I have a 97 Polaris sportsman 500. I am pretty knowledgable with mechanics on at a,but this has me stumped. Quad is hard to start put new starter,bendix, both starter bushing. Dam near impossible to pull. Took cover off adjusted valve to .006 removed rockers no grove and cam lobes are perfect. So I remove cam cover and compression lever is not up against dowel it's just hanging there. So I order two new springs. The lever moves freely I faced cam down and removed and inspected it seems fine small wear mark from cam ball but actually not bad. I manually push lever against dowel and the ball pushes out of the cam and I cam see lifter move slightly. I put new spring on exactly as manual shows also did not load spring. It still isn't strong enough to hold lever against dowel? I am under the impression that spring is to hold it there to push ball out to release some compression for starting and then when it reaches 300rpm the momentum spins it off the shaft and releases ball? Pic shows the spring with about 1/4 inch load. Isn't it suppose to hold it firmly against the dowel until started? I can start with pull start if I roll it over compression stroke. And if I use the starter trying a couple times to start it it locks up and I have to hit starter few times to get over hump. If I don't get it started after about 5 attempts the battery won't start it. The battery reads 12.6 at rest and 13.9 running. I read about this problem with spring before it's driving me crazy I want this fixed. Could someone please help me out with this issue. I would really be thankfull

 

Detent lever should be able to push out and spring back to the stop. You may have the spring backwards or else the detent shaft itself may have a burr on it inside the cam causing binding problems. Simple operation but everything has to be right.Item#16.

 

Spring is right only thing I notice is when I pull lever out install spring and push back in hole I feel pressure like oil. It wants to push shaft out I have to pull pull cord slightly and it stays in like it fills with oil and pull start flushed it out. It turn easy see no burr pull starting it I watch it flop all over. The spring seems so weak I can hold lever up to dowel and it will literally fall away when I remove finger

 

All three springs do it

 

Spring is right only thing I notice is when I pull lever out install spring and push back in hole I feel pressure like oil. It wants to push shaft out I have to pull pull cord slightly and it stays in like it fills with oil and pull start flushed it out. It turn easy see no burr pull starting it I watch it flop all over. The spring seems so weak I can hold lever up to dowel and it will literally fall away when I remove finger

 

One other thing if you look at preload it says 1/4 inch mine fully loaded lands half way on dowel not even close to the picture. I don't see no wear on lever lobe

 

It is in the 20s here ,but would think it would stay in place when letting finger off. It just falls lol

 

Just removed cover and looking you can't put spring on backwards. Flipping it and it's still the same!

 

One other question I do have is this the original cam?

 

Not sure bought it used,but I do know the lobes check out good