Hi All,

I have a 2002 500HO that has seen no use last year. I was stored in the fall of 04 and started up once in 05 but not driven. In 04 it was last run with Stabilizer in the gas.
Probably not a lot of help after 2 years!

I am getting it back in use this year and have one problem. It won't idle.
I drained the fuel and put in fresh gas with a little fuel line cleaner. Pull the choke and it starts right up. It runs smooth at fast idle. As soon as I push the choke in 1/3 it starts to sputter. When I push it in 1/2 it dies. I can keep it running if I rev it up before I push the choke in, but it will die as soon as I let the revs drop.

When I started it up last year it was fine. This machine has about 50 miles on it total.
I am assuming that a jet is clogged in the carb from the old gas.

Do you think if I ran it a little for a few days with the fresh gas and cleaner it would clear up? Wishful thinking?

I have a parts manual with the breakdown of the carburetor. Do you know what jet controls the idle and the best way to get to it?

Thanks for any help you can give me,

Ring..

 

Start it up and spray a whole can of carb. cleaner through the carb

 

sounds like a pilot jet is cloged, pull off the carb take off the bowl and give it a good clean might as well check the main jet too.

 

Hi

I got the spray carb cleaner and removed the float bowl. I removed and cleaned everything I could get at. I ran a fine wire and shot cleaner in every hole I could see. I cleaned the jets and reassembled it. On the lower side of the carb, next to the bowl, there is a needle valve. I removed it and cleaned it and the passage way.

Put it all back. No change.

I'm thinking that some of the internal passages might be clogged. I'll need to completly remove the carb and tear it down. The only two things that I haven't disconnected while working on the carb are the choke cable and the throtle cable. At first look, it wasn't obvious at how to remove the cables.

Any idea how to remove them on this carb?
Does anyone know of an online store that sells a barb rebuild kit for a stock 2002 sportsman 500?

Thanks for your help so far. I'll keep you posted.

Ring

 

The choke cable just unscrews and the throttle cable you have to take the 4 screws out of the little black cover on the side of the carb,screw your throttle adjustment in all the way on the throttle cable and carb to get enough slack, there is a keeper on the throttle cable, take it out, unscrew cable from carb and your free.use carb cleaner and the little tube to blow through everything, also there is a brass plug over the air screw on the bottom of carb,drill it out and remove it so you can adjust the air screw, do a search on here, there is a service procedure from polaris about it.

 

Thanks,

I was able to remove the throtle cable keeper by just just getting some slack by opening up the throtle plate. The choke came easy off like you said. I cleaned it on the bench an re-installed it.

It idled fine without the choke! Amen... I can also get on the throtle without any hesitation. It seems to be rumming a little rich at idel though. There is a needle valve right next to the bowl on the bottom side of the carb when mounted. It was set 2 1/8 turns out from fully seated when I disassembled the carb. I put it back to the same spot. Is this an idle mixture screw?

I didn't adjust it yet, but thats my next step to see if I can adjust the idle mixture.

Thanks again,

Ring

 

That's the pilot, factory setting is 2turns out. My carb didn't have the EPA brass plug in it from the factory, did your's? I have mine at 2 1/2 with and exhaust and K&N filter. They are set very rich from the factory.

 

Good info.

There was no brass plug.
The reason I think it idles rich, is that after it idles for a few minutes, it gives off a puff of smoke when I rev up. It clears up after a few seconds and revs up great. it only does this if it idles for more than 5 minutes.

I haven't had a chance to get it out of the garage yet. Sounds like I might be in good shape right were I'm at. What do you think?

Thanks for the support.

Ring...

 

I would say that it is loading up, especially if you let it idle for a few minutes-don't do that-rev it every 20-30 seconds. Give it a try! P.S. change the fuel filter! It is a little white filter near the fuel pump under the left front fender. Mandatory!

 

you could also drop your needle or raise to lean it out.