Hey,
I've got a problem with my 02 Sportsman 700 Twin. Every time I put it in AWD it engages fine, no problem there, but when I switch it back to 2wd it doesn't seem to want to cooperate, I have to sit and play with the transmission between forward and reverse to get the front wheels to release. It wouldn't be a big deal but it's a real pain in the *** to turn on hardpack with AWD engaged. Any help would be appreciated.

Brady

 

Oil condition and level are very important to proper 4wd operation. It is a good practice to change the hub oil often if you ride alot. At least once a year if you don't ride alot. Alot of times problems can be traced to the oil. Problems can also be in the 4wd switch housing, dirty, and also inside the hubs. Your machine is fairly new, so my guess is the fluid.

 

Ok, this is my first Polaris, so I'm going to sound like a complete idiot, but how do you change the hub oil? What kind of oil do I put back in? Please elaborate.

Brady

 

OK, to change the hub oil. Ride around the yard a few minutes in 4wd to get the oil heated up alittle. Go to the garage and you will see a little allen head bolt on the hub. You can do this 1 or 2 ways. Remove the bolt and let the fluid drain, check the bolt for metal particles as it is magnetized. Or you can remove the outer hub cover by removing the hex head bolts and pulling it off. If the oil is extremely dirty, I would pick #2. If you do remove the outer cover, then clean everything up well while you are in there. To refill. You turn the hole in the hub up and pour in approx. 1/2 of the hub full. Now, rotate the tire to the 4 or 8 oclock position and allow any excess oil to drain from the hub. Put the bolt back in and go. It is a good idea that if the oil was very dirty to fill them like I described and ride around the yard again, come back drain the oil again, and add oil once more and finish. By doing that you have pretty much flushed all of the old oil out. Hope this helps, ask if you have anymore questions.

 

The 700 does not have 4x4 hubs like previous Sportsmans (no hub oil). All the 4x4 fuctions are in the differential. I would first check the fluid level, make sure it is full and clean. Let us know what that looks like and we can go from there.

 

Dang...thanks PolarisPower500, I didn't realize that, these things change too much just when you start to figure everything out,LOL Sorry for the bad info 02. PolarisPower is right, check the differential oil, same principal applies, dirty,old, not enough oil could cause those problems. Sorry again. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Hey,
I went ahead and checked the fluid level, seemed ok, but I decided to change it anyway. Didn't have any special hub oil like the book recommends, so I used some ATF, it's about the same consistency. The problem is still there though, it goes into 4x4 fine, but won't come back out without a LOT of f*cking around. I drained it once, rode it for a while, and drained it again, and refilled it, but still no luck. What else could be causing it?

 

If you use ATF it must be synthetic ATF. That can cause the 'sticking in 4wd' problems you described.
Note to all with twin-cylinder Sportsmans, the front gearcase takes HUB oil, not gearcase oil, as do all other Polaris 4x4s. Yes, I know it is confusing, and I wish Polaris would clarify the labeling better.

Farmr

 

Alrighty, got my hands on some penzoil synthetic ATF. Drained it AGAIN! Still no dice, It's getting to a point now that it won't even come out of 4wd. With the switch off, I can put it in reverse, not touch the override button, and the front wheels will catch like the switch was on and the button was pushed. Same going forwards, switch off, floor it- front wheels catch. Any more ideas, or should I just take it in?

 

Not sure what to tell you. The 600/700 has the locking mechanism in the front gearcase. To work on it, you have to break apart the gearcase. If you feel like you want to tackle it, here is my suggestions:
remove the gearcase from the machine, take the side plate off, and remove the hub lock mechanism. Make a special note of where any shims are. The most likely things that are wrong would be:

Contamination: oil, grit or varnish anywhere. This can happen if uncompatable oils were used, varnish deposits may occur. Clean everything up with kerosene, re-assemble (be sure to put a dab of grease into the thrust bearing) re-fill with synthetic ATF or Polaris hub oil. A very common source of contamination is moisture from a plugged, torn, or improperly routed vent tubes.

Wear/damage: The armature plate can warp. Not common, but it does happen. This can cause it to 'stick' in 4wd. If the plate isn't absolutely flat, replace it. Another thing to look at would be the little springs that hold the rollers. If one hub stays locked without the other, it is more likely to be the springs, if both hubs stay locked, it is more likely the armature plate. Even if the springs/plate are good, gunk in the mechanism will make the 4wd stick on.

Magnetism: Also, the armature plate can occasionally become 'magnetized' (this is fairly common with the locking hubs, but don't know if it is with the 700 system). If the plate shows any sign of being magnetic, replace it.