All you guys reacted quite harshly in your reply to my post about the $3000 repair bill on the transmission on my 1999 500 4x4. I have found out all the details and figured it would be worth explaining. I normally ride the hell out of my bike and don't hesitate to try to go just about anywhere with it, and it usually cooperates and takes me everywhere I want to go. However, I do keep it well maintained as far as washing it and all the routine maintenance stuff. I have got all synthetic fluids throughout and seems to help the limited slip unit out as well as making it easy to shift. Get to the point right? Well the trans just quit one afternoon after it's first birthday. I stopped and went to put it into reverse and it made one awful screaming noise and then got hung up between a couple of gears or something. Anyhow, the dealer says that it needs all of the main and counterhafts as well as both sides of the bottom cases and all of the bearings and I think it broke the countershaft as well. All of this costs $2,976.00. It all is under warranty luckily and will cost me a total of $25 to fix, I just hope it is right when I get it back and hope it is back before our big Christmas eve ride. Any reply on similar problems would be appreciated, I am trying to figure if i am the only one that got the Friday afternoon at 4:59 bike, or is there a couple of more out there.

 

What oil were you useing? Did you add an additive to the oil? If not that is why it failed. You see motorcycle/ATV oil has an additive for we clutchs that car oils don't have. I dought that just the oil caused all of that but I bet it messed up the clutch.

p.s I think the reason we acked like we did is because we thought you were an Arctic Cat basher because of the outragous price.

 

I forgot to ask you what type of wrench do you use to change the front diff. oil?

 

That was my first responce when I heard you were using synthetic...have heard a lot of bad things about putting it in an atv. I am surprised the warranty is covering it if they knew you were using synthetic....

Artic Cat 500...using Honda oil figger that

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I'm sure glad that it was still under warranty, but not as glad as you by far!

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

The synthetic oil that i am using is the Mobil 1 10w-40 oil for four cycle wet clutch transmissions. I told the warranty people that and they sadi that it was more than sufficient oil for that application. I also visited the dealer today and the parts that broke were not oil related, they told me that the countershaft was what broke and it was because of faulty forging or something. It was pretty impressive. The shaft looks like something out of a truck or something and it was sheared right in two. Boner, The wrench I used was an Allen wrench, i can't recall the exact size, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Hey Andy, Where do you ride at? The reason I ask is there was some guy talking about Perry Ga. and I thought I remembered it being you, if not sorry for the mix up. I ride in the northwest side of Atlanta, Ga. Thanks everybody for the opinions on the broken parts. Oh by the way, that Mobil 1 oil I referred to is expensive, about $7.00 .

 

I am sorry I acused used of hurting your quad. I will take the blame for the other guys because I started the dought. I was going to ask were you got that oil till I saw the price, OUCH!!!!!! 7 bucks a quart.

Arctic Cat 500, Sorry for the spelling

 

I just use regular quaker state 10-40. It was all that ever went in my old 90 chevy 4x4 and it didn't burn any oil after 162,000 miles. I figure its good enough for my quad too.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

I don't know anything about ARTIC cat quads,but my buddy has cat sled, last year had trouble with motor, and cat replaced it no squabble,thats got to say something for them.They all have thier problems but when it's taken care of thats great.My hat's off to CAT!!!!!!

 

Is it just me, are can you guys tell the difference between the Polaris owners and the most Honda owners.

Thanks for giving credit were credit is due cob.