Question for all you Motörheads

[druchti]

Question for all you Motörheads

Ok, Before i get started Im pretty new to workin on motors (internally anyways) some tinkerin here and there but have never done anything major..So I have a 2011 rmk with around 1500 miles on it with warranty left .. Debating on putting a fix it kit in or just leave as is? So my question is are there any signs to look for to tell if the pistons are getting bad before I drop the cash on a kit? I took the exhaust off and looked through the exhaust ports and they look ok to me but i dont lnow exactly what I'm looking for.. Everything looks smooth except for some small vertical lines at the very bottom of the piston, is this normal wear? Can I get a good idea of what's goin on in there with just a compression test and looking through the exhaust or should I really take the pistons out and measure everything? What side skirt are people usually losing? Anything imperticular I should be looking for? I know I'll prob be fine leaving it as is but just having that small thought in the back of my head of what if it drops a skirt first day out west drives me nuts!
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[wfieldin]

Don't gamble, at the very least put new Oem pistons in it. Mine was same way never gave me any reason to think it was going to blow, riding along 1800 miles and blew a hole through bottom half.

 

[philsummers21]

Yep, 1500 miles id be putting in new pistons. Whose that's your choice

 

[FatDogX]

Preventive maintenance.......replace them before it's a bigger problem!!!

 

[beamslayer]

Or wait till it blows a hole thru the bottom and let Poo put in a 13 or newer motor for ya .

 

[die hard poo]

I agree, 1500 miles is definitely warrantable to throw in a fresh set of pistons. One thing to remember is if you install a "fix kit" or any aftermarket pistons you lose your warranty. So if you want to retain that warranty, I would install factory pistons. Polaris has new updated pistons this year, here is the part number.
2205176-KIT, PISTON
I do not know if there is any difference, but they are going to be in the 2014s stock. Putting a new top end is a fairly easy task and familiarize you with the internals of the engine. It can be a little messy with the coolant, but on the pros I think its fairly easy to get to everything with the motor staying in the chassis. I usually just unplug all the connectors on the wiring harness on the overstructure and remove the overstructure completely with the harness all secured to it. This will give you lots of room. Just remember where they all plug back in at lol. I recommend taking pics on how the wires are ran so you don't route them wrong. Polaris was smart and made all the connectors unique so you can't plug them into the wrong connector.