sarge mccoy

HONDA TALON PROBLEMS & CURES By Sarge McCoy SHOULD MY FAN BE PUSHING OR PULLING? Dear Sarge, I have one of the new Talons from Honda. And I must say, it is everything you said it was. I don’t even have the clutch overheat light Boss talked about in the October 2019 Dirt Wheels. The only thing I don’t understand is when the fan comes on at idle. Why does the fan blow hot air forward and not backward? Is Honda concerned about cabin heating so it directs the heat forward. I think that is a novel idea to solve the…

THE TROUBLESHOOTER -- BY SARGE McCOY Dear Sarge, I own two Polaris’—one is an XP 1000 with tracks that we use in the wintertime, and the other is a Ranger 570 Crew. We accidentally discovered a way to increase the speed of the little 570 by 10 mph! On the XP 1000 with tracks, we installed a HealTech Electronics SpeedoHealer V4 to force the Polaris speedometer to read correctly. With the track set up, it was almost 50 percent faster! During the summer when we mothball the 1000 and use the 570 Crew for transportation, we…

-- And, how to fix sloppy steering & recall info -- By Sarge McCoy SINGING IN THE RAIN Dear Sarge, We have an old 2006 Yamaha 660 Rhino SE that has started making a whining noise at speed and the occasional clunk when you turn to the right. My dealer says I must immediately stop running it and bring it in for service or the axles will break! The price he quoted for all four CV joints was over $800 in parts for the joints and $400 in labor! So, Sarge, would you replace the four joints or go with replacement-axle…

-- What you need to know -- By Sarge McCoy 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…

-- The troubleshooter, by Sarge McCoy -- IS THE T-BOSS 410X WORTH IT? Dear Sarge, Recently, I was in a Walmart, and I saw they were selling the Massimo T-Boss 410X. The price is in my range, and I was wondering if this machine could actually carry my family of four on a budget. We just can’t swing a $20K four-seater right now. Is it reliable enough for what we want to do? Clive Johnson Thornton, Indiana While I understand the want to take the family Zootering, and you can’t afford a larger, big-name four-seat Zooter,…

-- 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…

-- So, what's your problem? -- By Sarge McCoy MY GENERAL IS GIVING ME “TRENCH FOOT”! Dear Sarge, It seems like every time it rains hard, I get a wet foot inside my Polaris General. I have tried sealing the windshield with silicone sealant, but it still leaks. My dealer’s techs are stumped, and I have been told to “just live with it”! Sarge, there must be a fix for this! Bill Clements Kennewick, Oregon “Just live with it”?! I don’t think so, Boot! You and your techs are looking at the wrong thing. Both of…

-- 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…

--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…

-- 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…