joehelf

Don't know what they will want to do. I will let you know the outcome. As it is, I can use the new cam and the old sprocket if I shim it out 2 mm. This way the chain rides in the middle of the teeth and not to the inside edge. I measured the over all length of both shafts. The old shaft is 140 mm long and the new shaft is 138 mm long. That's the difference of the shim I will need to put behind the old sprocket if I have to use it. I did not want to tear into the crankcase end and change the crankcase sprocket and chain. It looks like this might have been the reasoning. A bigger chain link and a beefier sprocket to match. Maybe in the past these were considered weak? Maybe. In case I didn't tell it earlier the rocker arms are a perfect fit for the intake and exhaust. No problems there.

Hold Your Horses. I got the parts in the mail and started to do a check of sizes. The sprocket was not the right sprocket and the camshaft was milled just a tab shorter than the one I took out. I started to put things together last night. It didn't go so well. Here's what I found. The new sprocket is smaller in circumference than the original and it's wider. My original sprocket is only about 3/16" wide and this new sprocket is at least 1/4" wide maybe more. Plus the teeth are not the same cut. Because the new sprocket is so much more wider than the old it looks like they machined the end of the shaft shorter to make up the difference. The locating pin and the center shoulder and bolt pattern is correct but it is definitely at least 1/16" shorter. It is causing the old sprocket to ride against the inside of the timing chain links. I will try and make a full spacer to make up the difference. The exhaust and intake rocker arms fit nice. I have no issues with them. Interesting I went to the website and looked up the parts again to see if I had made a mistake on ordering. I noticed the part numbers were all the same as OEM part numbers for everything. Gasket, rocker arms, shaft, and sprocket but at the top of the page and just under the "1999-2005 Polaris 500" is a statement that says "This will NOT fit your ATV". Mine is a 2000 Sportsman 500 RSE. I missed it. I don't know how I did. I must have been more tuned to the OEM numbers and did not look hard enough. I thought about sending it all back but everything else was correct except the sprocket. It behooves me to understand if the OEM numbers were the same why would the parts be different than OEM? Here's a couple of pics. Hopefully you can zoom in and see the differences.

I failed to mention a few things. I went to my local Polaris shop and asked the price for a new camshaft. They told me $275 and they could get it in a couple of days. I asked if it was an OEM or a second manufacturer? He said "you can only get OEM camshafts for a 2000 Sportsman 500... nobody makes them but OEM". I then asked the price for rocker arms and he said they were about $300. By now I'm scared to death to stick around this guy's shop. That's when I decided to search online. I found the site after you sent me the link and realized it was tied to Amazon. So I went from $275 to $59. Oh... and the best bet.... I got the camshaft, both intake rocker arms, the exhaust rocker arm, the camshaft sprocket, and the cover gasket. Woohoo!

Partsdiscounter. I did not know after I bought them but it came from Vancouver Canada. I thought it was here in the states. No big deal. Still the price was $209 on Amazon.com. I opened an Amazon credit card and saved an instant $50. Then I used a $100 Amazon gift card I had been carrying around in my wallet for some time and saved the $100 out of pocket. Plus FREE shipping. Total price with tax $59.

I found the link and ordered the parts. I was able to save a bundle. I will post results after the parts come in and I get them installed. I'm excited to see this machine really run!

Where is the best place for a new camshaft for a 2000 Polaris Sportsman 500 RSE? I figured some of the quad owners on this forum have probably bought them before as this is a common problem on the Polaris 500. My exhaust cam lobe is almost completely wore down and the thing hardly will even get up an go. I like other's opinions rather than just "buying on the fly". If any of you guys have a good suggestion I'd be interested in getting a good one at a fair price. 2000 Polaris Sportsman 500 Remington Steele Edition

Hello all. I'm new to quad ownership and am 53 years old. I'm pretty much a tinkerer of many things mechanical. My background is; I was raised in a Christian home and am a practicing Christian myself. I've been married to the same woman or almost 30 years and raised 3 children. We now are foster parents with a big house and plenty of love to give to kids. I'm an electrician by trade and a pretty good one if I can say. Also a decent mechanic. I bought my first quad a couple of months ago from my nephew. Model year 2000 Polaris 500 Sportsman RSE. It didn't run good for him and he didn't want to mess with it. He knowing that uncle Joe was the mechanic of the family could probably do more with it than anyone else so he gave me a decent price. Since I've brought it home I've fixed several small things but now I'm into fixing why it just won't run great. I want it to run great like I've always heard these machines can do. I won't lie. I joined this group just so I could reap the benefits of shared knowledge. Your knowledge. In the process I promise to give any that I may have also. I downloaded a service manual, joined this group and another forum, and have been talking to other owners here at work. I'll ask my questions in the forum where applicable. Thanks for your website and group.