I Bought The Cheapest Plowing ATV And Instantly Regretted It 

Thats outstanding compression for a worn ring - Also check your engine breather isn't blocked, excessive crankcase pressure will also cause oil burn.

Looks like winter has arrived in Packer country. 2Vinny sniffing out the profits in Gravy Train value

To properly tell if the tensioner was maxed out, remove the bolt and spring from the tensioner before the the cam gear. Otherwise it just extends itself with the slack created by removing the gear. It also extends when it is removed from the cylinder if the spring isn't removed first. Just FYI.. Love your vids.

After watching 50+ of this guys videos I feel like an expert small engines mechanic.

so if a machine is running like yours. run it for a bit. then start the tear down. You can pull the carb and exhaust off and look at the intake / exhaust runner back inside the valve stem. if its wet on any of the valve guides you will see oil wetness. that is the cause of the smoke. It looked like your intake seals were leaking by how wet the valves looked inside the combustion chamber. but next time look at the runners at the valve guides / top of the valves and you will see oil leaking down the valve stem.

What a star Vinnie is. Must be the fittest dog in your state!

I would definitely invest in a pressure washer or something, there would be no way I would strip that down with cleaning it first lol

My '98 Sportsman 500 came with a special wrench adapter to get the spark plug boot off. Then you use that adapter with the supplied open-end wrench to get the sparkplug out. Taking plastics off is not necessary...unless you don't have the Polaris tool kit.

I’m not mechanically adept. But as a cancer survivor I’ve watched most of your postings over the last 2 yrs. I’ve learned a lot. My wife says you should be a teacher. I asked her just exactly what do you think he’s doing with these videos? Anyway, I get my understanding level up, wonder how the heck you keep all the parts straight, and wish you did no the but restore Triumph Bonnevilles all day. Thanks for including the canine assistant too.

I cant believe you dont get a lot of dirt in the engines while rebuilding. It was a must for me to power wash the equipment before rolling it into the shop. Power washed heater is a good investment.

Not sure why or how I ended up here, but I’ll def be watching this channel from now on. I had no idea how much goes into fixing all these toys.

Love watching your videos over the years. Have you ever thought about installing a small water heater in your shop to run the pressure washer in the cold months?

Mr Joe, you sir are the hardest working person I have ever watched. Your channel is second to none and I look forward to watching your new videos and learning something new every time.

Those 500 engines are pretty solid if taken care of. I bought a 500 HO new in 06 for the farm and to move cars around at the shop. It's been pretty good for sure! Still got you a couple tools to send ya if you want them. Holler at me!

27 year Polaris mechanic from where that wheeler was born. That thing likely got drowned and took the rings out and filled the front diff. What happens when the diff is hot and then you plunge into water is the case pulls a vacuum and it literally sucks the water into the case through the vent line. I would suspect the rear diff/transmission might look similar. As others have mentioned, take a close look at the vent line between the oil tank and the air box. There should actually be a slit cut in the hose running length ways for about 3/4” on one end. It should be marked with a white paint mark. That is NOT a defect! That slit in the hose is there as a secondary pressure release in case condensation builds up in the hose and it freezes. MANY people have replaced that hose thinking the slit on the hose was a defect and subsequently had the line freeze. When the pressure builds up in the oil tank it can rupture and blow the tank apart. Anyway, sad to see the neglect and lack of maintenance. The Sportsman 500’s with the FUJI 500 engine were the best machines we ever built if taken care of. Keep up the good work!

I have a Polaris trail boss with 14000 miles on it. It has gone through 2 cylinders by the previous owner and I installed a niech cylinder and piston. Ring gap was about a half inch

I'm working on a Ranger 500. On the ranger, the dipstick is supposed to be screwed in tight to get a level reading. So yours likely wasn't low (Just started watching this video). Also, your exhaust rocker looks worn to me. It appears to have a groove in it from the decompressor ball. I would confirm that the decompressor is functioning, mine had zero tension on the spring and a deep groove in the rocker.

Be prepared the input shaft for the front differential is expensive around $250 but it comes with the bearing.

Thank you for this video. I just got a 2012 Polaris sportsman 550. And is smoking the same as yours. It has 5700km on it. I did a compression test and it is 225psi. But I think I have to rebuild it as well. Thanks again for this video it helped me a lot. Can’t wait for the next video.

That was an incredible video. Your knowledge is impressive, I love these commenters that say you should do this and that. WTF. Great job, mad skills! I'm still running an 04.5 Sportsman 500 and plowing with it, it's been a good machine.

It's amazing it ran with the diff like that, thought it would make a huge noise considering. 👍

Merry Christmas Joe ! I gotta say, I love your videos!! You do great work buddy !!! Keep it up !

I love your videos man. I have been watching them for years. You seem like a really chill dude and I wish I lived in Michigan so you could teach me your mechanic skills. Dude...I am pretty sure this ATV was flooded...with all of the dirt everywhere and water in the front dif...I am getting the impression that the guy was riding it around....tried doing some mudding and went into a deeper mud puddle than he thought.

Brilliant video Joe watching from Edinburgh Scotland UK 🇬🇧 👏

Yes I've been waiting for another plowing quad, love your videos I just picked up a cheap Honda foreman 450es I'm fixing up and also have a yamaha kodiak 400 I use for plowing aswell

What always gets me is that many moons ago, this old turd was shiny and someone was so proud to bring it home. The days go slow, but the years go fast.

My workhorse is a black and silver 2006 sportsman 500, H.O. EFI. BEAST! Quick connect plow on it, love it... good quad.

Very cool.. love the channel. Thanks for all the great videos

Please have Viney ride with you, I keep thinking your going to hit him.

Gee, I wonder if the missing air filter had anything to do with the excessive ring wear?? 😁😁. Excellent work !!! When you work on say a Honda, then a Polaris, you can really tell side by side the difference between the different mfgs and the quality levels and longevity plans the mfgs build to.

I think you jinxed it at 1:47.... Great content as usual.

Good video joe look forward to the re build just a few parts needed eh mate lol ,you’ll have it ship shape in no time joe all the best 👌👍🔧🔧🔧🐾🐾🦴🦴

love the vids man. Im curious if you would do a leakdown test to see if valves/ valve steam seals are bad or rings?

Valve seals and worn/sticky oil control rings is my guess, especially with a high compression read like what you found. That front diff was nasty for sure. Should be an interesting video series! Thanks Joe!

Good deal, you got the carb version, mine is injected. Good find Joe, simple machine.

Awesome job! Love your videos.

love the video and Benny looks like he is having alot of FUN LOL.

I have a Suzuki lt230 it had great compression but smoked it was the valve guide seals so I would start there

The knowledge you are acquiring will pay huge dividends one of these days. Keep up the great work.

Why dont you use red dye penetrant to double check for cracks??

I love when you have Vinny check out the vehicles first!

I like your little Huuu, laugh when you can't believe what your seeing! 😂

I would have checked the ring gap alinement. Someone could have put the gaps in line and oil can push past the rings

My mower is fixed. It was a bad connection to the relay to turn off ground on the key switch connector plug wire. I wiggled wires and did this once while I was looking for power wire to the relay.

Do any update on what your doing with all your inventory. Progress and what’s going for sale. Love the channel

Big bore kit!!! Mine has it, love it torquey.

You could see Vin nervous from the start. All and all with your skills it's not as bad as one might think. Always tons of work. She'll be humming like a rolls royce soon I'm sure

Valve guides are probably shot that’s why the valves are hitting the piston

wonder what the oil is like in the rear dif.?

Another good video I wish you would go get yourself a solvent tank it would make cleanup so much easier and nicer

Wow, another great find, and with plow think they'd be a premium in the north country

With over 200 psi i doubt the rings are bad. Bad valve seals usually don't smoke that badly. I would check the engine crankcase vent. That would cause it to smoke

OH Boy ! Major overhaul, good luck ! 👍

People just don't take care of ATV's. They run them hard, seldom clean them and hardly ever do proper maintenance. I am often surprised at how much abuse these machines can take and still operate. Machines that are taken care of will operate for 20 to 30 years (I know cause I had some that old).

Yes it has problems but as you said 'It was the cheapest one on the net." Fortunately you have the experience and skill to get it up and running again knowing that everything has been repaired and repaired properly. Not an ideal situation but it could have been much, much worse. It also leaves us in anticipation of you changing the seals and bearings on that front diff. "God rest yee oily gentlemen , let nothing you you dismay. Amazon will send you parts and all you do is pay. When you reassemble things, you slowly loose your mind. 'Cos half the parts you ripped apart you no longer can find. Lots of filings mixed up with grime and dirt, filings and dirt. Lots of grunge and stuff that ends up on your shirt." An ode to the Xmas season.

How is there so many ATVs and bikes for sale around you?!

Compression will always go up with oil in the cylinder whether the rings are good or not a good diagnosis

You need to make sure you bring Vin on every purchase. He literally knows if you got a pig in a poke just by his nose. He's trying to tell you.

Your vids are great, and I learn lots all the time. When you do oil changes and say there are no chunks of metal. Yet there is a noticeable "rainbow affect" when you swirl the oil. Is that not metal?

Great Video I love the front diff tear down part it was so Yucky

FYI Having owned my 2005 polaris 500 There are two drain plugs for the oil One in the external tank an one in the sump

Good Evening, may I ask what are some of your best parts source's on Amazon? I just picked up a 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO in Oxford/Grand Marsh area this past Thursday and want to upgrade/fix some issues... Regards and Thanks, Dale Sr

Looking forward to the rebuild video!

I'm going two ocd can you clean out the radiator cause it looks pretty plugged up and all the debri and dirt in there.

Could the cause of the indentions on the piston face be the tip of that out-of-spec ring broke off and got slammed?

With Joe and Vinny working on the quad, consider it fixed!😅😂

Have fun getting front end apart for tank, nightmare!!! Definitely needs better engineered front clip.

At least that front diff won't take you all day to replace the bearings like the last Polaris did lol

I wonder if the rear diff looks the same

Dude, you have to be the hardest working RU-vid channel👍👍

Joe I'd find a good used diff and go from there

What happened to the sportsman 400 with the plow?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't that front differential have some sort of lube in it? Edit; I see now where the axles go in are blind holes, I'm used to the splines going into the diff cavity

Before I changed the piston, which it really needs is valve stem seals. Though it needs both. Ya'll need desperately to change that timing chain. I believe that made the piston dings, but not sure about that as the compression is so high and the valves would be bent. That second ring must have had someone grind the end off.

What brand plow is that? Im asking because i haveone and all of the decals are gone.

You teach us so well i feel like i need to raise my hand before commenting lol

Polaris are SO much of a pain in the butt to just get to the spark plug. There's NO trick or anything.. all those plastics have to come off.. What a pain. One of the reasons I stay away from them.. Unless I'm getting a smokin' deal on one.. it's just not worth it. edit: WOW!! I can't believe the compression was SO high with those rings... that's amazing! I'm impressed with that engine.. let's see how she goes with a nice top end rebuild! That thing looks like it's worth 3 grand all day this winter!! - oh.. you just got to the cv.. yikes.. maybe not!

Hope he doesn't forget about replacing the front brake pads, and those front rotors may be toast, too.

I own a couple of Sportsman about that old. They are a nice ride but you MUST keep up on maintenance and repairs or you wind up with a machine in this state of disrepair.

Those CV axles always pull out of the diff easy. 😉

You loosened the sprocket so the tensioner popped out all the way like it should

What happened to the sportsman 400 with the plow the one that looks like 500 in the video

Things it's an automatic does it got a modulator valve on the tranny where it gets stuck fluid from the

Compression good...plug black ...valve seals...is my first guess.

Yall already got snow. God dammit. When I moved to NC back in 2008 we'd get snow about this time of the year. Now I'm lucky to see a dusting of snow. And that ain't going to happen anytime soon this month.

I have a Polaris 400 from 1995. but I have an electrical problem, can you help me?

Make sure you clean that rad out good, that thing will run super hot like that

Not too bad! Some rings and seals, and air filter and it'll be G2G.

Cam chain skipped. You need a cam chain if the tensioner is maxed out.

Even with snow on the ground you can't stop Vinnie Gump from running😂i think if it had been in pieces in 5 totes you would still get that thing running like a good'un?from BIGMICK IN THE UK 🇬🇧 without snow yet?

I see your in Wisconsin too. I do the same thing you do and have a channel. Just curious, Where in Wisconsin are you? I'm in Sheboygan. Maybe we can help each other out with parts and such. I have tons.

That smoke is real White, I would check the coolant pump, it might be leaking into the engine

I’m glad I watch these videos to know I never want to own a dewalt jump pack, that high pitch beep would make me want to beat that thing with a sledge hammer I don’t care how good it works 😂😂😂

Vinnie said " not another d@mm smokin polaris back from submarine service". Great teardown Joe!

Hey man I’m having an issue with my bike, it’s a 1997 Yamaha Kodiak 400 and it started revving way louder then usual and it’s not wanting to move like it should be.. would you have an idea why it could be happening

Just before detonation lol, the bearing was almost seized.

Ole Vin, he likes to get out and run...dont he ??

You need to get a old portable dishwasher to wash your parts in ?

Where does he resale all of his buys?

35:15 Pause it just right and you'll see what looks like a crack, or it may just be the lighting.