter and ruins the fuel pump itself. At my store we rebuild the fuel pump although Polaris will make you replace the whole thing which is 500$ vs us rebuilding it for half that. To remedy all these problems it is simple DO NOT leave fuel in the tank over 1 month with out using fuel stablizer or draining the whole fuel system. If you go the stablizer route use what it says per amount you have in tank and when you get ready to run the machine again be sure to add fresh fuel, seafoam or chemtool or something to refresh the gas in the tank. Gas starts going bad after about 3weeks the longer it sits it starts turning to a gummy varnish substance which will clog up a fuel pump filter or on carb machines gum up all the jets and fuel valve. Btw on carb machines there is a drain screw on the bowl of your carb shut your fuel valve off and drain the carb also or bad gas just sits there over time mucking things up.
2. Fouled plugs. Most folks do not know or are in a hurry with their atv fouling can occur as often as a few times a week. Making your unit run like crap. To solve this on fuel injected models turn the key wait till you hear the buzzing stop on your fuel pump then start it and let it run for a min or so before using it. What happens is since it has no manual choke, it dumps tons of fuel into the cylinder like a choke would to start it. Most folks start and take off not letting the auto choke time to reduce the fuel being pumped into the cylinder causing the excess gas to be pumped into the crank case, in the oil, causing the oil to thin and over fill which then gets in the cylinder while its running causing fouling to the plug. At that time the unit will chug around and you will have to have an oil change and a new plug both not just one or the other. Not to mention gas in the oil will start to deteriorate seals and gaskets in the motor. Carb motors the same way except the choke is driver controlled and should be warmed up and not be driven with the choke out.
3. Belt replacement, most of the belts I replace every week are glassed or burnt from the driver running the machine in High gear everytime they ride it. 25 or below should be low gear only and 25 and above high gear. I know its a pain to stop to put in high all the time but in the long run it will save you money on belts and running low speeds in high also will cause grooves on the inside of your clutch walls costing you big money to have replaced.
Well I hope you all find this info helpful and I am looking forward to seeing more posts on like subjects, and yes just those 3 problems alone keep me busy day after day so they are very very common problems with simple ways to prevent them.
1. The most common problem I get ever week is the simplest to fix. Bad gas. Believe it or not it can ruin every thing. On carb motors the gas tank has to be drained the fuel switch removed cleaned the lines cleaned and the carb removed cleaned and some times rebuilt. all from bad gas. Fuel injection is worse most of the time it clogs the in tank filter and ruins the fuel pump itself. At my store we rebuild the fuel pump although Polaris will make you replace the whole thing which is 500$ vs us rebuilding it for half that. To remedy all these problems it is simple DO NOT leave fuel in the tank over 1 month with out using fuel stablizer or draining the whole fuel system. If you go the stablizer route use what it says per amount you have in tank and when you get ready to run the machine again be sure to add fresh fuel, seafoam or chemtool or something to refresh the gas in the tank. Gas starts going bad after about 3weeks the longer it sits it starts turning to a gummy varnish substance which will clog up a fuel pump filter or on carb machines gum up all the jets and fuel valve. Btw on carb machines there is a drain screw on the bowl of your carb shut your fuel valve off and drain the carb also or bad gas just sits there over time mucking things up.
2. Fouled plugs. Most folks do not know or are in a hurry with their atv fouling can occur as often as a few times a week. Making your unit run like crap. To solve this on fuel injected models turn the key wait till you hear the buzzing stop on your fuel pump then start it and let it run for a min or so before using it. What happens is since it has no manual choke, it dumps tons of fuel into the cylinder like a choke would to start it. Most folks start and take off not letting the auto choke time to reduce the fuel being pumped into the cylinder causing the excess gas to be pumped into the crank case, in the oil, causing the oil to thin and over fill which then gets in the cylinder while its running causing fouling to the plug. At that time the unit will chug around and you will have to have an oil change and a new plug both not just one or the other. Not to mention gas in the oil will start to deteriorate seals and gaskets in the motor. Carb motors the same way except the choke is driver controlled and should be warmed up and not be driven with the choke out.
3. Belt replacement, most of the belts I replace every week are glassed or burnt from the driver running the machine in High gear everytime they ride it. 25 or below should be low gear only and 25 and above high gear. I know its a pain to stop to put in high all the time but in the long run it will save you money on belts and running low speeds in high also will cause grooves on the inside of your clutch walls costing you big money to have replaced.
Well I hope you all find this info helpful and I am looking forward to seeing more posts on like subjects, and yes just those 3 problems alone keep me busy day after day so they are very very common problems with simple ways to prevent them.
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
Forgot one thing that usually is a plague in the fall which is the radiator. Clogged radiators can cause overheating and an abundance of problems from there. To help prevent a clogged radiator cut a piece of window screen and use rubber cement or clear silicone to fasten it over your grille, paint it black before hand if you do not wish it to stand out. it will catch all the cotton wood, and stuff floating in the air in it before it can reach the radiator when it gets clogged remove disguard and apply another piece, it is way cheaper than a radiator flush or replacement, and can also assist in preventing a puncture and help the grille stay nice.
Rod, thank you. Great info..number 3, I didn't know. And a great kick in the pants for number 1 and 2.... thank you
np duane any time
Great post. But just a quick question...I ride tight hilly trails and hardly go over 25 mph. So should I just keep it in low gear for most of my riding with the ace? And should I have done this for my other atvs???? If so...whoops...
I'm going to chime in here. This very topic has been discussed many times, many ways on other forums I've been on, and the bottom line is that there is no single right/wrong which covers every situation.Great post. But just a quick question...I ride tight hilly trails and hardly go over 25 mph. So should I just keep it in low gear for most of my riding with the ace? And should I have done this for my other atvs???? If so...whoops...
Different vehicle types and weights, different riding styles, different terrain, different clutches will all affect this.
You have to understand what screws up belts, and make your own choice based on each situation you encounter.
It's just another driving decision you make, like when to turn the wheel and which rocks will fit under your rig and which ones you go around.
But you can't write a complicated set of "in this case do this and in that case do that" in a user manual. For one thing, users won't bother to read it if it's long. For another, it might confuse people.
So manufacturers use 20-25mph as a guideline.
So now I'll tell you what I do. And I have never burned out a belt.
I've only been riding since 2005, but I rode more in that time than a lot of guys have ever ridden.
I have put many thousands of miles on CVT transmission quads, and had many different models.
I'll summarize this by saying "don't make the clutch work hard". It's as simple as that.
If I am cruising on a fairly level trail, I'm usually in high gear, even if I'm going 10-15mph, because the clutch is not working hard. I'm just tooling along, foot/thumb barely on the gas.
If the trail starts going uphill, but not really steep, I stay in high gear until I start to feel the machine really start working hard. Then I'll stop, shift to L, and proceed.
If I'm looking at a fairly short hill climb and there's a good run-up, I'll keep it in H.
If I am at the base of a long steep hill climb, I'll stop and put it in L, and then proceed.
If I'm looking at entering a liquid mud puddle, I'll keep it in H (with AWD on before I enter it).
If I'm looking at entering a thick gooey mud pit, I'll put it in L with AWD on before I enter it.
If I go through deep water and I can feel the belt slipping after I get out, I'll stop and drain the water out of the CVT area.
All of my rigs have had CVT drain plugs - even the ones that didn't come stock with one. But these days I try to just stay out of the water for the most part.
It's all about how hard you make that clutch work, and for how long.
Thanks scoundrel. I ride pretty similar to you it sounds like. I will just keep on keepin on when I get the ace
Forgot one thing: No drag racing. 
One thing that is really bad for belts is sudden 100% throttle. Especially when the belt is cold.
If you unload your rig and then stomp the gas and sprint down the service road at full speed, you're asking for a broken belt. Same goes after a lunch break, in 40 degree weather.
One thing that is really bad for belts is sudden 100% throttle. Especially when the belt is cold.
If you unload your rig and then stomp the gas and sprint down the service road at full speed, you're asking for a broken belt. Same goes after a lunch break, in 40 degree weather.
Yeah sorry was not trying to tell any one how to handle their ride just was letting every one know the common problems and probable causes of things I have to work on mostly at the job. I just hate to see folks wasting good upgrade money on mostly preventative common problems I encounter daily. That and I could not stand seeing this part of the forum blank. I am sure lots of folks have some tips to share.
I didn't take it that way. I was simply providing more detail on my viewpoint/experience with the belt thing, since I felt I had something to add.Yeah sorry was not trying to tell any one how to handle their ride just was letting every one know the common problems and probable causes of things I have to work on mostly at the job. I just hate to see folks wasting good upgrade money on mostly preventative common problems I encounter daily. That and I could not stand seeing this part of the forum blank. I am sure lots of folks have some tips to share.
Please, feel free to post up any tips you feel are helpful!
I found both your post helpful and informative. Keep it coming...
My dealer here in Oklahoma said the same thing as Rod. He really stressed under 20 or 25 to keep it in low, said he replaced a lot of belts for people that did not. Owners manual says same thing. I have always had clutch/manual trannies. think I will err on the side of caution.
2600 miles and my stock RZR belt looks brand new.
No blown belts on any of the ATVs I've ridden.
It is amazing to me how little trail experience most dealers have.
And people tend to lie about what they were really up to when they broke their stuff.
No blown belts on any of the ATVs I've ridden.
It is amazing to me how little trail experience most dealers have.
And people tend to lie about what they were really up to when they broke their stuff.
Shock loading will kill a cvt belt or at least dramatically reduce its useful life. I've drag raced cvt quads, pulled large loads (like an F350 up a muddy hill in my Teryx) and just cruised like everyone else. The biggest factor seems to be shock loading them after its "too late". Hill climbs and mud holes are bad for this. Once you are in then mud and creeping through especially if it is thick gooey muck, you don't want to just floor it after the atv/ace/Sxs is stuck when your in high range because by then its "too late". The engine can overwhelm the belt and allow it to slip or blow. Once and a while is not a big deal in my experience but constant abuse is a bad thing. As far as riding, I don't cruise in low gear very often even when doing 10-20 on trails in a much larger and heavier machine, only when I know it is technical or I need more torque for a hill climb that I can't get a run at in high range. With the Ace having the Rzr 570 trans and diffs I assume (I know, never assume!) that the ace has similar or the same clutches and belts. Which means that it will take quite a bit of abuse in a lighter and lesser powered machine. All this means is that you should be able to just drive it with little or no worry.
After driving the ACE for several hours in some very twisty trails with rocks and roots and stuff, I think I have a better feel for the belt situation.
The top speed runs at about 8500 RPM.
Most of the time, the ACE seemed to be running around 6500 RPM whenever I looked at it. I wish I'd kept better track of what gear and speed.
The belt engages at about 1800 RPM.
When I was on the trails, I felt like the PVT was not really stressing the belt at any point except when I was crawling over a rock or root or something.
Most of the time, I was moving fast enough that my momentum got me over that obstacle in a fraction of a second, and the rest of the time the PVT was just humming along.
I put it in low gear a few times for the most challenging trails, but that was partly about the nature of the trail I was on.
The narrow technical trail width, amount of obstacles, etc. required a low speed and the power of the low gear, simultaneously.
So it was natural to shift it down for those anyway.
When I stomp the gas in an ACE, it gets up and goes, seemingly with very little stress.
When I stomp the gas in a RZR 800, I can feel it bog a bit, and then I can feel the PVT working hard until it gets moving.
I've never stomped the gas in a 900 or 1000, but given the weight of those machines, the extra engine power has got to be stressing the hell out of that belt to get that much weight moving as quickly as it does.
I don't think the ACE is going to have anywhere near the number of belt issues as the RZR line.
The top speed runs at about 8500 RPM.
Most of the time, the ACE seemed to be running around 6500 RPM whenever I looked at it. I wish I'd kept better track of what gear and speed.
The belt engages at about 1800 RPM.
When I was on the trails, I felt like the PVT was not really stressing the belt at any point except when I was crawling over a rock or root or something.
Most of the time, I was moving fast enough that my momentum got me over that obstacle in a fraction of a second, and the rest of the time the PVT was just humming along.
I put it in low gear a few times for the most challenging trails, but that was partly about the nature of the trail I was on.
The narrow technical trail width, amount of obstacles, etc. required a low speed and the power of the low gear, simultaneously.
So it was natural to shift it down for those anyway.
When I stomp the gas in an ACE, it gets up and goes, seemingly with very little stress.
When I stomp the gas in a RZR 800, I can feel it bog a bit, and then I can feel the PVT working hard until it gets moving.
I've never stomped the gas in a 900 or 1000, but given the weight of those machines, the extra engine power has got to be stressing the hell out of that belt to get that much weight moving as quickly as it does.
I don't think the ACE is going to have anywhere near the number of belt issues as the RZR line.
Thanks Rod for the great advice..Some of my machines will sit for months and I do add fuel stabilizers..Do you have a stabilizer you like the best? I also only use non-ethanol high test in my generators, motorcycles, ATV's and SXS. that fuel seems to not gum up and seems easier on the machines…Would you agree with that? Or I'm I wasting my money on the non ethanol fuel..ThanksI work at a Polaris dealership in Oklahoma and every week I do tons of repairs on atvs rngrs and rzrs, both carb and fuel infected. It cost 89$ an hour labor so Ill give you guys the low down on what simple things I do almost ever day that cost folks 200 to 300$ a pop for me to fix,and how to keep it out of the shop longer and save your self some cash.
1. The most common problem I get ever week is the simplest to fix. Bad gas. Believe it or not it can ruin every thing. On carb motors the gas tank has to be drained the fuel switch removed cleaned the lines cleaned and the carb removed cleaned and some times rebuilt. all from bad gas. Fuel injection is worse most of the time it clogs the in tank filter and ruins the fuel pump itself. At my store we rebuild the fuel pump although Polaris will make you replace the whole thing which is 500$ vs us rebuilding it for half that. To remedy all these problems it is simple DO NOT leave fuel in the tank over 1 month with out using fuel stablizer or draining the whole fuel system. If you go the stablizer route use what it says per amount you have in tank and when you get ready to run the machine again be sure to add fresh fuel, seafoam or chemtool or something to refresh the gas in the tank. Gas starts going bad after about 3weeks the longer it sits it starts turning to a gummy varnish substance which will clog up a fuel pump filter or on carb machines gum up all the jets and fuel valve. Btw on carb machines there is a drain screw on the bowl of your carb shut your fuel valve off and drain the carb also or bad gas just sits there over time mucking things up.
2. Fouled plugs. Most folks do not know or are in a hurry with their atv fouling can occur as often as a few times a week. Making your unit run like crap. To solve this on fuel injected models turn the key wait till you hear the buzzing stop on your fuel pump then start it and let it run for a min or so before using it. What happens is since it has no manual choke, it dumps tons of fuel into the cylinder like a choke would to start it. Most folks start and take off not letting the auto choke time to reduce the fuel being pumped into the cylinder causing the excess gas to be pumped into the crank case, in the oil, causing the oil to thin and over fill which then gets in the cylinder while its running causing fouling to the plug. At that time the unit will chug around and you will have to have an oil change and a new plug both not just one or the other. Not to mention gas in the oil will start to deteriorate seals and gaskets in the motor. Carb motors the same way except the choke is driver controlled and should be warmed up and not be driven with the choke out.
3. Belt replacement, most of the belts I replace every week are glassed or burnt from the driver running the machine in High gear everytime they ride it. 25 or below should be low gear only and 25 and above high gear. I know its a pain to stop to put in high all the time but in the long run it will save you money on belts and running low speeds in high also will cause grooves on the inside of your clutch walls costing you big money to have replaced.
Well I hope you all find this info helpful and I am looking forward to seeing more posts on like subjects, and yes just those 3 problems alone keep me busy day after day so they are very very common problems with simple ways to prevent them.
That is the same base line I use as you do Scoundel, if it looks like any effort I go to L and almost leave the machine in 4wd drive on trails .easier for four wheels to pull then two wheels…Never had a belt issue or transmission issue to date . In fact I'm pretty much a keep it clean guy and stay on a maintenance program and no BS have never had any ATV/SXS in for any kind of failure.. Air cleaner is probably you most important maintenance issue..keep it clean after every dry dusty ride and I change my oil every 500 miles.
I use SeaFoam for fuel stabilization. Works great for my ATVs, chainsaw, wood chipper, leaf blower, Honda scooters. I fill up the toy hauler's gas tank and pour a pint of SeaFoam in there, and I fill most other things up from that (except the 2-stroke stuff, separate gas can for that of course). Never had an issue with old/bad gas or gummed up carbs/injectors.
Can't wait for K&N to come out with an outerwear sleeve for the ACE's air filter. Got the sleeve on the RZR, makes it last way longer. Just brush the dust off of the outer sleeve, peel it back a little and peek inside at the paper.
Can't wait for K&N to come out with an outerwear sleeve for the ACE's air filter. Got the sleeve on the RZR, makes it last way longer. Just brush the dust off of the outer sleeve, peel it back a little and peek inside at the paper.
yeah I agree we use sea foam at work most the time it is some good stuff. It also revitalizes fuel if its been sitting a while with out any additives it will bring it back to life with some fresh gas added.
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
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