Well it's time to change the oil on my 08 Sportman 500 EFI. Located everything except where I need to drain 1 cup of oil out of the crankcase.. Anyone have a better explaination of where this is. The manual is pretty vauge. Thanks.

 

Come on all you experts, someone has to know. I'm heading out on vacation in the mountians soon and need to change it before I leave. Thanks

 

I'll do better then tell you...I'll show you! LOL! Click on the link and it will take you to a You-tube video of the oil change!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...jGM6yk&feature=related

 

Man. That would have been sweet if I could have seen the exct drain bolt. There abour 4 I found in the same area so I don't want to drain the wrong one. Thanks for the you-tube though.

 

I just drain the oil out of the oil tank than start the ATV for a few seconds and it pumps out the additional 1/2 cup from the crank case.

 

Well this is the first I've heard about the extra 1/2 cup. My manual mentioned nothing about that. I have a 2007 500........does that matter?

 

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

Well this is the first I've heard about the extra 1/2 cup. My manual mentioned nothing about that. I have a 2007 500........does that matter?</end quote></div>


No, the 500 oil tank and motor has been the same since 96. The oil tanks are just plastic now instead of the old aluminum alloy ones.

 

Let me take a stab at describing this.

One drain plug is on the bottom of the oil tank - easy to find. Do not overtighten this plug!! On the older machines it is a steel plug in an aluminum tank. The newer machines have a steel plug into a brass insert in a plastic tank. Snug only - or follow the recommended torque - easy to strip or pull the brass insert out. There is a nylon sealing washer under the plug - reuse this - careful not to lose it!

The second drain plug is located on the bottom of the engine - drains about 1/2 cup of dirty oil out of the sump. This is a steel plug in an aluminum engine sump. there is a steel compression sealing washer on the plug.

Starting the engine as suggested will get a bit of oil out of the lines, but not the sump. Oil is pumped from the tank, not the engine sump.

As stated all 500 engines since 96 have this sump drain plug.

Look under the ATV, look at the skidplate under the motor. There will be an oval cutout in the skidplate. Look up into the oval cutout and you will see a drain plug. What will fool you is the drain plug is on the side of the motor, not the bottom of the motor as expected. It is on the side, at the very bottom of the side. The head of the bolt faces the right side of the machine, and is located roughly behind the pivot for the foot brake pedal.

Reach up with a 14mm wrench and loosen the plug. Next, reach up with 2 fingers and spin the bolt out. Let the dirty oil drain. Now the tricky part!! Getting the drain plug back in is finicky. I reach up with the plug between 2 fingers and set it in the hole. I reach up with the other hand and a long thin screwdriver and put slight pressure on the head of the bolt to hold it in place. Now I use the two fingers to spin the bolt in. Finally, snug it up with a wrench. On some years, you can see the drain plug head from the side of the machine when looking in the area of the foot brake pedal. On some I have used a 1/4" socket and long extension with wobble drive to reach in this way.

When you have done it once, it will be easy the next time!!

If you have a snow plow drive plate bolted under the machine (as I do), you will have that much farther to reach up to get this sump drain plug in and out!

Remember to grease!! The first Sportsman had 32 grease zerks. This was reduced to 25 when the axles went to full CV joints and the tie-rod ends changed. The newest machines have only 5. Remember also, maximum 3 pumps to the zerk on the splined extension "prop shaft" leading to the front of the machine. This joint has seals that can be dislodged if too much grease is put in. I usually just give it a single pump.

Hope this helps!

deej

 

It most cetainly did. I changed the oil last week and I'm 99% sure my manual said nothing about the second drain plug. Thanks for the tips. I'll be sure to drain in completely next oil change.

 

Deej, that was a very helpful and articulate reply. Nice job.