hey guys my dad just bought a 1998 sportsman 500 and its in decent shape. the thing seems to run good but when he puts it in reverse and starts to back up it pops out of gear and makes some gear noise.. has anyone had this problem or is this a bad adjustment to the shifter? im trying to help him figure it out since he doesnt know much about these things.. any help would be greatly aprecated.. thanks

 

Most of the time it's either an adjustment on the linkage is needed,belcranks on the gear case or linkage nuts loose or shift box wear causing this. You can try adjusting,loosen both rod ends from the shift box,place it in neutral,then see if you have a lot of "slack" on the shift lever forward and back while in neutral this can cause positive forward or reverse shifts to be erratic. While still in neutral adjust each rod end to where it falls straight into the shift box levers with no pulling or force on the levers. Tighten the lock nuts and see if reverse locks in positive. If it doesn't you can remove the linkage from the lever,use pliers to lock in reverse and see if it works ok. If it doesn't jump out of gear its usually a worn shift box problem. Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse

 

Thanks man i will give him this message and have him look at it. I will be going there this weekend. He also said it has a slight knock. Could this be caused by a bad cam like youve stated before ? Or a bad valve?

 

Only way to tell if it's a cam problem or a worn cam chain,etc making the noise is to pull the valve cover and check these out. Knocking can also be from worn front clutch guide buttons causing a metallic slapping noise from the clutch spider, especially at low speeds.

 

that does make sence.. the mechanic he bought it off of told him it may need clutch service. so maybe thats what it is. id hope so. il know more when i see it

 

so i am at my parents working on the wheelers. decided i would take the clutch cover off on the sportsman and i find it pretty blackish color in there.. the belt doesnt look bad. i messed with the shifter a lil bit and find that if i put it in gear and turn the secondary clutch it will pop into gear but if i just click it in gear without turning the clutch its a hit or miss. sometimes it goes into gear good others u have to spin the secondary slightly for it to go in the rest of the way. is this a linkage problem? it seems like its not going in all the way until i giv the clutch a lil turn.
i took some pics of what it looks like behind the clutch cover. can anyone tell me what i can use to clean these clutches? is there anything i can spray in there to clean out the belt dust? and can anyone tell me if this belt looks ok or should it be replaced? my dad drove it and he says it takes off good but once it shifts it just falls on its face and gradually accelerates. thought maybe this would be a clutch issue. here are some pics

 

The dust is normal. I just use brake rotor cleaning spay to clean mine every time I change the belt which is every 2000 miles even if the belt still looks good.

You should get you clutch buttons checked ,there a cheap part but when worn really kill your performance.
Read this. Changing the clutch buttons. - Polaris ATV Forum

 

Clean it like suggested,blowing out the dust first in an open area,will make a dust storm and a lot of cheap brake cleaner from Wally World,or If you happen to have a clutch puller and a parts cleaner,even better on cleaning clutches. As far as having to turn the secondary clutch for it to lock in gear,this is normal because of the straight cut,not beveled transmission gears.They don't just slide in and lock like motorcycle gears.The engine has to be running for it to shift normally. Don't forget to have the rear clutch ramp buttons checked/replaced along with the front. This in my opinion is the most best clutch system. Easier to work on,hardly any creeping problems that the later ebs clutches had. 4 strokes have a natural braking system from the engine itself.Belts are cheaper too than on the later models. When back together,place a straight edge over the top of the clutches and pull down on the center of the belt. If the distance is greater than 1 1/2" from the top of the belt to the straight edge,it's getting close to time for a new belt.

 

ok so i been spending alot of time with the sportsman this weekend.. changed the oil, looked everything over really good, went out and bought a brand new polaris belt.. cleaned the primary clutch but didnt take it apart. took the wheeler for a ride and it runs really good. runs strong but it still aint right. the clutching is off.. it takes off good with lots of power but once u get going the rpms drop wickid and it just stays there. it does accelerate but slowly. for what my dad is going to use it for its perfect but, i am going to do both clutches with new rebuild kits. the shifting isnt too bad but low gear is almost impossible to get out of. so i think hes going to bring it to a shop and have it all looked at. the fan stays on all the time so i think the temp sensor for the engine is bad. gonna have to get that fixed as well. i like it though nice wheeler.. i apreciate all the help ive gotten. u guys have been great.