I just picked up a ???? year scrambler 400 for stupid cheap. It has a chain drive front end so I assume it's an older one. I has a lot of things missing and the PO doesn't have a clue. He acquired it in a trade and got a limited amount of info on it. It has no front drive chains at all, no air box, no driver's side CV axle, no shifter linkage, no headlights and no hood. The radiator wreaks of an oil like smell so a rebuild will probably be happening soon. I haven't actually heard it run so I'm not sure if it smokes or not. I know the engine turns over smooth as silk so I can go from there with minimal difficulty. I have googled enough info to tell that it has a different tranny in it. It has 2 shifter shafts coming up out of the top of the tranny. I assume somebody tried to make it have low range and never got around to completing the linkage swap. If this is a common swap, do I need to figure out what quad it came out of and swap the shifter set up as well to get the low range to work? Also, all the stickers are missing or torn up on this thing so how do I determine what year it is off of the VIN? This is my very first Polaris guys so any info will be helpful

 

Not a common swap on the low speed gear case that I've seen as the frame down tube has to have a support plated welded to accept the shift box that's on low speed models including the 94 Sportsman 400 and up.Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse A lot of the parts on the early year models were interchangeable with the exception of the front drive shafts. Some machines had BTB drive shafts,others had Neapco which were different lengths and some had left hand threads on the drive shaft.The vin# is etched on the right frame down tube plus has a plate that has W95,96,etc on it which is the year model. Same thing on the engine if it still has the engine sticker. First two numbers is the year model. Good luck on this one.Once you find out what year model you have,you can use this online place to determine parts needed or the main Polaris Parts catalog. Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse Browse

 

I appreciate the info. I already expected there to be some fab work involved since it doesn't come stock with low range. I also don't have to worry about the front driveshaft since it's 100% chain drive. Yeah it's definitely going to be a project, but it's gonna get moved to the back burner for a while. I just blew a piston in my diesel so that takes priority right now.

 

Then you must have a 2000-2002 Scrambler 400 2x4 if it's just rear wheel drive only and no front drive shafts and only one rear chain. Kinda narrows it down a little if this is what you have.Unless it really is missing a lot of stuff! 17 digit vin # is etched on the left hand side frame back of the a-arm. Polaris Off Road Vehicles: Four Wheelers, RANGER RZR Side by Side ATVs and UTVs

 

I meant the front end it completely chain drive. One running next to your right foot, and one going from a carrier sprocket to the front diff.

 

If it's a 4x4 Scrambler,it still has drive shafts leading from the front chain driven eccentric to each strut.. Or is supposed to have.That's what I'm trying to understand on what model you have.Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse http://www.cyclepartswarehouse.com/f...1995&fveh=5397

 

It's a 96. Of course it has CV shafts in the front, it has chains driving every thing up to the front diff.

 

Just the way you worded it...