View Full Version : Florance to Cochran Sunday 1/11
Think FAST !!!! Kinda of late notice but for any of you that are just sitting there reading when you should be out riding .....
This is not going to be a tough ride. Will go in from Florance - just north of the prison (route to Box Canyon). Stage just as Price road turns into Box Canyon road. (White 99 F350 with flatbed red trailer). Will depart from this point and head east following the north side of railroad tracks then cut under tracks to the south side. Follow that along river bed and eventurally into the rivers and canyon. Several fords, mud crossings, rock crossings, with specatular views. We will not plan on shooting the tunnel this time since Becky will be with us. Anyone else is welcome to do so.
Plan on being at departure / stagging point about 10-10:30am. Ride should take about 5 hours. Plan on being back at stagging point about 4PM.
Sorry for the late notice .... but when ya gotda .... YA JUST GOTTA!
Norm
Sportsman 500
Sportsman 335
Yamaha 350 Warrior
30' Rage'n 5th
It was a beautiful day for riding. Wind, sun, warm, and pleasant. It was a nice drive from Mesa out to the staging site. Lots of military folks doing there thing all over the place. Set off on the north side, under the tracks, and having a blast. Got to the first fording, survey, scoped, looked, squinted, discussed it, and looked at it again. It looked to be the same depth or height as a few weeks ago when out there. The water is silty and difficult to judge bottom, but having crossed many times, I know its realitively a gental swoop in and out. Ventured in with a little more confidence than normal. Got to the halfway point and it started to get light on the bottom, then it bobbed, then it was nose up, then it was tail down, then nose down tail up. As the water line was approaching the air intake it, the bottom left contact with the wheels. More RPMs to bring it level and paddle power was engaged. As the water level began dangerously lapping at the air intake it was time to shut down and drift. After a few feet bottomed out again. But the engine was cold and the ignition wet. There I sat.
Becky asked if I was going to bring here the wench hook (about 18 inches under water attached to .... yes ... my front bumber). I through her the rope instead. After a few minutes I was back on her side of the river bank, high and dry. Well .... almost.
Polaris wouldn't start, but turned over, and sure sounded like it wanted to gurgle a lot. Found the air box had leaked around the air box lid. Now that's not supposed to happen is it! So inspected the filter and carb intake, found there was only about 1 inch of water and none got past the air filter or into the carb. So just dried it up. Of course the filter was found to be very dusty so cleaned it (tapped it clean).
Also found the clutch and belt compartment filled up completly. This was the source of the "GLUGG GLUGG". the clutch disk fins were pumping water out the inlet air tube. No idea how that leaked in because it wasn't dripping around any seals or gaskets. To remove the water, the case had to be loosened and separated from engine. That removed the water.
Let it sit facing the wind so everything would dry out while Becky and I had lunch by the river. We were then entertained by the US Army and an Apache doing river straffes. I think they were targeting my Red Polaris. It was easy prey, it didn't move and was easy to spot. After several passes and some salutes to their success and smile back from the pilot, they were on their way.
After lunch, tried to start 'er up. It tried to fire, sputtered, and ran very rough at idle speed. Any attempt to move the throttle off idle resulted in a stall, like it was starved for fuel. ERRRRRRRR From this point there isn't much fun working on a problem in the middle of nowhere.
One nice thing about having two Polaris's is having one that is sitting on dry land. So hitched up a toe line and Becky proudly towed me back to the staging area. Loaded things up and called it a successful day. We all arrived back safely. We enjoyed lunch, a few fly bys and a leasurely adventure.
What a Day!!!
lesson re-learned: when fording a river or stream, don't be over confident, don't assume what you can't see, go easy, and never without a measuring stick!
This adventure also demonstrates and reenforces the need to go prepared regardless if its just a leasurely Sunday stroll. I had all the tools and was prepared for minor repairs and the ability to recover a disabled vechile.
So does anyone have any suggestions to solve the off idle thing. And yes, the engine seems to run just fine at idle. And, there is no water in the oil.
Norm
Sportsman 500
Sportsman 335
Yamaha 350 Warrior
30' Rage'n 5th
Hi Norm,
My guess is water in the float bowl.
It's going to be expensive, but of course that's only an estimate.
quote:Originally posted by berger
Hi Norm,
My guess is water in the float bowl.
Right on the nose Berger.
The idle jet is higher in the float bowl so it gets fuel and idles.
The main jet is at the bottom of the bowl where the water is sitting.
So when you start opening the throttle and it starts trying to use fuel from the bottom of the bowl it sucks up water instead.
"YOUR A DAISY IF YA DO"
XR500R
XR80R
CR125R
X-CR125 now 200 four stroke.
XR 50 (granddaughter)
Arizona, My 02 sportsman and probably yours also,
has a bowl drain screw to empty bowl of setiment and water.
2-2002 Sportsman 500's
1980 Toyota Landcruiser
Thanks for the suggestion. It sounds most logical. I've been a little busy to get at it but will one night this week. I've taken all the plastics off because there's still some spilled oil on everything from the Klondyke ride. Found that the tool compartment leaks from a factory defect. Also found the airbox lid appears to be warped.
So taking inventory of whats wrong and cleaning it up some. It just seems that after 3 years of no maintenance except tires and oil changes, it just hits.
Checking Becky's at the same time ...
Hope to have it all back together by this next weekend.
I'm looking at that Punkin Center to Young ride maybe ... if all goes well.
Norm
Sportsman 500
Sportsman 335
Yamaha 350 Warrior
30' Rage'n 5th
Yep, there were a few drops of water on the bottom ... drained it off .... fixed 'er right up .... VROOM VROOOOOOM .... Thanks Redman
Found a little water in the trans gearcase oil. It got in from the tool storage box, a small crack in the plastic (deformed from factory) around the hold down bolds ... when that filled up it went into the gearcase vent tube (the vent tube breaths from the tool storage box). You would never think a Polaris would leak there .... Suggest all Polaris owners check out the weather proofness of that storage box. In my opinion it is not a well engineered solution. It could use some extra sealant around the factory sealing washers (from the inside of the box).
Norm
Sportsman 500
Sportsman 335
Yamaha 350 Warrior
30' Rage'n 5th