Hi everyone,

This is my very first post on this forum, so if I sound like a moron when it comes to ATV's, I am. But with a bunch of reading I'll catch up quick. I do have a quicky though. I'm sure this has been covered b4, but I'm just concerned. I bought my Scrambler 500 on Friday and had her out on Sunday. Well, I got it stuck in a pretty decent sized mud/water hole. I'm worried because the right/rear tire was completely submerged in water up to the muffler for about 15 minutes. You could see the top of both front tires. My question is this. Should I be concerned about any damage? FYI the engine never died the whole time I was in the water. Is there anything I should do? Thanks for your patients, any responce would be appreciated. Moderator, is there a more appropiate forum this could be in? If so then plesae move.

 

Sounds like it was pretty deep. I can't think of anything in particular that you could have hurt. You say that the quad was running the whole time. Then it didn't take in any water.

Did your belt slip while you were in the hole or after you got out? If not then everything there must be OK.

I would bet that if you don't notice anything different about it then it is probably OK. The only other thing I could add to this is, do you own a grease gun? If so then it is wise to grease your quad up after it has seen alot of mud or been submerged in alot of water. If you do not own a grease gun then you better get one. Polaris wheelers love grease.

 

dak98ota,

Other than grease it religiously: If you got the 4x4, there is a vent hose on the front gear box.......it sounds like you didn't get the front end deep enough for water to enter here.......but check to make sure. Also, there is a vent hose for the transmission (when I say transmission, I'm talking about the aluminum case that drives the front sprocket). Both these vent hoses need to be extended into the top of the steering stem if you plan on playing in deep water very often........once water gets in the transmission, it takes alot of flushing to get it all out. One other item I would pay attention to, being a newby, would be chain slack........although too loose is better than too tight, you want to keep an eye on it.......if it gets too lose, it could jump off the rear sprocket, wad up on the front sprocket, and break the transmission case. Always make sure the recoil handle is seated properly to avoid water entry.....I believe the alternator and starter mechanism are behind that cover, and can be damaged if water/mud gets in there. Last but not least.......playing in mud and water can sometimes pack mud or other debris in the radiator. It may look clean and actually be stopped up. Be careful cleaning it as the aluminum fins can be damaged easily.

Later,

Waylan

 

Actually, I didn't notice the belt slipping at all. I was sort of stuck on an angle where the right/rear wheel was under water but the front left was only submerged 1/2 way. So, my right foot was in about 5 inches of water when I had my foot on the foot board... my left was dry. I didn't notice any belt slippage because I was able to get all 4 tires moving to help when I was getting pulled out.

Thanks for the replys guys. I was all uptight because I blew a good chunk of change on the machine and didn't want anything to be screwed first time out. And, I'm off to get a grease gun tonight. The one I own sucks. Thanks again!

Jeremy

 

Sounds like you're already out having a great time on your new quad. That's awesome. You'll learn it's capabilities as you get more familiar with it. And you'll probably be suprised by it's durability. One thing I would suggest is to check your fluids after you submerge it. Look for a milkyness (if that's a word) in your oils. When the engine is hot (running temps) and goes into cold water, it may suck water into places it shouldn't. Just something to keep an eye on, not to stress over. And like walexa said, make sure your recoil handle is always seated good. You don't want water getting in there and rusting things up. One more tip: Keep the shiny side up! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Had mine in alot deeper than that.........I have to agree with walexa on the greasing part....I grease the crap out of mine...You should do this just about everytime you ride in water. Had mine for about 7 months now and have had no problems. Pretty damn impressed. Hope you have fun with yours.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]