I have two 2007 Polaris Outlaw 500's and this is what the magnetic drain plug looks like after about 6 hours at Wayne National Forest. Is this normal/good/bad?
Excessive Drain Plug Deposits?
- Thread starter PolarisLaw
- Start date
- Status
What does a clean one look like? We need a clean vs used one to compare.
Here is what the clean plug looks like.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 9,608
I wouldn't worry about it. What are you going to do tear the engine down to find out what's up with it? They put a magnet on the drain plug for a reason. If I saw metal chunks I would be concerned but otherwise sleep soundly.
No I'm not going to tear the engine down, because I believe it is more likely the deposits are coming from the gears in the transmission. I realize some deposits are normal, but I don't know what normal looks like. I love the way the atv shifts, runs, and starts but if wear was too high I might switch oils.
I dont know why, but I have been buying Polaris atvs since 1993 and the transmission plugs have always looked like that. The engine oil doesnt have a magnet on the sportsman, but the transmission looks that bad after a year or after two months. Sometimes the transmission plugs have a 1/4" of silver snot on them. I have never had one go out yet.
Sounds like another sleeping pill. Thanks.
Both atvs have about 70 hrs runtime. Polaris PS-4 oil was expensive and produced large amounts of clutch material on filter. Rotella synthetic RTS 5w-40 when hot made neutral almost impossible to find. Rotella 15w40 at times was too much for the weak starters to turn fast enough to start. Sounds like I'm keeping Mobil1 TDT even with all the iron. Thanks.
I have never used the PS-4. I used the old 0W40 Polaris Synthetic for the first 2 changes and then switched to Amsoil 0W40 and used it since. I don't have a wet clutch, but my drain plug is pretty clean now, but my first change had a lot more than the picture you showed.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I don't recall having a magnet on the drain plug on any of the motorized toys I've owned, but I bet the magnet mushroom is common given the oil is shared with the transmission.
Joel
Joel
I posted a very unimpressive VOA for the PS-4 oil awhile back. The PS-4 and newer PS-4plus are 0/2w-50 oils, but the 5w-40 starts much easier. That is another reason I'm concerned about wear, as factory spec is 50w with 10hr OCI. Will have to check into Amsoil 0w-40 to see if the deposits decrease.
Polaris does not make oil, they sell oil to make more money.
Polaris oils are nothing special and contrary to popular opinion are likely no better than any oil you will find on the shelf of your local discount store. The can command high prices for mediocre oil because of the propaganda from the dealer and the perception by owners that its the best oil for their equipment.
Polaris oils are nothing special and contrary to popular opinion are likely no better than any oil you will find on the shelf of your local discount store. The can command high prices for mediocre oil because of the propaganda from the dealer and the perception by owners that its the best oil for their equipment.
- Status
