Cooling fan locked up on my brother's '98 SP500. It got hot enough to melt the wiring 4 inches back from the fan motor. I Called two dealers in Tulsa, They didn't have it in stock, one said it would be twelve to fifteeen days to get the part. The part was going to cost 89 bucks plus tax. Instead of waiting on the Polaris fan motor to come in,(WE have an inch of ice on the roads, perfect riding conditions) I went to a National discount AUTO- parts store and bought a cooling fan ('85 Toyota Camery)for 44 dollars. It was really close to the Polaris motor. It is completely sealed and required very little modifications to make it work. Just thought I would pass on this small bit of info, in case someone wanted to save 50 bucks.
Ride'em hard Polcat

 

Polcat,
For future refernce, the fans off the 98SP500 are easy to repair. The common problem is the bearings. They are easily removed and replaced. There are 2 of them and they cost $3 each. I am not surer what caused your problem though. If the bearings jsut locked up causing the motor and wiring to get hot, you may still be able to salvage it. The first time you replace the bearings, they may be a little hard to remove off the shaft. After that, it is a very quick and easy procedure. I think the bearing part numer is 608 and can be bought at any bearing shop. the best thing to do is pull the bearings and have the bearing shop match them.

Greg

 

Greg, I freed the bearings up, but the wiring inside is screwed.. The fan wouldn't run even with me spinning it manually. Apearantly this fan has been trying to run for quite sometime. My brother doesn't do much maintenance,to say the least! lol . Ride'em hard Polcat