Was out riding my 2004 Sportsman 700 today and I had just gone over some pretty rough terrain and was slowly moving forward in high gear when I heard this terrible gear grinding sound. Stopped the 4 wheeler and got off with it idling still in high pushed it back a forth and still heard what sounded like it was coming from the trans or the front differential. Popped the ATV out of four wheel and got back on and everything seemed OK. Drove about 20 miles like this and no problems. When I got home I tried to repeat the sound by putting it in FWD again and can't get the ATV to do it again. Could it have been that the 4 wheeler had jumped slightly out of high gear and this was making the noise. I've never heard it before and have 2000 miles in the ATV. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Trooper

 

if you took it out of awd and it didnt do it it must be the front end or maybe one hub wasnt engauging on the way causing the grinding. just a guess.

 

Could be that it was somehow disingauged but I had been riding it in AWD for like 3 hours not switching back a forth or anything and it just started the grinding sound (really sounded like gears grinding). The odd thing and the reason it's so disturbing is that I can't make the 4 wheeler do it again. I've had it up and down the road for about 2 miles in AWD now and it runs just fine???

Trooper

 

Drained all the fluids yesterday. both differentials, trans, motor oil. There was no metal shavings on the magnetic drain plugs and the fluids were all at the right levels and clean. Rode it around some more and still can't reproduce the noise.

Any Ideas??????????

Trooper

 

That will happen from time to time, just stop and put it in reverse and go a few feet.
should be ok.
Mine did it once in 4 1/2 years just a few months ago and not since.
My buddies '05 did it twice.

Jim

BTW also the trans will grind gears once in a while when you just put it into gear and give a little throttle.
Happed about 3 times to me.

Don’t know how "normal" these things are, just gears not meshing right I guess.

 

Thanks Jim,
I took it to the Polaris dealer yesterday so he could give it a once over. That sound really scared me. He rode it around and just like me couldn't reproduce the sound. He kept it and is going to check the belt and a few other things. I tried to explain to him this was gears grinding not the sound of a malfuncting belt but, oh well. I'll give a report when I get it back.

Trooper

 

Got it back from the shop Thursday. There was a rock in the drive belt case. Pretty good sized one too. No idea how it got in there. He said riding over oily roads can pick up rocks and toss them into the breather for the case under the tank. Just glad that's all it was. He said no damage done. Will have her out to put her to the test today [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Trooper