I'm considering a Rubicon, what are the down sides to liquid cooled?

 

nothing

 

mud clogging radiator, but this a flaw in every liquid cool setup but seems worse on the polaris due to placement and closeness to plastic shields

 

Good question. I have a Rubicon and I asked this exact question just before I bought it. Already having a Rancher, I liked the simplicity of having a "simple" air cooled machine. However, there are many advantages, mostly which end up pointing at longer engine life. The only thing you have to remember is that there will be addtional checks you'll have to make like coolant level and testing of the coolant itself. However, it's no different than checking all the other stuff that you do already.

If you buy the Rubicon, buy a service manual as well. If you're at all mechanically inclined, it will give you all the steps you need to maintain a healthy cycle. I bought one and it's one of the best "tools" I own!

 

Did you get the service manual from the dealer? Cost?

 

Yep. I called first and they had only one for the Rancher and none for the Rubicon so I had that one ordered and had them put the other on hold.

You'll probably pay around 23-25 bucks for it but it's well worth it. Lots of photos and pretty explanations. You should have a basic understanding of how things work mechanically but even if you're not real mechanically inclined there is still alot of stuff that you can tackle.