For the past couple hundred miles I have noticed with my Magnum EBS that there seems to be an increasing delay in the clutch engagement from a standing start.

The delayed engagement has been building slowly and I don't care for the delay or the amount of concentrated throttle control required during intial acceleration. The delayed engagement makes it difficult to enjoy the quad in low range on tight technical wooded trails.

Has anybody else encountered this with the EBS system on the Magnums or Sportsman?

 

Thor,
As your belt gets miles on it,it will wear and become smaller in width.This wear in itself will cause the quad to engage at a higher RPM from a stand still.

I bet its a worn belt,
Bill

 

Also, if you do a lot of technical driving, with lots of stop & go driving, especially under load, the belt will get a glaze on it, as well. Not only will the belt get narrower, it will take more pressure against the sides of it before the pulley gets enough 'bite' to get you moving.

 

farm and Bill are both correct.

Greg

 

Aha! Both good points and well taken.

I talked to the dealership tech yesterday and he said they had taken the cover off and did not see anything out of the ordinary and asked for a detailed explaination.

The tech said they all did it. etc. etc. it was no different than anything else at the dealership yadayadayada. He is a great guy but could not tell a difference from the other quads at the store. I guess he was just getting on it and hammering the throttle looking for a problem rather than trying to ease away on takeoff.

We've had a 95 Sportsman 400, 95 Xplorer 400 and a 1999 Xplorer 400 and they would all engage right above idle. Maybe I am not used to this EBS clutch?

Trying to finesse a 647 Lb. machine through technical trails with a high engagement point is not too much fun if you know what I mean. Nothing like lurching through the trees. LOL

Sometimes I miss the 'OL 400, under conditions like that.

 

try washing your belt and clutches in soapy water to remove all of the belt grime. it will make your clutches not only grab better but it will also take away the higher engagement alittle. we normaly do this with our snowmobiles. I hope it helps.
matty

 

try washing your belt and clutches in soapy water to remove all of the belt grime. it will make your clutches not only grab better but it will also take away the higher engagement alittle. we normaly do this with our snowmobiles. I hope it helps.
matty

 

Thor,

My '99 SP500 did the same thing. The belt measured the same width across the top, but it takes a trained eye to pick out burn spots on a belt. The belt is only about $32, so change it. I'll put money on it as well that it is your problem.

 

I called the dealship back and asked for the technician but he was gone for the weekend so I got to talk to the other tech. He explained things exactly as you gentlemen had determined.

He offerered to roughen up the sheaves with a "Scotchbright" pad and put on a new belt. I asked him if this would cure the problem and he said it would for a while but that the grabbing would come back. He said that the EBS vs NON-EBS were designed slightly differently and the EBS clutches were meant to "GRAB" the belt because if they didn't the EBS would not be as effective as it is.

He said, "You know how a non ebs machine will creep when the idle is adjusted high?" I said yes, and he said "EBS machines are not supposed to do that." So I guess that I have learned a little about clutching with this situation.

So what is "our cure?" In the drive clutch, do we go with heavier clutch weights, or a lighter spring?

 

Have you tried pulling some of the washers out from between the clutch halves. this will bring you clutch halves closer together. wich will result in a faster grab from you clutch. well hope what ever you do helps

matty