[PapaK]

Hello everyone, new member here. I've been lurking a bit but I have some specific questions I can't find the answer to so I thought I would make a post.

First off, an introduction. I have been looking for a 6x6 for a while and with prices climbing and missing a few by hours, I bit the bullet on one more or less unseen 4 hours away. I had a buddy who lived close go to look it over for me and when he got there it wouldn't start.The old "it was running when I parked it" line. My buddy thought it actually looked fairly ok but would need chains, sprockets, and bearings at a minimum and he thought it just needed a new starter. So I ended up negotiating $1300 off the price and got him to through in a plow. My buddy took it to his place, swapped out the starter and viola, she was running . She has 2" wheel spacers in the rear and I think was running tracks over the wheels.

My friend was coming my way and brought the ATV for me which was super nice. I rode it around in the snow for an hour and all seemed well. Until I got high centred breaking through some crusty snow. By the time I got out, I realized there was a lot of coolant on the ground. Driving it would shoot coolant out the top of the reservoir. So I pulled all the plastic off. Unbolted the valve cover and noticed the rocker arm was wearing from the decomposition bearing. I ordered a new exhaust rocker/camshaft kit to replace that. After getting the head off I could definitely see where the head gasket had failed.

When I opened the inspection hole on the flywheel housing looked super gunky and corroded through the hole to the point where I couldn't even tell where the marks were. While I was pulling off the flywheel cover, I noticed the bottom drain bolt was so loose that it almost fell out. I'm guessing that where the intrusion of water had happened. It not surprising the starter had failed if the bends drive was in that environment.

So this is basically where I am today. I am waiting for the new cam and rocker in the mail. I need to clean up the head (I was thinking of removing the valves and getting it soda blasted.

The coolant is really gross like it has combustion byproducts in it or something. If anyone has any good advice on how to clean this, I would be interested to hear.

Now, for the questions I have. I have scoured the Internet and it seems like a 2001 Fuji 500 engine can not have the stator upgraded in anyway shape or form. Ricky stator says that's all the can do for it. Now, I'm not sure if that's because the existing wiring can't handle it? Either way, it seems like the 2002's if I'm not mistaken have about 30% higher output on the same engine. If I am going to replace this stator anyway, I would hate to put in the same low output stator. So my big question, on a carbureted model, can I swap out the wiring harness from a later model and put in the 350 watt stator instead of the 260. What problems would I run into? Would I need to switch to in electronic ignition? It seems to me that all this should be pretty doable but I have owned the machine such a short time I really don't know if there is a big gotcha in there. The reason I am asking is because the machine came with heated handle bars, thumb, and a winch for plowing. If anyone has any drop in replacement lights that are LED that will help too. I found a post that had bulb part numbers but they went on to say that they aren't that great in the original housing...so I'm not sure if anyone has a better entire unit that would fit. I will probably just disconnect the tail lights. This thing will be living on my property and no trail riding.

My second question is that it has been impossible to find a 6x6 parts and maintenance manual anywhere. Maybe I'm just blind but it's been a little tricky ordering parts. for example, I tried to order a rear bearing set and wha the pictures show between two sets is very different even thought they are advertised for the same machine. I bought a rear bearing kit from Pivot Works part number PWRWK-P20-000 and I'm not even sure it's correct. I will find out when I tear it down but it might be too late to send back by the time I get to that.

I'm super close to pulling everything off the fame, getting it coated, etc. I'm bad for not stopping where I should. But the engine is almost out, the axles basically have to come off to do the chains and sprockets. At that point im not too too far from having it totally stripped anyway. Someone talk me out of it. I need another project like I need a hole in my head.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any info or tips. Also, if someone hears of any over wheel tracks for sale, let me know!

 

[FPD218]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Snowchaser]

Here is the link for the service manual site. Its $5 for all 600 some pages. Everything is there. Digital download. I have bought numerous service manuals from there with no problems. I rebuilt mine front to back and i found that looking for parts is relatively easy. Ebay search for xplorer and trailblazer parts. They are straight axle in the rear. Polaris was smart and they use the same axles and center tensioner as their single axle cousins. Same bearings and seals too. I bought a sprocket kit that came with all 4 sprockets. Bulk roller chain and made my own as i got twice as much chain for the same price as premade lengths. Mine had a blown gear box, which was fun finding parts for that. I put nilight brand off amazon led light pods in place of the factory crap. No bulb out there will make those bright. 2 fog for low beams and 2 spot for high beams with the 3 light mod so all 4 stay on in hi beam. 13 watts per pod x 4 is less than the handlebar pod light alone and you wont need anything else. Led bulbs in the taillights cause i had them. My bed has the saginaw electric actuator to power dump and winch. I run heated grips and thumb warmer and I have not had problems with the stator handling it. A winch is a momentary load plowing too. I added a second battery right behind the first one and an isolator switch for the heck of it. I love mine. That think with maxxis bighorn knockoffs is unstoppable.

2000-2001 Polaris Sportsman 500 6x6 Service Manual

Polaris ranger and atv service manuals.Polaris manuals are downloadable in PDF format.Polaris 2016 Ranger 570Crew/900XP Crew

atv-service-manuals3.mybigcommerce.com

http://

 

[Snowchaser]

auto parts stores sell prestone radiator flush. Looks like a tiny antifreeze jug. Should clean all the gunk out.

look in manual. Should show the different stators and wiring differences. Its the same engine as all the other 500 sportsmans of that era and they don't change much. For $5, buy the sportsman service manual too and look at those stator options. I dont think my stator was that low and its the same year.

 

[Snowchaser]

50 cal ammo can for a glove box and made the back rest a lot higher. Much more comfortable!

 

[Snowchaser]

 

[PapaK]

Thanks for all the great info! Your rebuild looks amazing.

The tips on xplorer and trailblazer was a piece of the puzzle I was missing! I figured they had to have parts commonality with something.

Any reason why I shouldn't leave the rear wheel spacers on? I figure the the 4" wider stance would be nothing but a good thing....if I can still get it in my truck.

If you think of any other little nuggets of wisdom or gotchas I'd love to hear it.

I'll keep you posted as I chip away.

 

[Snowchaser]

The spacers would make your turning radius larger, which isn’t great to begin with, but thats about it. If you haven’t dealt with sportsmans before, make sure you have the manual and service the front hubs. 4 bearings in each front hub with the hilliard clutch that makes the 4wd. Not hard to disassemble and service at all, but has a particular way of tightening the axle nut while rotating the drivetrain to make sure the bearings are properly tensioned. They take 2.5 oz. Of demand drive fluid or ATF type F. Back when polaris would actually recommend normal fluid equivalents for their outrageously overpriced dealer fluids.

 

[Snowchaser]

When looking for parts compatibility, just remember the front half (motor forward and front drivetrain) is all sportsman, with a trailblazer/xplorer gearbox and rear drivetrain.

 

[PapaK]

I plan on rebuilding the front soon. I'm able to wobble them around pretty easily. Thanks for the heads up about the torsioning sequence. The manual seems to show two tapered bearings per side but the online kits seem to come with 4? A video I found online I saw at least 3 come out so there probably is 4 a side?

Looking at the manual it seems to recommend changing the jets below 5C. This machine will be hitting -25C easily if not colder. Do you find the jets need to be changed in winter or is this over kill?

My hubs seems thoroughly stuck on and I thought there might have been something I was missing but looking a the manual it seems like they should just pop right off. I was beating them with a mallet and was able to get one off but I think I need to try heat. In the sea location, the rear chain doesn't not seem to have a master link that I can find anywhere. The front chain did and I took that off no problem. The problem is the rear chain runs through that guide so I has to be broken. I imagine I will just cut it with a grinder or something.

I'm going to be taking some things to my buddy who has a soda blaster. Is there anything that you would take off to get cleaned up if you were me at this stage?

Thanks again for all the info. Did you document your rebuild anywhere? I would be interested in reading through it so that I might not have to ask a million questions.

 

[Snowchaser]

I would pull your rear wheel hubs and the axle with center hub out of the frame. My biggest corrosion points were there. Aluminum hubs and eccentric bearing carrier onto steel shaft and steel frame is never good. I anti-seized or greased those areas when reassembling. The rear chain should come off the sprockets if both eccentric carriers are rotated towards each other.
Your front hubs shouldn’t require any heat unless maybe a hilliard retainer spring broke. Everything is slip fit in there. 2 tapered rollers in the hub and 2 more behind it in the strut.
I ride snowmobiles in the winter so mine don’t get much use. I would ride it and check plug colors. I would definitely block off the radiator with cardboard when it that cold though.

 

[Snowchaser]

It would be worth the time to split the gearcase if you are confident and inspect/replace the bearings. The case halves are pretty spendy if you can find one at all. The gearing inside is specific to the 6x6 and i could not find replacements. I ended up heating up and straightening one shaft inside. They are very common single row ball bearings. All 4 the same. Get Timken, koyo, skf. Top quality only about $15 a bearing.

 

[PapaK]

Well it took me three hours, heat, a flywheel puller, and hammers to get the one hub off. It was fused on there. I wasn't sure I was even going to attempt the other sides but I realized I have to on the front axle They probably should come off and have anti seize applied but I'm not super well equipped to do this. Unless I could go somewhere with just the axles and a large press.

I realized my bushings in my mid swing arm are shot too so now that's the next piece to come out. I have to take the clutch cover off to access the left side but I can't seem to figure out how to take off that rear flywheel/clutch thing. I took off one bolt but it almost seems like that was just a cover to access a bolt inside the clutch flywheel thing? When I look at the manual it seems like I can just pull off the clutch/flywheel now...but I don't want to start yanking if that's the case. Any insight?

 

[Snowchaser]

The secondary clutch has one bolt and should slide off a spline. Nothing under the dome to get it off. The primary clutch is on the tapered crank shaft. Takes an inexpensive but special bolt to pop off. You do not need to remove the primary clutch. The guard behind it should flex out the way enough to get to the mid swing arm pivot bolts. Very large hex if i remember correctly.

 

[Snowchaser]

Aluminum and steel together! Genius! Yeah i beat on mine a bit too. Both rear axles are tapered roller bearings held in by spanner nuts. A few snap rings in there holding other things on the axle too so clean things up with a wire brush to make sure nothings hiding in there holding things up. There are a lot of pieces that all go in order on each axle. Take pictures before you start and lay everything out in order as it comes off and take more pics. My kids like to come by and “help” dad put stuff together and who knows where things end up!