My friend's 2002 500HO sportsman primary clutch has a groove at the bottom causing the belt to jump the one way bearing grooves. When it does this it becomes difficult to shift. Does anyone have a suggestion to remedy this until he can afford a new primary and secondary clutch/transmission. Also where can he get the best price on the aforementioned parts.

Thanks
Griz former polaris owner and regretting it!

P.S
He caused this problem by only using high range, his dealer did not warn him on the dangers of this.

 

So did the belt burn grove n the plates? What are the dangers?

 

Oh boy, that sounds all too famliar. We have 1700 miles on our 02 sportsman 500HO and we are on our 3rd clutch, soon to be 4th. I can't figure out why it burns the groove in there. I heard of someone adjusting there motor mounts fixing the problem that way. I think the EBS has alot to do with it. I am going to eliminate the EBS this time, I gotta get a different primary and secondary, and I think that should take care of this problem. I can't afford to keep sticking new clutches in this thing.
Has he ever filled the clutch area with water? That is definetly the easiest way to burn that groove in your clutch.

 

No water that I know of, the biggest problem is the hard shifting. The belt does have some damage to the radial grooves from jumping the one-way bearing. I am looking at going to a non ebs belt in hopes that a non radial grooved belt would find its own center.

Is there someone out there that sells the clutches cheaper than our dealer.

 

If I remember correctly Polaris did have a batch of bad clutches around the 2002 model year but that information is not going to help you other than if your getting a used one.

The other thing to remember is that using high range for slow riding never lets the belt move up the face of the clutch and will create a lot of heat and wear the grooves in the face. In high, be aggressive with the throttle and get it moving.

 

If you reach down in the front clutch (with the belt off),you will see that the center hub collar(with the little belt grooves in it)will move in and out a bit.THIS is your problem.Have the dealer pull apart your primary(remove the spider) with a grunt tool.He will have to replace the metal and fibre shims that hold that collar still. The parts(shims are cheap) and labor are minimal,and it should be done in a half hr.
The BELT MUST be replaced as well(even if it only has a few miles of running on the deteriorated clutch. GOOD polaris dealers are very familiar with this VERY COMMON problem on 01' ans 02" 500HO's.
When that little spline collar developes play (in and out),the belt rides against the fixed inner sheave of the primary clutch and creeps ahead. Common every 1000 miles on 500HO's. Do not try to keep using one of these models once it starts creeping,as it will soon get worse and hurt shift linkages etc. At the same time add one more shim onto the shaft that the sec clutch is on.This will move out the sec clutch .030 thou. and correct the alignment

I am AMAZED at the amount I seem to hear from customers that the dealer sells them a new clutch each time.Print this off and take it to your dealer if he is unfamiliar with the problem.

 

helix ,has this problem been adressed in the 03 and 04 500 ho"s?

 

I suppose it is too late once the groove is worn in the clutch huh? Or will it be ok if we make that fix?

 

I have mine at the dealer right now replacing the clutch. Because of the groove. Is it to late once there is a groove in it.

 

I'm not sure if the problem still exists in 03,04,but the shims they use to replace in the front cluch are a better material.
Many have been fixed that had a bit of grooving in them,many non ebs scramblers out there run fine with grooves in them(the scrambler only has high range,and a lot of belt slippage with stock clutching).