wyomingwapiti

I am at a lost with my sled. It is a 96 XLT RMK w/ 4200 miles on her. I would love to get a newer more modern mountain sled, but I just can’t wing it at this time. I have had a cooling issue for the past two years that I need to get fixed. I don’t know where to go at this point. Please read the below excerpt and see if you can help me. Any and all suggestions are welcome.


Scenario of events that lead to problem:

While riding in March 2004 I noticed coolant leaking. When I popped the hood I could see that one of my coolant hoses had developed a leak from rubbing on the frame. I had enough water with me that I was able to keep the level up till I got to my truck. I took the sled into the Polaris dealer to have them install a new hose. Instead of installing a new hose they “patched” the damaged hose with a pvc coupler and cable clamps (not what I would have done). I road the sled one more time that year but not for a great distance (went ice fishing). I think I remember coolant squirted out the coolant bottle this time, but not in great amounts.

In December 2005 I went riding with a group of friends. After putting in a 50 mile ride in powder conditions we were on the groomed trail riding back to our trucks, when my engine light came on. I stopped immediately and popped the hood. I found my coolant had squirted out the blow hole on the plastic coolant bottle cap (evident from foam saturated). I towed the sled the remainder of the distance back to the truck.
I bought a new coolant bottle cap, gasket, and plug for the bottle, as well as a new belt for the water-pump (properly tensioned it), and a new pressure cap for cooling system. After installing all these I properly ‘burped’ the system by getting the front of my sled higher than the rear and adding coolant. And yes, the heat exchangers were getting warm and coolant was flowing thru all hoses (I felt them). But low and behold, on my next ride I lost the coolant again. This time though I didn’t notice it right away and the sled got hot enough that it melted that plastic pvc fitting the polaris installed in my coolant line the previous year. After that fitting melted it dumped my coolant pretty much at once. I must say the engine was HOT. Towed back to truck.
Next I ordered all new coolant hoses and installed them as well as a new ‘used’ water-pump. Also slapped in a new check valve (runs inline w/ coolant bottle and cooling lines I believe). I burped it properly. I took her for about a 50 mile ride in a mix of trail riding and powder conditions. Coolant didn’t leak! I figured I had fixed the problem.
On next ride shortly after it overheated on me again. I had ridden about 15 miles when the engine light popped on. We were riding in deep powder conditions so it shouldn’t have been a heat exchanger issue. We noticed that foam and bubbles were in the lines and coolant bottle. Eventually it would build up pressure and blow the coolant out the blowhole of the coolant bottle cap. Towed her back to the trucks.
In November 2005 I replaced the head gasket, spark plug o-rings, and the head-cover) o-ring. I didn’t notice any ‘washing’ of the cylinder walls at this point indicating coolant would have been leaking into the cylinders. Using a torque wrench I properly torqued all head bolts to spec. I properly burped her again, and ran it for a good 40 minutes in my garage. Eventually it spit coolant out the blowhole again!
I am at a complete lost now. I would say I am getting air in the system somewhere due to the bubbly, frothy coolant, but where?
I would really like to get this fixed but don’t want to keep throwing dollars into it. Where would one go from here?