when i first got the 700 3 months ago i noticed what i thought to be a slight-but noticable metal tapping while the engine was at idle. it would slightly clear during a blip of the gas in park. since then i've let it slide since the exhaust was way louder then the idle tapping.
now, today while i was standing next to it, i heard the old familiar tapping, so i lean down next to the right side of the engine while it was at idle and i noticed that the tapping was from the center or bottom end of the engine, not the valves at all. i put my head in the front wheel well and it was smooth and perfect, but with my head down low next to the r/h foot board i could hear the internal tapping clear as ever, even while standing yupright next to the machine , i can hear it over the idle exhaust notes.
is this just the normal mechanical sound of a polaris 700 or is it the early stage of the bottom bearings prematurely failing.?? it clears up as soon as you just tap the gas, the quad runs and does everything perfectly, it ran hard and strong all day long, as usual.!!!! it has 720 miles on it now and fresh oil.
what are your thoughts out there vets.??? i had an awesome ride out there today regardless............thanks in advance, jdv700

 

I have an '02, and the ticking you are hearing is the exhaust touching the head of a bolt on your motor mount. I had the same expierence. To find out if this is what is your troubles, start from the beginning of your exhaust from the head...follow the exhaust pipe back where it goes beside the head and you will see a bolt that is very close to your exhaust pipe...you should see marks where it was rubbing. Mine would rattle more when it was in forward or reverse when the motor was torqued which made me think that it was the lifters, but it was that bolt. I have looked at 7 or 8 700's and they all have wear marks on that bolt and exhaust where they have rubbed. If you find that this is your case as well, let me know and I will tell you how to fix it.

Ryan

 

to ryang,
thanks for the response, i just checked mine as you said. i can see where your talking about perfectly. i have almost a 1/2" gap there with no rub marks. also, my tapping is constant until i rev it or get going then it seems to mellow, but the exhaust has just drowned it out. and as it's at idle i touch the black r/h side cover and can feel the tapping in step with the audible tone. again, just wondering if this is a normal polaris sound or something serious, either way it runs and pulls like a monster just like the day i bought it. thanks, again. jdv700

 

i have the same sound on my 700 at idle, its not the exhaust, it souns kinda like a rod knock but i know its not because soon as the rpms go higher than idle it quits so i would like to find out what it is, thanks

Bob

 

bob,
thanks for the info. like a rod knock, a very faint one though, like you said, mine had it when i first got it and has stayed the same up to now. i think i just forgot hearing the sound thru the months and it caught my attention yesterday. the sound clears up completely during a blip of the gas, short or long rev.
thanks for the reply, glad to hear it. i just want to know if i can put this worry to rest, thanks again. jdv700

 

anyone else have an idea as to what the bottom end tapping noise is in 2 different sportsman 700's.? again, it's only at idle, then tends to disolve with rpm....

 

That rod knock sound is the water pump doing it's thing, perfectly normal. When I bought mine, I went back to the dealer and he started all the twins in his lot and they all made the same sound.

I also had the header pipe hitting the casting on the cylinder head somewhere, I thought that's it, it's the rod bearing going just like I read about. But I figured it out and adjusted the exhaust brackets and it went away. What a horrible rod knocking sound.

BTW, we have a bunch of Polaris twins out this way and never heard of a major engine problem and some of them Sportsmans are getting old and crusty.

 

andre,
thanks for the relief. about your heel-clicker clutch kit, how do you like it, what are your comments on it and what i'm looking for is more bit from idle to the tires. would you or any of you recommend this kit.? thanks in adv, joe

 

Joseph, I installed the Heelclicker clutch kit and the cold weather carb update at the same time so I dont know what made more of a change but the 600 went like a r&ped ape after that. I was impressed. It won't really wheelie with out me leaning back and tugging on the bars but it'll spin those 589's on tar.

Yes the Heelclicker will let you adjust the engagement point with primary springs and clutch fly weights. You'll get to know your PVT system inside and out by the time you get it dailed in.

Good luck.

 

andre,
thanks for the clutch info, thats friggin crazy that we can get that kind of benefit from the clutch kit. i'll order mine in the morning. what did you have added or done to your carb, winter kit.? and what are your final settings with your clutch, color springs and such, so i may start there as a baseline.? thanks, for your time, joe.
do you have any pics of your wheels in the gallery on this site.? i'd like to post pics also.