I have purchased my XC 700 new and since day one I have noticed a noise coming from the chaincase. I only hear it when I am coasting. If I apply the brake or the throttle the noise is not as bad. Today was my first trip for the season, and it seems to be getting worse. I rode 50 miles. I changed the chaincase oil at the end of last season and adjusted the chain tensioner. I checked the dip stick today and noticed that the magnetic tip was completely full of metal fillings. Has anyone experienced this problem with the 2002 XC's.

Yeah, those sleds do have very noisy chaincases. My buddies 2002 700 XCSP howls like crazy. If you sit in a parking lot and listen to the sleds coming in you can easily pick out the Polaris before you see them by the chaincase howl. My XLT is the same way.

My Doo is silent, the Polaris not so.


We also get a fair bit of filings on the magnet. It is there to do just that. I always have a beard of filings on my dipstick even right after an oil change.

When my buddy and I got our Polaris sleds we rode them together for the first time and both thought the gearbox was coming out. We had previously rode doo and they run silent. We stopped for diner and several sleds came screaming in, sure enough the howling one was a XCSP. After asking several Polaris owners we were convinced that is just the way it is.

I check mine every year by pulling the covers just to be sure. So far no problems, the noise is just the way it is.

Scott,

Does it howl when coasting, or apply the brake. Mine is pretty loud. I wear an open face helmet with goggles, and it is driving me crazy.

The noise is really the chain tensioner. Its been the same for many years, trademark I guess. It does get kind of annoying, but oh well. It will be less if you keep the chain properly tensioned. I do this by turning in the adjustment screw until finger tight and then back it off a 1/4 turn. The noise will be less, but never gone. Good luck!

Polaris Boy

Do I have to rotate the driven clutch to remove the chain tension, then tighten the bolt and back it out a 1/4 turn.

Hey DDD,

Its just plain noisy, coasting is especially bad but braking is fairly noisy also. This is a Polaris trait. It bothered me at first but now It is great for scaring the deer off the corners LOL.

If your concerned pull the pipe, can and cover and have a quick look. It takes minutes and will put your mind at rest.

I made a handy spring tool out of drop ceiling tie rods. Bent a T on one end and a hook on the other. Works perfect and makes removing the exhaust springs easier and safer.

You should do it as part of your oil change routine anyways in the spring.

The 03's do it also, mine has gotten a little better, maybe I'm just used to it and tone it out who knows. I don't think it hurts anything. other than your ears.

on hardcoresledder.com they have a gear setup that greatly reduces the noise. mike

DDD, I don't do that, I just tighten the bolt then back it off. I might check out what
tifa-5 said, see what it is. I thought I saw a different tensioner from Polaris at the 04 previews back in the spring. Have to do some research I guess, until, whine on!

Thanks guys for your help. I will pull the chaincase cover this weekend. I will let you know what I find.

Guys, I almost forgot will I have to replace the chaincase cover gasket. The sled has 1700 miles on it. The chaincase has never be opened.

no, its a big oring. mike

Hi guys,

I took apart my chaincase today. Everything looks okay. I checked the tension. It was set with the bolt turned out a quarter turn after turning it in all the way by hand. I turned it out almost a half a turn. I want to experiment with that, and see what happens. I will let you know if it is any better. I will have to wait till we get some snow. Thanks for all your help guys.