sarge mccoy

-- Sarge McCoy is The Troubleshooter -- BENT OUT OF SHAPE OVER RADIUS RODS Dear Sarge, I need your advice on lower radius rods on my 2017 Polaris RZR 900 Trail Edition. Riding these tight East Coast trails, I keep denting the factory straight lower radius rods. If I don’t catch it soon enough, the Heim joints break. I could go aftermarket straight or aftermarket angled high-clearance arms. What is your advice, Sarge? Cleve Johnson Marienville, Pennsylvania Private John-Boy, when you bend a straight lower radius arm,…

-- Sarge McCoy finds the problem -- SLOPPY, FLOPPY GENERAL Dear Sarge, I have a 2017 General 4 and I am afraid it has taken a few too many hits to the front lower A-arm bracket mounts. The tabs are a bit bent and oblong. I wanted to install a SuperATV frame stiffener to fix the A-arm mounting holes, but I can’t get it to fit with my Factory UTV UHMW full-length skid plate. FYI: SuperATV doesn’t make a General skid that would probably fit. Ted Cook Matewan, West Virginia Private Porkchop, your Zooter’s skid plate is…

Dear Sarge, I recently purchased a Honda Pioneer 1000 and I just can’t seem to understand how this transmission works. I have followed the dealer’s advice exactly but I can’t get the DCT to shift from 2x4 to 4x4 differential lock unless I am almost stopped. Also, sometimes I can’t get the rear differential to release in 2x4 mode. Sarge, is there something the matter with my Pioneer? The more I ask questions at my dealer, the more I have come to realize they don’t really know what they are talking about. James Conway…

--Sarge McCoy Troubleshoots The Problem -- SNAP, CRACKLE, POP! Dear Sarge, I have a 2015 RZR XP 1000, and I have snapped both lower ball joints. I didn’t hit anything that I know of. I was just riding along and they just popped apart! I have 30-inch tires, and people have told me it is those tires that are causing my ball joint breakage. I really do not want to go back to the stock tires. I can’t believe it is all caused by a 1-inch-taller tire. Jenna Davidson Mantua, Utah Boot, your tire choice is only part of the…

-- Sarge McCoy's Troubleshooting Advice -- HOW DO YOU GREASE A ZERK FITTING? Dear Sarge, I have a 2017 Polaris XP Turbo, and the manual says to grease the drive line Zerk fitting. I have tried several times to get at it. It is placed in the most inaccessible place possible. Sarge, do you have a special way to get at it? Could you please share it? Denny Reynolds Clarkdale, Arizona Private Tinfoil, of course I have a “special” way of greasing the driveshaft slip joint on the two-seat Polaris Turbos. Will I share? Heck…

-- WIDER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER, SAYS SARGE McCOY -- Dear Sarge, I purchased some 4x4 offset rims and new 30x10-14 Mongrel tires. While I like the traction, I do not like what they did to the steering feel. They feel twitchy, and the vague feel is not at all confidence-inspiring. What do you recommend for better tires? Dan Smith Prescott Valley, Arizona Boot, you have excellent desert tires right now! The mistake you made was changing the front-wheel offset. When you change wheel offset, you also change…

-- Sarge knows what your UTV needs -- By Sarge McCoy HOW MANY SPLINES CAN AN AXLE COUNT IF AN AXLE COULD COUNT SPLINES? Dear Sarge, I’m trying to install a NOS mid-travel suspension kit on a 2012 Teryx 750 two-seater. I know there was a front-axle change to these UTVs in 2009, but what about the back? Mine has axles that are the same diameter and spline count on both ends, but the axles in the kit are larger diameter on one end with a lower spline count. What gives? Gary Church Hanford, California Private Church…

-- By Sarge McCoy -- FIGURING OUT ELECTRICAL ISSUES Dear Sarge, My hunting buddy has a Polaris RZR 800 with a starting problem. With the battery fully charged (13.76 VDC), he can turn on the key, and all the proper lights, etc. come on. When he presses on the brake and turns the key to start, it’s as though the battery goes immediately dead and nothing lights up or works. Recharge the battery and try to start and it might work. It is an intermittent issue, but not one you want when in the field or backcountry. This…

-- WHAT DOES SARGE RUN ON HIS MACHINE? -- Hi Sarge McCoy, I want to increase the lighting on my RZR Turbo for high-speed night riding. I have looked at QI, LED bars and Xenon HIDs. Sarge, if it were your pay on the line, what would you get or have done? Matt Barney Mayer, Arizona Private Fife, having been connected with the Zooter industry since its inception gives me perspective on lighting. “Back in ’81,” Zooters came with incandescent light bulbs, typically 25 watts, and we thought that they were bright…

-- Sarge McCoy to the rescue -- WHAT"S THAT CHARCOAL SMELL? Dear Sarge, I’ve been doing some online research and found your article on the Honda Pioneer 1000 problem. We have had a lot of luck with our machines, but a lot of our friends in the industry are coming to us for help because they seem to be replacing clutches all the time. We know the basic cause—driver error and overheating—but we haven’t busted into our transmission yet to see what’s wearing out. Again, ours are great, but if my clutch was an issue, what…

-- Troubleshooter advice from Sarge McCoy -- GETTING (TOW) HITCHED Dear Sarge, We have a 2017 Hisun Sector 250 that is primarily used for recreation by my son. When we go on longer camping trips, my son wants to carry more than what the rear box can handle. I thought of a small two-wheel trailer, but there is no hitch that I can find, and there doesn’t seem to be a place to mount one. Has this ever been done before? Can it even be done? Brian Davis Clearmont, Wyoming Can it be done, Boot? Sure! How thick is your…

-- How to fix the problem -- By Sarge McCoy MY SUPER-UTV ISN’T SO SUPER ANYMORE! Dear Sarge, I have a 2013 Polaris RZR 800 EPS. I also have a sound system, winch and a light bar. There have been times when the power-steering unit has quit working, and other times it only works with the wheel turned to the left. Then it magically restarts. Then sometimes the steering wheel jumps to the left. This happens mostly at night. This makes me think it’s voltage-sensitive. What do you think, Sarge? Carl Wilson Nampa, Idaho Real…

--Advice from Sarge McCoy -- WHICH UTV SHOULD WE GET? Dear Sarge, Several of our group are trying to decide on the joint purchase of a small 500cc UTV for getting to and back from our hunting camp in the Adirondack Mountains. We have narrowed the choices to two models. We wanted small and maneuverable due to the terrain we will be in. If it was more open, we would look at the four-seaters, but during our test drives, we decided it would be better to make several trips into camp and still be able to get to where we could…

-- Sarge McCoy tells you the easiest & cheapest ways to fix your UTV problems -- IS THE POLARIS ACE 325 TOO HOT TO HANDLE? Dear Sarge, I had a chance to purchase a 2014 Polaris 325 Ace for my son. The owner had wrapped a piece of tin and hose clamps around the exhaust pipe because there was a crack in the header. The hot exhaust had partially melted the seat. I inquired about the cob-job repair, and the owner indignantly replied that “they all did it.” I chose to walk away from this deal, and we were wondering if we…

Dear Sarge, I have a 2012 Polaris RZR 800 S and lately it has started to run rough. I got stuck running thru a deep, watery mud hole, and had to be winched out. Since then, the power has dropped off noticeably. When I got it home I checked the engine oil for water. There was none. Also the air filter was clean. It doesn’t skip. There is just the absence of the snap it used to have. I am not sure just what to check at this point. Sarge, do you have any wisdom to impart to this poor recruit? Jason Barrows Kirbyville,…

-- THE TROUBLESHOOTER, by Sarge McCoy -- Hey Sarge -- When trying to start my 2009 Arctic Cat 650 Prowler it just makes clicking sounds like a machine gun, and the engine rolls over only one revolution. I just parked it yesterday, and now it won’t start unless I jump it. I have always kept the battery on a trickle charger since new. I replaced the starter solenoid, but it still clicks and still won’t start. The battery reads 13.5 volt, so I am turning to you because my nearest dealer is 60 miles away. Sarge, please help!…