Question:
Dear Motorhead,
I need to know how to clean the exhaust valves on a 2003 Pro X 600.
Thanks,
Mitch
Response:
Thanks for your email!
Exhaust valve cleaning looks like this. Remove the bolts or cap screws holding the power valve body in the cylinder.
Pull the entire unit out exposing the guillotine valve itself. If after removing the bolts the complete unit resists removal – you’ve got some serious grundge holding the guillotine in the cylinder.
At this point you need to be careful how you proceed. Do not use too much prying force to get the entire assembly out. However, you may have to get aggressive. Just don’t damage the mating surfaces or pry and bend on the valve assembly too much.
Once the unit is out and on the bench, disassemble the plastic cap from the valve body and remove the guillotine from the valve body.
If it’s really gucky you might want to use a soft wire wheel to gently scrub off the goo. If possible use a strong solvent like Toluol on a rag to clean the valve up.
If after cleaning the valve still looks bad (stained) use the soft wire wheel method to polish it. Go easy. It is a good idea to replace the paper gasket between the valve body and the cylinder on re-installation. However, we’ve re-used these gaskets with a light coating of grease without any issues.
Put the whole deal back together.
I have made some general assumptions here you are moderately mechanically inclined. If these instructions confuse you – better get your dealer to do this.
In terms of technical service work, power valve cleaning on a Polaris is a pretty simple operation. Issues become increasingly more complicated on Yamaha’s and Arctic Cat’s (Suzuki’s) with cable operated valves.
Good luck,
Motorhead Mark
