I did the first oil change after break-in on my girlfriend's '07 Sportsman 500 last weekend. I did go through the full process including pulling out and cleaning the fitting with the screen and draining the crankcase. What a pain in the a**. But my biggest problem is that I couldn't get confirmation that the oil pump was primed at the end. I followed the documented procedure: pinched the oil line (I used a needle-nose pliers) at the specified point (as far as I could tell), ran the engine for 20-30 seconds, then released the pressure on the oil line. I tried this at least 5 times and never heard the sound of air coming out from that line.

I've done some searching on this forum and am a little confused. It sounds like this oil line has some sort of marking on it where the slit is supposed to be. And it sounds like you can physically see or feel the slit. On my oil line, there is no mark and I can't see or feel any slit. The line has does have markings on that say something like "Goodyear 50psi fuel/emission". In other words, it looks like it's standard rubber fuel line. Do I even have the right line on this thing? Or am I totally missing something? Your help would be appreciated.

 

All I do when I do mine is take the top line off the oil tank. It's on the inside and kinda hard to get at and right on the top. Put your finger over the tank where the hose was and run the engine for your 30 seconds. I'm not too sure if you have the right line. If it's rated for 50psi and good for fuel and emission I would say thats a fuel line not the vent for the oil res. Best of luck

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: SCRAMMYTODD

All I do when I do mine is take the top line off the oil tank. It's on the inside and kinda hard to get at and right on the top. Put your finger over the tank where the hose was and run the engine for your 30 seconds. </end quote></div>

Thanks for the reply, SCRAMMYTODD. When you release your finger, do you still hear and/or feel air being released?

So oil isn't pumped through this line? I don't understand how the oiling system works on this thing and didn't understand how you could have oil running through a line with a slit in it.

 

There is only one hose attached to the oil tank at the top. About two inches from where the hose attaches to the nipple, there will be a about a one inch slit at the top, it runs lengthwise with the hose. You want to pinch the hose between there the end of the nipple is and before the slit starts.

The rush of air you're supposed to listen for is not a loud rush, you can barely hear it. The more pressure that is built up in the tank, the bigger the rush of air, but not necessarily louder. It took me a few tries on mine before I knew for sure that I was hearing it.

Try this: during the 20 second wait as you're pinching the vent line, hold a high idle, like 1,600 RPM. That will build up a bit more pressure and you should hear it, make sure to get your ear as close as possible. You also need to make sure you get an air-tight clamp on the hose or you will never build up enough pressure to make a rush of air.

Good luck!!

 

gs,

Oil doesn't run through the vent line. Have to get ready for work now!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

Thanks for the info, Sheepdog.

As I understand it, it's a dry sump system on this engine. I'm no expert on these, but don't they need a supply line and a return line to the external tank? I only remember seeing 2 lines on that tank, and if the top line is a vent line, how does the oil get in and out of the external tank?

 

gs,

You're correct on the 500 having a dry sump. Look at the front of your engine at about crankshaft level and you'll see two lines coming out of it. The top one is the feed line that comes from the bottom of the oil tank. The bottom one is the return line that connects to the upper part of the oil tank. Follow these lines visually and you'll see right where they connect to the oil tank. At the VERY TOP of the oil tank is the vent line, which goes to the air box.

Hope this helps.

 

OK, I'll admit it. I'm a bonehead. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img] I thought there were only 2 lines on that external tank. It didn't make any sense to me, but that's all I could see. Now that it's been made clear there is a third vent line at the very top (which is the one that needs to be pinched), it all makes sense and I was able to successfully prime the system. Thanks for your help in working through this.

In case you were wondering, it turns out I was pinching the upper oil line on the external tank (the return line) in my effort to prime the system. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] Any chance I did any damage to the engine by doing this?

 

If it was the return line, I think it'll be fine. You may have even primed the engine doing so. All the engine needs is some pressure in there and I think that would've done it. Just keep an eye on the hose in case you may have damaged it.

 

In my opinion Polaris should make the engine oil change a little more user friendly. Seems like I remember my grandfather complaining about the Ford Model A having a similar problem in the 1920's. Well I guess it's to shove money toward the dealerships.

Any way it is what it is so go to a tool supply house and get a specialty needle nose pliers that is about twice as long as a standard pair and has a 45 degree bend at the end. Works very well and makes it easy to get to the vent tube. Also there is a little trick to get the oil out of the crankcase after the oil is drained. Just crank the engine for a few seconds and it pumps the remaining oil out into the tank. I was told this by my dealer friend and it works for me but do it at your own risk. Even with a few short cuts it's still a pain in the a$$$$s

Oh yeah and for a guy like me that has wore out ears hearing that small gush of air is almost impossible. Gotta put the hearing aids in to change the oil.