Parts For Pumps

Dear Ralph:
I have a 1993 Polaris XLT. My problem is the water pump was leaking, so I removed it to check it out. The main seal was bad, so I called my Polaris dealer and he told me the only fix was to replace the entire pump assembly for about $300. Do you know where I can get the seal for this pump?
Dean Reid
Howell, MI

Many of the water pumps on snowmobilers are like this; if the seal goes bad you replace the entire pump. This is pretty common with many older sleds. In the case of the XLT, I believe the pulley is press fit onto the shaft and there really isn’t a viable service method for replacement of the seal. Many times you’ll find things like water pumps, oil pumps and even some fuel pumps where the unit is sold as an assembly and individual replacement parts are not available.
Many times the pump assembly is supplied by another vendor to the engine manufacturer. Other times the assembly of the pump is such that disassembly and reassembly will not meet certain specifications or tolerances. Think of it like a circuit board in your television; the problem may be a fifty-cent chip, but you’ll have to pay hundreds of dollars to replace the entire circuit board.