[MustBeNice]

While cruising the local Craig's List ads..... I came across the following ad and wondered what some of you long time "Polaris ATV Guru's" believe could be wrong with this machine? I would like to see if it's a project I'd like to take on or if I should allow some other poor unsuspecting sucker pick up.

Ad Reads:

For Sale: 1994 Polaris Sportsman 400 4x4. This atv will start and run for a minute then die and not want to start again. 4x4 works. It has a good battery. Electric Start. Tires are 65-75 % tread. When I bought it, I was told it just recently had a new sleeve installed in the cylinder and a new std piston and rings. It is in pretty decent shape besides a crack in the plastic shroud that covers the fuel tank and a small crack in the rear plastic that isn't very visible. Chains And Sprockets Look Fine. No Odometer, I don't know the miles! I got it as a project, im selling it as a project. I have way too many projects.

They are asking $650 Cash.... but would hope it could be had for less, more like $400-500 depending on what is likely wrong with this machine.

Just starting to look for a machine to tinker on and have as a 3rd or spare for friends to use or for the son to grow into over the next few years.

Thanks for your thoughts and input....

 

[FredBear]

sounds like it's running out of fuel. Could be stuck float or something in petcock or fuel line. If it starts and runs good but only for a minute then it could start and run good longer. Check the air box too. I once helped a buddy with the same problem and found a mouse had decided to make a house in the air box over the winter. Would run for a few seconds and then die. Wait 15 minutes and it would do it again. Pulled the crap from the mouse out and it ran great.

 

[StarRider]

I don't claim to be a Guru, but this is where I would start.

I would start with a compression check. Any time they sleeve a cylinder, tells you it had severe damage. Find out how old the rebuild is on the engine and who did the work if possible.

 

[MustBeNice]

Thanks Fred.... My initial thoughts were the same, carb cleaning, check intake boots and air filter / box. Seemed to simple though..... why wouldn't you (as the seller/owner) try those simple things and sell for more $$. Mainly wanted to make sure I wasn't looking at a complete engine rebuild, cam replacement or some other big $$ job to fix it.

Good thoughts StarRider..... hard to do all that without dragging it home first, making it sound like more work than it may be worth.

EDIT: But after looking at it a little closer and thinking about it a little more..... not sure if I really want a "2 Stroke" bike (stinking the place up)!! Not to mention I've found others that sound like carb only work for "ASKING" $800, that looked cleaner..... maybe I don't need more crap in the garage

 

[Clinebo]

It only takes a few seconds to pop the seat off and open the airbox.....but I hear ya about the stink factor. One thing I don't miss is coming in the house stinking of 2-stroke.

 

[FUSE]

My xplorer was a 2 stroke. It would RIP very fun to drive and was very reliable but it was loud, clunky, smokey, and unrefined. I have a nice Yamaha i'll sell you oops:

EDIT: I thought that the older sportsmans like that were four stroke and the xplorers were two stroke? Or was it just the Xplorer was SRA and Sportsman was IRS

 

[GaleHawkins]

Look on eBay and see if you can find an engine. We bought a project 325 Magnum hoping to get lucky but it needed a new bottom end due an oil cooler line breaking and dumping the oil while riding down the road per the seller who is a honest man I know.

It has been a good learning project for teaching the son some wrenching skills and we have a tight used bottom end consisting of the never split crank case with the connecting rod in place showing no slop.

If you will take your time and read and look at photos on eBay you can get most about any part at a fraction of new price parts BUT some will be over priced junk so be careful.

Most all of Polaris machines used the same parts over many years often in similar lines of ATV's.

Try to get it for $300 plus so you can part it out without loosing money if required. The seller should be motivated to get out in the snow and take a picture. As others noted ALWAYS expect an engine that has been torn into in the past to be BLOWN when buying a project.

Let us know how it goes if you look at it.