2008 Polaris Sportsman 500 / 500 EFI / 500 HO / Touring 500 EFI Service Manual (P/N 9921315)

• 406-page factory PDF, Polaris P/N 9921315 (copyright 2007), for the 2008 Sportsman 500 H.O. carbureted family (A08MH50AX/AZ), Sportsman 500 EFI (A08MN50AF/AN/AQ/AS/AX), Sportsman X2 500 EFI (A08TN50AX/AZ and A08TN50EA Quadricycle), and Sportsman Touring 500 EFI (A08DN50AF/AS/AZ and A08DN50EA Quadricycle).
• EH50PLE engine repair coverage runs from engine removal through cylinder-head, valve-train, piston, crankcase, crankshaft, counterbalancer, oil-pump, water-pump-seal, recoil, and final cam-timing work, with inspection limits and assembly specifications.
• The fuel chapters separate the Visteon EFI system from the Mikuni BST 40 carburetor, covering fuel-pressure testing, blink-code diagnosis, sensor testing, TPS initialization, carburetor disassembly and cleaning, float and fuel-level checks, jetting data, and fuel-pump service.
• Drivetrain procedures cover standard PVT and EBS clutch systems, belt and clutch alignment, drive- and driven-clutch overhaul, transmission removal and internal repair, X2/Touring differential components, and front-output-shaft backlash setup.
• Final-drive and chassis sections include Centralized Hilliard and Active Descent Control front gearcases, ADC hydraulic-circuit bleeding, CV shaft and boot repair, prop-shaft U-joints, hubs, A-arms, ball joints, steering posts, strut cartridges, and model-specific body removal.
• Brake and electrical diagnosis is split by configuration, with Sportsman versus X2/Touring hydraulic layouts, caliper and master-cylinder repair, instrument-cluster and EFI diagnostic modes, AWD/ADC testing, charging and starter-system checks, and circuit-specific fault isolation.
• Four complete, two-page wiring-diagram sets cover the Sportsman 500 carbureted, Sportsman 500 EFI, X2/Touring EFI, and X2 Quadricycle EFI systems. Each set pairs the schematic with wire-color, gauge, termination, and connector-cavity tables; the international section adds Quadricycle braking, steering-lock, emissions, and turn/hazard-signal information.

Model-Specific Repair and EH50PLE Engine Work

Polaris built this publication as a dealer-level service reference rather than a routine owner-maintenance booklet. The opening tables identify each model code and separate the configurations that matter during repair: carburetor versus EFI, non-EBS versus EBS clutching, Centralized Hilliard versus ADC front drive, standard Sportsman versus X2/Touring brake and chassis layouts, and domestic versus Quadricycle equipment. Those distinctions help prevent parts, specifications, or procedures from being taken from a similar-looking 500 model with different hardware.

The maintenance chapter covers periodic schedules; front-gearcase, transmission, and ADC fluid service; compression and cooling-system pressure tests; oil and filter changes; oil-pump priming; valve adjustment; wheel alignment and toe setup; auxiliary-brake adjustment; suspension preload; and model-specific lubricant and capacity tables.

The EH50PLE chapter supports a complete mechanical teardown and rebuild. It covers cylinder honing, crankshaft straightening, oil-pressure testing, cam-chain and automatic-compression-release inspection, valve-seat reconditioning, piston and ring inspection, crankcase separation, bearing and end-play checks, and water-pump mechanical-seal replacement. Supporting references include fastener torque sequences, wear limits, clearance data, the EH50PL oil-flow diagram used in this engine section, engine exploded views, and a dedicated cylinder-head view.

EFI, Carburetor, Clutch, and Final-Drive Service

EFI coverage identifies the ECU and fuel-delivery components along with the crankshaft-position, manifold-pressure, intake-air-temperature, idle-air-control, throttle-position, and engine-temperature systems. Blink-code diagnosis is backed by separate circuit diagrams for power-on, crank position, fuel pump, ignition coil, idle-air control, throttle position, manifold pressure, coolant temperature, air temperature, and the malfunction indicator light. Listed equipment includes Digital Wrench PU-47063, the PU-43506/PU-47476 fuel-pressure tools, and the 2201519 TPS tester. Some EFI checks remain dealer-tool functions, and the sealed ECU is treated as a replaceable unit rather than an internally serviceable component.

The carbureted Sportsman receives its own BST 40 section instead of being folded into the EFI material. It documents carburetor operation, altitude and temperature jetting, disassembly, cleaning, inspection, assembly, float-height adjustment, needle-and-seat leakage testing, fuel-level testing, and the vacuum fuel-pump system.

Clutch repair is configuration-specific. Separate procedures address the standard 500 carbureted clutches and the EBS assemblies used on EFI variants, including bushing service and alignment with the 2872292 EBS alignment tool. The transmission chapter provides different exploded views for X2/Touring and carbureted layouts, followed by removal, disassembly, inspection, reassembly, differential installation, and backlash work using the listed 2871695 setting tool. Final-drive coverage extends through both front-gearcase designs, ADC coil testing and hydraulic bleeding, gearcase piston service, ring-gear backlash, CV joints, boots, prop shafts, U-joints, and rear hubs.

Electrical Diagnosis, Wiring Diagrams, and Repair Notes

Electrical coverage includes Power Distribution Module information for the carbureted model, instrument-cluster diagnostics, a numbered AWD/speedometer fault-test series, cooling-fan checks, ignition and charging-system testing, X2/Touring differential-solenoid diagnosis, lighting and sensor tests, starter overhaul, battery testing, and basic winch wiring. Key references include the EFI ignition testing flow chart, charging-system diagrams, separate EFI and carbureted starter-lockout diagrams, the starter-system testing flow chart, the ADC hydraulic operating view, and the full wiring-diagram sets at the back of the PDF.

The manual also calls out repair details that are easy to miss. It treats the drive-clutch retaining bolt as a one-time-use fastener because removal can weaken it and reduce clamp load. During transmission assembly, the rear-output seal is removed before differential installation to avoid damaging the seal at the entry angle, with separate X2/Touring instructions for the differential sliding geardog. EFI fuel pressure can remain in the system with the engine stopped, so the publication requires pressure relief and appropriate fire-safety precautions before fuel-system service.