Working on a hunting partners rig as a favor and came to me with these problems:
- Lower ball joint broke with cup still in the strut
- This caused the drive shaft to separate at the outer knuckle (tearing the CV boot...of course)
- tore into it and also the front wheel bearing fell into pieces upon hub removal
- getting it off the trailer the machine was stuck in "LOW"...this was not an issue before
- during gear case oil change about an inch of water came out first, then a little bit of oil. Placing my finger in the gear case drain hole, I could feel quite a bit of slop in what I believe was the chain after looking at the parts breakdown online. (it's almost resting on the bottom).

I listed all this because the ball joint, drive shaft and boot are all taken care of. However it is in my garage stuck in "LOW". Another thread said to look at the cover on the right upper side of the gear case, (under the shift indicator switch). I did and no surprise, it was all corroded, nasty with sludge. Cleaned everything up (the pin that pulls down as a safety feature to shift from high to low is retracting enough). I got it turned around in the garage to take it for a test drive (to see if it just needed to be rolling), no luck. It felt like it was in 4x4, so I hit the switch and cycled it, light illuminated and went out, but it still drove/steered hard. Found out later after it was back in the garage and back tires lifted, that it is still in 4x4 even though the odometer light says no.

So you know everything I know, (sorry for the long post). Any ideas to the stuck tranny and also being still in 4 wheel drive? Are they related? If I fix the 4x4 issue would it then shift, (probably someone will say, won't know until you fix it . Not sure why it is stuck in 4x4, thought may be they did something to the gear case or front differential by loading it on the trailer in reverse with a screwed up front end. Thanks for your time everyone!

Gary

 

Welcome! This is a complicated gear case on this model. As you've seen already you have an external set of gears along with the gears,shift forks,chain,etc inside. Most of the problem I had were on the double gears and "wave" washers that separated them,the internal "silent" chains and the wide shift forks.PLUS this gear case was only used a couple of years!Also if any of the outer gear teeth(behind the cover you removed) are broken,chipped,could be the cause of it stuck in low. One reason for the AWD to be engaged could be the plastic roll cage inside the front housing that possibly has cracked locking it in awd all the time. This was a bad problem also. Look here under your model under "gear case" and "front housing" and you will see what is involved in both areas. Browse OPT

 

I am looking at the site now, but to clarify your comment about the teeth. I looked it over pretty good...all the teeth were present under that cover. The pain in the butt was that spring that pushes up on a lever engaging one of the outer gears. This is a tip for anyone in the future...take something long skinny in width and thin and as the cover goes back on, push down (I used an allen wrench), on the arm with that rides on the spring and the the cover back should go on all the way...DO NOT FORCE IT! I tried installing the cover screws to drive it in place, but when it didn't go, I backed off with the other approach.

If you have an index number that I should be looking at on the front diff, ( I think you are talking about 9 or 10) can you shoot that number to me. I might be mechanically inclined, but going from fighter aircraft to ATV's, I still need to learn the jargon

Also you mentioned it was only used a few years, if I end up getting one from an ATV salvage yard, would a later model mount up? I sure hope the front diff is the cause of all this...but my gut tells me I have multiple issues here.

 

I believe your facing multiple issues also. Item #9 and #10 are the problem areas I was referring to. If the plastic cage is cracked,replacement aluminum roll cages are available through Polaris,plus some members have interchanged cages from John Deere,etc. You can do a search and probably come up with the part#'s on this forum. Not sure what model gear cases may interchange if any.I just was never fond of working on this one and Polaris didn't keep it in the line up that long. OPT

 

An update on the front differential, (stuck in 4x4). It is tore apart and the nylon roll cage is intact, but if I can find the John Deere equivalent in aluminum that I read about, I think maybe I might just go ahead and replace it. The only thing I saw wrong is the needle roller thrust bearing (index 21) on the polaris parts list, was corrode in place. So this along with finding out that I was not suppose to put the gear oil (synthetic 75/130) that I did, I do not know what else to check. I connect the electric harness (2 pin) and turned on AWD and I thought something that looks like a magnet and a "shoe" would magnetize, but nothing. Also the wiring that goes into cover side is not on the break down along with the dowel pin and shoe that it rides on. Could it be part of index 2 (which is over $1,000.00 bucks!!). So this is where I am at with this problem and trying to find out what those two wires go to. Okay, found the part numbers...decision time.

 

Item#2 cover plate assembly can fail,yep $1060 at Cycle Parts Warehouse. Number has changed from #3234093 to #1332990. Usually they update parts because of possible problems . Armature plate #23 also needs to be changed #3233924. Check for any wiring shorts into the cover assembly especially right at the wiring input at the cover. This is where I found a lot of shorts. Plus you take the brown wire and splice into it to a positive frame ground to see if it's a ground problem on the wiring to the coil. OPT

 

Final update (I hope) and a question. After getting the parts in (both chains in the gear box and a few bearings), it's all back together and curing the permatex sealant. What I did seems to work, because I can shift it on the bench with little effort. The pinion bearing was the worst of them all.

What I would like to know is if anyone has ever packed the external gear compartment with a petroleum paste (grease or vasoline)? I know water is going to migrate back in there...even with new o-rings and gasket. But it will get warm and liquify most greases and then possibly run out. I was thinking of vasoline, but wanted to post this and see what other ideas are out there.

On a separate note, the John Deere front diff parts installed just fine, but the JD cage is not aluminum but of a different composite material, (guess I misread a the thread that talked about this). The cage I ordered actually came with a new armature plate (FYI).

Now I have seen a few threads on here about AGL gear box oil and alternatives. I am not here to start an oil war or take anything away from AGL or AMSOIL, but after having this gear box completely tore apart and seeing that it is just bearings, gears and chains; I decided to go with Royal Purple MAX ATF. Same color, viscosity, synthetic, and about 5.00 dollars less per quart. This is just what "I" decided and there is a lot more experienced opinions on this website than me.

I also modified the foot brake gearbox pin that makes you step on the brake to shift. A mature adult is driving this machine, so I told him the lower hole is almost wore through and a new one cost 155.00 dollars, or I could take my dremel tool and cut off the pin where it engages the external shifting gears, (I cut the pin off).

I did this rebuild with no special tools except a clutch puller and had it from a previous wheeler project. I also have a slide hammer that came in handy with bearing removal, (would have rather had a press). So thanks for the advise and private messages, but if someone has packed the external gears with anything please reply and give me your 2 cents.

 

First off glad you have it fixed,plus I've always wanted to cut ALL the detent pins off myself! I did just grind em down for people that were tired of em. Hated having to press the brake to shift, wasn't necessary and just another failed attempt as a safety feature! A lot of people did also and made it known to the dealers and Polaris also and that along with this particular gear case wasn't in the line up that long! When new the outer shift gear assy was packed with seemed like a marine type grease,but would melt down.If you find something better that is more heat resistant,go for it! As far as oil I'm not going to start another oil war either! You can never win on a political debate, religious debate,or a debate on persons oil preference. That I've learned over the years! Had a mechanic in the shop that wouldn't use any thing but good old Texas based Royal Purple in his Mustang! You asked for my on this and you got it Good luck with the atv. OPT

 

Thanks for all your help with this project OPT and 2 cents is always welcome! I will do some research with packing that compartment with "something".