Unscheduled Inspection And Maintenance; Recoil Starter; Body Fasteners; Fuel Tank And Lines - Polaris 1999 Sportsman 400 Service Manual

82
Ul\SC HE DULE J) INSPECTIO:,,/
AND MAI NT ENANC E
Recoil Starter
Pull out the starter rope and inspect it for fraying .
If its condition is questionable, replac e thc ropc as
descr ibed in Chapter Five, Check the action o f the
starter. It
should be smooth, and when the rope is re-
leased. it should return all the way. If the starter ac-
tion is rough or
if
the rope does not return, service
the starte r as described in Chapter Five.
C HA PTE R THREE
Body Fasteners
Tighten any loose body fasteners. Repla ec loose
rivets by first drilling out the old rivet and installing
a new pop rivet. Th is tool, along with an assortment
of rivets. is available at
1110 st
hardwa re and auto
parts sto res. Follow the manufacturer's instructio ns
for installing rivets.
Check welded joints for crac ks and damage.
Have damaged welded joints repaired by a compe-
tent weldin g shop.
®
Fuel Tank and Lin es
Inspec t the fuel tank for cracks and abrasions. If
the tank is damaged and leaking, replace it. See
Chapter Six.
Oil Tank
Inspect the oi l tank for cracks, abrasions or leaks.
Repl ace the tank if its condition is in doubt.
Elect r ical System
Chec k all of the sw itches for proper operation.
Refer
10
Chapter Eleven.
Electrical Connectors
Inspect the higb-tension lead to the spark plug
(F igure 76) for cracks a nd breaks in the insulation
and replace the lead if it is not perfect. Breaks in the
insulation allow the spark to arc to ground and will
impair eng ine perfonnancc.
Check primary ignition wiring and lightin g wir-
ing for damaged insulation. In so me ca ses. minor
damage can be repaired by wrapping the damag ed
area with electrical insulating tape. If insulation
damage is extens ive , replace the damaged w ires .
Abno rmal Engine No ise
Start the engine and listen for abnormal noise s.
O ften the first indication of developing troubl e is a
change in so und.
An
unusual rattle
might
indicate
a
loose fastener that can be easily repaired, or it could
be the
first indication
of
severe eng ine damage.
Af-
ter becoming familiar wit
h the ve hicle and with
practice,
it will be possible to identify
mos t
new
so unds. Periodi c inspections and quiek identifi ca-
tion
o f
abnormal engine noises can prevent a com-
plete engine failure.
El\G I:"/E T UNE-UP
The
following procedures co ver each phase of a
rune-up. Unless
otherwise
specified. make sure the
engine is coo l before starting any procedure. A
spark plug wrench with a long reach is required to