Tried to remove the plug last night to check for water in the fluid and the head stripped.... any ideas? If it was easier to get at I could probably get it out but what a crazy place it's in. Is there anything I can remove from the front of the atv to make it more accessable?

Oh yeah, the last time the plug was touched was by the dealer....

 

Been there done that! Had to use an air chisel on the edge of the plug to turn it loose. The plug is a 8mm. allen head if I remember correctly. For a replacement try Napa. They had plugs to match perfectly, but required a socket instead of allen wrench.

 

I always worried about that happening to me...I might actually change it out for a plug that uses a socket ...sounds more logical to me...

John

 

Did you have to remove the unit from the machine? It's in a pretty hard place to get at.

 

About the only thing you can remove easily is the tire. If you can get in there with a chisel on the outside corner of the plug, it won't take much to break it loose. When you do get it off, I like to put a small amount of white grease on the o-ring and just barely tighten the plug. New plugs from Polaris are about $15. Good Luck!!

 

When I take these types of plugs out I always use anti sieze compound with I replace them. There are plugs like this on the bottom of the chain case on Polaris sleds and I learned the hard way to make sure to not over tighten and to use anti seize on the threads. No problems since.

 

Did it right on the machine. A long chisel bit should do it. It only took a couple rat-a-tat-tats to loosen the plug enough to get it with fingers. My new plug from napa was only $6

 

All 3 of my sportsmans [05,07,and 09] Ibought brand new and during the first diff. oil change i weld a nut to the face of it'with my mig.Just dont get your oil ring hot.Problem solved,lifes alot easier now during yearly maintanance.I got alot of different combinations and styles of allen wrenchs and sockets-nothing worked well .now i use a simple wratchet wrench.That location to get it loose is awful.
ALAN

 

You don't happen to remember the p/n do you? I don't have access to air tools so I was going to ride it from the house (no truck or trailer) to a local shop (not the dealer) and have them take it out and put the new one in, I don't really have a way to take the old one to napa to match it up.

 

I have allen keys with a socket adaptor, my problem was that I used the long 3/8 extension rather than the short one so it was not at a right angle to the plug. I took it off before with the short extension with no issue. I even tried putting the key in the plug and heating it with a torch hoping it would expand and tighten up in the head enought to get it out but no luck... I think the dealer over torqed it when I had it in to get the adc checked out. They changed the fluid and called it good enough and it was for about 2 engagements and then started grinding again so I disconnected it at the ECU. Mine is an 07 so there is no way to turn off the ADC which leads to premature wear.