I've been having an ongoing sputting problem on my 98 sportsman 500. The other day i went for a ride down the trails to help diagnose my issue. I came to a decent size frozen pond. I started playing around on it, because this would let me see exactly how the sputtering acted under different loads. I noticed that if i hold it wide open, it will bogg and stutter for 20-30 seconds but then it will bring itself back to life. Also if going slow into the throttle after about 1/4 throttle it bogs, but if i let off the throttle and get back on it wide open its good.

Anyways i'm stationary on the ice in 2wd mode doing my thing. As I slide to the edge of the pond, still in 2wd, the moment the front tires start to climb up the dirt it throws itself into 4wd, and staps the drivers side front CV joint. The rubber root is not torn, and no fluid leaked out. But if you feel the boot closest to the hub, its filled with broken parts.

How and why did it jump into 4wd on its own?

 

Magnetized armature plates are the number one reason for awd engagement even in two wheel drive,but possibly could have a worn cv joint to begin with and finally gave way!

 

How do you avoid magnetizing the armature plates?? Or does it just happen ?

 

Just happens with age,plus leaving awd switch on all the time takes its toll on the plate! Plate becomes magnetized and sticks to coil face allowing hillard to sometimes lock in hub even if in two wheel drive!

 

Although this is an older model machin, I still consider it to be a baby. It has less then 1,500 miles on it. and hours are around 230. I am quickly learning my lesson on buying a used machine!

 

Go on ebay and contact the cv guy he has evrything to fix it, good service and cheaper than dealer.

 

sounds like you just need to replace the u joint if I read that right. $30.00. It also would be a good time to go thru your hubs and change the fluid. OPT will the plate demagnetize if left on something metallic while off the machine?

 

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

sounds like you just need to replace the u joint if I read that right. $30.00. It also would be a good time to go thru your hubs and change the fluid. OPT will the plate demagnetize if left on something metallic while off the machine?</end quote></div>

Just replace plates on both sides,cheap compared to cv joint or your own safety! About 10 bucks a piece,maybe able to get em cheaper online! Machines that are not used often can have sometimes more problems than machines that are beaten to death,just because of sitting up!

 

If you need the cv joints try "thecvman" on Ebay ;-)

 

OPT- the plates your refering to which have become magnitized. Are they number 4 in the fiche program? #4 - PLATE, ARMATURE?