550 engines

[FrankieJames7]

you could get it ported and dial in your carbs that could help to

[Rex in OTZ]

#4
Rex in OTZ
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 16 Oil pump service kit from dealer

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I'd suggest installing the Oil Pump Bleed Kit that recirculates mix oil back into the oiltank Polaris recomends for the 550 Fan, helps with keeping air out the oil line when it gets hot, does not hurt to go one jet richer as well as making shure the pump marks all match up (shop manual is very handy and cheaper than buring up cylinders)
and premixing the gas a tad.
thats what we do to our 2ea '2004' and one 2009 550 tourings we use for pulling freight sleds
all of our 550F machines have scorched a cylinder at least twice(remember the Rt and Lt carbs have diffrent jets) richer Jet is on the Clutch side

The oil injection line is mounted to the carb boot and when you remove it to pull off the carburator, I recommend you sniping off 1/8" off the old injector line, IF the injector hose stab's the injector nipple even remotely easy it will fall off when its hot and you will toast that jug (already experenced this twice) to get the new undersize hose to go on the nipple dip the end the hose in your hot coffee till its warm and will strech on and slip over the nipple barbs.

Polaris Team Tip S-04-09-02 describes how to correct this.

It covers three areas. It calls for a change in the piston to cylinder wall clearance, it calls for the needle jets and jet needles to be changed and finally an adjustment to the air screw settings. The tech tip number is S-04-09-02. The techincal specs are as follows:

Piston to cylinder wall clearance must fall between .114 and .135 MM. This same clearance must be met if going over sized with an OEM piston

Change needle jets to Q-4 480 (PN 3131593) this part number has been superseeded by this (PN 3130947)

Change jet needles to 6BGY-41 (PN 3131592)

When installing jet needle ensure the E clip is in the #3 position and adjust the air screw to 3/4 turn out on soft seat EXCEPT for 04-05 Trail RMK and 04 PRO X Fan.


http://www.snowslickers.org/phpBB3/v....php?f=6&t=132


http://www.caledoniatrailblazers.com...c3985280dd34d7

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Last edited by Rex in OTZ; 04-22-2012 at 04:52 PM.


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04-03-2012, 04:36 PM #5
Rex in OTZ
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 16 vaporlocking oil lines

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they had been working on toasted 550's for a long while, first they thought jets, then a bigger fan, then heat shielding, they went as far as putting a oil pump purge line on it to recirculate oil back to the resivour.

http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/a.../t-122869.html

Thanks for the post ^ and interesting "stories" from yet another dealer. he said the pump is a piston pump not a vane pump and so doesn't know it is running backwards so it cannot be sucking only pumping.
That's not true. He's right that it's a piston pump, but dead wrong that it won't pump backward. I argued the same things to my techs when they first told me that the pump, pumps backward when the engine runs backward, for the same reason; that it's a piston pump! But they proved me wrong. you can start the engine, flip it into revers and you can WATCH the oil being sucked backward through the lines from the carbs toward the pump.


on the liquids, at least the edge ones, the oil pump is over on the side off of the water pump = less heat. it receives a lot of air from the front of the hood. on the 550s it is backside of the engine below jugs = lots of heat.I don't know. It may be a FACTOR, but all other Fuji/Polaris Fan engins locate the oil pump in the same place; on the case, under the carbs. The 340, the 440, the 488...all same location. I don't get it.


maybe the excessive heat causes the pump piston premature wear and or failure hence the air bubbles, and then helps to cause engine failure. maybe the synthetic oil helps to prevent this from happening because it does have higher film strength under high load and high heat situations.
Maybe on the premature wear thing. We tried Polaris VES GOLD oil for 1/2 of one season, last year, and it made no difference in our failure rate...just the weight of our "wallet".


maybe this is a combination of events @ high underhood heat from no shielding, high oil pump heat causing failure of pump and the top end just says "thats it i'm done" . i'm sure there's been meltdowns with ves but if they are less frequent than with regular oil, then the ves might be keeping things together longer in spite of poor design on these edge machines. it would be interestin to get the specs on the pumps eg. flow and pressure and be able to test them at the time of an engine rebuild to se if they need replaced. i know my 05 and 08 had the heat shielding and have had nothing but ves in them and are still okay. it would be good to know if the little oil pump piston gets weak and then kills his bigger brothers upstairs.
I agree. It would be good to know WTF is up with this roach of a motor. POLARIS, why don't you tell us?? And do so w/o the ridiculous "boiling/Flashpoint/only VES/this kit/that kit" etc. urban legend-stories.


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04-22-2012, 03:59 PM #6
Rex in OTZ
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Posts: 16 high under hood tempratures

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Polaris mfg fan cooled 550's right up to 2010 without any modification to cowls (bleed off excess heat) or cooling air ducted to engine fan

as you can see the fan is sucking heat right off the muffler can and running it across hot cylinders, the cowl holds heat too well and so it leads to a host of other problems.


CAN You Spot the 4 Sleds in one Picture?

we bought the Polaris 550 fan as a working machine and all the work That has been done so far is by mechanics fixing them instead of them pulling sleds they were bought to pull, the Polaris 550 Fan is being replaced by fan cooled Arctic Cat Bear Cats and Ski-do Skandic's.
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04-22-2012, 04:12 PM #7
Rex in OTZ
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Posts: 16 High under hood temps

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Polaris came out with a kit to overcome the short falls of their previous attempts at cooling a hot 550 fan cooled engine.
without sufficent ground speed to ram cooling air through the cowl the engine compartment soon is saturated with extremely hot air from all the bare exhaust, leading to a hot belt/clutch (can burn out the crank seal on clutch side), over heated cylinders and high temps behind the engine in the carb and oil pump area causing heat related problems.
these Rental fleet kits sell in the ball park of $200 U.S.
EDGE HOOD FAN DUCT Kit
Kit PN 2203829Application
Polaris Snowmobiles with 550 engines, Rental Fleet Application, model years 2007 and 2008.
This Kit Includes:
Qty. Part description Part Number
2 Cover-Manifold 5243196
1 Screen-Pan Front, Blk 5247535-067
1 Bracket Fuel Pump Relocation 5252233
3 Grill Louvered 5430958-070
2 Sound Mat 5830161
2 Clamp Hose 2.25” 7080481
1 18 cm Fuel Line 8350003-18
1 16 cm Fuel Line 8350003-16
1 Convoluted Tubing 4010051-15 cm
6 Rivet Burr 7555904
6 Rivet Pop 3/16” 7621433
12 Push-on Nut 7670009
1 Fitting 90 Degree 7052208
4 Hose Clamp 7080307
1 Grommet-Flanged 7052362
1 Valve-Check Vacuum 7052390
1 Asm Engine Fan Duct 1203766
1 Hood Foam Center 5813287
1 Foil Oil Bottle 5813346
1 Theaded Nipple AutoBleed 7052459
5 Bolt Air Duct 7518910
1 Instructions Hood Fan Duct 9921764

Tools required:
10” Extension
Putty Knife
Torque Wrench
Small Channel Lock Pliers
10 mm socket
8 mm Socket
#2 Phillips Screwdriver
Small Air Saw
Tape LocTite
Surface Cleaner
Drill LocTite 272
Box Knife or other Sharp Tool
Exhaust Spring Removal Tool
Drill Bit 0.250”
Pop Rivet Tool
Drill Bit 0.210”
Drill Bit 0.5312” (7/32”)
Pencil or Sharp Marker
Scissors
Poster Board


It makes sense they do it for other models as well, even seen them on the IQ models
it includes a cool air duct that bolts to the recoil starter/fan inlet
to duct outside air into engine like most other snowmobiles do

they have templates to cut several exhausting and inlet grills in hood & front nose pan and side, lots of reflective IR barrior foil tape
a modificatiion to the oil pump
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[maxdudy]

FIRDSTLY THE 550 IS A WATER COOLED PISTON PORT ENGINE, NOT A FANNER. cATS FANNER IS A570. tHE ENGIN PRODUCES 80 HORSE IN STOCK FORM. iF PORTED AND PIPED WILL PRODUCE SOLID 100.
VRY RELIABLE, WITH CLEAN GAS AND CORRECT JETTING. rUN LEAN AND ANY ENGINE WILL BURN A PISTON.THE EXT WA A RACE SLED FOR A WHILE AND WAS THE FIRST STAGE OF THE E PORT 580. THE 58-0 IS AROUND 100 HORSE FACTORY.
IF YOU WANT A 150 HORSE ENGINE THAT RUNS ALL THE TIME GET A 800 AND RICHEN IT UP ANDF YOUD NEVER KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
A GOOD TUNED 550 WILL RUN WITH MOST 600S TODAY AND YOU WON'T SEE MUCH DIFFERENC IN MILEAGE FROM EITHER.
I HAVE A 550 COUGAR WITH PSI PIPES CARB UFOS, 1 IN TRACK 96 STUDS CLUTCHED AND WILL RUN WITH ANY 600 OUT THERE. tHE LIMITING FACTOR IS THE SUSPENSION.
A NEW SLED WILL RIDE CIRCLES AROUND AN OLDER SLED.
MAX

[BCDan]

Being as this is posted in the POLARIS section, I'm guessing that the original poster is talking about the Polaris 550 FAN engine and not the AC 550. And the 550 Polaris fan has had major issues, as already described. All your info that is posted regarding the Cat 550 is spot on, though

[White Lightning]

I was wondering with MAXDUDY - LOL. You said it BC. WL

[tuney443]

Soooo,haven't been here in a real long time--I see there's still no real solution to my 2005 550 touring deluxe POS sled huh? Engine was rebuilt at 1K miles,blew again 200 miles later--Polaris said tough shit,my fault for riding too slow{ I max out at 50] and running it too warm a day[maybe 30*,the warmest].I asked them to point those assinine comments out to me in the owner's manual.NO,doesn't exist.Anybody have any advice what to do with a still almost show room condition looking sled with an engine in 2 cardboard boxes? Really want to ride this year,looking at a mint 2005 600 touring deluxe 2 place but that name POLARIS[''the way out ''my ASS] bothers me.Anybody know anything about them good or bad? Thanks--sorry for ranting

[cfd79]

They screwed you on the 550 POS and youre thinking about another Polaris?? Find a reliable Doo or Cat - Do your resaearch - Dont get fooled again. I wish someone warned me about those 550' s before I got taken. Spread the word. Good luck!!

[meburdick]

Originally Posted by tuney443

Soooo,haven't been here in a real long time--I see there's still no real solution to my 2005 550 touring deluxe POS sled huh? Engine was rebuilt at 1K miles,blew again 200 miles later--Polaris said tough shit,my fault for riding too slow{ I max out at 50] and running it too warm a day[maybe 30*,the warmest].I asked them to point those assinine comments out to me in the owner's manual.NO,doesn't exist.Anybody have any advice what to do with a still almost show room condition looking sled with an engine in 2 cardboard boxes? Really want to ride this year,looking at a mint 2005 600 touring deluxe 2 place but that name POLARIS[''the way out ''my ASS] bothers me.Anybody know anything about them good or bad? Thanks--sorry for ranting

Personally, I've never understood the concept of using a fan-cooled motor on a sled designed to haul two adults... Seems counter-intuitive. If you're planning on running across the lake a bit with two people and towing a sled of gear with you to ice fish, different story...

If you want a sled that will handle two adults through the trails for *actual* touring style riding, get a liquid cooled machine. That 600 is an Edge Chassis and will be very comfortable and hold up well.

"Mint condition" doesn't necessarily mean anything... You still want to check the driveshaft bearing, clutches, suspension, etc... Also, if you can buy it from the original owner, they should also have papers from repairs and maintenance that may have been done.

As far as the '02... Have you considered parting it out? It sounds like your motor is already out. Pull the clutches, belt, carbs, rear skid, skis, seat, throttle, plastics, trailing arms, mirrors, gauges, ignition switch, airbox, oil tank, and even some of the engine parts and sell them on here, Craigslist, or eBay. Once you've stripped it down enough, sell the tunnel off as scrap.

That's probably your best chance to get your money back and maybe even make a few bucks.

[Jakew]

What about using synthetic oil

[FrankieJames7]

Originally Posted by maxdudy

FIRDSTLY THE 550 IS A WATER COOLED PISTON PORT ENGINE, NOT A FANNER. cATS FANNER IS A570. tHE ENGIN PRODUCES 80 HORSE IN STOCK FORM. iF PORTED AND PIPED WILL PRODUCE SOLID 100.
VRY RELIABLE, WITH CLEAN GAS AND CORRECT JETTING. rUN LEAN AND ANY ENGINE WILL BURN A PISTON.THE EXT WA A RACE SLED FOR A WHILE AND WAS THE FIRST STAGE OF THE E PORT 580. THE 58-0 IS AROUND 100 HORSE FACTORY.
IF YOU WANT A 150 HORSE ENGINE THAT RUNS ALL THE TIME GET A 800 AND RICHEN IT UP ANDF YOUD NEVER KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
A GOOD TUNED 550 WILL RUN WITH MOST 600S TODAY AND YOU WON'T SEE MUCH DIFFERENC IN MILEAGE FROM EITHER.
I HAVE A 550 COUGAR WITH PSI PIPES CARB UFOS, 1 IN TRACK 96 STUDS CLUTCHED AND WILL RUN WITH ANY 600 OUT THERE. tHE LIMITING FACTOR IS THE SUSPENSION.
A NEW SLED WILL RIDE CIRCLES AROUND AN OLDER SLED.
MAX