Got a 94 sportsman 400 and need to swap out the electric starter. Any advice on how best to do it?

 

If it is the same as my 2004.5 500 HO it is a tight fit but it can be removed without taking the belt housing off. Remove the three bolts and then wiggle it out. You will have to take the recoil cover off the pull start to make sure every thing goes back together right. When I put my starter back on I put a beed of automotive silicon around the seal on the starter that goes into the engine. This has stoped allot of the water infultration for me. You can also put a little bit of light oil on the clutch mechanism in the recoil housing while you have it out. Not much just a couple of drops of light oil.
It is a knuckle slasher and very frustating to get the three bolts out of the starter but it can be done.
Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

You need to remove the bash plate,recoil cover(two starter mounting bolts inside the engine ) Plus there is a a bracket on the clutch side that mounts to the engine and starter (4 bolts) You can stand the atv on its end and see everything better as to what has to be done. Tight fit in the clutch area,but some have posted they were able to pull the starter and the bendix out with out having to pull the clutch cover,clutches,and backing plate. I had a lift and BIG hands and just pulled the clutches and then the starter bracket will stare you in the face.Not an easy or fun job any way you do it. check DB electric for prices if you haven't already purchased a new starter,plus be sure to check the bendix out thoroughly when you pull it and the starter out. Once back in you would have to pull the flywheel or pull the starter back out to remove the bendix! Best to replace it with the starter and make sure the starter is sealed well with either Three Bond,Yamabond, or a good silicone. DB Electrical - Polaris
OPT

 

We were able to do this without removing the clutch cover. Had to bend the bracket, but was able to get it out and install new starter. Took some patience on the part of our "new to polaris" crew, but it worked.

Got a problem though... the new starter is spinning the wrong way and so it does not jump out and engage the flywheel. Yikes! After all that work, what could be the problem?

Any thoughts?

 

Do you have the wires on backwards?

 

There was only one wire.

Thanks

 

Is it possible, that your crew hooked the battry up wrong?

 

Well, anything's possible with us... but only the negative on the battery was taken off. However, we did find out what was wrong. Our power source didn't have enough juice. When hooked up to portable power, everything worked as it should. Note to self, make sure I have reliable power before posting.

Thanks!