OK .. I am sure a lot of you guys are tired of this question .. sorry. But after looking at every other thing I could think of ... I am going to check the cam (still can not understand how that went in one day). So what tips / advice can you give me for a 2000 sportsman 500!!

Can I check the cam lobes while the engine is on the machine? If it is bad do I have to take off the engine to replace? anything besides the cam shaft I will have to order or should look at? Besides ordering from local dealer anywhere else I should look? How big a mess am I in for? Any tips at all on the process would be great!!

thanks everyone ..

Steve

 

Take the valve cover off,pull recoil and check that CENTER (exhaust cam lobe) is eliptical,not ground smooth or flat! If its the cam,then its always the exhaust lobe. In 21 years havent seen an intake really bad. If lobe is bad then replace rocker arm along with cam. IF everything looks good set valves at .006 intake and exhaust. Not hard to change out ,BUT as I've mentioned before a 25 buck manual will solve a lot of your questions better than hearing a dozen different answers from me and other guys when it gets down to engine electrical and internals! Good luck

 

Thanks guy ... I do have a service manual .. reading it scares the $%^% out of me. The advice is what the book does not say! Your saying not only the $200 cma shaft needs to be replaced but also the rocker arm!! Not feeling good about Polaris at the moment! anything else I should know before i attempt this? I really can't afford to pay a shop to do this ...

steve

 

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

Thanks guy ... I do have a service manual .. reading it scares the $%^% out of me. The advice is what the book does not say! Your saying not only the $200 cma shaft needs to be replaced but also the rocker arm!! Not feeling good about Polaris at the moment! anything else I should know before i attempt this? I really can't afford to pay a shop to do this ...



steve</end quote></div>

IF exhaust lobe worn,then YES cam needs to be replaced! Usually rocker arm scored also from cam! Just read CAREFULLY and take your time!

 

It seems like the manual does`nt scare Me as bad as the possibility of messing something up while I`m in there.
To take some of the fright out of working on My own machines I always read the procedure through from start to finish.I then always go through the procedure from step one and follow through and rereading each step if I do not fully understand what it is telling Me to do to accomplish the task at hand.
At least You have started the proper procedure by aquiring the manual for Your machine,Rely on it and if You have any ???? or are having a problem understanding a procedure then ask away.
The only dumb question is the one that is not asked about.These are usually the ones that will cost $$$$$$$ and down time.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

also.. i was at the shop the other day.. and maybe they were just trying to get me to buy there oil.. but he said on my 99 500 and years around that... alot of them had problems with cams because back when they first came out they used regular motor oil.. and the oil was not getting to the cam.. or the top of the motor.. so they switched it to the syntec.. or whatever it is.. so if yours has always had syntec.. then your prolly ok... but if it did had motor oil or 10 30 or you just dont know... it wouldnt be a bad idea to check it out... im thinking about buying a book this week and seeing what kinda trouble i can get into....

but thats just what i heard.. sounds good tho

 

I have the Factory service manual in PDF form if you need to download it.

 

post up that link! it could be a great help to me and many others

 

Its on my personal computer, I will post it tonight!

 

It may be the same manual I have but i would love any info I can get on this "operation" so if you can put up a link it would be great! Not that I am toatlly inept (familey use to sell and service Scorpion snowmobiels) and I send each summer fixing my case track loader .. but it's the little things that the book never says that is so helpful.. like rocker arms should be replaced or I rea in one post to use a magnet to look for chips of the cam shaft that have fallen in??) Anyway .. got told I have to go on a trip for work next week so I probably will not get to it before then .. so any tips before I get started would be great!

thanks,
steve