Ok, i am starting to notice that my 2005 sportsman 800 is getting hard to shift from high/low back into park. If i shut off the engine it shifts easily.

Is this the begining of bad things to come in the transmission? Has anybody had a similiar issue and if so what was the fix?

thanks.

 

Usually when this happens its clutch/belt related,especially if it tries to creep in gear,but doesn't always have to creep to affect shifting!You may need to check out the clutches and alignment! Also is idle too high?? Should be around 1150-1180 rpms if I remember correctly? This can affect shifting by too causing the early engagement of the clutches,putting pressure on the transmission gears, making it very hard to shift also. OPT

 

idle doesnt seem to have changed, i wouldnt doubt the clutch and/or belt as i am running oversized tires. Also being that i am the second owner since my purchase last year i dont know what the previous owner did for belt/clutch maintenece.

Would you reccomend upgrading to an EPI clutch? i also plow in the winter.

 

Pull the clutch cover and see if you can physically stop the rear clutch from turning while in neutral! Be careful!! If you can't,then it's still the pressure on the transmission causing hard shifting,especially if it shifts ok with engine off! As far as clutching changes others should chime in on what works best for them! Good luck! OPT

 

stupid question, does the bike run like a high idle when it is cold? sunday was the first time i ever noticed this issue and i only had it running a few minutes when i took it off the trailer from riding the day prior of which it ran and worked great.

I will pop the cover and give a check this weekend, thanks for the tips.

 

your 800 should be idling around 1150 rpms. i never noticed on neither one of my 800's(06,08) of a higher idle during cold starts. could be that the ebs bushing is going bad in the primary if it's not an idle issue. also check the front engine mount for being broke apart(you may have to pry up a little to check the rubber)as this some times made it shift hard as it throws the alignment off a little. your belt should be setting about 1/8" above the secondary sheeves when setting still. just a quick way to tell if the belt is worn. i ran a dalton primary spring in my 800's w/ 27" tires w/ good results, but i don't beleave that would solve your shifting issue. imo

 

Had the same problem on my 07 800x2. It was shifting hard and creeping pretty bad. It was still under extended warranty. I believe the dealer said they "had to shim the clutches"

 

replace the washers in the primary clutch, there is one on each side of the ebs bushing, when they get worn the belt wont ride in the groves. have done this to a few clutches and it always seems to fix the problem

 

since i dont know the history of my quad prior to my purchase last year, i was thinking of replaceing the belt and doing and EPI clutch kit. Do you know if these washers come in such a kit?

 

NO! He's talking about the fiber washer behind the one way bearing that can wear along with the metal washer(some are brass ) that's located under the bearing cap at the front of the one way bearing in the drive clutch. They can cause the one way bearing (one way clutch as its called) to move too far back and forth allowing the belt to touch the sides of the clutch outer or inner sheaths. This in turn will turn the belt and the rear clutch,which can make shifting hard(instead of the belt just sitting on the bearing as it spins and the belt should remain motion less in most cases) Washers along with clutches out of alignment basically doing the same thing(letting the belt ride up on the outer or inner clutch sheaths) are the two main problems of hard shifting and creeping! They are available at the dealers or online at places such as Cycle Parts Warehouse. Just look up an exploded view of your model clutch and will show the washers. OPT