I talked with a guy who knows polaris inside and out. He informed me that the cam does go bad, but when it does, you can visually see massive damage. I am not seeing that. He told me to clean my key switch. He claims that when he worked on polaris bikes mid 90's models, that the key switch would get dirty and cause the ignition to kill or the bike would run terrible. I seriously doubt thats my problem, but i guess I am going to have to clean it and see what happens. Has anyone else heard of this issue? He claims he cleaned and changed hundreds of them.

Any suggestions?

 

Check your run switch on the left handlebar. I had an intermittent problem with a couple of magnums sputtering and backfiring and sometimes just dying and it ended up being the switch in one case and in the other the wiring coming from the switch. what really tipped me off in one case was when i noticed that it only acted up when I was turning left. Started messing around with the wiring leading from the kill switch and found a short.

As others have stated it wouldn't hurt to check the wiring for a short. I know when I opened up my plastics for the first time I was horrified by the wiring. It's a horribly designed mass of shorts just waiting to happen. Seriously, the electrical engineer who designed that harness must have been smoking crack.

 

Well I ruled out another problem. I checked my valve clearance and the exhaust side was measured at .008 and intake measured .008 and .009. I tightened them up to .006 exactly and noticed a slight increase in RPM, very minimal but better. So I opened up again tried it at .004, no better, so went back to .006". I studied the cam and its lobes and it looks good as new. Also opened up the fuel pump and it was clean so I verified it was working which it was. Also went over all my electrical connections and wires, found a few bad wires, replaced them and or taped the up, still nothing....only good idle and backfire through carb when RPM's are elevated. Next I will pull out the key switch and bring it to a guy who claims cleaning it is the answer to all my problems. As usual, I will keep updating..

 

Have you thoroughly cleaned the pilot jet in the carb, sounds like the small pilot jet is plugged,remove it from carb and spray carb cleaner in it to make sure its clean, also remove air fuel scew and do the same.

 

Try disabling the reverse limiter by unplugging the black wire from it.

 

Hi, I've been following your problem here, I got the same thing going one and can't figure the thing out. I've checked everything from the ignition switch to air box and it still runs bad 1/4 throttle and up. The only thing different is if I take the air box off it runs fine, if I put the airbox on even without the air cleaner it runs bad. I have checked the ait tube and I can't see or feel blockage. If any body has any other ideas I'd love to give it a try. Thanks

 

Is the wire still in the intake boot tube?If not vacum will suck it shut

 

don't know if this helps but i have a 99 sportsman and it acted similar tures out it was the key that lines up the crank and flywheel had some how wore.

 

Hey thanks, I did not know about the wire in the intake, there is not one in it, we got this cheap and some of it in a box. Thanks again J.S.

 

Thanks, I'll check that to. Thanks J.S.