Snowmobile Polaris 340 Edge / 550 LX (2008 year). Instruction - part 26

104

MAINTENANCE

Steering System

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Rail Slide Wear

For ease of inspection, all 

Polaris rail slides have a 

wear limit indicator groove 

to indicate the minimum per-

missible slide thickness. 

Replace the rail slides if they 

are worn to the top of the 

groove at any point along 

their length. Failure to do so 

may result in permanent 

damage to the track or rails.

Suspension Maintenance

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Pre-Ride Suspension Inspection

Loose nuts and bolts can reduce your snowmobile's reliability and cause 

needless repairs and down time. Before beginning any snowmobile trip, 

a visual inspection will uncover potential problems. Check the follow-

ing items on a weekly basis or before any long trip:

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Check suspension mounting bolts for tightness.

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Check rear idler wheel bolts for tightness. See page 99.

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Check rear idler adjusting bolt locknuts for tightness.

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Check front torque arm limiter strap condition.

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Check rail slide condition.

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Check track tension. See page 98.

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Lubricate all rear suspension components. See page 74.

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Check ski runner/skag condition. See page 43.

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Check ski spindle bolts for tightness.

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Check tie rod end nuts for tightness.

Replace when 

worn to top of 

groove

Minimum 

Thickness

105

MAINTENANCE

Extended Storage

Off-season or extended storage of your snowmobile requires preventive 

measures to aid against deterioration and to prolong the useful life of 

many components. See page 113 for the part numbers of Polaris prod-

ucts.

Cleaning and Preservation

Proper storage starts with cleaning, washing, and waxing the hood, 

chassis, and plastic parts. Wipe down remaining surfaces with a damp 

cloth. Clean and touch up with paint any rusted or previously painted 

surfaces. Be sure that corrosive salt and acids are removed from surfaces 

before beginning preservation with waxes and rust inhibitors (grease, oil 

or paint).

The machine should be stored in a dry garage or shed, out of direct sun-

light, and covered with a fabric snowmobile cover. Plastic tarp may 

cause condensation to form and damage snowmobile components.

Controls and Linkage

Lubricate bushings, spindle shafts, tie rod ends and cables as outlined in 

the Periodic Maintenance Table beginning on page 71.

106

MAINTENANCE

Extended Storage

Bearings

Grease the drive shaft clutch side bearing with Polaris Premium All-

Season Grease or a similar high quality grease to prevent corrosion.

Clutch and Drive System

Remove the drive belt and store in a cool dry location. Lubricate the 

sheave faces of the drive and driven clutches with a light coat of oil or 

Polaris Cable Lubricant.

Do not lubricate clutch components, except the driven clutch shaft bush-

ing as outlined in the Master Repair Manual. See your dealer.

Engine and Carburetor Protection

Proper preparation of the engine and fuel system is vital to the preven-

tion of rust and corrosion on precision engine parts during storage. 

Whenever the machine is stored for a period of more than 60 days, the 

engine must be fogged with fogging oil. Follow the engine fogging 

instructions provided on the container.

Always add Premium Carbon Clean or a fuel conditioner/stabilizer to 

the fuel tank. Follow the instructions on the container, running the 

engine for five minutes to get additives through the entire fuel system. 

Top off with fresh fuel.

If stabilizer is not used, drain the carburetors by removing the water trap 

drain plugs. See page 82. 

NOTE: Jet restriction caused by improper storage can cause lean con-

ditions and very poor slow speed driving quality.

107

MAINTENANCE

Extended Storage

Engine and Carburetor Protection

Using a fuel stabilizer and topping off the fuel tank eliminates the need 

to drain the fuel system. If you prefer to drain the fuel tank, use the fol-

lowing procedure
1. Transfer unused fuel from the fuel tank to an approved fuel con-

tainer using a siphon pump. Do not re-use fuel after storage.

2. Securely support the front of the snowmobile with a jack stand so 

the machine is elevated and the engine is tilted rearward. 

3. Remove the spark plug(s).
4. Rotate the engine slowly, watching the piston until it's at bottom 

dead center (BDC), the lowest position in the cylinder. On twin cyl-

inder models, the opposite piston will be up.

5. Pour approximately two ounces of Polaris injector oil into the spark 

plug hole.

6. Wait one to two minutes and perform steps 3-5 on remaining cylin-

ders.

7. Replace the spark plugs and lower the machine to the floor.