Should have, could have, would have! Too late now. My 06 Hawkeye has a vent with tubing on the front of the diff, but still has the hole.

The 08 400HO has the hole but not a vent & tube like the Hawkeye.

Too bad you can't talk with tech support at Polaris directly. Things sometimes loose detail when going through a 3rd party like; consumer/dealer/mfg.

Just have to keep digging.

 

could it be a drain for the steering so water dosent set up under the gold piece?

 

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

could it be a drain for the steering so water dosent set up under the gold piece?</end quote></div>

After seeing the picture, I think that is close bet. It looks like a drain for the steering post to me. I went back and looked at the parts breakdown and it has a faint line leading to the area under the post for the line. I bet that is exactly what it is,and a dime to a dollar says the area under where the post mounts is sealed.
Still seems weird there is no vent.

Ok, I just went and looked at my 850..has a hole as well but it is on the back side, like rigor mortis said it is a drain for the steering post and that cavity below where the post mounts.

 

Ya know Boys, When we brought the Wifes 08 300 home I found a vent line that didn't go no where and couldn't find the front tranny vent line, So we took it back and asked, they called Polaris and was told the vent for the front tranny is in the steering post and I could remove the vent line. Some body just has to fill up the hole with water and see what happens.

 

Hobbles, good idea with the water, let us know how it works out. LOL

For me, it apparently is not a problem any more. Thanks for everyones input.

 

I might have to do that, Heck,, it's my Wife's quad

 

looked up the front diff. on the "cheapcycleparts.com site where the diagrams are a bit sharper then the Polaris site and Octane is right, it shows a hole for the fitting under the steering post mount so the vent tube can go straight up the steering post

 

What ever this hole is, it is not a drain. When you look into it, you can see that the opening goes down. You would have to set the machine straight up on end to get any thing to drain out of it. This needs to be plugged or vented with a tube.
My dealer says, the Polaris tech people say, it is a vent. I would like to know what other dealers say? ( PLEASE ASK AND POST. )
I don't doubt my dealer, but I wonder about Polaris.
I emailed Polaris about this and their reply was "ask your local dealer / tech person'' and don't reply to this e-mail. WE SHOULD EXPECT MORE THAN THAT!
As for myself, I am going to install a vent tube.
Thanks everyone!

 

Dana,

It really is just a drain for the hollow steering post and that cast cavity it mounts to,nothing more. It does not allow water or anything else into the differential. My '09 850 has the same thing. It is nothing at all to be concerned with.

 

HIGHOCTANE, what you're saying is that the main cavity where the gears are is seperated by metal from the area that the hole is supposed to drain?

I can check that right now, be right back.