2001 Polaris Trail Boss 325 Q&A
Jonathan Stanley
manufactured so hopefully it has the improved oil lines. I'm very happy
with it so far. I test drove and looked at 3 other 4-wheelers in its
price class and the Trail Boss was the one for me. I've done a lot of
reading and searching so far. I have a few questions and was hoping I
might find some assistance:
1) Oil Filter: The dealer wants over $10 for an oil filter. I cannot
find Polaris listings in any of the automotive filter maker catalogs
(Fram, Purolator, STP, etc.). But my local Autozone has a whole rack of
STP 'motorcycle' filters and several of them look like they would fit.
I hate to sound cheap but I'm just not used to paying $10 for an oil
filter. Do I have any options? I want to be SURE that I use the right
part!
2) Performance vs. Transmission: I notice that this thing gets up to
top speed in just a few seconds (which is great for my kind of driving -
top speed is not as important as acceleration to me). I estimate top
speed to be around 45mph (unofficial guess). If I increase horsepower
is it only going to affect acceleration (rather than top speed) due to
the gearing of the transmission? BTW: For those of you upset about the
'lag' between stopped and moving when you nail the throttle, simply
engage the brake then open the throttle slightly until you start to feel
the clutch engage. Then release the brake and 'floor it'
simultaneously. Lag is gone. I just wouldn't suggest sitting in that
state for a long time as I'm sure it wears the brakes and starts heating
up the clutch parts. But if you want a controlled quick start it seems
to work fine.
3) Intake performance: So if I upgrade I should do the K&N Power Kit?
K&N filter, precleaner, and carb kit (which I think is the same as the
dynojet.com kit). The dynojet claims 1.1HP increase. How much for the
K&N? If I add 2-3HP overall will I actually 'feel' any difference? I'm
not racing but I would like to at least know I'm quicker/faster if I'm
going to spend the bucks.
3b) Are the carb kit adjustments external or internal? Does the carb
have to be removed from the engine to do the upgrade? I'm already at
sea level (Florida). Will the carb kit even offer me any improvement?
(I got the idea from dynojet.com that they were really touting how you
could adjust for altitudes higher than sea level).
4) Exhaust performance: I saw the carb kit has a different jet for use
with an aftermarket exhaust pipe. I have found TONS of exhaust pipes
for Polaris but have absolutely NO idea what I would need/want for the
Trail Boss. Where should I look? I'm interested in upping the
performance but don't want to be TOO loud or start any forest fires. Am
I even going to 'feel' any difference or should I just save my $200+
towards $10 oil filters...
4b) If I do the carb kit first but don't have my exhaust pipe yet, can
I go ahead and jet it for the exhaust pipe? Technically, would I then
be running too rich or too lean? And what about the fuel mixture screw
- how do I know when I've really got it dialed in for best performance
based on my mods? I sure wouldn't want to run too lean, but too rich
would just hurt performance and waste gas.
5) I've found neat little Polaris accessories like the gas cap with the
gauge built in and a tach/hourmeter. How do I know if this stuff works
with my Trail Boss?
6) Does ANYBODY make a decent shop manual for the '00-'01 Trail Boss
325?
To me half the fun of having an ATV is tinkering with it. I plan to do
all my own maintenance and upgrades. I just need some help getting
started.
Thanks in advance for your assistance!
Wizard
Go ahead and stick with the Polaris oil filter (just my opinion).
Where in Fl do you live (I'm just north of Gainesville)?
I have the replacement gas caps w/gauge. They are not accurate,
but it's better that not having anything. I'm not trying to be harsh,
but remember, you have a TrailBoss, not a Raptor. Your machine
is built as a cross between fun and utility.
BTW: I really like both bikes. Wife rides the TrailBoss, I ride the
Magnum. The only thing we are thinking is selling the 250, so she
can get the 4stroke instead.
Ride safe
Carl Summers
"Jonathan Stanley" <hi...@aol.com> wrote in message
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Jonathan Stanley
personal rides? I bought my Trail Boss precisely for the reason that it is
both sport and utility. Does that mean I should ignore the aftermarket just
because my atv description has the word 'utility' in it? Wouldn't those
upgrades (more power) be a benefit for utility use as well? And I wasn't sure
by your post if you know that the '00-'01 Trail Boss 325 is a 4-stroke. I'm
actually very pleased with it - I just enjoy modding all of my vehicles. I
live in the Ocala National Forest.
Wizard
lot of
power/speed increase. I am aware that the 325 is a 4 stroke, my wife wants
to sell
her 250 and get the 325 just for that reason. I live in Alachua, we should
get together
for a ride sometime. I have the gas caps on my 2 machines. They are better
than nothing.
"Jonathan Stanley" <hi...@aol.com> wrote in message
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David Pusker
wife's 98 TB 250. But it was a DOG compared to hers and that is to be
expected with 2 stroke VS 4 stroke. I have an EPI (Erlandson Performance)
clutch kit in mine set as aggressive as possible, a K&N air filter, and a
K&N / Dyno Jet jet kit in it. I have spent the better part of a 14 months
getting it to run well. Here are my findings.
1) The clutch kit, in a drag race or coming out of a corner hard (hard for a
325) this is the best value for the $$. After I installed this I can beat my
wife's 250 for the first 10 quad lengths and then she passes me and leaves
me. Before she KILLED me all the way. I've used her machine as a base line
to test against.
Draw back if any, the clutch now engages at a higher RPM so it generates
slightly more noise before you start moving.
The clutch kit is THE single biggest performance improvement you can buy in
my opinion!
2) The K&N air filter, use the money for beer. I noticed NOTHING with this
change.
3) The jet kit, this was a MAJOR pain in the ass! Dyno Jet / K&N are one in
the same. I purchased the kit and installed it per the directions.
Performance DROPPED DEAD. I called them and they told me there had been a
revision to the kit. After much screwing around with them I got a new kit,
needle and jets. I put it in, major pain in the ass to get the carb off to
be able to do this, takes about 2 hours minimum even after doing it several
times to make adjustments. It runs better but almost no noticeable
improvement from stock. Don't believe the air bleed settings they give you
I'm one full turn richer than they say for my altitude and it now runs well.
Otherwise it wouldn't start when hot, took forever to get it to start and
take throttle.
I called numerous times for "help" and they were just guessing at what I
should do next. I knew more before I called than I did after the call. The
kits are expensive and in my mind not worth the money. They may work well on
some applications but I have yet to find one.
**** Watch and make sure you get the latest jet kit IF you decide to buy
one!
If I had to do it all over again knowing what I do now.
A) Buy the clutch kit
B) Buy beer with the rest of my money, have yet to find a pipe that is made
for the TB 325. I have put a K&N filter in my truck ( 95 1/2 Toyota Tacoma
V6) looking for something "extra" for pulling my snowmobiles and 4 wheelers.
NO change in gas mileage, NO change in performance, biggest joke I've seen.
Guess I'm the fool for going there twice eh?
Oil filters! Good news! Try a Frahm PH6607 I KNOW they fit and work:-) Just
watch if you cross it over to something else that it has enough holes in the
top of it to allow for adequate flow of the oil. I still use the Polaris oil
but the $10 filter is a screw.
Good luck!
Dave
Jonathan Stanley <hi...@aol.com> wrote in message
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Jonathan Stanley
the K&N would be the re-useability. I have several K&N cleaning kits and could
probably use it for several years. I don't think K&N filters make that much
difference except in turbo/supercharged cars where the increased airflow is
needed.
As for the clutch kit, does this company have a web site? Or do you have a
phone number? And I take it compared to the carb kit it is much easier to
install? About how much $$$ are we talking?
If I did get the jet kit I was going to order it directly from dynojet.com so
that maybe I'll get the right parts. But maybe I'll hold off for a while.
Did your K&N come with the pre-cleaner or do you just use the stock pre-cleaner
over the K&N?
Thanks for your help!! Glad to hear the 325 can be boosted up a bit!
Jonathan
Jonathan Stanley
OIL FILTER:
I found the FRAM PH6607 oil filters at Discount Auto Parts. They were on sale
for $2.50 ea (regularly $2.99). The same filter was $4.69 at Walmart. $2.50
beats the heck out of Polaris's $10+ price. I have not actually tried to put
this filter on my TB 325 yet but it looks right.
While I was looking around I compared the Purolator equivalent of the Fram as
listed in their book. It was the same diameter but slightly longer. The thing
I didn't like was that there were not nearly as many holes in the Puolator
filter as the Fram. For now I think I'll be going with the Fram until something
better comes along.
OIL:
Nobody in my area carries synthetic 0W40 except the ATV dealers who want about
$7-$8/qt. The closest I could find in a 0W was Mobil-1 0W30 which is an energy
conserving formula which means it has friction modifiers added. Also, the 30 is
lower than what Polaris suggests and since I drive through the hot Florida
summers and may occassionally do some towing I really wanted a 40 oil that can
stand up to some heat.
So the next closest oil I could find was at Autozone. Havoline Synthetic (full,
not blend) 5W40. The 40 is right on, and the difference between the 0W and 5W
should not be that big a deal for me living in Florida. I'll probably NEVER
drive the thing in temperatures below 32F. And the best part of all is that the
oil is only $3.29/qt - less than half the 'ATV' oil. Interestingly, I could not
find this oil listed anywhere on Havoline's web site and could only find it
locally at Autozone. I'm wondering if I'll still be able to find it a year from
now when I need more.
By the way, I am planning to stay with the genuine Polaris oil & filters through
the duration of the warranty (6 mos.). I figure that'll only be maybe 2 changes
and will avoid any warranty issues. After that I'll go with my Fram / Havoline
solution to keep the cost of ownership reasonable.
Jonathan "Trail Boss 325 owners need some exhaust pipe options!"
David Pusker
(12/26/00) and loaded my TB 325 the night before onto my trailer. I was
leaving early the next day to pick my friend up and didn't want to wake the
neighbors that work nights. When I left to pick my friend up at 6AM it was
MINUS 8 degrees (north east Ohio) and my machine looked like Mr. Freeze from
Batman had sprayed it. I had to take my machine off to load my friends first
at his house (weight on the trailer thing) and it was tough getting it
running at -8 degrees but it eventually did! Two hours later we were in PA
and getting ready to ride it was 15 degrees and snowing lightly and it ran
like a top! I'm currently running the Polaris synthetic oil and a Fram
filter on a 2000 TB 325 with no problems, I estimate about 800 miles so far.
If anyone finds a NICE pipe for this unit I would be interested in the info,
NOISE is not what I'm looking for.
Thanks all!
Dave
Jonathan Stanley <hi...@aol.com> wrote in message
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Jonathan Stanley
My local dealer quoted me $215 including installation for a Polaris
speedometer/hourmeter combo unit. After I finished gasping I started wondering
why a regular digital bicycle speedometer wouldn't work. Answer: It DOES work
- and quite well I might add.
I had a spare Trek digital speedometer from my 26" mountain bike. It's just a
head unit with a wire attached that leads down to a pickup (sensor) which
remains stationary. As a wheel-mounted (moving) magnetic passes over it once
per wheel revolution, it sends a pulse up to the head unit. You measure a wheel
(magnet) revolution in millimeters and program it into the head unit for proper
calibration. My callibration was 1688mm based on my mounting location.
So anyway as far as mounting it was actually pretty easy. I just took a good
look at what moves and what doesn't and planned a route that wouldn't bind up in
any steering or suspension components. I mounted the sensor to the back side of
the brake caliper using wire ties. It appears to be very stable. Note that it
actually faces UP towards the lip of the wheel unlike a bicycle where it would
face SIDEWAYS toward the spokes. The TB 325's wheels have a nice downward
facing edge all the way around so I slid the grove of the magnet onto the edge
and tapped it in place with a hammer. It seemed VERY tight but to be sure it
would stay on for a good while I put expoxy over it (not over the magnet face).
I mounted the head unit dead center in FRONT of the rubber Polaris cap over the
steering column. That way the speedo would remain statinonary and not be
subjected to a lot of wire movement from turning. I put wire loom around the
sensor wire and wire tied it to the brake line to keep it secure. Everything is
actually very tight and secure. I don't see why this design couldn't work for
years.
Then I went out and tried it and it works perfect. The speedo has trip time
(which can be used as an hourmeter if you don't reset it). It also has speed
(duh), odometer, trip odometer, maximum speed, and average speed. I haven't
taken it flat out yet but I did run it up to 35mph real quick and there was some
pull left. However I would revise my top speed guess to 40mph rather than 45 as
I mentioned in an earlier message. I also went for a slow speed woods ride
over/around stumps & logs and the sensor/magnet appear to be holding on just
fine. Best of all, now I'll know when to do my maintenance using the odometer.
No guessing or estimating. It remembers the odometer setting even if somebody
resets the other settings so I think it'll work pretty good.
The only negative at all that I can even imagine is that the little magnet
probably throws off the wheel balance a little. It probably only weighs an
ounce or so. I don't know enough to imagine what the long term affects could be
but I sure can't feel any immediate changes. The ride feels just like it did
before I mounted the magnet.
I would send pictures but I don't have a digital camera. Maybe with the $200 I
saved I should go get one. :)
Jonathan
P.S. Over the weekend I'll be posting my findings on a gas gauge.
Jonathan Stanley
TrailBoss 325:
My area dealer wanted well over $20 plus tax and shipping for the Polaris gas
gauge cap. From what I've seen and read it didn't seem to me like it would be
that accurate because it was shorter than the depth of the tank apparently so
they can sell one gauge for many different models. So I measured the tank depth
(a little over 8" to the top of the filler neck). I then set out to find a gas
gauge cap with just under 8" length to give the most accurate readings. I
lucked out and found a guy on ebay selling gas gauge caps. He happened to have
a book or chart that told him the sizes that would fit Polaris equipment (mainly
Polaris snowmobiles but the info is very similar for Polaris ATVs.) Anyway the
cap diameter you would want is 2 1/4" which is a fairly standard size and is
popular on riding lawn mower gas tanks. I was able to get one called an 8"
which actually is 7-7/8" length which is PERFECT. The only thing is that it
isn't going to read maximum 'F'ull unless you had the filler neck of the tank
maxed out. Since a full tank (less filler neck) is over an inch lower than the
top of the neck you are only going to get it to show just past say 80% of the
way to 'F' on the gauge. However since the gauge has so much more travel
towards empty it is going to be much more accurate overall. You will still have
some gas left when it gets to empty (plus the reserve) but that is similar to
most car gas gauges. This is really just a handy way to keep from unscrewing a
regular cap before every ride to check the level. Also, the cap itself doesn't
have the wide lower "lip" that the stock Polaris cap has. It gives the
appearance that it doesn't screw on as far, but I don't think that is the case.
However, I did notice very minimal gas leakage after popping several wheelies
over a small rise. I simply tightened the cap a bit more aggressively and the
leaks stopped. I also noticed while looking at these caps that some seem to
have a vent hole and some don't. (This one doesn't). I don't think a Polaris
cap needs a vent hole because the tank itself has built-in venting and I
wouldn't recommend a vented cap because it might leak during aggressive/bumpy
driving. Oh and the gauge is most accurate when sitting still - bouncing around
during riding makes the needle bounce around considerably. And after you come
to rest and shut off the engine you will hear the float mechanism moving up and
down until the gas stops sloshing. This sound could annoy some people. But
it's really only noticeable with the engine shut off.
Overall I'm pleased with what I got and think I did better than the genuine
Polaris gas gauge cap. Price was only $8.50 plus shipping. As I mentioned I
found these on ebay so I have no idea if the seller has more or would keep this
price. If you want to ask him his email is: sno...@empire.net
- Jonathan
Reap
available.
On Wed, 17 Jan 2001 03:32:11 GMT, Jonathan Stanley <hi...@aol.com>
wrote:
Craven Moorehead
a few troubles with it though. Initially when it got wet the ""hot" light
would come on, along with the fan. Only when wet though. Like rright after
washing it. The motor was cold enough to touch with a bare hand and the
thing is reading hot! Oh well back to the dealer. Said he couldn't find a
problem. He was a real pain in the ass. Then I noticed that it was lacking
serious top end power. At full speed it was like someone reached down and
flipped on the choke. Bitch just died! Did this for about a month. Back to
dumb ass the dealer boy twice more for that problem. Only after calling
polaris customer service and having some guy named Doug V call the dealer
and threaten him with..... whatever Polaris customer service reps threaten
people with, did the dealer finally take the carburator off and find that it
had a large piece of junk in it. A piece of plastic packing material to be
exact. Now the thing runs great!
I just though it was a dog before. It still isn't as fast my old 300ex but
it moves better than it did. He also updated the oil lines while he had it
in. The way to tell if the oil lines are new is to look where they connect
beside the oil filter, there should be screw on fittings. Not chincy assed
hose clamps.
Just my opinion and I may be wrong.
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