Ahren Longo

If anybody cares I got the ECM inputs and outputs mapped out. It does a couple of things. Its the voltage regulator for the stator, It controls the locker in the rear end and distributes power to the electrical system. I figured out how to bypass it all, except the stator, using jumper wires. Developement is under way for a plug & play bypass harness equipped with fuseable links and a control relay for the locker system if anyone is interested. My only hurdle I guess is finding a voltage regulator to use.

Well I got the Polaris fired up yesterday. I was mapping out the wiring harness and found some corroded pins, typical. I also found that the grounding points on the frame were still painted and the terminals were corroded. I also happened to have another ECM that was the original one that was supposedly bad. After cleaning connections I plugged in the ECM to see if I could get any kind of life so I could map power out. Wouldn't you know it the dang thing powered up. I put it some gas and she fired right up. I rode the wheels off it for a few minutes until she started starving for fuel. Gotta get that issue worked out, but I'm going to continue mapping out the ECM inputs and outputs so I can have a bypass solution.

Yeah I know its been a while since I've been on but, I've recently aquired a 2005 Polaris ATP 500. As ya'll well know I'm sure that these things are notorious for faulty ECMs and they are made of unobtanium. I got this one from my brother. I've unpotted the old ECM and tested the components and have concluded that they don't flow the board properly from the factory so that's why they crap out. I've also done some research and found that if you take the harness and Stator and flywheel from a 2004 its basically a plug & play application and it eliminates the need for the ECM. Why the heck they put it in anyways is beyond me. I'm going to devise a way to make a plug & play adapter harness that eliminates the need for the ECM and restores the wheeler to use. Has anyone tried this before and had any luck? I've been trying to locate a wiring diagrams online so I can compare the 2004 to the 2005 but they're pretty hard to find.

I know I haven't posted in a while but my brother has an issue with a fried ECM in his 2005 Polaris ATC. The ECM isn't available anymore anywhere and I can't find wiring diagrams to compare another ecm to see if it'll work. Is there an ECM from another model from another year that will work? It is a carbureted model. The ECM controls the electrical system.

The kid I got on Ebay was an "ALLBALLS" kit. It worked great.

I got my kit on Ebay for $70 its a complete kit with bearings and seals. Its the tools that really suck to buy. They're stupid expensive. The Socket to remove the pinion bearing nut was $60 or so. The other tool for pulling the pinion(unless you can make an attachment for a slide hammer with a nut(go to Fastenal), long rod and a welder) were $220 what I found on e-bay. I'm gonna see if my machinist buddy can copy them and change them slightly so I can sell them because I haven't found any aftermarket ones, only Honda. I wouldn't wait too long on the rear one. It'll chew the tip of the pinion right off. I wish I hadn't waited on mine. Maybe I wouldn't have had to replace the pinion and saved $100. Hell I woulda just bought a factory replacement rear end assembly for $350. There's one on Ebay right now(found it after I bought all the other stuff DAMMIT!!) It'll save a whole lot of headache, just pop & swap, done, waaaaayy less time spent. Especially if the pinion has play in it already. The ring gear sealing surfaces are probably pitted as hell too. Mine was. I don't think its the design. Its way easier to take apart a Honda rear end than an Arctic Cat I'll tell you that. I'd say it was due to abuse and not being maintained properly. It had gotten some H2O in it at some point, probably got rode in the creek and didn't get checked afterwards. Corroded the hell out of it, trashed the seals, all the oil leaked out and it overheated. Its not a big deal to get H2O in the diff, you just have to get it out ASAP. I run Lucas Oil Stabilizer with the gear oil. It coats nice plus keeps the gears and bearings lubricated really well.

One thing that got left off that most people overlook. I'm a professional mechanic and I overlooked it. THE DIFFERENTIALS, check them for leaks, proper oil level, and condition (i.e. if its brown its got rust in it and the bearings are shot, or if its got metal in it). also play in the bearings. I just had to fix my 07 420 Rancher rear diff because I didn't check it when I bought it. If I had it woulda been cheaper. Even with this list of things to check for you can still get a bike with problems. Most of the time 4wheelers get beat to Hell. I know every one I've ever ridden has. Never rolled one fortunately, been close. They go air-born and get over-reved, buried in mud and spashing through the creek. I won't own any ATV other than a Honda. They take the abuse the best I've found. Cheap and easy to fix too, except for the tools of course. Those are stupid expensive. I may be offering a cheaper tool to pull Honda diffs apart here pretty soon. Gonna see what my machinist buddy says on the cost of making them.

Nah man I didn't take any pictures. I was too funky and didn't want to get my phone nasty. Too concentrated on task. Word of experience though. Don't do what the manual says about installing the snap ring on the pinion needle bearing before you put it in. It will pop out of the grove and get jammed. Its a royal pain in the as* to get the needle bearing out w/ out destroying it. I had to pull my old needle bearing out by welding a long bolt inside of it and using a slide hammer. Its mostly back together now. I'll take some pictures of my ride when I'm done.

Well I finally had to take the rear end apart on my 07 Rancher 420. Man it was nasty on the inside!!! I didn't take any pictures, too concentrated on the task I guess. The tools are retarded expensive, after I spent $280 to get the socket and puller for the pinion, because no-one makes them other than Honda. I figured out the pinion was shot due to the needle bearing being completely destroyed, it ground it down pretty bad. The bearing and seal set was cheap enough , $70 on ebay. I got the pinion on ebay too for $95, I took the nasty looking ring gear and sand blasted it, although a little pitted, still perfectly usable. I had to turn the sealing surfaces down about .015" to get them smooth enough to seal. Then for the icing on the cake. I found a brand new rear diff. assembly for $400 on ebay. Dang it!! Coulda just popped and swapped and saved $50. Oh well I have the tools to do honda rear ends now maybe I'll get my buddy who own's a CNC machine to copy them for me and I'll sell the other ones to get my money back.

Take the carb off and spray it. Hopefully its got good compression. I don't trust oil injection. I use straight mix in a 2 stroke.

may have a stuck float in the carb. That will make it flood too.

If you know you're getting good fuel I'd go the ignition system route. I've had this happen in 2 strokes. It'll have great spark while cranking slow but when you crank it fast the spark goes away. May have a faulty pickup on the stator or something else.

It could also be a solenoid. All kinds of solenoids go bad all the time. I would be suspect of corrosion first if it goes anywhere near salt H2O that effects a lot more that you think and it will dissolve connections faster than you can shake a stick at it!! Has it ever been wet w/ salt H2O? If it has did you wash it down ASAP? It that's not your issue, you can fix it relatively easy with a multimeter. Get a wiring diagram and then find the connector for your suspected switches, hook up the meter between the 2 pins for the switch you want to check, press the button. If your meter reads 0hms when you press the button its good, anything else and 'd start with that. Start the bike and leave it running (you can only shift into reverse if its running) if you can access the reverse solenoid connector disconnect it and connect your multimeter to the leads(have the meter in 0-24vdc mode) activate reverse, you should have 12-14vdc at the connector. If you do, your solenoid is bad. If not work your way backwards through the wiring diagram till you find the problem.

Its probably just the bearings. Those gear sets are pretty tough, even if its a little pitted its fine. Not like its in a car on the road w/ 300hp.

Don't forget about the jam nuts on either side that holds it in place. I have to go through the rear end in my 07 rancher 420. The bearings are shot.