I have a 1996 polaris xpress 2wd. It has been running fine until today when I took it for a ride and noticed that it didn't have any speed. It can spin tires and take off fast but that's about it, then no matter how much more gas you give it, it just revs higher with no speed increase. I took off the clutch cover and nothing looked broken or worn out. Don't really know what else to try other than a new belt, but the belt looks fine. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

The first thing I would check is the three clutch buttons inside the secondary clutch. If they are worn down, damaged or destroyed they won't let the helix operate properly and the secondary clutch will only allow the belt to ride in one position instead of opening and closing allowing the belt to ride in different postitions with different throttle settings. The buttons are just teflon coated pieces of plastic that are held in place with a screw. When the helix comes into contact with them it slowly wears them down and damages them over time.

The primary and secondary clutches open and close under different throttle positions allowing the belt to ride at different heights operating similar to the front and rear sprockets allowing for different engine speeds to be reached.

Depending on the age of your belt or the conditions that it has been used in it might be good to replace that as well IMO.

 

Sounds like the ramps buttons are shot.

 

Here's an old video that I made of my clutches with the Polaris running. You can kind of see the secondary clutch doing its thing and how the belt changes position with the throttle between the 43-55 second marks. The secondary clutch in the video is a Team Roller unit, but I also run an Aaen Roller sometimes as well as have experience with the factory Polaris clutches that use the ramp buttons.

Just for the record I've tried every type of belt made for Polaris quads and the factory OEM belt is the best on the market. I also find it best to stick with the belt made for your quad because if you get one that is too short or too long it doesn't ride in the right position on the clutches with the throttle position and can hurt performance.

 

Thanks for the help. I looked at primary clutch and all seemed well so I took apart the secondary and all 3 buttons were broken. Unfortunately one of the screws that holds the buttons on was broken off in the hole. Any ideas on how to get it out.

 

You need a drill and an easy out like this. Some stores sell one of them with a left-handed drill bit to match the size.

 

If your local Polaris dealership is anything like mine then it can be difficult (at best) trying to get them to order a part that they don't stock or deal with on a daily basis and if they do actually order it then the chances of them ordering the right part are a crap shoot.

This is a good place to order OEM parts from if you have any trouble getting your local dealership to order them.

World of Powersports' 1996 Polaris XPRESS 400L (W969540) | CLUTCH - DRIVEN Parts List

 

Thanks I'll pick up an extractor kit today. And I dont like using the dealer either I always order online. Thanks for the help.

 

If you can get this screw out without damaging the soft threads everything should be okay. If you can't you can try to find an oversize screw similar to the original and retap the hole. You'd probably have to enlarge the hole in the ramp button to accommodate a slightly larger screw head. To be honest with you I never had much luck having one last doing this. If you can't make the clutch work the alternative is look for a used clutch or spring for a new one.It's a pity that you can't buy individual inner and outer clutch sheaths.

 

If you can't repair your broken screw yourself I would give Aaen Performance a call and see if they can repair it. You probably won't get to talk with Olav Aaen because his wife usually handles the telephone part of the business, but he is really good at working on and fixing clutches. At this point in his life he's probably seen just about everything there is to see when it comes to PVT and CVT's. I actually sent him a secondary clutch with a problem similar to yours several years ago and he fixed it up like new. The only complaint that I have about dealing with him is that his turnaround time can be really slow at times.

Another option to consider if you plan on keeping your Polaris for any length of time might be to upgrade to a Team Roller Secondary. The Team Secondary isn't cheap, but it is a good investment IMO and performs better while producing less heat than the OEM secondary that you have now. For dealing with anything Team Clutch related I like dealing with Hot Seat/Speed Werx because they have some really good customer service IMO. I've found that they usually don't have the best prices on most stuff, but when it comes to giving good tech advice, getting you a part that you need fast or for quick turnaround time they're hard to beat.

Finally, a third option if you can't fix your secondary or find a used one in good condition might be to call Rick Ritter of Ritter Cycle Racing or look him up on Facebook and see if he has a used secondary in stock. If anyone has a Polaris part it would be him and in the Polaris aftermarket world he is without a doubt the best person that you will ever deal with.