Check the needle and seat for wear(needle wobbling in seat,shiny wear marks on needle sides,plus any rubber tip wear) Check that float arm is parallel with carb body when held upside down,adjust if needed. If float arm and pin are worn (wobbly float arm) replace this as most people don't! Doesn't come in any carb kit ,float arm and pin has to be ordered from a dealer or online. Check that the main and pilot jets are open(can see daylight through the pilot jet) Most of the kits don't list the 87 model,but will work( use your main and pilot jet if different than ones supplied.) 1003-0004 - ATV Complete Carb Rebuild Kits Polaris many Trail Blazer & Trail Boss | ATV Parts | MFG Supply
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This is the way I bought it. Aside from fixing some minor things I haven't done anything cosmetically. I glued the split in the carb boot for now until I order a new one, tightened the chain and replaced the recoil spring. Now it runs pretty good as it sits. I don't think I'm gonna sink much money into it prob just ride it until it's done. I didn't get a pic but it has brand new bear claws on the front, they look fairly aggressive but I don't know why someone would put new mud tires on the front of a 2 wheel drive and none on the back. It's also pretty dirty, it was really warm this weekend and everything melted so I took it out in the mud.

 

Still holding up after 26 years! I remember those big blue fuel tanks on the first generation Polaris atvs. That little 250 engine had a good production run from 1985 to 2006. Sorry that it was taken from the lineup. Good luck with it. OPT

 

Like I said before I glued the splits in the boot and it ran pretty good for awhile, usually started around 3 pulls or less. I ended up having to reglue it after riding in the bumpy field though. I have a new carb boot on the way. It's ate two spark plugs this weekend, I have no clue how old the one in i was but it looked beat. I found an old one in the shed that's been there for who knows how long, ran good for awhile now they are both shot, have a real weak spark and I can't get it to start. I can't vouche for the integrity of the plugs so I'm gonna wait until I pick up a couple new ones to rule out bad plugs. Ok my question is what is the second cable for that splits from the main throttle cable? It goes to the block I believe. I was wondering if it was some sort of governor or something cause I don't know if it's just me or what but it doesn't seem to rev very high. It has good acceleration but the rpms seem to flat line quick and I'm not reaching nowhere near the supposed 50 mph top speed mark, maybe half or a little more. It doesn't feel like a gearing issue, like someone messed with different sprockets, the motor just doesn't seem to want to push the rpms. Maybe I'm expecting too much?

 

The cable splits to go to the oil pump at the back of the engine,unless it's been blocked off. Could be the split boot may be the problem,or the carb,or possibly the rear clutch ramp buttons or belt if you haven't had time to check them out yet. Takes a BPR8ES NGK plug on this older 250 engine. Replaces the original Champion RN4YC. OPT

 

I've been searching around the forum and online and it sounds to me the clutch needs to be serviced. I don't have much experience in this but I'm willing to bet the buttons are toast. You commented on someone else's post about this and I'm getting the noise you described and I kept thinking the motor was bad lol. Plus the fact I'm only hitting maybe 20 mph before it goes flat. Being such an overlooked part of maintenance and taking into account the age of the machine, my next task is to pull off the clutch cover and see whats going on. I'm crawling in the dark here seeing I've never done clutch work in my life. I do have an official polaris service manual I found online but are there any tips you can give me ahead of time so I know what to expect. Thanks again for all your help.

 

You need a clutch puller for the front clutch(cheap) but you also have to have a spider puller which isn't (about $90) Best to find a shop to rebuild the front clutch if it hasn't worn down/grooved the part of the clutch the guide buttons move up and down on.This is where most of the "tapping" noise come from. The rear clutch is just a pull off job,replace the ramp buttons and pre tension the helix spring. OPT

 

So what part actually wears out that effects the rpm it engages at? I would like to replace anything it might need while I got it apart. Plan on a new belt regardless, I'm sure it couldn't hurt and buttons. What about new springs?

 

What wears the most is the 6 clutch guide buttons in the front clutch along with wear on the guide slots in the clutch itself. If they get to deeply grooved new buttons won't help with the clutch noise. These buttons along with the plain bearing wear are the main wear items. I've seen the bearings(actually bushings) worn so much that when you push the clutch in 1 of the 3 counter weights would bind up against the clutch shaft. Springs are not usually a problem,can be reused,but can lose tension over the years. The rear clutch wear is mainly because the ramp buttons and at times the helix becomes rounded or ground down,not allowing the clutch to operate correctly. Have only seen a couple broken springs. Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse http://www.cyclepartswarehouse.com/f...1987&fveh=5326
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So you are positive on the BPR8ES plug? What is the difference between bpr and br plugs? It had a br9es in it and I put a br8es in it that I found laying around. Every time I search plugs for it they always come up as br8es, just want to make sure and know the difference for future reference.