I just bought this 1996 Polaris sportsmen 500 that is grinding in all gears. Could someone lead me in the right direction on this issue? It sounds like its in the rear of it but not certain.

 

If the idle is too high you can have grinding when trying to get in gear. Same thing if the clutches are out of alignment and the belt constantly turns the rear clutch causing hard shifting. Also the shift box itself if worn,linkage loose or out of adjustment is one of the causes.Plus drain the old transmission fluid and add Polaris AGL. Being used you don't know what's in it or when it's been changed. Here's a pdf service manual you can look over for help. Index of /ORV Manuals/Polaris/1996-1998 - All Models

 

Thank u so much I will look at these things and see if makes a difference.

 

Try the linkage adjustment first. This was the most common problem I found. Disconnect the linkage ends at the shift box,have the shifter in neutral,make sure the belcranks(shift arms) at the transmission are tight,then adjust each linkage arm to where it drops back into the shift box arms with NO resistance. Then tighten the linkage lock nuts. Hopefully it will shift better. I'd still change the gear case fluid too since you just bought it along with oil and filter change,plug and and air filter and front hub fluid change(Polaris Demand Drive hub fluid). Just look over the manual on service and it explains in detail.

 

It starts right up and doesn't look to bad for its age either but when u put it in gear and give it a little gas it really starts grinding just like the dog isn't engaging the gear. I will try these adjustments when I get home today and see if that fixes it. Thanks again for the help and hopefully its not something far worse then that.

 

Hi old Polaris tech! I have tried the linkage adjustments with no success however the neutral light stays on when its in gear. It was doing this before the adjustments to. Does this mean its way out of adjustment?

 

I do know the person I bought it from replaced the belt so this may be an issue also.

 

On this old model the gear position switch is in the gear box and not on the transmission like all the later models. The original switch had a plastic lever that would wear and not contact the shift lever ball. Updated ones had a metal plunger but still could have problems. Plus this switch isn't cheap,little over 100 bucks. #15. Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse On the belt check whether it's a 3211077 Polaris belt or an aftermarket. Could make a difference if its a wrong belt. Plus if the neutral light is on in forward gear,it wont allow awd as this shift switch and the awd connections are tied together.