[bmthepainter]

Hello
we recently purchased an older sled, it is a 2004 Polaris Edge 550 Touring with two up.
We paid 3200.00 for it and have only used it about 5 times for small rides.

On our last ride we heard a pop and had loss of power. The Repair show checked it out and showed us that one piston is broke and there is a crack in the side wall of the cylinder.
The total rebuild with parts is estimated at 2500 plus tax. This includes sliders for the track that are worn out.

what is your opinion. Should we dish another 2500 into it or cut our losses. Please note that they say everything else is in good shape.
Thanks.
Brian

 

[i_play_bass]

If I was you I'd be looking for a second hand cylinder on eBay and then a new set of pistons and gasket kit. I just can't imagine spending 3 bills on a rebuild.

Polaris Steel Sleeved Cylinder 04-18 550F Fan Piston Gaskets Pro X Indy OEM | eBay a full new rebuild kit with a cylinder is 850 bucks CAD, so the rest is clearly labour.

I guess look at it this way... Is that sled worth $5k+ to you? If not you could try to find the cheapest way to rebuild it, or you could part it out for quite a bit and buy another even better sled for less than you'd have into this one.

Its all about what you're willing to put into it, or not willing to.

 

[kccats]

Welcome
I agree if you rebuild it yourself we all will help!
Pistons (here anyway) are about $50 ea as well as a complete gasket set!
Having USChrome in Wi repair your jug would be less than $200
So even if you repaired both jugs and got new pistons and gaskets the total would be about $500 for a fresh motor!
Or locate a complete running motor for bout $300

 

[i_play_bass]

It does look like they're a fellow Canadian so that price will come up a bit, and shipping to international shops end up being more expensive since they always seem to ding ya at the border for duties and such.

But I agree if you or someone you know is handy then it shouldn't be too bad of a repair job and definitely cheaper!

 

[bmthepainter]

Thanks for your info guys.. I have no way to do the work myself due to space and Temperatures..

 

[kccats]

Find a riding buddy with a heated shop and bring beer!

 

[TheBearAk]

To me, $2500 almost sounds like the crank or crank case has an issue as well. It was just cylinders and pistons, I can't imagine any shop charging more than $1500.

Like i_play_bass said, $850 in parts for a complete rebuild, probably $1000 if you go ahead and replace/re-plate both cylinders.

Now pulling the crank out and messing with it can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000.

 

[cadillac_al3]

This is a sad story because it is barely worth fixing. It is only worth it if you can fix it yourself.

 

[BC_Dan]

There are guys that have removed and replaced a piston/cylinder on the trail because of failure. It's not difficult on a fan engine and does not require a ton of parts or tools. We will help if you go that route. Most of us would not be into sledding if we had to pay the dealer to fix things like this, it's just too expensive. You learn to do it yourself to make it financially prudent to play in the snow...

Like Cadillac said.. this is a sad story

 

[kccats]

I rebuilt my first Pantara in the back of my Box truck on the way north to ride!

 

[TheBearAk]

hey, watched my brother rebuild a Citation motor using beer boxes for gaskets and misc other parts we gathered from junk. Machine ran great all the way back to town, probably around 70 miles on the rebuild.
The rings we used were from a larger piston and we cut them down. I remember him cutting a piece of leather, but really can't say what he used it for. Maybe a crank seal.

 

[kccats]

LOL I spent a week under a bridge one day making head gaskets for my 81 ElTigre

 

[BC_Dan]

Try that with today's EFI sensor-infested engines. Some times we aren't going forwards, huh.

 

[vmaxluke]

I just did a full rebuild on a 99 phazer, top to bottom. Not a piece went untouched. With about 8 or so hours in the full rebuild and just some common sense and specs, anyone can do a rebuild. 2500 is crazy for that job. You could do it yourself for under 1000, with almost new parts.If the sled is worth that much to you, then go for it, but people really over exaggerate rebuilds, especially just a top end. And like KC said, grab a buddy and some beer and get to work!

 

[vmaxluke]

Also I made it sound like your rebuild would be 8 hours long. It wouldn't unless you bring a few cases of beer! 3-4 hours MAX on that sled. Especially since its air cooled.

 

[i_play_bass]

You guys have definitely helped increase my confidence for my pending XLT teardown/rebuild...

Yes, my sled is 25 years old, yes it's only worth a couple grand $CAD max in perfect shape, but for the sake of a $400-$500 rebuild in my case, knowing that everything else is in great shape, it's worth breathing new life into a relic. Parting out a sled with a few mechanical issues that could easily be repaired in the garage with the right tools and resources seems like such a shame. Even if I didn't want to keep it, I'd rather fix it up, get my money out of it and that way someone else gets to enjoy it, rather than hacking it to bits and trying to haggle with low-ballers looking for a part here and there.

If the frame was broken or something burned down, I could see that, but not just a top end. Those issues are made to be rebuilt!

 

[kccats]

Rebuilding or freshening a 2 stroke is a very simple matter

 

[smokingcrater]

Is that dealership cost? Any smaller independent non-dealer shops in your area that do engine work?