Polaris RZR 900XP Engine Rebuild Part 4: Engine Teardown

This is the 4th part of our Polaris RZR 900XP engine rebuild series, in which we highlight the important points of the process of tearing down the engine of the Polaris side-by-side. 

Watch our Polaris RZR 900 Engine Rebuild Part 4 video above to see how to tear down an RZR’s engine right down to the crankshaft and bearings. The steps covered include:

• Removing the ancillaries
• Removing the camshafts
• Removing the cylinder head
• Removing the crankshaft

Use our Polaris RZR 900 parts diagrams for additional reference, and follow the steps below to complete this job.

Tools Needed – Polaris RZR Engine Teardown

• Ratchet and extensions
• Socket set
• Allen set
• Torx set
• Screwdrivers

• Hammers
• Pliers
• Impact wrench
• Impact driver

Removing the Engine Ancillaries - Polaris RZR 900XP

PRO TIP: Tag every wire and hose as you disconnect them, and ziplock bag every nut and bolt as you remove them. By doing so, you’ll find it much easier to reassemble your RZR’s motor when the time comes. Label each bag so you can easily retrieve parts when you need them again.

Step 1. Remove the various hoses that are still attached to the engine.

Step 2. Remove the starter motor, the thermostat housing, water pump and the oil-to-water cooler.

PRO TIP: An impact wrench takes a lot of the heavy work out of disassembling the RZR’s motor, particularly with stubborn bolts. However, never use an impact wrench for reassembling the engine, as it can strip screw threads and shear bolts in their housings. If you accidentally round off an Allen bolt, take an Allen socket the next size up and hammer it into the rounded head so it cuts into the rounded corners/edges, then use an impact driver and hammer to break the bolt loose. 

Step 3. Remove the stator cover and turn the crankshaft to bring the engine to top dead center (TDC) so that the inlet and exhaust valves are in their closed positions. This makes disassembling the valves and camshaft much easier.

Step 4. Remove the spark plugs and the valve cover. 

NOTE: The valve cover has Torx bolts, so don’t try loosening them with a regular Allen socket.

Watch the clip below to see the ancillary removal segment of our Polaris RZR 900XP engine rebuild video.

Removing the Camshafts - Polaris RZR 900XP

Step 5. Remove the cam chain tensioner, the cam chain guide and the camshaft mounts.

Step 6. Remove the camshafts and the shims beneath them.

Watch the clip below to see the camshafts removal segment of our Polaris RZR 900XP engine rebuild video.

Removing the Cylinder Head - Polaris RZR 900XP

Step 7. Remove the cylinder head by taking off the six main cylinder head bolts and two smaller bolts to the side of the motor. 

NOTE: To prevent warping the cylinder head, you must loosen the six main bolts by 1/8th of a turn in the pattern shown in the image below.

Step 8. Remove the flywheel.

Step 9. Remove timing chain guides, the timing gear and the timing chain.

Step 10. Remove the oil sump cover from the bottom of the motor.

Step 11. Remove the oil pump by taking off the three bolts that hold it in place, followed by the dowels the pump sits upon. Use a magnet tool or needle nose pliers to remove the dowels.

Step 12. Remove the engine mounting bracket.

Watch the clip below to see the cylinder head removal segment of our Polaris RZR 900XP engine rebuild video.

Removing the Crankshaft - Polaris RZR 900XP

Step 13. Remove the crankcase bolts, and tap the crankcase halves with a dead-blow hammer to break them apart.

Step 14. Remove the crankshaft bracket and the crankshaft.

Watch the clip below to see the crankshaft removal segment of our Polaris RZR 900XP engine rebuild video.

Now that the Polaris RZR’s motor is completely disassembled, you can inspect it for wear or signs of internal damage, order the replacement parts you’ll need to bring it back to peak condition and start the reassembly process.

The next stage in this Polaris RZR 900 engine rebuild project is to remove the engine from the chassis. Watch our Polaris RZR 900 Engine Rebuild Part 5 video above to see how to get that done.