[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] Here we go again... just recently replaced impeller, and water pump seal. Gutted the thermostat, and wired the fan to run constantly. I am making sure to keep the radiator clean like a good boy. 40 bucks worth of racing antifreeze, etc. I can't even make one trip without overheating the damn thing. I would love to have a fix for that useless cooling system. Not to mention the rear wheel bearings that are worn out at 1200 miles. My dealer, of course, isn't the least bit sympathetic. I would love to trade it for a Bomb. 800 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Thanks for letting me vent, and tia for any possible solutions.

 

I "thought" my radiator was clean too until I took off the fan & shroud and looked at the rear of it. Mud caked on. I had flushed the front with pressure washer (set on wide fan of course so as not to bend the fins) Soaked it overnight. Sprayed water & air through next day until could see clear through. Mine got so hot sprayed out through the plastic res bottle. Just a thought as I have not been out since doing this. Good luck. I also considered da bomb but it seems to be more of a trail machine and I have alot of work to do with mine.

 

We bought our '02 SP700 used with a blown head gasket. I could tell it was getting very hot when I rode it for the first time. Put a new headgasket on the motor and it runs great, the fan hardly comes on and it runs fairly cool.

Did you ever get it really hot at one time? And afterwards it wouldn't stay cool anymore? Some of the time when something i getting hot but the cooling system appears to be in good working condition...it's a blown headgasket. Direct heat getting past the gasket and heating the coolant.

Look for bubbles in the res. bottle and if there is any smoke coming out the exhaust.

 

Do you know that it is overheating because it is boiling over - or because the LCD is indicating the machine is running hot? If it is the LCD, then I might question it.

 

.By gutting the thermostadt I am assuming you mean you knocked the center out. By doing that you are defeating the purpose of your radiater let alone the whole cooling system. When the thermostadt is closed the coolant on the radiater side does not circulate, it stays in the radiater so it can do it's job, cool the water. When the coolant heats up on the engine side the thermostadt will open allowing the cooled water to move into the engine and the hot into the radiater to repeat the process. By gutting the thermostadt in effect the water will be constantly flow through the radiater not allowing it to do it's job

 

I would take a air compressor or a pressure washer and neither blow or spray it through the radiator untill it flows through. You may have mud caked in there that you dont no about causing the quad to overheat.

 

unless you have a low pressure nozzle for your pressure washer using one to clean out your radiator is a bad idea. it bends the fins and reduces it's ability to cool. how are you determining it's overheating? if your going by the Lcd i would try using a analog temp gauge and replace the gutted thermistat. your aren't running strate water or antifreeze? that will make it overheat too.

 

It is the display first, actually if I don't clean the radiator properly, it will force the display to show overheat. I am sure that it was clean, as I spent several hours cleaning the machine top to bottom for a parade. (We got first prize in the parade btw). Then my wife took it, and brought it back with the display showing hot, and a trail of antifreeze from the water pump seal leaking. I haven't had the coolant spray out of the overflow bottle since last summer. All this with no mud in the radiator. I would like polaris to just admit that they have a problem! The dealer suggested taking the thermostat out, they don't have any clue how to permanently solve the problem, either. Plus, I can't afford to take it in to them after every trip.

 

this is funny. It will just run too cold. It will not keep the radiator from working.. the thermostat lets the water get up to a set temp before opening and flowing the water. With the thermostat gutted it will cool just fine. May overcool. i doubt it though I can't see why you would need a thermostat anyway in a quad.

 

Depending on the thermostat/houseing etc... it can run too cold OR too hot with it not in place. If the coolant moves too fast (w/o any restriction) through the system it doesn't have enough time to cool off in the radiator and hence it gets hot. If there is enough restriction and the coolant does not rush through the radiator too fast, then it will probably run on the cool side.