The Polaris owner manual says "Polaris Premium Synthetic Gearcase Lube", which is the same as what is used in the transmission.

The Polaris service manual says "Polaris ATV Angle Drive Fluid".

Which is correct?!?

 

I use SAE 80W - 90 gear oil....On the bottle it says it's for final drives and differentials...


John

 

Amsoil 75-90 is what I use

 

AMSOIL severe gear here also. Good stuff.

 

...so I bought a quart. Seeing how each change only requires five ounces, it will last me a while.

I use AMSOil products in other applications, and I like their stuff. Just decided to go with name-brand this time.

 

I just finished a full service on three machines: SP700, SP500, and Pred90. A few comments...

1) That special "Demand Drive Hub Fluid" for the front differentials on the 700 and 500 is really watery, ultra-low viscosity stuff. I kept wiping and wiping and never really felt like I got it all off of my hands.

2) Conversely, the ATV Angle Drive fluid for the rear differential on the 700 has more normal viscosity. So why, then, does the rear differential have such a tiny little fill plug (for heavier lube) while the front differentials have a huge fill plug (for much lighter lube)? It took forever to get the rear lube in through that little hole, and I had to modify my already custom made flexible funnel to fit. Meanwhile, the front diff's could accommodate a jumbo sized flexible fill hose. The front fill plug must be 3/4 inch in diameter!

3) The owner and service manuals both say the rear differential on the SP700 takes five ounces to fill to the bottom of the fill hole threads. I put in an initial five ounces and saw nothing, so I put another ounce, and another, and ANOTHER, and kept going until it finally started seeping back out the fill hole. I didn't keep count but I wouldn't be surprised if there are 9-10 ounces in there. No leaks, I checked everywhere because I couldn't believe how much it was taking and figured it had to be leaking out somewhere. I actually checked the drain plug to make sure I didn't forget to reinstall it. No leaks at all, and at least 1/3rd of the quart bottle was used. Weird. Maybe the manuals have the wrong quantity; they already disagree on which fluid is proper for the rear diff.

4) The front diff's took almost exactly the five ounces their manuals mentioned, so no surprises there.

Overall, an educational experience. It will go faster next time now that I've been through it once. And by doing it myself I KNOW it was done, and done properly.

 

I have the SP600 and ran into the same conflicting info on which oil to use also. Getting the oil into the small fill hole can be a pain in the #$% to say the least. What I did was went to Tractor Supply and purchased two 4 ounce oiler cans with about a 4" flexible spout on them. I then placed a label on the each can with the name, sku number, and amount of oil to use. I have one for the front end and one for the rear end so that I don't contaminate the oil types. I then fill the oiler up and with a few dozen pumps of the trigger and the cases are filled up. It saves me a ton of time and no spilled oil to clean up. I use a small funnel with a short piece of clear pvc hose on it to fill the transmission case since it has a large fill hole that is easier to access than the front and rear ends. Thought you might find this info useful.

 

An oiler can is a great idea for the rear differential's tiny fill hole. The others are handled well by my custom made funnel, which is nothing more than a little funnel attached to a plastic flexi-straw from a convenience store plastic cup. I made it to insert a bit of oil into hard-to-reach spark plug holes for winterizing, but it was sure handy on this project.

I'll check into oiler cans. Thanks for the idea!