Hello,

Looking for advice! While I was out of town my son rolled my 2006 Sportsman 500EFI. Him and his buds winched it back over after an hour on it's top. She lost a good bit of engine oil and I didn't know. I was riding it down my road and noticed a power loss, I turned around to head home and she quit running on me.

If you haven't figured it out by now it was out of oil. It will turn over but not start, I put oil back in her but it was to late. I only have 350 miles on it and my question is?

1) Should I scrap it and buy a new one.

2) Rebuild the motor and at what cost and problems down the road?

3) Trade it for a 2007 500 EFI.

A dealer here tried to lead me down that road, offered me a 2007 500 EFI camo for $4399 + my ATV for trade. He said the BB Value on the 2006 was 4290 and would give me 3000 trade for mine. I would guess a rebuild will run $1290 or less at dealer cost???

What all is it going to need to get her back on the road again, I am not an engine man.

My son is paying the bill with his bank account. I still want the best idea.

Egressman (Sick inside)

Thanks!

 

It's a very tough call. These motors are not real tough to work on. That being said, some folks just don't want to try and I don't blame them. Things that could help you with dealer cost. Pull the motor yourself and let them rebuild it. It will be cheaper since they won't have as many hours tearing the quad down. Look for a replacement motor on ebay---longshot. Take the chance of rebuilding it yourself, with your sons help. What's the worst that could happen. Try to find a buddy or member to help out. Lot's of us will work for beer and conversation.

 

You have a lot of options, none very appealing. Your son really screwed up so this is going to be a costly lesson.

If it was me I?d start with the end result I expected to achieve and work backwards from there to figure out what I can live with. I would want things put back the way they were before the ?incident,? in other words a perfectly running reliable machine. And I wouldn?t want to spend the next 18 Saturdays trying to get there. Personally, I?d trade it. I have a lot more confidence in motors that are factory built than those rebuilt in the field after being run without lubricant. Back in ?00(?) we ran a Mag 325 out of oil. Traded it for a Mag 500 the next day. I never wanted to see that 325 again (for various reasons) but followed it?s rebuild. When they got it apart they found the damage was limited to the top end. $1200 rebuild ticket (not at cost obviously). I would be very suspicious of anyone who tells you what it will cost to rebuild it before it comes apart unless he?s giving you worst case scenario numbers, and that doesn?t add up to $1200 to be sure.

If your dealer has a competent service department and offers a reasonable warranty consider having him rebuild it. Or drop a fresh motor in it. Or trade it (my preference). Unfortunately for you (and your son) I?m sure you?ll be factoring in just how much this lesson will cost him. Tough choice, but maybe he?ll learn something valuable.

As a compromise you might consider choosing the least expensive of the available options for your son?s contribution and covering the difference in the cost of a trade. After all, you?d be getting a new machine. But at 325 miles you ?had? a new machine. Good luck on this one.

 

If I would have done something like that when I was a kid, my dad would have kept the wheeler and traded me in. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Now I did tear up a tranny on his Suburban, once. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Had to help him put a new one in. Never knew an automatic tranny weighed that much before.

That being said, if you do decide to rebuild it yourself, I'd make sure he was right by my side helping. No sense in only you missing out on other things while you do this. Be a good experience for him too. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I definetly agree with the fact that he should help you repair it if that is the way you choose to go, seeing as how it was run out of oil, I am not sure if I would choose to rebuild it, I have had the top end off of a dirt bike and that is not too bad, I can rebuild auto trannies in cars and engines in cars, but I have never ventured into the bottom end of a quad. If you do go that route I would buy a factory service manual so that you know exactly what you are getting into.

It might be wise to get the manual before you decide, I would think that the 06-07 quad would not change much so you would have a manual even if you do trade it.

If you trade I would definetly have him with you so that he can see exactly what the process of getting it to the dealer and see how much you are loosing on a trade for a (barely broken in) fourwheeler that was run out of oil.

 

Maby a dumb question, but would insurance cover it becuase the engine damage occured due to an accident? Like it stayed running under water, or with a hole in the oil pan or something like that.

I don't know just a thought.

 

its a polaris not a bmw it cannot be that hard .. i would bet the hardest part would be getting it out ... its a hard call but iwould rebuild it , the then again i am a engine tech at a auto dealer.no need to throw the quad away... may just need pistin and rings was it knocking or just lose compression??if you are not ok w/ the job pull the eng and find somebody to do it... do you have full coverage ins,, it is a resultof a accident i bet they would cover it.. if some one bottoms out a car and ripps the oil pan off and destroys the eng ins companys pay for it i see it all the time ...do your self a faver and check it out.. if you dont have ins i bet you put it on the new on

 

Thanks for all the great advice, I knew I would get all angles covered!

I have looked at my options and I am going to tackle the rebuild, if I have issues I will seek help. I ordered the manual and will start looking for rebuild parts.

Should I go OEM or upgrade to after market parts. 2006 parts are sometimes hard to get.

Any info on the rebuild would be great!!!

My son will be along side and there is no heat in the garage either.

I don't have insurance on it so that option will not work, learned my lesson there.

Will I have to get the cylinder bored or just honed?

Egress Man[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

The only real part I can see going after market on are the rings and piston. Wait til you get in there to decide on what you need.

 

I'd trade if off, for the cost of repairs, you could have a newer quad the same day!