[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]
I have a Sportsman 500 of the year 2000 variety that has me all frazzled. I have read a bunch of postings from a ton of people on this site, but I sure could use help from anyone that has some factual oem specs for the magnetic gap, how the armature plate is actually to fit to the magnet, how to adjust outer ring of magnetic set-up w\o scarring the mating surfaces, or why the sufferin' thing just lost the ground in the brown wire with white stripe that goes into the harness plug in back of the stinkin' speedometer........ I love my machine, but I am very very crabby with it this past 2-3 weeks. Well if nothing else comes of this post, thanks for letting me vent anywho. Brian[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

The magnet gap should be zero, or as close to it as you can get it. The outer ring should NEVER be set back from the inner. If you have to be a couple thousandths one way or the other, have the inner ring recessed.

The armature plate fit is very important. There are 3 little tabs on the plate, that MUST be engaged into little 'dents' in the hillard cam. If not assembled properly, the 4wd won't work right, and you will warp the plate.

To adjust the outer ring: Drive it out far enough with a soft punch, being careful not to mar it. Now take an old armature plate, or a washer of about the same size. Hold the washer against the ring, and tap against that with a hammer gently. Added bonus: you should be able to 'feel' about when the washer touches the inner pole. Stop there, and check the gap/alignment.

Loss of ground may be the rev limiter/reverse override. There should be ground to that wire when the tranny is shifted into gear, but when in neutral or reverse, there may not be unless you hold the override button. I am going by memory here, so not 100% sure, but if you need more help, I can dig out the big book with the wiring diagrams if need be.

FArmr

 

That is what I have heard, but the using an old plate was a new one. It works well thanks a bunch. I have had a lot of condensation in the speedometer case for a few months b-4 the awd lost the ground, so I am assuming it is the board or chip in there, so I snipped that brown w\ white and grounded directly to the frame. I also put a connector on the end with silicone and siliconed the butt connector where I added more wire to reach the frame. This solved the AWD activation problem. ( now the light goes on and off as it should) Now the system is powering up and down as it should. BUT I had to adjust the magnets for the clutches, but who knows if this is the final step. One side was way out, and one was way in. I am fighting with the one that was out. I cannot seem to get enough magnetic force to hold the roller cage and armature plate in place so I cannot spin them by hand or long enough to put the hub back on without it coming apart before I finish getting it on. Very frustrating to a new guy to the 4 wheeler repair game. Thanks for the tip and super fast response. I wish I could get response time like this from a shop or dealer. Brian [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

The rev limiter is in the pod. Moisture in the pod can cause all sorts of havoc. Going to a direct ground might not be a bad idea, but remember you will have 4wd in reverse, even without pressing the override button.

You say one magnet coil seems stronger than the other?
You might want to check the weaker coil, if it is going bad.
Using an ohm-meter, going from one wire of the magnet to the other should read from 25-30 ohms, with no continuity to the outer housing.
If that tests OK, the coil should be in spec.

Good luck, and remember the center hub nut torque is 109-120 INCH pounds.

Farmr

 

Well I am feeling a touch less angry now. I wanted to let ya know that I really appreciate the help. I figure I would give ya some history on my machine and how I came to be the overly frustrated owner.
I purchased the machine from my father in law in December of last year. I got it from him so he could get the 700 twin he wanted and I could get my first wheeler. When I got it from him I knew it's history and that it was very well cared for. I had borrowed it a few times over the fall in anticipation of the future purchase. The 1st time I used it I thought wow totally great. Everything worked flawlessly. My only complaint was the speedo didn't work correctly. ( needle bounced up and down), but the AWD worked great. My 8 year old brother in law rode it one weekend at Grandmas, and when I went to use it again the AWD didn't release all the time. I would start rippin and whammo one front hub would engage again and jerk the h-bars. I borrowed it a few more times before I finally purchased in Dec.
I knew that it still was doing the same thing, so I was just real careful not to use the AWD unless it was VERY needed. About 5 weeks ago I decided to just fix the stinkin thing so I tore into it. I put in a new armature plate because the old was all bent and chewed up. There wasn't any fluid in the same hub, so there was a ton of metal dust and slime. I cleaned it all up and filled with fluid and took for a test . Still that side didn't work , but it would work on the otherside correctly. I figured the old rollcage would be fine with the gouges in the mating surface to the plate, but I asked the dealer and they said no, it should be real smooth. Since I really couldn't use the 4x4 cuz only one side worked I deciced to finish fixing a couple weeks ago. I bought the new rollcage and another new armature plate, and more hub fluid. I put the new parts in tested it out in the garage on jack stands and it seemed to be fine, so I took out for a test ride. Well it went jerk jerk as each side locked in indiviually then nothing.... No AWD light or anything. Really broken.
I got the father in law to bring his testers over and we spent a whole day testing to find out the brown w\white stripe @ the plug for the speedo in the pod didn't give the system the ground it needed. I put halfway back together and rode as a two wheel peeler for about 21/2 weeks. We didn't know how to fix or what to do. He found a few websites for me including this one to check if anyone out there could be of help. I then discussed with him my theory of nipping the wire and direct wiring it to a frame ground.... We decided that it should work, so I did it. Just like that the AWD light worked just as it once did. On only when in H,L,and R with override button in. Great problem fixed right? Wrong. Stiil there wasn't any engagement in the front wheels at all. He searched all over this website and found some awesome things to tell me to check out. I did, and found out a bunch. Enough in fact that i determined I had too much fluid in the hubs and hadn't torqued the the hub nut at all with a wrench. I had gane by feel like I have on autos for years. I tore into it to make those changes, but ran into probs when the magnets seemed to be gapped differently. That is when I posted my question in the forum to get some answers.
I used your advice farmr123 to finish up earlier today. Did the hammer punch gig and used and old plate as well, got good magnetic power from both, put back together, tofqued as discussed in other posts I found on this site, and to the specs you mentioned. WELL.... Thanks to you and folks like you, I can finally say that the darn thing 4x4's like a bugger now. To correct something you had said though, the AWD has no ill effects from cutting that wire and grounding to the frame. It only engages and shows the light on when in forward gears and reverse W\ override button puxhed.
I have to say you people on this site Rock. The way you give out free info and take the time to quickly anwer questions and correct misconceptions is just great.
Thank you farmr123 and all at atvconnection.com for being there when I needed you. Brian

 

4Wheelinfun:

Glad everything worked well, and glad everything worked. The armature plate being perfectly flat, as well as the proper gap, are both VERY important for proper hub engagement.

I am surprised that you have to press the override button to get 4wd in reverse. On my friend's old 1995 Magnum, we put in a direct ground, and I am positive that he said that he has 4wd anytime the switch is on. I guess that Polaris could have changed things around a little (maybe) or my memory just wasn't serving me properly (much more likely).

One more thing: if one or both hubs grab suddenly when you are turning a donut, or spinning in snow, one of two things usually is at fault:

1) The armature plate can become 'magnetized'. This is most common on bikes where people put them in 4wd, and leave it that way whenever they ride. It really doesn't hurt anything, the hilliard just overrides, but can magnetize the armature plate enough that the hub won't want to let go, or will grab unexpectedly.

2) The spring that goes around the rollers in the hilliard weakens over time. If the hubs normally unlock, but grab at high speeds, check, or replace this spring. Old, goopy, or contaminated fluid can also cause this, as can a lack of fluid, but if everything else looks good, check the spring, or the armature plate.
The armature plate can get enough magnatism in it, that it will lift itself up off a wooden workbench, by sticking to a wrench. If it does this, it is time for replacement.

Now armed with this knowledge, you are a hub EXPERT! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Good luck with your machine, sounds like you got a good one!

Farmr

 

Thanks again for the info. I believe I will be an expert soon. I always have to learn this much about everything I ever own. I must just be really lucky I guess. LOL. Take care. I just find this site too cool. I will be checking in lots just to keep up. Later, Brian