Polaris RZR Performance - Gain 10 mph for Free

An increasingly popular modification RZR owners are doing is removing the plastic spacer that is on the crank shaft in the drive clutch assembly. This can increase your to RZR's top speed by as much as 10 mph.

The RZR's transmission is a pulley based constant velocity transmission (PVT) that consists of 3 major assemblies, the drive clutch, the driven clutch, and the drive belt. The drive clutch and the driven clutch both consist of two conical shaped pulley halves, called sheaves. The transmission operates by sensing centrifugal force that cause shift weights to push against rollers that push the movable sheave closer to the other sheave to pinch the drive belt. The closer the two sheaves are pushed together the further out the belt is pushed.

Removal of this spacer allows the two sheaves to come completely together where the belt would move out to the largest diameter on the sheaves. We have found this will increase your RZR's top speed anywhere from 5-10 mph. Some will say this is going against the original design of the transmission, but we speculate that it was designed without the spacer and was added on later as an easy way to limit the RZR's top speed for liability reasons. We have heard some arguments that removal of this spacer will decrease the life of your drive belts, but we have yet to have any issues. A proper break in period at lower speeds for the first 100 miles on a new RZR or after a new belt is installed is highly recommended to ensure a longer belt life.

Removal of the plastic limiting spacer is a simple process that requires a clutch compression tool that can be purchased through your local Polaris dealer (part # 8700220)

1. Remove driver and passenger seats.

2. Remove panel that is behind the seats to gain access to the outer clutch cover.

3. Remove the push rivets and fasteners holding the rear seat base and remove from vehicle.

4. With a screw driver loosen the clamp that holds the clutch outlet duct to the clutch cover and slide it off.

5. Remove outer clutch cover screws and remove clutch cover.

6. Remove drive clutch assembly by removing the clutch retaining bolt that threads into the crank shaft. (Facing the rear of the vehicle the drive clutch is the clutch assembly on the left) To remove the clutch retaining bolt you will need to secure the drive clutch assembly, aka the spider cage to keep it from spinning. A wooden hammer handle slipped into the spider cage works well for this. The clutch assembly is pressed onto the crank shaft and can be fairly easy to knock loose by tapping on it with a rubber hammer. (This is where the factory service manual would tell you to use a drive clutch puller, which you can order through your local dealer, part # PA-48595)

7. Once the drive clutch assembly is removed take it to a work bench where you can install a spring compression tool. Once it is clamped down you can loosen the 6 3/8" bolts that hold the clutch cover plate on. Once bolts are removed you can then loosen the spring compression tool unloading the clutch spring and then remove the cover plate. Before removing the cover plate use a sharpie to mark where it is aligned with the drive clutch assembly. They need to be bolted back together the same way because it is the way they were balanced from the factory.

8. After the cover plate has been removed you can slide the main clutch spring off and then remove the plastic spacer that sat inside it.

9. With the plastic spacer now removed slide the clutch spring back on then with the clutch spring tool compress the assembly back together until you can get the 3/8" bolts started. Tighten them the rest of the way torqued to 20 ft pounds.

10. Reinstall sheave assembly by sliding it back onto the crank shaft, then re install the clutch retaining bolt that threads into the crank shaft. Be sure you have the lock washer, thick washer and the plastic collar on the way they came off making sure the plastic collar centers in the clutch shaft as you tighten. This bolt needs to be torqued to 40 foot pounds.