Polaris 1999 Sportsman 400 Service Manual page 11

GE NERAL INFO RM AnON
and thickness of any shims as they are removed.
Small parts such as bolts can be identi fied by plac-
ing them in plastic sandw ich bags (F igu r e 2). Seal
and label them with maskin g tape .
4 . Tag disconnected wires and con nectors wit h
mas king tape and a markin g pen . Again, do not rely
on memory alone.
5. Pro tect finished surfaces from physical damage
or corrosion. Keep gaso line and other chem icals off
pain ted surfaces.
6. Use penetrating oil on frozen or tight bolts, then
strike the bolt head a few times with a ha mme r and
punch (use a screwdriver on screws). Avo id using
heat where possible, as it can warp, melt or affe ct
the temper of parts. Heat also ruins finishes, espe-
cia lly paint and plastics.
7. When a part is a press fit or requires a specia l
tool to remove
it,
the necessary informat ion or type
of too l is ca lled ou t in the text. O therw ise, if a part is
diffic ult to remove or install, lind out why before
proceedi ng.
S. To prevent small obj ects and ab rasive dust from
falling into the engine, cover all openings afte r ex-
posing them.
9. Read each pro ced ure comp lete ly while looking
at the actual parts before starting a j ob. Make sure
the procedu ral steps are fully understood, the n fol-
low the proce dure step by step.
10. Recommendations are occas ionally made to re-
fer service or maintenance to a Polaris dealership or
a spec ialist in a particular field. In these cases, the
work will be done more quickly and economica lly
than by the home mechanic.
11. In procedural steps, the term repla ce means to
disc ard a defective part and replace it with a new or
rebui lt unit. Overhaul means to remove, disassem -
5
ble, inspect, measure, repair and/or replace parts as
require d.
12 . Some operations require the usc of a hydraulic
press . If a press is not availab le, it is wiser to have
these ope ratio ns performed by a shop equipped for
such wo rk, rather than to try to do the job yourself
with makeshift equipment that may damage the ma-
chine.
13. Repai rs go much fa ster and easier if the veh i-
cle is clean be fore starting on the jo b. There are
many spec ial clean ers on the mar ket, like Bel-Ray
Degrca scr, for wash ing the engine and related
parts. Follow the manufacturer's direc tions on the
contai ner for the best res ult s. C lean all o ily or
greasy parts with cleani ng so lvent as they are re-
moved.
WARN ING
Never use gasolin e to clean parts or
tools. 11 presents
all extreme
fire
haz-
ani. Be sure
10
work in
a
well-ventilated area when using
cleaning solvent. Keep a
fire
extin-
guisher rated f or gasoline fires near
by
in any case .
CAUTION
If a car wash is used to clean tile
Arv,
do
1I0t
direct tire high-pressure water
hose
at
steering hearings. carburetor
hoses, suspe nsion components, wheel
bearings, or electri cal components.
The water wtllflusb grease out of the
bearings or damage the seals.
14. Muc h of the labor charges for repai rs made by
dealerships are fo r the time involved during the re-
moval, disassembly, as sembly, and reinsta llation of
othe r part s in order to reac h the defe ctive part.
Wh en poss ible, perform the prel iminary operations
and take the defective unit to the dealer for repair at
considerable savings.
15. When spec ial too ls are required, ma ke ar-
rangcmcnts to get the m before starting on the job.
It is frus trating and time-consuming to get partly
into a job and the n be unable to com plete it. When
special too ls are requ ired, they will be described
(in cluding part number) at the beginning of a pro-
cedur e.
16. Make diag rams wherever similar-appearing
parts arc fo und. For instance, crankcase bolts arc of-
ten not the same length . Do not rely on memory