[revrnd]

Last fall when I was doing the 300 hour service on my Ranger, I had a slight issue removing the cleanout plug. When I did get it out, the threads at the end of the bolt (1/2" - 20) were damaged & covered in carbon. I didn't do much more than chase the threads on both the bolt & "bung" in the muffler. I was thinking today, that the bolt protrudes further than necessary past the end of the bung. The extra threads collect the carbon & possibly damage the threads when the bolt is removed.

I'm going to remove the bolt/plug tomorrow & measure how long the bung is. I'll then shorten the bolt so that there are no threads past the end of the bung. I also used anti-seize last fall. I'll post the dimension when I'm finished.

Members w/ newly purchased Rangers (and possibly RZRs) may want to do the same to prevent issues down the road.

 

[revrnd]

I checked the muffler tonight & the threaded bung is about 3/8" long. The bolt or "plug" is 5/8" long & as you can see in the pic, the threads are damaged for 1/4". The replacement bolt is 3/8" long.

 

[rowe doo]

Look's like a little factory oop's.

 

[revrnd]

Not sure what the shortest "off the shelf" (cheaper) 1/2" - 20 bolt is. The 3/8" length probably would be a "custom" piece.

 

[commanderjjones]

.....The 3/8" length probably would be a "custom" piece.

It would be......but it would only take a minute or two to modify a 1/2" long one using a grinder or file.

 

[revrnd]

It would be......but it would only take a minute or two to modify a 1/2" long one using a grinder or file.

Some of Polaris's engineering appears to be of the "barnyard" variety over the years (parents have had several of their sleds). I don't know how they source their fasteners, but just buying a standard length bolt rather than getting a quote for a "spec" bolt is probably easier, quicker & obviously cheaper than getting the proper length bolt. I imagine if someone ignored that bolt for longer than 300 hours, there would be more crud accumulating on it. I was lucky that the threads weren't trashed when I removed the plug.

 

[SLee]

I don't want to sound stupid but what exactly does the muffler clean out plug do. Is this something that has to be cleaned out

 

[Jungleman]

You can bang the carbon build up out of it. Where I am at, a Po muffler doesn't last long enough to worry about carbon..............