Polaris Ranger

[Jon]

My beautiful 2011 Ranger started smoking a little, and I'm in the middle of a lot of projects, so against my better judgement I took it to the shop. They called me back and told me it would be $2450 to fix - and that the issue was valve guides leaking. The motor has only 100 hours on it, and it's a 4 stroke which only makes easy trips through the yard, and I use it to drop the boat or jetski in on occasion.

I'm just venting btw... but the head is 100% intact and there's no way they checked anything on it. Also, I happen to have found out yesterday that diesel was mixed in one of my gas cans, so the motor was actually fine. They also bent badly one of the piston rings. I have no idea how.

Look at the price of an exhaust valve! Try your best to find one that expensive anywhere, even OEM Polaris.

 

[sledman8002002]

Oh wow. Man, they are PUTTING it to you Jon. Why would they even replace the valves??? Can you get it out of there as it is? Take it to a local small engine shop? Top end gasket kit and an aftermarket piston plus labor will drop the price considerably.

 

[Jon]

Those pics were actually when I got it home (fortunately?). I can't imagine what they were going for with this one... the valves are fine, especially since no one inspected them. I didn't pay that bill, and had just asked for an itemized list of what they were going to do for $2450.

I ordered the jug and head gaskets and a ring set. The cylinder is perfect and you can still see to factory hatching. I'm just going to re-ring, hone, and put it back together. I'll go ahead and adjust the valves while I'm into it. I actually rebuilt one of these motors entirely a few years ago, and it will only take 3 or so hours to get it back together and then another couple to put it back in. I should be up and running on Saturday if all goes well. Fingers crossed. If I legitimately do have a head issue, I can remove it without pulling the motor in a matter of minutes, and the valve and gasket kit is $160... for all 4 valves and gaskets. I still don't understand the $325 exhaust valve.

 

[sledman8002002]

Cool. Since you already have the head off Jon, might as well lap the valves and put new seals on. (If you weren't already) Good luck with it.

 

[Jon]

Well my stupid loctite must have gone bad because one of the upper cam sprocket bolts backed out, caught in the lower sprocket, chain jumped, valves hit piston, wreckage everywhere. It's ok, I think a tooth on the main drive in my gear case broke loose too.

 

[Dave Hensley]

Why was the motor disassembled if there was a possibilty of valve guides being the issue? And......I am guessing we will not know what establishment you took it to? That sucks badly.

 

[Jon]

I think they tore it apart just looking for something wrong and thought I may be a big enough sucker when I saw it in a million pieces. I had it together and back up and running in 4.5 hours... until that bolt turned loose off the cam sprocket .

It is a John Deere place in your neck of the woods Dave.

And sledman, since I bent the exhaust valves, I'll get those seals this time around . I like building motors, but usually when they're not blown and only when I'm increasing the power.

 

[Dave Hensley]

Well they advertise alot and keep plenty of inventory......I guess they need the $$$$. That is pathetic. Are the exhaust valves gold or platinum with diamond clusters?? No wonder folks buy off of ebay and educate themselves on YouTube so they can fix their own stuff. My 2007 Honda Rubicon was leaking gas after riding it. Classic needle valve problem or float was sticking. I bought a brand new factory carb off the Bay for what Honda wanted for a float, needle, needle seat and a couple of phillips head screws that were so soft you could not get them out without boogering the heads. Took about 30 minutes to change the whole thing out. Most of that was removing air box and filter.

 

[Jon]

Ditto on the bowl screws on the Polaris carb. The mikuni carb on my KTM was solid though.

My wife made me promise to never take anything to a shop again. Custom tools here I come.

 

[sledman8002002]

Custom tools here I come

Well that's a drag Jon. On the plus side, you can never have enuff tools!