Broken Primary Clutch Bolt

[aebsledder]

My woes continue. First off I am going to say I do really like this sled, but I am starting to get a little frustrated with it to say the least. I have 670 miles on it. Here is a list of things that have gone wrong starting from the beginning.
1. Broken motor mount
2. Bad Injector
3. Broken Primary Spring
4. And the Grand Poo Bah...My primary clutch bolt broke off, thus detaching my primary clutch from the crank.
It happened as I was blipping it over a little dip in the trail, which was pretty much at WOT. I am looking for a little insight from the master mechanical minds of Snowest world. Here are some of my thoughts.
A. I first thought that the bolt was over-torqued somehow (I haven't touched it) but I have seen primary clutches pulled before and they are a mofo to get off. We were able to simply pull the primary right off the crank. I pretty much carried it like a football as I was towed to the truck.
B. I am really worried about the condition of the crank now. The crank end (snout?) is in surprisingly good shape, but I can't imagine having a failure at that rpm can be very good for it.
C. I am thinking maybe this could have been a result of my broken motor mount somehow torqueing the engine beyond it limitations? Who knows?

I don't want to start some giant "Polaris Sucks" debacle, I am just looking for some helpful insight. I am not thrilled I have had this many problems with my sled after so few miles, but I am willing to stay patient for now and let things sort themselves out. It just seems like I have horrible luck when it comes to these things. I had an 09 dragon that was frustrating as well. Here is a pic of the primary and the bolt that sheared off.

 

[sled_guy]

I assume your dealer is doing all the repairs to this stuff under warranty?

Improper torque on the bolt, either too much or too little, can cause the bolt to break.

A crank out of true can cause it too... I'd throw a dial indicator on the crank end to see what the run out is.

sled_guy

 

[2XM3]

under torque.....everyone should re torque there primary bolt, early production for sure. lucky you did not snap the clutch in half like some

 

[1Mike900]

The primary stayed on the crank and didn't bounce all over the bellypan? Either crank run out or improperly balanced clutch. I bet that is how the motor mount and clutch bolt broke by vibration and harmonics.

Mike

 

[jimigermanson]

The most likely reason is inadequate bolt torque. If the clutch is removed and not re-torqued the clutch will come off the taper and snap the bolt. I'm speaking from experience.

 

[oldsno]

Wow that's alot or trouble my bros and I have 3 nuttin yet I had and 09 that had some electrical issues. you have a right to be no happy. My dealer may have a pro hanging out his back end if I had that much trouble with a few miles. Keep us posted. I feel your pain. I have a good dealer but that is unacceptable.

 

[rmkboxer]

if the bolt was tightened the clutch wouldn't just fall off, I would be pretty upset if I had the problems you are having. I have a 09 dragon with no problems. the bad thing is there are good ones and bad ones and the bad ones seem to always be bad

 

[PalousePoo]

I too just broke the primary spring, 450 miles. Checking your crank runout sounds like a good idea. Good luck

 

[aebsledder]

Thanks for the responses guys. My dealer (and Polaris themselves) are being pretty good about it, they have offered to extend my warranty, which is nice. My main concern is just the overall reliability. We all take our sleds into some hairy areas, and I feel like I am always just one problem away from a helicopter ride out with this thing. I realize we all run the risk of that happenning every time we go out, but this sled seems to be prone to breaking. I am staying in West Yellowstone most of this week, so my plan is to ride it as much as I can close to town and hopefully this will be the end of my bad luck. Fingers are crossed. I don't think I can take it any more if it breaks down again. My blood pressure is on the rise just thinking about it. Trying to think positive though.