Easy Side-by-Side Belt Replacement

This is an easy, simple way to replace a belt on a Polaris Ranger/ Side-by-Side 900 XP.

Some tools you will need are:

Hammer

10mm wrench

Impact gun

3/8 drive extension

8mm socket

10mm socket

3/8 inch drive ratchet

1/2 inch drive ratchet

7/8 inch socket

3/4 inch socket

Phillips head screw driver

Primary clutch tool

Scotch Brite scouring pad

Brake Cleaner

Park your machine on a flat surface and put it in park. Then take your 1/2 inch drive ratchet and 3/4 inch socket and loosen the back right tire lug nuts. There should be four. Don't take them all the way off, just loosen them about half way. Taking the back tire off will give you more room to work and see what your doing.

Place your jack under the the back side of the machine, and jack it up until the back tires are about three inches above the ground. While it is jacked up, you may want to put some sort of brace underneath, to catch the machine if it falls off the jack. That way it will come down on the brace, instead of crushing you.

Once the machine is jacked up, you can finish unscrewing the lug nuts on the back right tire with your 1/2 inch drive ratchet, and move the tire to the side. Don't lose the lug nuts, place them somewhere safe while you work.

Once your tire is off, lift up the tailgate. There will be a lever you can pull to release it, at the bottom of the right and left sides of the bucket, closest to the cab. The tailgate should just pull backward, revealing the engine.

The Airbox is connected by three hoses, clamps, and three screws. It is right above the belt cover (see pictures above).

First, unscrew the three screws holding the Airbox to the frame. You will need to use your 10 mm socket and impact gun or 3/8 inch drive ratchet. Put the screws in a separate place so you wont lose them. Then take off the three hose clamps with your Phillips head screwdriver. You don't have to unscrew it all the way, just enough to be able to slip it off. A tip on taking the airbox out is to take the screws out first, this will allow you to move the Airbox around, which will make it easier to slip off the hose clamps. When all the hose clamps and screws are removed, take the air box out and place it next to your screws.

Under where the Airbox was, there is the belt cover. It is held in by eight screws. You will need your 3/8 inch drive extension, 8mm socket, and impact gun or 3/8 inch drive ratchet unscrew them. Once all eight screws are removed and placed somewhere safe, remove the grease fitting on the bottom A-arm with your 10 mm wrench, to make it easier to take the cover off. When the fitting is removed, you can easily take the cover off to reveal the clutches and belt.

There are two clutches under the cover. The driven clutch and the primary clutch. The primary clutch is the clutch closest to the cab (see picture above). To take it off, you will unscrew the clutch bolt with your 7/8 inch socket and 1/2 inch drive ratchet. If your clutch bolt doesn't unscrew easily, you may want to put a bar through the middle of the clutch to hold it still so you can unscrew it.

Once you get your clutch bolt off, take your clutch tool and screw it into the same hole your clutch bolt came out of. Screw the clutch tool with your 7/8 socket and 1/2 inch drive ratchet until it is tight and breaks loose. A trick you can try, if your primary clutch wont pop off, is to hit the clutch tool into the primary clutch with your hammer. If you hit it hard enough, the vibration should loosen, and the primary clutch should pop right off. If it doesn't come off with the first hit, hit it again.

When your primary clutch is off, you can slip the belt off of the driven clutch, and inspect it for damage. A damaged belt could have small cracks in it, and have some rubber worn off of the sides. These things could cause your belt to slip from time to time, which would lead you to experience a rough ride.

Before you put your new belt on, it is important that you wipe down the primary clutch and driven clutch. Any pieces of old rubber left on the clutches will make the belt slip and not stick to the clutches the way its supposed to. Rub all of the rubber residue off with your break cleaner and Scotch Brite scouring pad. You want a nice rough and shiny surface for your belt to grip to.

Once your clutch is wiped down, you can put on your new belt and put everything back together. make sure everything is tight. A tip to put your belt on is to put your primary clutch on first, and then put your belt over it. Then, roll the belt over the driven clutch. It may be a bit tough to do, but I think its the easiest way.

Once you put all the parts back together, take your machine for a spin to make sure it runs well, and the belt doesn't slip. The first few rides, try not to accelerate too quickly, because the belt could slip and not grip to the clutch correctly. Gradually increase your speed the first few rides, in order to get the belt to set the best.