popping sound coming from my son's atv

[MedicMudder]

I got a 325 Trail Boss for my son,I never had a quad with a chain drive befor.It makes a loud popping sound from the back.I adjusted the chain (the guy at the Polaris dealership  showed me how) It still makes the same sound.Is this normal? HELP!!!

[Chevy1500z71]

your chain could be frozen up, if it is, hit it with some penetrating lube and let it sit on there for a while and itl loosen up.

the noise could be the chain skiping a link because your sprockets are ate up, this is my guess because it sounds like you have never adjusted the chain before and you need to keep it adjusted or you will eat up the sprockets. look if the teeth on the sprockets are still normal looking, i bet they are worn down and the poping noise is your chain skipping over the worn down teeth.

replacing the sprockets is fairly cheap and pretty darn easy, i wouldnt sweat it too much. being that i work at an atv shop, id say that your supposed to always replace the chain when you replace the sprockets, its the proper way. but iv replaced sprockets before without doing the chain without a singe problem. its up to you, im just saying, if you were to bring it to a shop, theyd put a new chain on.

[MedicMudder]

Thanks, I don't know what ''good'' sprocket looks like.Were is your shop at? I can try to fix it myself,if its not to hard to do. thanks agin for the help.

[MedicMudder]

Forgot to say the chain is very well lubed up.Can you lube one to much??

[Keeter]

your chain could be frozen up, if it is, hit it with some penetrating lube and let it sit on there for a while and itl loosen up.

the noise could be the chain skiping a link because your sprockets are ate up, this is my guess because it sounds like you have never adjusted the chain before and you need to keep it adjusted or you will eat up the sprockets. look if the teeth on the sprockets are still normal looking, i bet they are worn down and the poping noise is your chain skipping over the worn down teeth.

replacing the sprockets is fairly cheap and pretty darn easy, i wouldnt sweat it too much. being that i work at an atv shop, id say that your supposed to always replace the chain when you replace the sprockets, its the proper way. but iv replaced sprockets before without doing the chain without a singe problem. its up to you, im just saying, if you were to bring it to a shop, theyd put a new chain on.

I have a 94 Polaris chain driven Sportsman.  I agree with Chevy...sprockets and chains and easy to buy and replace. 

[kawasakimojaverider]

if your sprockets are good on the counter shaft and on your axle and the chain is good you might have bigger problems i had a 2001 trail blazer 250 that was doing the same thing so i replaced the sprockets and chain still same thing so i replaced the axle bearings thinking there might be a broken ball in there still same thing... now these polaris's have a chain drivin tranny there like cam chains theres two chains and four sprockets if the bike has alot of hours and has been ridin like a sport quad you probaly have a stretched chain or broken sprockets in the tranny you can just go on ebay and buy another tranny (if they have any) or rebuild it i rebuilt mine and it wasnt to hard and i think ebay or somewhere has rebuild kits or if you dont mind spending some money just take it to your shop hope this helps 

[Chevy1500z71]

what a worn out sprocket looks lik
http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/data/articlestandard/dirtbike/092007/407485/2_l..jpg
and a new one
http://www.faster-minis.com/images/030_3-TBR_lg.jpg

lol, pretty simple to see if youv got a bad sprocket.

it could be the carrier bearing in the swingarm, they will pop if they are bad. check the sprocket first. if its the sprockets popping then you would feel a power loss as the chain is skipping teeth on the sprocket. if you feal no diference in the atv performance whatsoever, then it may be the carrier bearings.

its simple to check the carrier bearings, first understand what they are and what they do, the axle sits on these bearings held in the swing arm carrier. if you rock the bike side to side, it should feel solid, if you hear clicking and poping and see the axle moving around in the carrier, you need new carrier bearings. the only thing they eat up is themselves, so honestly, its ok to put it off for as little while. but just remember, if you let them get to bad and seized up, it will be 5x as hard to get the old bearings out, in some cases they wont even come out if you let them get bad enough. oe of my buddy's let his get too bad and it got to the point were he ahd tried everything to get the axle out of the carrier, he ended up hitting the aluminum carrier with a sledge hammer until it cracked in pieces so he could get his axle free from the carrier and buy a new carrier.

[MedicMudder]

Thanks going to check it all out tomorrow.

[AintSkeered]

If it's a straight axle, does it wobble? If so, the bearings may be toast.

[yunt2ride]

Check the belt. When the belt starts shredding it will make a popping sound.

[Keeter]

Check the belt. When the belt starts shredding it will make a popping sound.

Yep. me 2

[digginfool]

Check the water level in the tires.  You might also want to make sure your spark plug is well lubed otherwise your engine will squeek.  Sometimes mud will get stuck between the air cleaner pleats and make it flap.  Also, try the universal adjusting tool.  If nothing else, it gives satisfaction.  If none of this helps, I guess you'll have to ask someone else because that's everything I know about popping sounds.    

[MedicMudder]

It was a 2 bad links in the chain,sprocket worn also, Thanks for the help Diggin the plug was very well lubed  now it smokes alot??

[digginfool]

It was a 2 bad links in the chain,sprocket worn also, Thanks for the help Diggin the plug was very well lubed  now it smokes alot??

That's not a problem as long as it's good sheet and it shares with you.   

[MedicMudder]