I had my motor out my 01 sportsman 500 EBS after changing a gasket and after i put it back in 3 months later it creeps at idle and is hard to shift. I had this issue once before. I put in a new primary changed the ptfe and brass washers, and even put a new ebs pulley in the center. I had the clutch cover off many times until i finally messed with the alignment and it worked! I don't know why it worked this time for a while then decided to go out of alignment (i think) and creep again? Has anyone ever broken a motor mount on one of these? If i push on the top of the belt the engine definetely moves. I can watch the primary bolt shift about 1/8" with about 10lbs of pressure. I can see the front motor mount moving , but if i put a bar under it it doesn't seem seperated? I don't know what to do to get this right the first time. It is a real frustrating to deal with. Also honestly the motor kinda only really goes in one spot. With all the bolts loose it doesn't seem to have much adjustment if any. Any ideas or tricks on aligning? And is it really that critical, or do i have other issues

 

2001 and 2002 Sportsman 500s seemed to be the worst on creeping problems. If you're sure the motor mounts are secure and not separated, the front one way fiber and metal washers are good,plus the rear clutch is ok, you can add or replace the washers behind the driven clutch to realign the rear to the front.Seems like I had to do this quite a bit. Had a few that would do ok for awhile,then you would have to readjust. Washer # 7556120. Or you can match up the washers at a hardware store if you need more. You can use alignment rods or whatever,but seems like what worked the best was simply moving the rear clutch in or out to where the belt was centered on the front clutch one way and not touching either side of the clutch sheath. I also tried loosening the motor mounts,pulling the engine back a little if I could,trying to keep 10 inches center to center clearance on the clutches,but seemed like I just ended up shimming the rear clutch anyway to stop the creeping. OPT

 

ya i opened it up and the belt hugs the inside of the primary, so i'll get some shims for the secondary and hopefully that will help. Its enough that the groves on the belt dont engage on the one way roller, and the peaks on the roller are on the peaks of the belt so it becomes very tight. Has anyone every tried to make the secondary float a bit like on a sled? also with the secondary off and on the bench and fully closed how high should the belt sit over the sheaves when wrapped around it?? it seams unusually higher then whats normal on a sled. But theres no real adjustment for belt tension on these? i would need a substantial amount of shims to get the secondary to start to open. Got the spider tool and clamping plate. so im gonna change the washers in the priamry while im at it. They are almost new but probably got some extra wear with the belt forcing it against the sheave.

 

If the one way fiber and metal washer inside the cup before the one way are worn the one way bearing can move side to side too much to allow the belt to track in the grooves properly. I think the rear clutches also were a lot of the problem plus the belts did seem too tight! By 2005 the rear clutches were changed and never had a problem seems like after that with the creeping. Not too much room for adjustment on the belt height on the rear,but an additional washer may be able to be added in between sheaths if I remember correctly that may help. The shims #7556120 I listed were to build up behind the rear clutch if it needed to be brought out to better align with the front clutch and bring the belt out from the inner front sheath to where it was more centered on the one way bearing.. You may have to add or remove shims to align the belt,but the main spacer(with or with out shims) has to remain on the transmission shaft.
OPT

 

well i put as many as 6 washers behind there tonight and no difference. seriously contimplating machining the one way smooth. How many washers is normal? i have exactly 10"c-c

 

You need to get the one way fiber and metal washer replaced then you can align the clutches easier. 6 washers are too many,plus if the one way bearing has more than .020 clearance with a feeler blade behind the fiber washer against the inner sheath,then the belt will just walk back and forth or stay to one side of the sheath. Plus have you had the clutches and backing plate off to where you can check the rear motor mounts,plus the transmission mounting bolts to make sure everything is ok? OPT

 

ya i just put the motor back in in the fall. They were good then. I will double check though tomorrow. I haven't checked the tranny closely, but i can't move the secondary by pulling on it. With the alignment bar is really doesn't look that bad? I'm gonna borrow the dealers alignment bar tomorrow too. the one i have i got off e-bay and it looks as though someone plasma cut the thing by hand. anything to double check in secondary?

 

Main thing to check out is the ramp (helix) and the 3 rollers along with the bushings. Check the ramp for wear(grinding down) plus if the bushings are worn down to a brass color then it's time to replace them. OPT

 

i haven't made it ot the garage yet since the last post. But i did some research on other forums and found some dealers are adding a shim behind the spider and this is helping alot? I can't seem to find the shim thickness anywhere though so i can maybe whip one up and try that too. Any ideas?

 

If they are talking about the washer that goes under the "spacer cap" before the one way bearing, this I can understand might help as the original washer was brass and everyone I got a hold of was ground down(too soft) and I changed them out to the updated steel washer.If some are adding extra washers there it might help?? #7556202 for the updated washer that goes under the "spacer cap" as I call it or "spacer" as the parts break down lists it. These are about .020 thick. But if you build it up too much there will be a lot of pressure against the one way and seems like it will just eat up the fiber washer quicker? OR if you're talking about adding a washer under the spider on top of the "cap", would probably do the same thing. But again too much pressure could grind down both ends of the one way? OPT